We just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary and it caused me to reflect on our early days of marriage, living in Portland in late spring, early summer. I made us breakfast most mornings – just like I do now – and we’d sit and talk with the windows open before getting to the day’s tasks. I discovered early on John isn’t a pancake guy. The thing is, I’m a pancake girl. But our common ground? French toast. Thank goodness.
Since going dairy-free, I haven’t made french toast as often as I used to, but I do miss it. Our favorite recipe is basic with a little cinnamon and vanilla, then topped with fresh strawberries and maple syrup or honey.
I’m not entirely egg-free (though am growing more suspicious of them by the moment), but I wanted to make a vegan french toast recipe A) to see if it was in fact possible to make french toast without eggs, and B) to come up with my own variation to share with you all, as I know there are already a lot of vegan frenchy recipes out there.
At first I considered “thickening” the batter with a starch (i.e. flour) of some kind, but then I really just wanted to keep it healthy and natural. And so, I went with chia seeds. I ground mine up to make them less visible in the final product (for those eaters of yours who inspect every bite and ask, “What’s in this?” before digging in). But this certainly isn’t a necessary step.
The batter is basic. Non-dairy milk, chia seeds, vanilla, agave, cinnamon. For the bread I went with a rustic wheat, and found that heartier breads to better here.
The trick to the batter is letting it sit to firm up a bit. Chia seeds typically take 10-15 minutes to activate (longer for pudding), and that’s about how long I let mine rest before dipping the bread in. Go longer for thicker batter, but no too long or it can turn into a pudding (which is not what you want). You’re basically looking for a batter that resembles traditional french toast batter with the egg. Ya dig?
The result? A dreamy, simple, perfectly-sweet french toast that’s completely vegan. So what does it taste like?
It’s light
Slightly sweet
Warm from the cinnamon
Tender with a subtle bite
Filling
Wholesome
& Perfect for adding whatever toppings you prefer
Me? I went with coconut whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a little maple syrup. This would also be lovely with a compote, sliced bananas, peanut or almond butter, or agave. Consider this recipe a basic french toast base, perfect for adding whatever flavors you want to make it your own.
I hope you enjoy it! And if you do, be sure to take a photo and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. It’s kind of my favorite. Cheers!
Basic Vegan French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 heaping Tbsp chia seeds (whole or ground into a fine meal so they’re undetectable)
- 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (or sub honey if not vegan)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4-5 slices bread (it’s important to use a sturdy, rustic bread or it can turn out soggy/soft)
Instructions
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Mix all ingredients except the bread in a large, shallow bowl. Place in the fridge to activate for 10-20 minutes.
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Preheat griddle to medium heat (~350 degrees F / 176 C) and grease with 1 Tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil.
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Dip each slice of bread in the batter for about 20 seconds on each side. If your bread is dry, leave it in a little longer. If you’re using sandwich bread, it should only need 25-30 seconds total to soak.
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Place on griddle and cook until golden brown on the underside. Carefully flip and cook until the other side is golden brown as well – 3-4 minutes.
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Top with desired toppings: I went with coconut whipped cream, strawberries, and maple syrup.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 Tbsp coconut oil for greasing, with the lesser amount of bread, and without toppings.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 5 slices)
- Calories: 165
- Fat: 2.4g
- Sodium: 343mg
- Carbohydrates: 29.6g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3.9g
- Protein: 6.1g
This is my go to recipe! It says it’s not freezer friendly but I find it works great in the freezer.
Good to know! Thanks Sid!
How can I turn this into a casserole?
You could use this recipe for inspiration!
This morning I made this & really enjoyed it ! I prefer this over recipes that use cashews for a thickener. Great taste ! Definitely this is a keeper! I haven’t tried the coconut whipped topping yet . Thanks for sharing !
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Nancy!
I’ve been in there mood for French toast and wanted easy recipe. So called up Siri to search and this page was the first thing. I looked and read the ingredients and how to do it.
Went shopping for more unsweetened almond milk and bread. Cooked it up and added vegan powdered confetti sugar.
