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Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole! Looking for a crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch recipe? Then you’ve gotta try this vegan breakfast casserole. Make at night and it’s ready in the morning!
I’ve got your company breakfast! This overnight vegan french toast casserole recipe. With crunchy, sweet praline topping, lots of maple syrup and fresh berries.
Doesn’t that just sound fantastic? A must for mornings when your house is full and you need to feed the hungry masses.
This is always my dilemma when mine or BL’s parents come to visit us. What should we have for breakfast? I like serving things that you can graze on; something that BL’s dad can enjoy early and something that I can munch on after I’ve had a few cups of coffee.
I like breakfast meals that aren’t big events, but are more than just a box of cereal and a carton of milk. Something special for company, but effortless enough that I’m not spending more hours in the kitchen.
THIS IS IT. 🙌
Vegan French Toast Casserole
My mom used to make something similar for us growing up and I wanted to make a vegan version. Even though we eat eggs, eggs in custard kinda gross me out. So, I set about veganizing my mom’s famous recipe.
The beauty of this recipe is that you make it at night! Then, pop it into the fridge so the bread can soak up all of the yummy filling. Top with the pecan-sugar mix and bake. That’s it! So simple, so easy and so, so delicious.
A word. The filling is made with bananas and therefore, it has a slight banana taste. I LOVE that. I feel like this casserole reminds me of bananas foster, banana baked oatmeal and my mom’s french toast casserole. Baked bananas have the yummiest, warm taste but- you’ve obviously gotta like bananas for this one.
I dropped off leftovers of this for one of my dearest mama friends last week and she texted me the next morning to say, “THIS french toast is to DIE for. So good!”
I thought you should know so it’s not just my word here. Of course I think this french toast casserole recipe is good– I wouldn’t share it with you if I didn’t. So, it’s nice to know that someone else likes this one too. 😉
As this casserole is one that feeds a crowd, it’s the perfect option for holiday brunch or breakfast. And, if someone ends up making it for you, then here are simple ways to say thank you for breakfast!
Does French Toast Casserole Have to Sit Overnight?
The casserole doesn’t have to sit overnight, but it does need to sit for at least 3-4 hours so the bread can soak up all the yummy filling. Not allowing it to set for long enough will make for a harder casserole.
If you are trying to make this for the same day, then I recommend allowing the bread to soak for at least 3 hours, stirring the filling into the bread so it soaks up faster.
I can’t wait for you to try this vegan french toast casserole recipe! Perfect for any house guests you’ve got this holiday season. It is the holidays, so I serve this one with lots of maple syrup and fresh berries. Yummmm.
Other easy brunch recipes you may love: Vegan Eggs Benedict, Slow Cooker Breakfast Burritos, Sheet Pan Breakfast Hash, Baked Oatmeal Casserole.
Watch my tutorial video to see how easy this is to make:
Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast, brunch, vegan, holiday
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: breakfast, brunch, southern, french inspired
Description
Overnight Vegan French Toast Casserole! Looking for a crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch recipe? Then you’ve gotta try this vegan breakfast casserole. Make at night and it’s ready in the morning!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast, brunch, vegan, holiday
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: breakfast, brunch, southern, french inspired
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast, brunch, vegan, holiday
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: breakfast, brunch, southern, french inspired
Scale
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other non-dairy milk of choice)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 french baguette, slightly stale and torn/cut into large cubes
- 1/3 cup vegan butter (I love Earth Balance)
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- maple syrup, for topping
Instructions
-
Blend bananas, milk, cornstarch, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla in a blender until smooth.
-
Tear the baguette into cubes and place into a well-greased 9×13 baking pan. Pour the banana mixture over the bread and press down to make sure all of the cubes are touching the mixture. Cover, and place in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and whisk together until sugar has melted and become like a caramel-sauce. Turn off heat and add the pecans, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Spread the pecan topping evenly over the prepared casserole and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.
- Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries, if desired.
did you make this?
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(34 comments) leave a comment
I just made this for a family Christmas bunch and EVERYONE loved it! I accidentally bought French bread instead of baguettes so I used 8 cups per a previous reply. I baked it covered except for the last 15 minutes.
If I were to double it, would it fit in the same 9×13 dish or would I need to make it in two separate dishes?
Thank you for a wonderful recipe, so easy and a real crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
So glad to hear! Yes, i would use two separate pans for best results
Hi! I’m doubling the recipe and noticed the only ingredients that changed were the bread, brown sugar, and pecans. Do I need need to in increase the others?
That might be a glitch on the recipe card– the rest should double as well!
Do you use vanilla almond milk or something else? Thanks!
Hi Cecilia, I typically just use plain almond milk but vanilla would be great!
Made this for Christmas brunch AND New Year’s Day hungover breakfast. So easy and such a big hit with my meat loving husband!
★★★★★
Can you sub baking stevia for the sugar?
Just wondering where the cholesterol comes from. There should be zero if its truly vegan. Thanks.
Hi Michelle, looks like the nutritional information was pulling in butter instead of vegan butter– just fixed it, but the recipe never changed.
I don’t know– I’m not sure what the exchange ratio would be. If you try it, let me know how much you used!
How many cups of bread would that be? Bread loaves vary so much.
About 8 cups
This is the BEST brunch recipe! I’ve made this about a dozen times and we love it every single time. Thank you, highly recommend!
★★★★★
Could oil be used as a substitute for the margarine?
I haven’t tried it, and it may not solidify the same way. I’d recommend trying it with coconut oil first to see if that works.
I made this recipe! It was delicious, I didn’t have stale French bread so I just bought a fresh loaf ripped it into pieces and crisped it up in the oven for 15 minutes at 350. I was out of pecans but I had walnuts. I also made a drizzle of powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla. It was a great addition. I highly recommend this dish for a brunch pot luck or even new Christmas morning tradition!
So glad you liked it. Thanks Alyssa!
Can you make this ahead and freeze? If so, do you bake it and freeze? Or, do you freeze unbaked?
Thanks
Hi Diane, I haven’t tried this that way yet. However, here’s what I would do: First, be sure to assemble your Breakfast Casserole in a freezer safe and oven safe dish. Once assembled, wrap the dish in plastic wrap-2 times and then cover with 1 layer of foil. I usually don’t like using plastic, but I find it’s still the best for reducing freezer burn. Then place the unbaked casserole in the freezer– not too long, maybe only up to 2-3 months. To cook, remove casserole from freezer day before you want to serve and allow the casserole to thaw overnight and then bake as directed. Don’t add the praline topping until right before you bake it.