Vegan French Toast Casserole with Pumpkin Spice

This Vegan French Toast Casserole is smothered in a pumpkin coconut milk custard, topped with a pumpkin spice glaze and chopped pecans. Made with whole wheat bread, and natural sweeteners, it’s a healthy make ahead overnight brunch perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!

The first ever French toast casserole I made was many years ago. It was a Paula Dean recipe. Needless to say it was in no way healthy or vegan, but it sure was a crowd pleaser. I made it on Christmas Eve night to bring to my in-laws the next morning for our annual Christmas brunch and present extravaganza.

Fast forward to today and I’m getting ready for another special holiday morning brunch. I loved how easy it was to make the Paula Dean version of a French Toast casserole that I could allow to set overnight, and then throw in the oven the next morning for an extra special decadent breakfast. However, this time I wanted to make it healthier, and vegan.

That’s when I came up with this super luxurious and rich textured french toast without the need for eggs, dairy, or butter!

I promise you won’t even know those ingredients are missing. The pumpkin puree combined with coconut creates a richly textured custard that bakes to perfection. The pumpkin glaze adds a bit more sweetness, and the chopped pecans give it some crunch.

This is a must have recipe on hand for any brunch, or special holiday morning. The best part is that it’s totally customizable, by omitting the pumpkin and adding your own favorite fruit puree such as apple, or banana!

Why You’ll Love this Vegan French Toast Casserole…

• Whole food plant-based vegan ingredients
• No eggs or milk needed for a luscious custard
• Flavors of pumpkin and spice make this French toast casserole extra special for the holidays.
• A sweet pumpkin glaze brings out even more holiday flavors
• Make-ahead recipe
• Easy one pan clean-up

Ingredients You’ll Need to make Vegan French Toast Casserole…

• 16 oz loaf of whole wheat or whole grain bread
• 15 oz can of low-fat coconut milk
• 15 oz can of organic pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pumpin pie spice
• 2 tbsp of corn starch or arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

For the Pumpkin Glaze:

• 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp of pumpkin puree

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

• 9×13 inch baking dish
• Bread knife
• Cutting board
• Small mixing bowl
• Blender

How to Make Vegan French Toast Casserole – Step by Step

Step 1: Blend the coconut milk, 1 cup of pumpkin, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, corn starch, vanilla and salt in a blender until smooth.

Step 2: Cut your loaf of bread into small one inch pieces.

Step 3: Evenly spread bread pieces in a 9×13 baking dish. There’s no need to grease the pan or use oil. Pour pumpkin custard evenly over the bread pieces. Tossing them a bit to make sure each piece is soaked in custard.

Step 4: cover and refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.

Step 5: When ready, bake in the oven at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

Step 6: While the vegan French toast is baking, combine 1/2 cup of organic powdered sugar, and 1 tbsp of the leftover pumpkin puree. Stirring until completely combined. (Note: Making the pumpkin icing is optional. You may choose to use maple syrup on top or eat without any additional syrup or icing for a lower sugar option.)

Step 7: Pour pumpkin icing evenly over top the Vegan French Toast. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve!

Tips for Making Vegan French Toast Casserole

• Use day old bread. It works best to soak up the custard for a luxurious finish.
• Use whole grain or whole wheat bread to keep this dish whole food plant-based. I prefer a whole wheat baguette but couldn’t find it in my market so I opted for their whole grain bread.
• If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl with a wired whisk. The blender just makes it faster.
• You can sub corn starch for arrowroot powder. The corn starch is what thickens the custard without the need for egg.
• You don’t need to use oil to grease the pan. The french toast lifted easily from the dish without it. However, if you don’t mind using oil and would prefer to use it, I recommend using coconut oil in this dish.
• Make this dish ahead by preparing it the night before a special brunch. You will need to allow the custard to set for at least 4 hours, but this turns out best when you give it 12 hours or overnight to set.

Is Vegan French Toast Casserole healthy?

• High in Fiber-One serving contains 13% of your recommended daily fiber. Fiber improves you digestion, and helps you feel fuller longer.
• Low in Sugar-With the pumpkin icing glaze this French toast has 13.5 grams of sugar which is low in comparison to a traditional French toast recipe. For even lower sugar omit the pumpkin icing and you’ll have less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.
• Vitamins and Minerals-Pumpkin contains potassium and beta-carotene, which gives it that beautiful orange color. It also contains the minerals, calcium and magnesium, and vitamins E, C and some B vitamins, making this a nutritious French Toast!
• Low in Fat and Calories-One serving has only 2 grams of fat and 151 calories.

How do you make French Toast without eggs or milk?

In order to make French toast without eggs or dairy you need to create a custard like finish that will bake and hold shape in the oven. In place of eggs you can use corn starch to thicken the custard. Another option would be to make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 2.5 tablespoons of water and allowing it to sit and thicken for 15 minutes.

The milk replacer in this recipe is coconut milk. You can also use a different dairy free milk of your choice such as almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. I prefer the coconut milk because it has a natural sweetness and rich texture that goes well with this French toast casserole.

Flavor Variations for Vegan French Toast

You don’t have to flavor this Vegan French Toast Casserole with pumpkin. For a different flavor profile sub out the 1 cup of pumpkin for these other fillings.

• 1 cup of mashed banana
• 1 cup of applesauce
• 1 cup of persimmon puree

How long is Vegan French Toast Casserole good for?

This Vegan French Toast Casserole is good for 2-3 days when stored int he refrigerator in an airtight container.

What do you serve with Vegan French Toast Casserole?

I think this Vegan French Toast Casserole is perfect topped with chopped pecans for added crunch. Serve alongside coffee, tea, or dairy free milk.

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER HEALTHY BRUNCH RECIPES!

• Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
• Vegan Banana Carrot Muffins
• Dairy Free Banana Bread
• Vegan Gingerbread Loaf
• Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

If you’ve tried this Vegan French Toast Casserole recipe, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!