Are you looking for a vegan breakfast casserole recipe that will impress your whole family and make your holiday brunch or Christmas morning breakfast special? Look no further than this easy vegan French toast casserole! It's made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, and it's so delicious that no one will even miss the eggs or dairy.

vegan french toast casserole in a casserole dish topped with berries and cream cheese frosting

Overnight French toast casserole

This recipe is amazing to make if you want to serve a fancy and delicious breakfast, but you know that you won't have a ton of time in the morning. You can prepare the recipe the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, just pop it in the oven and you have a warm and cozy breakfast dish ready!

What you will need to make the vegan French toast casserole

French Toast Ingredients

stale bread / day-old bread: see notes below on what kind of bread to use.
coconut milk: to make the casserole extra creamy and delicious, the key is to use canned coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is much thicker and creamier than regular plant-based milk, and even regular dairy milk. It gives the recipe a sweet custard-like taste. If you wanted to, you can go with light coconut milk instead of the full-fat version.
non-dairy milk: in addition to the canned coconut milk, you will also need a little bit of regular dairy-free milk. You can use almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or whatever kind you prefer.
brown sugar: brown sugar works best in this recipe, but you can use white sugar or coconut sugar instead.
vanilla extract
ground cinnamon
cornstarch: arrowroot powder will also work.
ground flax seeds: you can also substitute the ground flax for a store-bought egg replacement like Just Egg, but the flax eggs work great.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

pure maple syrup
vegan cream cheese
vanilla extract

ingredients for a vegan french toast casserole recipe

Tools Needed

casserole dish or baking dish: I used a 9 x 9 inch dish.
large bowl: for making the casserole filling.
small bowl: for making the cream cheese frosting.
whisk

The full recipe, along with the nutritional information is at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

pouring maple syrup on top of a slice of vegan french toast casserole

What bread to use in French toast casserole

You can use any kind of bread you like in French toast casserole. Some delicious options are French bread, Italian bread, whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, or white bread.

The best bread to use, in my opinion, is vegan brioche bread. If you live in the US, Trader Joe's has an incredible vegan brioche bread that I highly recommend! This is what I used in this recipe.

If you need a gluten-free option, simply swap out the bread for a gluten-free bread.

Why use stale bread when making French toast bake

Traditional French toast casserole is made using stale bread. This is because fresh bread soaked in the liquid mixture will become too soggy. Using stale bread prevents this.

If you don't have stale bread on hand, you can leave your bread uncovered on a plate in the fridge overnight and it will be stale in the morning. Alternatively, you can lightly toast your bread before soaking it in the French toast mixture.

Adapting this recipe for the fall

This recipe is great to enjoy at any time of the year, and it's especially perfect to have for Christmas breakfast.

It can also be a great recipe to have in the fall, as it's super cozy and comforting. If you wanted to give this recipe a fall twist, you can substitute ¼ cup of the milk for ¼ cup of pumpkin puree, along with adding 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.

slicing into a piece of vegan french toast casserole

How to make this eggless French Toast casserole

First, slice the bread into cubes and place the pieces of bread in the casserole dish.

slicing a piece of bread into cubes for vegan french toast casserole

cubed slices of bread in a casserole baking dish

To make the custard mixture, whisk together the can of coconut milk, dairy-free milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cornstarch, and ground flax seeds in a large bowl.

Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes and use your hands or a spoon to make sure every piece of bread is fully coated in the mixture.

whisking together ingredients for vegan french toast casserole

pouring a custard mixture over vegan french toast casserole

Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least a few hours, to allow the bread to fully absorb the liquid.

When you're ready to bake the French toast casserole, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top layer of the casserole is golden brown.

Note: if you want your vegan French toast casserole to have an even more buttery taste and a crispier top, you can add a few tablespoons of melted vegan butter on top of the casserole before popping it in the oven to bake.

While the casserole is baking, prepare the vegan cream cheese frosting by whisking together the vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl.

cream cheese frosting for vegan french toast

Once the French toast casserole is done baking, let it cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Spread the vegan cream cheese frosting on top of the casserole and top it with fresh fruit. I topped mine with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh berries.

How to store French toast casserole

If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge. You will want to put the leftovers in an airtight container. If you don't want to transfer them to a baking dish, you can cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil instead.

To reheat, place a slice of the French toast casserole on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through. You can also microwave it instead.

This vegan French toast casserole recipe is so delicious and easy to make that you'll want to add it to your list of go-to vegan recipes. Try this baked French toast casserole next time you want a vegan breakfast that's both satisfying and indulgent. Your whole family will love it!

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