This was amazing! It tastes exactly what I remembered! ? Definitely make it again! ❤️
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Caroline. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
I made this recipe for my brother and his girlfriend who are vegan. I am not vegan but still enjoy vegan recipes. The French toast turned out great – was very easy and delish. The bread that I purchased was soft white Italian sandwich bread. My husband and I used a food paint brush (is that the name of the utensil I’m talking about?) to apply the mixture because dipping made the bread way too soggy.
Hi Laura, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing! P.s. we think you are referring to a pastry brush =)
Haha yes. That’s the one! Tried the recipe again with stronger home-made bread and turned out even better.
Could I use flax meal in this recipe, to substitute for chia? I do not have chia at the moment, and since I often use flax (and it swells up, and becomes “egg-like”), I’m thinking maybe it would work? Thanks!
Hi Christine, we haven’t tried that, but it should work! Other readers have reported success. Let us know how it goes for you!
Oh my, I finally made this!!!! So easy and oh so good! ?? Very economical too. Remember to size up your container to match the bread you are using. Definately a new favorite!!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and reminder, Lisa. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Best french toast ever! It turned out perfectly first try. I highly recommend making a coconut whipped cream and throwing some berries on there for an out-of-this-world taste. I used sourdough to make the first batch, but will be trying vegan challah for my next batch. Do you have any recommendations for a softer bread? Challah french toast is my (vegan) partner’s favorite and I would love to make it for him. Thanks much!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Taylor! We haven’t tested with challa but assume it would work. Your best bet in something like that would be a local bakery or Trader Joe’s if you have access? They have a huge bread selection.
I actually make my own challah because it’s so hard to find places that make it vegan. I tried it this weekend and found that quickly dipping the bread and throwing it right on the pan is perfect.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Taylor!
Taylor, do you have a (published, or online) recipe for vegan challah? I’m not the baker I imagine myself to be, but now that the weather reports are using those awful F-words: (frost and freeze) it could be time to turn on the oven and start!
Dana, today I made this French toast with regular store-bought whole-wheat bread. It was great—only problem was my other half wanted some partway through my cooking, so I sloshed a bit of my cup of tea into the bowl. Surprisingly, it turned out just as good, for the one piece.
Ha! We’re so glad you enjoyed it :) even with the tea splash!
Hmm, odd! We’ll give the method another look for improvements!
This didn’t turn out well at all. Soggy despite using dry bread.
Strange! Was it sturdy bread or sandwich bread?
Reply: I saw in another comment you used cast iron, maybe that’s the issue! Feel free to delete my previous comment and I will try that method and redo my review!
OK! Keep us posted!
What kind of pan do you use to cook your French toast on? We have not been successful in cooking French toast without it sticking to the pan since going vegan. Never had this issue before. So frustrating because we love French toast!
Cast iron – well seasoned!
I can’t tell you HOW GOOD these are! After reading other comments, I can only say, try again. I used 1 flax egg (ground flax 1 T, 3T water let sit 10 min), mix with only a splash of almond/oat milk, a little salt, vanilla and cinnamon. QUICKLY coat bread (I used Publix GW sprouted wheat sandwich bread from their bakery so it’s kind of soft.) It might be smarter to spread the coating on with a knife, rather than dipping. Throw it onto pan with sizzling EB “butter”. Then be prepared to cook it for a long time on medium until the outside is hard. I jacked the heat up to med-high near the end because I was really hungry and I like a crispy outside. With real maple syrup, they were fabulous! I’ll never want eggy French Toast again.
P. S. This coating only covered 2 large-ish pieces of sandwich bread.
Thanks for sharing, Kate!!
This turned out horribly. The chia seeds burned and stuck to the griddle long before the bread cooked. It also had no flavor. It just tasted like bread. Perhaps with the seeds blended it would have worked but then why mention that they could be left whole????
I will not be making this again.
I Taylor. Sorry you had issues! If you had an issue with the chia seeds burning before the bread was cooked, I’m wondering if your heat was too high? Also, perhaps you could try blending the chia seeds into a meal so they are more seamlessly integrated into the batter. Let us know – we’d love to help troubleshoot.
