Vegan French Toast Recipe With Pecan Crust

Vegan French Toast with Pecan Crust is meant to help you celebrate mornings in style. Top with a hint of maple syrup, fresh figs and a sprig of baby’s breath and you’ll have a glorious vegan French Toast Recipe to compliment your table. Egg free, dairy-free, easy, ready in 30 minutes.

If you thought ditching eggs would mean you’d never enjoy another batch of French toast, think again. Just about anything in the world can be made vegan, and this plant-based Vegan French Toast is no exception. This recipe is perfect for special occasions or anytime of year, and pairs perfectly with my Banana Peel Bacon. And if you’re into using up ripe bananas, try these Vegan Banana Pancakes.

Want more breakfast deliciousness? Try my Overnight Chia Pudding that tastes just like banana bread, my Smashed Avocado Toast, Sweet Potato Oatmeal, White Chocolate Pistachio Vegan Pancakes, or my fresh Acai Smoothie Bowl.

Ingredients For Vegan French Toast

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• almond milk – any plant based milk can substitute for almond milk. Think oat, soy or cashew.
• toppings – I went with figs, maple syrup, and baby’s breath, although figs may be difficult for some of you to find. You can easily substitute figs with pecans, strawberries, blueberries and/or raspberries. In addition, maple syrup can be replaced with blueberry syrup or omitted completely for fewer calories.
• chia seeds – because these act as an egg replacer in this recipe, they shouldn’t be omitted. To make them less noticeable on your bread, grind them in a coffee grinder before use.
• bread – I chose Dave’s Killer Organic 21 Whole Grain Bread. Even though Dave’s Bread is not a “sturdy bread” so to speak, it’s the only one I had on hand. For best results, choose a thick sliced sandwich bread that will hold up when you pan fry. To make gluten-free, choose a gluten-free bread.
• cinnamon and nutmeg – add a hint of warmth to the recipe and taste spectacular. You may substitute with cardamom or pumpkin pie spice.

How to Make Vegan French Toast

1 – To a large bowl, add almond milk, chia seeds, molasses, nutritional yeast, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2 – Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3 – In the meantime, add pecans and sea salt to a food processor. Alternatively, you can smash them with a nut masher or the back of a large spoon.

4 – Pulse for 1-3 minutes, or until mixture is fine and crumbly. Spill out onto plate.

5 – dip each slice of bread (sparingly) on both sides into French toast batter.

6 – next, dip each side into crumbled pecan mixture.

TIP: dipping the bread is important. Be sure to do so without oversaturating it with batter or pecans that it gets too soggy.

7 – melt coconut oil in large skillet. Add 3 slices of easy vegan French toast.

8 – Fry each side until golden brown. Remove and stack onto a plate. Top with maple syrup, figs, and baby’s breath. Add pecans if you choose. Serve immediately.

Expert Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly

Here are a few tips I learned along the way, when making a vegan version of regular French toast:

Use Stale Bread

This will help eliminate excessive sogginess of the bread after dipping in the batter. To make bread stale, simply remove it from it’s packaging and allow it to sit out on the counter for several hours or overnight. If you love French toast, try my Gingerbread French Toast Casserole.

Ensure Your Batter is Thick

To ensure your batter is thick, similar to an egg batter, you must refrigerate chia seeds for at least 20 minutes to allow them to expand. If they still don’t look thick enough when you remove from the refrigerator, stick back in refrigerator for another 10 minutes. Alternatively, if they are too thick, add a bit more plant milk to the batter and whisk ferociously (or at least briskly).

This Vegan French Toast Doesn’t Cook Like Regular French Toast

Remember: these French toast slices don’t cook like traditional egg-battered French toast. For best results, fry them until they turn a rich, golden brown, which can take a little longer.

Use a Non-Stick Pan

Be sure to use a good, non-stick pan for this recipe and use more oil as needed.

Serve Hot Off the Griddle

This French toast recipe is best served hot off the griddle and not stored in your refrigerator.

Is This Recipe Gluten-Free?

To make this Vegan French Toast gluten-free, simply use gluten-free bread instead of whole wheat. Then, you’ll have gluten-free French Toast.

How Do I Make This Recipe into French Toast Sticks?

To make French Toast Strips out of this recipe simply cut your bread into thin strips prior to cooking on the griddle. 4 to 5 slices is optimal.

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