Vegan Eggnog French Toast Casserole
This vegan eggnog 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 cubes of french bread are soaked overnight in a rich mixture of coconut milk, applesauce, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In the morning, the dish gets popped in the oven to bake for 45 minutes and then topped with spoonfuls of vegan crème anglaise 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 cubes*
- 1 ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup unsweetened plain apple sauce
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, can vigorously shaken before measuring
- ½ cup pure maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2–3 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kala namak (highly recommend—adds an eggy flavor)
- 1 recipe Vegan Cashew Crème Anglaise
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 a large mixing bowl.
- To the flaxseed mixture, add the almond milk, apple sauce, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sea salt. Vigorously whisk until smooth.
- Pour the mixture over the bread cubes, and thoroughly toss to coat, ensuring they're all evenly covered.
- Spread the coated bread cubes evenly into the prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight (can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking). Note: At this time, you'll also want to soak the cashews for the crème anglaise—see recipe here.
- 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 with a soft, slightly gooey bottom—almost like a bread pudding—so I bake mine for 45 minutes, but baking time will depend on taste preferences as well as the type of bread you use.)
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegan cashew crème anglaise.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with generous spoonfuls of spiced cashew crème anglaise and drizzles of maple syrup.
Notes
*Be sure to use a hearty, crusty bakery loaf for this recipe (sliced loaf bread will not work—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.
**Prep time is active preparation and doesn't include the 8+ hour refrigeration. Just FYI to keep this in mind when planning!