Used my Vitamix to mix the ingredients and breakdown the whole chia seeds (all I had). Batter came out of Vitamix smooth and creamy. Also, added 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg to my recipe. Turned out great!
I think next time I make this, I will blend the chia seeds first. That way I’ll have a more consistent batter throughout. That said, this was very tasty and totally scratched my itch for French toast. Thank you!
I just made this and I must say it was delightful p, delicious and quite a treat. I also carmalizec a half of a banana in the non stick pan,,,delish! Highly recommend it.
Used “White Mountain Bread” from Publix…not the most hearty but it worked well. I followed the recipe exactly, but instead of letting the bread soak for 30 seconds I just quickly flipped it in the custard so that it was coated. Came out really delicious!
Thanks for sharing!!
This batter is really tasty. I didn’t have chia seeds so I used a different egg replacement. I used sandwich bread which stayed really soggy. So next time I will follow the directions exactly. The batter was delicious. My recommendation…used chia seed and thick stale-ish bread then it will be perfect. All in all super yummy!
I used thick-cut wholewheat bread, oat milk and ground flax seed instead of chia and it was sooo good!
It made 2 and a half slices and I tried some different toppings. Fig jam and coconut yogurt, marmalade and cinnamon – but my favourite was just maple syrup.
I only used half a cup of oat milk because it was just for me but used the suggested amount of the other ingredients.
I never review recipes but had to with this one. I used to love pancakes but haven’t been able to make decent vegan ones and have kinda given up on it… but I reckon I might like this vegan french toast even more than I liked non-vegan pancakes!
Next time I want to try it with sourdough.
Ah, thanks Izzy!
I just tried this recipe, following it almost exactly as written. Unfortunately the only bread I had was a sandwich bread, though more of a thick/sturdy variety. I pre-toasted the slices and let them sit for a minute to get a bit tougher, before dipping them in the batter. I did 10 second soaks on each side before dropping them in the pan. I noticed the bread stayed feeling very soggy… I couldn’t get a good browning crispiness going. They tasted great (peanut butter and maple syrup made it taste a bit like a healthier, less-sweet, vegan Nutter Butter), but the texture was not quite what I was going for. When I tried cooking for longer, or upping the heat, all that happened was the bread stayed too moist while the chia-seed custard burned. Definitely fulfilled the craving, but I want to try tweaking it to get a good crispy exterior while maintaining that custardy, fluffy interior.
Hi Lizzy, sorry to hear these didn’t turn out quite as you hoped! We definitely recommend trying a more sturdy bread next time. It makes a big difference!
This was so yummy! I LOVE french toast, and I like my bread saturated in batter so it turns out more custard-like. We had to give up dairy and egg due to my son’s food allergies, so I was excited when I found this recipe! The bread I used was my very first try at homemade whole wheat yeast-free sourdough that I had baked the night before, so it was pretty dense. The french toast batter accidentally sat a little too long and was probably a little thicker than my dense bread could absorb, so I had to leave it to soak for a long time and then scrape some of the excess batter off the outside. The taste was excellent! It was a hit with the whole family! Aside from making some adjustments to my bread, this will be my go-to french toast recipe. I’m also excited to try to make this into a french toast casserole too!
Did you end up trying this as a casserole? If so, how did you do it and how was it?
I’m so happy to have found this. We are trying really hard to be plant based and our toddler is picky about breakfast. I would have had a photo but they didn’t wait for me to finish before digging in.
Thanks for all your recipes!!!!
I made this and it turned out perfect! I used 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed because I was out of chia seeds. I also used the maple syrup option. I used day-old sourdough bread and didn’t pre-toast the bread like others mentioned having to do. Just soaked each side about 5 seconds, cooked for the recommended time and it came out absolutely perfect. I also used a nonstick skillet and didn’t use any oil or butter to coat, but I did leave it a full 5-6 minutes on each side without messing around with it – it basically caramelizes itself in the batter and slightly hardens, making it easy to flip. I topped with maple syrup and caramelized bananas. Key is a good nonstick skillet! 10/10 would make again!
