This Vegan French Toast, coated with flax eggs and crunchy walnuts and doused in maple syrup, will have you looking forward to breakfast! Use wholegrain bread for a healthier and just as delicious recipe.
I have made this vegan French Toast recipe for many, many years now and it has lived on this blog for at least eight of those. I know a number of you love it too, and have written to tell me so.
But when I made it once again this week and had Desi photograph it for you, I was wondering -- as I usually do with old recipes that I update -- if there's anything I could tweak to make it better.
There wasn't.
Like any classic, this recipe really needs no gilding. When I first made it, I used the most straightforward vegan substitutes: flax eggs for the eggs and soymilk for the cream/milk. I've made other versions of French toast since, savory, stuffed and sweet, but nothing really can beat the simple goodness of this eight-ingredient version.
What I also love about this recipe is that it's really good for you. The bread is whole wheat, and there's flaxmeal and whole wheat flour in the recipe. Yes, you can douse it in maple syrup, as I admit we often do at our home, but you could also just serve it with some fresh fruit or vegan whipped cream if you want to keep it as healthy as can be.
How to make vegan French toast
- You start out with wholesome ingredients. French toast is usually made with a slightly sweet, buttery bread like a brioche, but I find that by the time you've dipped it into the vanilla custard and the bread has soaked up all that goodness, it doesn't really matter if your bread is a white one or a whole wheat one. So I go the whole wheat route. If you want additional indulgence, use a brioche like my Vegan Olive Oil Brioche with Aquafaba.
- A reader said she adds cinnamon to the recipe, and I love that idea. If you do, add the cinnamon to the custard for best results.
- Make sure you process your nuts to be quite fine but not too powdery. The nuts make this recipe extra delicious but you could skip them if you're nut-free.
- Gluten-free? You can make this recipe with gluten-free sandwich bread, and whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the custard instead of the whole wheat flour.
Ingredients for vegan French toast
- Whole wheat bread: you can make your French toast with white bread, a vegan brioche would be an awesome bread to use, but to keep it healthy for breakfast I go with a wholegrain bread.
- Flaxmeal: This is the egg replacer that helps the other good stuff stick to the toast.
- Whole wheat flour: To help make a crispy coating on the bread. Again, you can use white all purpose flour.
- Nondairy milk: Try and use a milk that's thicker in consistency, like oat milk or soy milk.
- Maple syrup: Adds a hint of sweetness without the artificial sugars.
- Pure vanilla extract: For great aroma and more sweetness.
- Walnuts: You can leave walnuts out of this recipe, but they taste so amazing crusted on the French toast. It's my favorite part, in fact.
- Vegan butter or oil for the skillet
This, needless to say, is a kid-friendly recipe, so if you have little ones in your home, you can be sure they'll love it. My son, Jay, gobbles this up and it's one of his most requested breakfasts. I hope you'll try it and if you do, come back and let me know all about it. Or take a photo and tag me on Instagram @HolyCowVegan.
More vegan breakfast recipes
- Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Fruity Bread Pudding with Stale Crusty Bread
- Healthy Stuffed French Toast
- Vegan Raspberry White Chocolate Waffles, whole wheat
- Best Vegan Pancakes
- Baked Apple Pie Donuts (whole wheat)
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Eggnog French Toast
Vegan French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices wholegrain bread (I use whole wheat. Something like rye could be too strong, but go with what you like)
- 2 tablespoon flaxmeal
- 1 cup soymilk
- ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup walnuts (optional, but nice).
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter to coat skillet in a thin layer
Instructions
- Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse five to six times until the walnuts are finely chopped. Place in a shallow dish large enough to hold a slice of bread.
- Make the custard by whisking together the flaxmeal, whole wheat flour, soymilk, vanilla extract and maple syrup in another shallow dish large enough to hold the slice of bread.
- Dip the slices of bread one by one in the custard and coat on either side. I let them soak about 20-30 seconds on each side.
- Dip the slice of bread into the walnuts and shake off any excess.
- Heat a skillet and coat with a thin layer of vegan butter or spray on some cooking spray.
- Place a slice of the French toast on the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Recipe notes
- You can make this recipe with gluten-free sandwich bread, and whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the custard instead of the whole wheat flour.
- You can make it nut-free by omitting the walnuts.
- You can make it soy-free by using another non-dairy milk, like cashew or coconut.
Anonymous
Hi Vaishali,
What an eye opener for all!
