December 18, 2024

Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole

Name: Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 535 min
Ingredients: 1 loaf Sourdough Bread; 1½ cups Oat Milk; ¼ cup Ground Flax; ⅔ cup Sugar; ½ teaspoon Salt; 2 teaspoons Cinnamon; 2 teaspoons Vanilla

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This easy recipe for Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole comes together with 10 minutes of prep the night before you plan to bake. Made with simple ingredients, this vegan baked french toast is the perfect holiday breakfast!

A white baking dish with vegan french toast bake and a bowl of strawberries and vegan whipped cream.

Is it just me or does the holiday season just fill up with a hundred and a half to-do list items and then suddenly its gone?

Over the years I have tried figuring out ways to make the most of the season by taking time each day or week to do an activity that fills my cup like baking Christmas cookies, watching a holiday movie, or driving around to see Christmas lights.

One of the ways I have found to be more present in the time instead of thinking about the next thing I need to buy or wrap is to plan meals and dishes that can either be made with my kids help or prepared in advance.

This simple french toast casserole is one of those dishes I can make the night before and have a warm cozy breakfast with my family that I know they will enjoy and remember as a holiday favorite.

Why We Love This Vegan Baked French Toast Casserole

As someone who could literally eat breakfast all day, everyday, I love having a quick and easy make ahead breakfast that looks and tastes like I am pulling out all of the stops with minimal effort. Some of the reasons I love to make this french toast casserole include:

10 minute prep time. This easy casserole can feed a crowd while also only taking 10 minutes, at most, to put together.
Egg-free recipe. This vegan french toast bake is made with ground flax in place of traditional eggs making it a vegan recipe that also doubles when you are short on eggs.
Great for leftovers. You know how sometimes you make a dish and it is best the first time around? This is one of those dishes that might even be better the second time around.

A white plate with a brown rim topped with two slices of vegan french toast and powdered sugar.

Vegan Changes to Overnight French Toast

When it comes to making this overnight french toast bake a vegan dish here are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

Vegan bread. Check the ingredients on the bread you plan to use for the dish to ensure it was made without any animal byproducts.
Oat milk. In place of a traditional milk or heavy cream I have used a thick oat milk to keep it dairy-free.
Ground flax. Mixed with the oat milk, ground flax makes a great binding agent to replace eggs in the oat milk mixture.
Plant butter. To grease the pan, I used a plant butter. You can also use a non-stick spray if you prefer.

A white baking dish with overnight french toast topped with vegan whipped cream and sliced strawberries on a cream counter.

How to Make This Overnight Vegan French Toast Bake

Ingredients You’ll Need

Thick Crusty Bread– I selected a vegan sourdough loaf to make this french toast casserole and cut the slices into 1/4-1/2 inch thick pieces.
Oat Milk– Original or an extra creamy oat milk work well in this recipe but you can also use your favorite non-dairy milk it just might not be as creamy.
Ground Flax– Mixed with the oat milk to make an egg replacement.
Sugar- Sweetens the oat milk mixture.
Salt– Helps balance out the sweetness of the oat milk mixture.
Cinnamon + Vanilla– A little bit of flavor.

Ingredients for vegan french toast bake on a cream counter.

Step-by-Step Directions for Vegan French Toast Bake

Prepare pan: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with plant-based butter.
Activate flax: In a large liquid measuring cup mix together oat milk and ground flax. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before adding remaining ingredients.
Slice bread: While the flax activates with the oat milk, slice the bread into 1/4-1/2 inch thick pieces.
Make oat milk mixture: After the flax has activated, stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
Add liquid to dish: Pour the liquid mixture into the prepared baking dish.

A liquid measuring cup with the oat milk and ground flax soaking.

A liquid measuring cup with the oat milk mixture after mixing.

A small plate with four slices of bread after being dipped in the oat milk mixture.

Pre-dip final slices: Next dip a few of the slices of bread into the liquid mixture on both sides and set them to the side on a plate. I would suggest between 4 and 6 slices.
Dip and stack: With the remaining pieces of bread, dip on both sides in the oat milk mixture and stack them in the baking dish (I like to stagger the stacking as best I can).
Add final slices: Place the pre-dipped slices after all of the other slices have been dipped and stacked.
Chill overnight: Cover and let rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Prepare for baking: In the morning (or when you plan to bake) preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and take the plastic wrap off the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

A baking dish with oat milk base and pieces of soaked bread lined up with a small plate in the bottom left holding four slices of dipped bread.

A white baking dish with slices of vegan french toast before soaking overnight.

A white baking dish with vegan french toast bake after baking.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

If you are planning to make this easy vegan French toast casserole recipe, here are some kitchen tools that you might need along the way.

4-cup liquid measuring cup– Great for mixing the ingredients together before pouring over the bread.
Small whisk– Used to mix the ingredients together in the liquid measuring cup.
9×13-inch Baking Dish– I find a high sided baking dish works best in this recipe.

Serving Suggestions

When it comes to dishing out this overnight vegan french toast bake there are a number of ways you can dress it up. Here are some of my favorite ways to enhance this baked french toast.

Homemade whipped cream. Make a small batch of vegan whipped cream to dollop on top.
Add some fruit. Topping your individual servings with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and bananas adds a little fresh sweet flavor.
Dust it with powdered sugar.
Drizzle on some maple syrup.

A white and brown plate topped with two slices of vegan french toast topped with vegan whipped cream and strawberries.

Storing and Reheating French Toast Casserole

As previously mentioned, this is one of those recipes that just might be better the second day. Here are my tips for storing and re-heating the leftovers.

Storing– Place in an air-tight refrigerator safe container and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days after baking.
Reheating in the Oven– Place in the oven at 350°F and bake about 20 minutes or until desired level of doneness.
Skillet Reheat– Add a little vegan butter to a non-stick skillet and melt. Once melted place 3-4 slices of vegan french toast and heat until warmed through. Flip and reheat on the other side.
Microwave instructions– Reheat in a microwave in 30 second increments until your desired level of done.

A white baking pan with vegan overnight french toast casserole dusted with powdered sugar.

Additional Vegan Breakfast Recipes

Looking for more vegan breakfast inspiration? Here are a few vegan breakfast recipes we love to make!

If you tried this vegan baked french toast casserole recipe please let me know in the comments below!

You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!

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