Flavor wise, this recipe is amazing. The chia nicely stimulates the French toast texture. The dipping times are way too long though; even after pretoasting the bread, anything longer than a quick dip turned it to mush.
Okay, so first off… I’m not vegan, but I love the creative foods that come out of the vegan community and this is one of them.
I’m already partially dairy free (butter and cheese don’t bother my stomach, but milk can.) and I willingly went mostly egg free (again, inside of other things I am fine, I don’t have an adverse reaction..but to have french toast or scrambled eggs is a major (literal) pain.).
With that being said, I tried this recipe today! I used what I had at home, so honey and sandwich bread was used. I don’t recommend sandwich bread unless you are quick on the dunk and flip method for French Toast…and I am not.
I ended up burning a side.
I had way too many chia seeds in mine and kind of wish I tried them ground up first.
Even with my human error…this is amazing. It’s not the traditional batter that you would normally think of and it doesn’t puff up like egg batters can. This is that vegan creativity though, and it is delicious!!!!!
Just made this today and it turned out great! I haven’t had luck in the past with french toast recipes, but this one was fantastic! I think the key was using a thicker bread. If you use a thinner bread I could see how it might get mushy and stick to the pan but with a thick bread it turned out delish! ?
Didn’t work at all. A huge mass of mush. Do not attempt unless you want to spend half an hour scrubbing your spatulas and griddle.
Sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you. Did you make any modifications or perhaps skip the instruction of greasing the pan with 1 Tbsp butter or coconut oil? We would love to help troubleshoot, if possible!
Recipe came out fine. My only quibble is with your nutrition information. It’s inaccurate and understates calories and fat. You list a calorie count of 95 including 2gr of fat per slice. Your recipe is for five slices. The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp of coconut oil for cooking. 1 Tbsp of coconut oil has 14 gr of fat. Dividing that by 5 you get 2.8 gr of fat from the oil alone. There is also fat in the chia, the non-dairy milk, and most breads. Don’t change the recipe but do fix the nutrition information.
Hi Susan, thanks for catching this! It looks like we missed the oil since it was listed in the instructions, but not ingredients. The nutrition info has now been updated. Thanks again!
I just made this recipe for the first time, using Martha Rose Shulman’s mixed grain bread recipe I prepared earlier in the week. Slices cut about 1/2” to 3/4” were perfect for this. I heated New Balance vegan butter in a cast iron skillet, fried as directed without any sticking issues.
I served the toast with blueberries and papaya, and maple syrup of course. I missed having something creamy so this totally happening again tomorrow morning, by which time I will have made some coconut whipped cream!
Thanks for this fantastic, super easy recipe.
I made these and unfortunately they were destroyed because of how badly they stuck to the pan. I even have a great super non-stick pan. Any suggestions??
Hmm sorry to hear that, Paula! It sounds like your pan might need a bit of oil on it next time and that should help.
Hi. I’m wondering if anybody has tried letting this sit overnight then baking it in the morning. We always do that for Christmas morning, and now that we have a food allergy family I’m trying to find something that will work for everyone. Would the chia get to puddingy?
Any help welcome.
I wanted to try this ad an overnight casserole too… Did you have any luck?
It was so yummy! I was nervous to make it, but the chia seeds gave it a special touch. I didn’t grind them. I topped with homemade strawberry compote, fresh bananas, powdered sugar and maple syrup. So worth it ☺️
Not vegan but didn’t have eggs in the house and I was craving French toast so I decided to give it a try! I used ground up chia seeds, coconut milk, and sandwich-style sourdough bread. I soaked my first batch way too long (maybe 20 seconds) so of course it turned out soggy. I did a quick dip for the second batch and it turned out absolutely perfect! I couldn’t even taste the difference from traditional French toast. Will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you!
