This Gluten Free French Toast Casserole uses gluten-free bread and applesauce to keep it completely gluten-free and vegan—Crispy on the top with a wonderful bread pudding texture below.
There is something decidedly comforting and completely satisfying about French toast. There's a decadence to it that a simple pancake can't quite touch. This breakfast bake is no different.
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Making gluten-free vegan French toast casserole
I've always thought that when using gluten-free bread, you pretty much needed to have the traditional egg batter used in French toast.
Eggs work so well to bind and help thicken in place of gluten that I hadn't thought about it.
And then there are all those tricks for preparing overnight casseroles. Store-bought gluten-free bread doesn't always hold up well when soaked overnight, so the ease of that seemed out the window as well.
But, by using arrowroot starch coupled with applesauce as a vegan French toast egg replacer, an egg-free batter can be quickly whipped up. Toss in your cubed bread and blueberries, transfer to your baking dish, and bake.
No need to let it sit overnight. The prep is so minimal that doing the morning of won't take much time. The result is a golden and slightly crisp topping with a bottom layer that resembles bread pudding.
Dust with powdered sugar, add a little more maple syrup, and you've got a warm and delicious egg-free and dairy-free French toast casserole that's also gluten-free!
Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients you'll need for this gluten-free breakfast recipe!
- gluten-free/vegan bread
- unsweetened applesauce
- full-fat canned coconut milk
- unsweetened almond milk
- arrowroot starch
- maple syrup
- ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- fresh blueberries
If you are hunting for something more on the savory side, check out London's zucchini and squash casserole. It can be made vegan and gluten-free as well!
More gluten-free breakfast recipes
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free French Toast Casserole (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 18 ounces gluten-free/vegan bread, cubed
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- organic powdered sugar, for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray or coconut oil.
- In a small bowl, combine arrowroot starch and water. Whisk to combine then set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine almond milk, applesauce, coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Add arrowroot starch mixture and whisk mixture again to incorporate.
- Add the cubed bread and blueberries and gently fold with a large spoon or rubber spatula until all bread is saturated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (50-55 minutes was perfect for me). The result should be golden and slightly crisp on top and a bread pudding consistency on the bottom.
- Dust top of casserole with powdered sugar and serve warm. Serve with maple syrup if desired.
Pam
I loved this recipe! I’m allergic to eggs and am always looking for yummy breakfast options. I used a loaf of sour dough bread for this recipe and it’s good. It definitely had the taste and texture of a traditional French toast bake.
Tessa
Thank you, Pam! That is awesome!!