Easy Vegan French Toast Casserole (Healthy!)

Easy to prep, eager to please, this versatile French toast casserole is whatever you want it to be—light yet decadent, a cozy, rustic breakfast bake that carries itself with a certain splendor. Naturally and subtly sweetened with banana only (plus a liberal amount of Ceylon Cinnamon and any toppings you want to drizzle or sprinkle on top), this vegan breakfast bake is perfect for uncertain cooks who want to make something special for Mother’s Day morning without bothering with any tools beyond a blender; for moms planning brunch for their moms but are feeling scattered and short on time; and for anyone who loves delicious comfort food especially when it’s wholesome-ish. In short, it’s pretty much wonderful all around.

Prepping this French Toast Casserole

You can take the time to create careful, even slices and arrange them neatly in your dish, making sure to turn and coat each slice with the almond milk-banana-chia seed blend. But really, do you want to bother? If yes, I applaud you and would love to see your pictures. If no, I’m right there with you, every time.

One thing I love about this casserole is how economical it is. The more stale (but not moldy, obviously) the bread, the better. That means we get to take advantage of the markdown shelves in any bakery or grocery store, picking out whatever sturdy bread speaks to us. Here, I’ve used French baguettes, which is why my “cubed” bread pieces all have curves. No matter! Let “cube” be a guide, and just slice into roughly the same size pieces. Then, scatter that bread across your casserole dish and pour your blended liquid evenly all around, turning to coat! You don’t even need to coat it with cooking spray, although if you do it will make for slightly easier cleanup—nothing a good soak won’t balance out, though.

A beautiful mess

Once you’ve mixed bread and liquid, give it time to soak. This is a super dish to make ahead and let sit in the fridge overnight. Sometimes, though, overnight isn’t possible, due to space, time, life, etc. If that’s the case, be assured that even just a half hour will do, though I recommend at least an hour for letting the liquid soak in. Depending on how sturdy your bread is, though, e.g. if it’s on the softer side, you may actually want to go light on the soak. The casserole, once ready to break, won’t be all that pretty. Don’t fret about aesthetics—once baked, it dresses up amazingly well. I like to scatter fresh berries, sprinkle organic powdered sugar, and offer maple syrup on the side; you can also add nuts, date caramel, sliced bananas…get wild. The results may still look messy, but they will be beautiful.

Messiness isn’t the most comfortable state to be in. There are times it’s got to be fought against. Messy desks making for cluttered minds, for example. Or haphazard, strategic yet ham-handed, relentless targeting of, attacking, and lashing out at those we don’t like or who don’t support us, even and especially when we’re in positions of power. You know, those kinds of examples that scream, hey, we’ve got to clean this up.

But, messiness holds beauty, too. When it comes to striving to understand and show up for those we love, navigating parenting, bumbling our way to discovering our stregnths and learning from mistakes, it’s necessary and mostly good. And when you find yourself pressed for time, resigned to tossing what you’ve got together in hopes of creating something nourishing, trust yourself. You’ll make something beautiful. Happy Mother’s Day! xo

Use code HAPPYAPPLE for 15% off Organic India Ceylon Cinnamon and other products!

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Vegan healthy French Toast Casserole

Vegan healthy French Toast Casserole

Easy to prep, eager to please, this versatile, vegan, wholesome French toast casserole is whatever you want it to be—light yet decadent, a cozy, rustic breakfast bake that carries itself with a certain splendor.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (450 g) stale sturdy bread (I like to go with marked down French baguettes or sourdough boule), cut into cubes
  • 2 ½ Cups unsweetened vanilla plant milk (I like almond)
  • 1 overripe banana (medium to large, or use two small)
  • ¼ Cup chia seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract (more if not using vanilla plant milk)
  • 1 Tablespoon Ceylon Cinnamon
  • Pinch salt, optional
  • To serve: Fresh berries, organic powdered sugar, maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Prepare a casserole dish (11 X 6 or thereabouts) with a light coating of cooking spray (this is optional but helps with cleanup).
  2. Spread the cubed bread throughout the casserole dish.
  3. In a blender, combine the almond milk, banana, chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until smooth.
  4. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread, turning the cubes as needed to be sure all the pieces are coated.
  5. Cover the dish and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
  6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 30- 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and any liquid is baked in or custard-like. Serve with plenty of fresh berries and powdered sugar and/or maple syrup.

Notes

Be sure to build soak time into your planning--at least an hour if possible.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

209

Fat

4 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

36 g

Fiber

6 g

Net carbs

30 g

Sugar

7 g

Protein

7 g

Sodium

275 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg
BreakfastsWendy McMillanfeaturedComment