This is a brilliant French toast recipe! I added a little nutmeg and clove to mine and used soy milk instead of almond. Best French toast I’ve had since going vegan! Never really cared for that “eggy” smell of typical French toast… so I’m really happy to have this in my breakfast repertoire. I’ve made it four times already!
Thanks for sharing your additions, Abigail! We are glad you enjoyed it :D
I absolutely love this recipe and make it all the time. I don’t have a griddle so I use a regular pan. The appearance suffers a bit but it is so flavorful. I’m a big fan.
This was SOOOOOOO GOOOD!!!!!! Followed the recipe to a t and used sourdough sliced bread!!! I made it the first time Thursday…made it again today…it’s as good as a restaurant but vegan and healthy!!! Make this today! You won’t regret it!!! Thanks so much for posting the recipe!!!
Super good. I have been a vegan for 10+ years, so I don’t really remember what “real” French toast tastes like, but it could not have been better than this. I added a Tsp or two of flax seed.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Dave!
Strawberries & maple or lemon & sugar are my favourite toppings. Works everytime, whether I use ground flaxmeal or chia. My omnivore partner loves it. :) Leaving the chia whole actually makes for a really nice crust.
Yum! Great topping suggestions, Nikolai!
Haven’t had french toast since we went vegan over a year ago. I didn’t know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. I ground the chia seeds into a fine meal so no one would see them, added a little extra maple syrup and served with carmelized bananas. Glad I followed the suggestion to use rustic bread. So. Good. And my family loved it! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Delicious recipe!!
I used Dave’s killer bread and while it did get quite soggy, I blame that on that fact that their breads are ultra soft and rather thin. With a harder, crustier, more rustic, thicker bread this would be an absolute perfect dream!! But since I didn’t mind the fact that it was soggy at all, I was still completely happy. I left the chia seeds whole and cooked it in a nonstick pan with earth balance. It was incredible and didn’t burn at all on medium heat. Topped with mashed fresh strawberries and 100% pure maple syrup!
Outstanding french toast!
So so easy!
Will become my go to recipe!
Whenever I need to veganize anything I look to you Dana!
Thank you!
I made a half batch of this recipe today after making another banana-based version from another site. I wanted to try this one out just to see if this would taste better bc the Banana one was awful (although my kids LOVED it). When I tried this version, I threw away all of the other recipes I had on deck to try… THIS IS IT!!! So good! It has the “eggy” essence of regular French toast without making you feel like you’re eating a fried egg on toast. AMAZING!!! Thank you so much!!!
We are SO glad to hear you enjoyed our vegan french toast, Adrienne!
THIS WAS DELICIOUS! I made it while camping for an impromptu bridal shower we through for my cousin. Everyone (even those who regularly consume egg and dairy products) loved it. It’s become a new staple for brunch parties. I’m making it again this weekend and will test out strawberries and coconut whipped cream for the toppings!
Whoop! That is great it hear, Kayla!
I just made this for the second time only this time I baked it on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven because I was making a lot. It was perfect . I served it with mixed berries, toasted walnuts and maple syrup. I’ll be making this every time I have company over for breakfast
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed this french toast, Patty! Those toppings sound amazing :D
Patty, how long did you bake it?
This was delicious. My husband had no idea I didn’t use eggs until after he devoured it. Only change was that I combined ingredients in a blender and set it in fridge for ten minutes to activate. Then put it on base to blend. My kids could not see the chia seeds which was crucial. Suggestions: bread makes a difference. I made some with regular whole wheat and thick cut Italian loaf and the Italian was definitely better. Also, for those with soggy middles and burned edges, lower your heat and cook it longer. Way longer. I mutilated several good pieces this way. I was hungry and trying to cook them faster and all I did was mess up perfectly good bread. My cooking technique aside, this recipe is great, thanks!
We made this while camping and they were a huge success. The kids loved them. Thank you for a great recipe.
Yay! Glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Amy!
