Vegan French Toast

I know that many of you in the Sweat Community follow a vegan diet, so I thought I would share with you this delicious, completely dairy-free vegan french toast recipe that I've developed with support from Sweat's nutrition specialists.

Since we all know that carbs are not evil, you can enjoy this homemade vegan french toast as an alternative to dining out. This recipe is just one option to make your breakfast healthier while still satisfying your sweet tooth! 

This recipe uses sourdough, which contains higher levels of folate and antioxidants than other types of bread, and its fermentation process also means that your body can more easily absorb the nutrients from whole grains. 

On busier days it’s easy to make a dairy-free smoothie to go, but when you do have the time, it’s nice to cook something special. Try this healthy vegan french toast recipe with your choice of seasonal fruit. 

How to make Vegan French Toast

Prep time: 10 mins + 5 mins soaking time
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins + 5 mins soaking time
Serves: 4
Dietary Preferences: Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free, Nut-free option

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp flaxseed meal (or ground flaxseed) 

• 1 tsp pure maple syrup, plus more to serve

• pinch of sea salt

• pinch of ground cinnamon

• 250ml almond milk or non-dairy milk of choice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 30g unsalted pistachio kernels (optional)

• oil spray

• 4 slices sourdough bread, cut in half

• 80g plain soy yoghurt or dairy-free yoghurt of choice

• 5 strawberries, halved

• ¼ medium mango, peeled and sliced

• 100g blueberries

• 20g toasted coconut flakes

Method:

1. Whisk the flaxseed meal, maple syrup, sea salt, cinnamon, almond milk, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to allow the batter to thicken.

2. Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick frypan over medium heat. Add pistachios, if using, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Once cool enough to handle, roughly chop the nuts.

3. Reheat the pan over medium heat and spray lightly with oil spray. Dip the bread in the flaxseed mixture, evenly coating both sides. Shake off any excess. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and cover with aluminium foil to keep warm. Wipe the pan clean and repeat with the remaining slices of bread.

4. To serve, place the vegan french toast onto four serving plates and top with the yoghurt, strawberries, mangos, and blueberries. Sprinkle over the coconut and toasted pistachios, if using, and drizzle over extra maple syrup, if desired.

Vegan french toast should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You could use coconut instead of an oil spray for frying the french toast to bring out a richer coconut flavour. If you don’t have coconut flakes, you can use almond slivers to garnish the french toast.  

Setting the batter aside is an important step to allow the mixture to become firm and closer to the consistency you’d get using an egg batter. Be careful not to leave it for too long, or the flaxseed mixture will become quite thick. 

For those who might be wondering, maple syrup is vegan! Unlike honey, which is produced by bees, maple syrup is the naturally occurring ‘sap’ of a maple tree.

Try this delicious vegan twist on classic french toast 

Make this french toast for brunch on the weekend as an alternative to pancakes. I’ve even made it as ‘breakfast for dinner’ with peanut butter added for extra protein.

Is there a recipe you’d like to have as a dairy-free or vegan version? Let me know in the comments below!