vegan breakfast

French Toast is a Classic

French toast is part of the fabric of American classic foods. And it’s on every home menu. It can be embellished in many different ways. Stuff it or use fancy bread. It works. Plus, it’s delicious.

But, vegan french toast…

But for all the ways there are to veganize recipes, for some frustrating reason, french toast was a struggle. Just when I thought, ‘this is it, this is the one that is a keeper’ the next time I’d attempt to recreate it, it would fail.

Then there would be long stretches where I just threw in the towel and gave up for a while.

But, it was always sitting in the back of my thoughts like the missing last piece of a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. And I knew I would never completely give up looking for it. I just needed to stick with it and keep trying for the ever-elusive combination that would, once and for all, give me the french toast I desired.

The creation I longed for

First, it would be a nice golden color. It would be buttery and eggy, with a slightly crispy outer crust and a softer, melt-in-your-mouth inside. It had to be quality bread to get it to really stand out from the rest. And it wouldn’t be so fragile and mushy that it would fall apart before it hit the pan. And, speaking of the pan, it had to be special, so the French toast didn’t get stuck when flipping because that was a recurring nightmare.

The process begins

I tried simple recipes, then elaborate recipes. But after all the recipe sampling, when it came down to the best one, I followed my instincts.

My healthy frozen sprouted bread was swapped with something more appropriate for a classic French toast consistency. Then, more vegan butter was added. The spices and flavor ingredients were boosted. I was all-in for the best possible outcome. It’s not an everyday kind of choice after all.

look at that egg-like texture!

Bringing it all together

So with that in mind, I got out my nonstick Scan Pan. Then I plopped a good-sized chunk of vegan butter in that pan. I gave it extra time to brown that butter onto my chunky piece of bread without trying to flip (with my favorite flexible turner) too soon. Plus, I added a little something extra that brought it all home…. kala namak- aka, black salt. This provided the eggy flavor I’d been missing. Viola! I fried up my most delicious version of French toast yet!

Healthy-ish

But although this yummy breakfast treat is not #1 on the list of healthiest breakfast choices, it does include organic tofu, cinnamon, and nutritional yeast in the ingredients. So- some healthy stuff in there too! 😉

Try it with our Saucy Apples!

Goes wonderful with our vegan bacon alternative too!

Berries are good!

or just simply a bit of maple syrup…..

thehamptonsvegan

Favorite French Toast

Our favorite recipe for french toast… make it yours!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

12 ounces firm tofu
1 cup non-dairy milk (I use the Westsoy or Trader Joe's soy milk with just 2 ingredients: soybeans and water) If using sweetened non dairy milk, you can omit maple syrup
2 Tablespoons chickpea flour (or use all purpose flour or corn starch)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kala namak (black salt) can omit but it helps to add an egg flavor
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (can sub with coconut oil)
8-10 slices 1/2- 3/4 inch cut slices of bread (vegan brioche, vegan challah or sourdough are good choices). Day old is best or leave out on counter while mixing ingredients to dry out a bit so bread doesn't get too soggy.

Method

Place all ingredients except bread and butter (tofu, milk, flour, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, vanilla, black salt, cinnamon and nutmeg) into blender. Blend on high to break down tofu and incorporate all ingredients. (You don't want little bits of tofu so blend well). Then pour batter into pie plate or similar container to be able to coat bread slices.
Place first bread slice into batter and coat on both sides. If more than one slice of bread fits without overlapping, add those now too.
Heat non-stick skillet on medium to med/high heat. Add butter (or coconut oil).
When butter is melted and pan is hot, add soaked bread slices to pan to fit, without overlapping. Don't crowd pan. (I like to sprinkle just a pinch more black salt and cinnamon on top of bread, after adding to pan.) Now add more bread to batter in pie plate to soak on both sides while first slices are cooking.
Dont be in a rush to flip bread slices in frying pan. Let them cook for approximately 5-7 minutes to form a golden crust. Then carefully slide spatula (very thin type spatula works best), under slices, check for golden/ light brown color and then when the spatula easily glides under bread, flip to cook on other side.
Continue until all batter is used. You may need/like to add more butter/coconut oil to pan with each new addition of bread slices to achieve the best rich, golden fried outcome. Depending on thickness and size of bread and length of time soaking, you should get about 8-10 slices, more or less. Leftovers freeze well, too!
I like to top with frozen berries that have been cooked down in the microwave or on the stovetop mixed with a bit of maple syrup.

