Vegan Sweet Potato French Toast Casserole
This vegan sweet potato french toast casserole makes the perfect holiday brunch. It requires just 15 minutes of active kitchen time and can be prepared up to a full day in advance. Hearty french bread is cut into cubes and soaked overnight in a rich mixture of sweet potato purée, coconut milk, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In the morning, simply pop the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Then, top with spoonfuls of warm fruit preserves and drizzles of maple syrup.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 20- to 24-ounce hearty french bread loaf/boule or sourdough loaf/boule, sliced into 1-inch to 1 ½-inch cubes*
- 1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened sweet potato purée** (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, can vigorously shaken before measuring
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon loosely packed freshly grated nutmeg or ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kala namak (highly recommend—adds an eggy flavor)
- 1 jar Red Currant or Red Raspberry Hero Fruit Spread, warmed in a saucepan over low heat
- Pure maple syrup, to taste
Instructions
- Lightly grease a large, oven-safe baking dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and filtered water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken.
- Meanwhile, add the bread cubes to the baking dish.
- To the flaxseed mixture, add the sweet potato purée, coconut milk, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt. Vigorously whisk until smooth.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture over the bread cubes, ensuring they're as evenly covered in the mixture as possible. If needed, use a spatula to nudge them around the baking dish a bit.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight (can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking).
- In the morning (or just before baking), preheat the oven to 350F.
- Uncover the dish and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until set and desired doneness is reached. (I prefer a slightly crisp top and soft, slightly gooey bottom, so I bake mine for exactly 45 minutes but baking time will vary based on preferences and the type of bread you use.)
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with generous spoonfuls of warmed Hero fruit spread and drizzles of maple syrup.
Notes
*Be sure to use a hearty, crusty bread for this recipe (do not use sliced loaf bread—it's far too soft), or you'll need to significantly increase the baking time and potentially reduce the amount of liquid used as well.
**Feel free to substitute unsweetened pumpkin purée in a pinch.
**Prep time is active prep and doesn't include the 8+ hour refrigeration. Just FYI to keep this in mind when planning!