This vegan french toast casserole features a sweet, silky custard—topped with a cinnamon almond crumble. Made without coconut, tofu, eggs, or dairy. The perfect crowd pleasing breakfast or brunch!
1loafFrench bread or sourdough(about 16 oz / 454g)
2½cupsnon-dairy milk(plain and unsweetened)
⅔cuppacked light brown sugar
3tablespoonscornstarch
4teaspoonsvanilla extract
1tablespooncinnamon
½teaspoonground cardamom(optional)
¼teaspoonfine sea salt
Topping
6tablespoonsall-purpose flour
¼cuppacked light brown sugar
1teaspooncinnamon
3tablespoonsvegan butter, melted(more for greasing)
¾cupsliced almonds
Maple syrup(for serving)
Powdered sugar and berries(optional)
Instructions
Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) casserole dish and set aside.
Bake bread (see note 1): Cut bread into 1 to 1½-inch cubes (2.5-4 cm). Scatter the bread on a large baking sheet. Bake until slightly dried on the outside, but not yet golden, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway.
Make custard: Meanwhile, combine non-dairy milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom (if using), and salt in a small saucepan. Warm over medium low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.
Coat bread: Transfer bread into the greased casserole dish. Pour the custard over top. Gently stir until the bread is evenly and thoroughly coated.
Make topping: In a small bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over top, mix until well combined. Use your fingers to roughly crumble the almonds, then add. Mix with your fingers to combine. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole (see note 2).
Bake and garnish: Bake until the top of the casserole is golden brown and slightly crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes (see note 2). If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with berries and maple syrup.
Notes
Bread: This recipe does not require you to have day-old bread. The initial step of lightly drying out the bread in the oven helps to reliably mimic the "day-old" effect, without needing to plan ahead. You are aiming to draw out some of the moisture from the bread, to firm it up so that it can absorbs the custard without getting too soggy. Remove the bread before it starts getting toasted and golden brown (at that point, the bread is too firm). But, if you do have day-old bread, you can still use it! Just skip the step of putting the cubed bread in the oven before combining with the custard.
Make-ahead option: You can prep the bread and custard the night before. You can also mix the topping the night before, if you'd like. But, sprinkle the topping over the casserole just before baking. Cover and refrigerate if making the night before; and let the casserole come up to room temperature while the oven is pre-heating the next day.
Storage and reheating tips: Cover and refrigerate any extras. Use a microwave to reheat individual slices. Or, if reheating the whole baking dish, set it out on the counter while the oven preheats to 350°F (177°C). Bake until warmed through, about 10 minutes.