Notes

Click on these links to find products I use and recommend:

oxo good grips stainless steel flexible turner

chickpea flour

westsoy soy milk

nutritional yeast

kala namak (black salt)

mori-nu extra firm silken tofu

Jump to Recipe

I’m telling you, you won’t be sorry, because it is the best breakfast casserole. It’s.Just.So.Good! Not only that, it’s versatile. So add veggies, change up the “meat” filling, and it all works!

It’s great for large families or guests, and it’s great as leftovers. It’s perfect for holidays. You simply can’t go wrong with this recipe. The Badass Breakfast Casserole brings it.

Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

You’ve heard it before. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. It’s healthier that way.

And that’s what this breakfast casserole does. It makes you feel like a badass king! Because eating a nice big slice of this satisfying, delicious meal has all the taste and flavors you crave to start your day. And it’s vegan (making it, of course, the coolest casserole), but it doesn’t compromise. Everyone will love this.

Then, after enjoying this awesome meal, you’ll be ready to coast through the rest of your great day without getting the hungries soon after.

The Breakfast Casserole Composition

Casseroles are a great way to combine all the good stuff into one big dish. They can easily feed a lot of people, so they are much easier than individual meals for everyone. And that saves time.

Plus, the casserole for breakfast is a real winner because waking up to cold cereal isn’t nearly as exciting as getting up to a nice, hearty, warm meal.

Big YAY for casseroles!

Layer up the morning love in a dish!

Start with a layer of biscuits and add a layer of protein choices (like our Wakin’ and Makin’ Vegan Bacon or Gimme Lean Sausage). Then add some veggies. Now top with a hearty tofu scramble. Last, add a bit of vegan cheese, if you desire, or more sauteed onion, as I do. Boom! And there you have it! Everything you need to start your day, the badass breakfast way.

See how easy the assembly is:

step 1 breakfast casserole assembly — biscuit layer topped with half the sausage layer

veggie layer on the breakfast casserole — topped with the veggie layer next

topped with the tofu scramble layer and then more veggies

breakfast casserole layers ready for the oven — Ready for the oven!

ready to eat breakfast casserole — Fresh out of the oven ( made in a 7 x 11-inch pan with onions and peppers on a whole wheat biscuit crust)

Credits

Like any good movie, I believe in credits that give thanks and recognition to everyone involved who helped create the product.

So, thanks for the recipe ingenuity, NamlyMarly and Chef Sky Michael Conroy.

Many thanks to them for all their vegan creations that helped inspire ours!

Now sit down and enjoy your Badass Breakfast Casserole!

thehamptonsvegan

Badass Breakfast Casserole

A delicious, satisfying vegan breakfast casserole to start your day off right.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 10

Servings: 6

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

biscuit ingredients- first layer

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegan butter cold
3/4 cup soymilk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

protein ingredients- second layer

1 package Gimmie Lean or Beyond sausage (or any vegan meat sub of your choice)

veggie ingredients- third layer

1 or 2 cups onions chopped (Can use some for topping casserole)
1 cup green bell pepper small dice (optional)

tofu scramble ingredients- fourth layer

1 blocks extra firm organic tofu drained and lightly pressed
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black salt (kala namak) or use table salt (black salt gives more of an egg taste)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

topping ingredients – fifth layer (optional)

chopped onions, sauteed optional
1 cup shredded vegan cheese optional

Method

Lightly grease a 7 x 11-inch pan (or use an 8×8). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

biscuit layer

Add vinegar to soymilk and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Either grate cold butter or slice butter into the flour mix. Blend together with a pastry blender, fingers, or a fork.
Add soymilk-vinegar mix to the flour-butter mixture. Gently blend together but don't overmix.
Pat lightly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

"meat" layer

Layer the thinly sliced Gimme Lean Sausage (or choice of Protein/Vegan Meat Substitute) over the biscuit layer, to cover.

Veggie layer

Spray or oil a large saute pan and heat on medium.
Add onions (and green peppers if using) and cook until the onions are translucent and the pepper is soft. Sprinkle over the top of the "meat" layer.

Tofu Scramble layer

Crumble up or mash the tofu into a scrambled egg consistency, in a large bowl. Then add the rest of the scramble ingredients to the tofu and mix together well. Spread the tofu scramble over the veggie layer in the casserole pan.

Optional topping layer

Add the optional layer of sauteed onions or vegan shredded cheese (or both). Spread this topping of your choice over the tofu scramble layer.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Uncover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Serve hot or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat as needed.

Favorite French Toast Is The One

French Toast is a Classic