I come from a pure vegatarian family and I never miss a moment to thank God for being so kind to me for this. Today after reading the article on the plightful conditions of the hens, I once again bow down to god for being so generous to me. Although I am not a vegan(i.e. we use dairy products), i ceratinly would like to go one as when situation permits. Since my husband is in IAF and his is a transferable job, at times we find it difficult to even find dairy products; forget about the vegan substitutes. Is there any other substitute of flaxmeal seed powder(it is impossible to fins at korukonda, a small village in AP)?
With Thanks,
Nisha,
God Bless.
Latha
Though I've read a lot on the benefits of flax seeds and it being a successful (and healthy) substitute to eggs never got around using it. I'm really glad i tried this for our breakfast this morning. i used whole grain spelt flour, oats milk and the result was just too good. this will be a regular snack box recipe for my 6 yr old. he and his little sis loved it too. Thanks Vaishali!
EcoMiko
Thanks Vaishali for your wonderful recipes! I've tried a few eggless french toast recipes, and this one is definitely the best. I added a 1/2 tbsp of nutritional yeast for the flavor/vitamins, and used honey instead of syrup. Plus I added cinnamon because I've never had french toast without it, although my BF says he never had it with till he met me! Anyway, turned out great! Thanks!!
Greg
Oh man, I've missed French toast so much since abstaining from murder. This is simple, looks delicious and even helps me get my flax for the day.
Bodacious.
Anonymous
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for making a recipe with ingredients I actually have on hand! I'm tired of vegan recipes with "egg replacers" where you don't really know what's in them
Johnny
I'm NOT a vegan, or health conscious in the least. My wife is both. I do, however, have a child with a severe egg allergy. Found this recipe via google this morning, and made it.
Bravo, and thank you! It was delicious, and acclaimed by all 😀
Coyote Crafty
If I may say, my mother rescued a dozen of 1 year old hens from such a henhouse. They were in a pitiful condition. They did not even know how to eat grain, or walk !
Luckily, we had a lonely rooster who taught them how to live freerange. I don't think they are unhappy.
And their eggs, which we eat when they are available, are awesome !
But we've stopped buying mass-produced eggs, though…
Tanvi
Hi Vaishali,
Following ur blog for smtime nw but commenting first time!
Recreated your mango bread recipe the other day [of course not vegan].... loved it. I am really amazed at your creativity and skills to make vegan food look so tasty and appetiziting.Curdless Curd rics simply knocked me on the floor...tofu was an amazing idea.
Thanks
Sinfully Spicy
kaye
You made me so damn hungry. Thanks for sharing!
Jessica
OMG I hadn't read about the conditions at those farms. I knew they wouldn't be good, but WOW...I've got to share this with my omni husband. Maybe he'll get grossed out? Poor things...
queerisaverb
I'd love to try this with some yummy sprouted spelt bread!
AMA's AnythingVegetarian
Had some time to sneak peak .French toast- very tempting by the looks but a coating of egg wash kept me away .Your vegan version is a must try.
kat
tried it, and Loved it, had it last night for dinner thanks!
jodye @ 'scend food
I've come across several vegan 'french toast' recipes in the past but none of them ever came close to the real thing. I'll have to give your recipe a try, it looks very promising!
evolvingtastes
For a long time now I have been buying eggs from a local farmer. You know I am not vegan, but I respect those who are, and I love your blog. 🙂
This eggless version looks so scrumptious!
Vaishali
Jenny, Thanks for your email and your kind words. Your family's lucky to have your guidance. I would like to watch that MFA video and will look for it for sure.
GKB, yes, I've seen recipes that use pureed bananas and they do sound wonderful. Gotta try my French Toast that way sometimes-- I'd imagine it'd taste a bit like banana bread. Yum.
Thanks for asking about Lucy-- she's doing well. She's already been through four doses of intensive chemo, and is now on a maintenance dose. There are so signs so far that the cancer has spread, which is great.
Preeti, thanks, and it's really horrifying, isn't it?
Aarti, I totally agree with you. Soy is one of the most controversial foods around today because of the way its farmed, and I do limit my use of it for that very reason. The ruthlessness of the corporate farming industry, fueled by the greed of multinationals like Monsanto, is something we all need to educate ourselves about to protect our health. Because vegetable products that are raised irresponsibly can also harm.
Priya, thanks!
Miri, thanks, and you can definitely either skip the syrup or substitute it with plain sugar or sugar syrup. I'd use powdered sugar because regular sugar might not mix thoroughly in the batter.
Sanjeeta, Thanks!
T, 🙂 You hit the target.