I’ve made this twice now for my vegan boyfriend and I as well as his omni grandparents and mom, and everyone is shocked by how good it is. I use ground flax (a heaping tablespoon or two) and throw in a pinch of cloves. I’ve started doubling the recipe because it’s so good. I’ve used both medium thick wheat bread and wheat sandwich bread and the recipe turned out fine, just dip for a shorter amount of time for thinner bread (I do like 8-15 seconds per side, longer on the first side) and cook til golden. Pancake griddles are wonderful. Also, a little extra cinnamon never hurt anyone ;) Enjoy the recipe!
Dana – Thank you for making such yummy recipes all the time! Your photography and variety of content is great but it’s the delicious simple recipes that keep me coming back. I have a feeling I’ll be making this recipe over many decades and for several generations. Thanks for being wonderful — have a lovely week!
SO kind! Yay! xoxo
If you wanted to use eggs in this recipe instead of the chia seeds, how many would you use? Thank you!
simple & delicious :)
thank you!
This is such an amazing recipe! Quick, easy, and tasty! I made it for my boyfriend this morning (who is not vegan) and he absolutely loved it!! Planning on making it again soon and for everyone on our family ski trip :) thank you for the delicious recipes!
I LOVEEEEE THIS RECIPE – i made it and actually included it in one of my ‘what i eat in a day VEGAN RECIPE’ video! SO YUMMY! THANK YOU
Thanks for sharing!
OMG another favourite!! This was delicious!! Before going vegan just over a year ago I used to LOVEEE French Toast – now I can have it again!! We only had sandwich bread but next time I’m going to try with a sturdier bread and get some coconut whipped cream to top! SO SO SO good. Thank you!
I made this. Terrible recipe for sandwich bread. The chia stuck to the pan, even with the oil on it, and ripped the bread apart. All went into the garbage.
I didn’t have the correct bread but it worked out anyway! Everyone including my 5 almost 6 year old loves it! ???? Tagged you in my post on IG! Thank you for this great easy recipe! ❤️
This made a great breakfast today. Thanks Dana!!
Do you have a recipe for vegan bread that would be great for french toast? Thanks.
Hi! Give this one a try!
It had cut off the end of my comment. One of the most discouraging things is to read reviews and waste so.much time scrolling through complaints. Sometimes there are so many complaints, people give up trying to read the reviews and move on to another recipe.
Just a thought for you.
I appreciate your effort in creating recipes.
What about the eggs in bread?
Hi Earlene! I would just find a vegan bread to use!
My family and I decided to go Vegan 2 weeks ago. It has not been easy. However, the breakfasts have always been my favorite meal of the day; french toast and pancakes have always been a staple in pur house, and there has been A LOT of trial and error trting to find good recipes (mostly error). This was a blessing!! My 5 year old even told me it was the best french toast I’ve ever made, and my 2 year old who does not eat hardly anything would not leave this alone! She ate 2 pieces (with help from grandma and brother), and I cut the bread THICK! I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this!! Thank you a million times!!
Hi Dana
We just tried your French toast recipe. Yum!! I used Ripple milk just cause I had it. Still a delicious recipe. Thank you for creating and sharing this wonderful recipe! We will definitely make it again
Bev
I also add vegan chocolate chips at times
I’ve made this a few times now. Grinding up the chia is much better as it gives batter a thicker even batter. My trick is to toast the bread beforehand so it doesn’t come soggy! Delicious!
Hey Dana,
This french toast is incredible. Thank you so much for the recipe and great instructions. I love your your creations.
Cheers from Germany
Helen
Dana,
I can’t even describe how I feel about your recipes. They have changed my life as a vegan for the better. This french toast recipe, made exactly as you have it using ciabatta in thick slices, was heaven. One by one your recipes are giving me back my sense of normalcy with my food. I have been vegan for 4.5 years due to extreme lactose intolerance and other dietary/allergy issues. I know I can always count on your site and cookbook to provide me with ways to make my favorite comfort foods.
Thank you for making my life better one dish at a time.
Bravo!!! Eggs are full of vitamins, healthy fats and proteins but some people are just allergic. I love that you found a way to replace them with another super food.
I made this with a little to rani caramel simple syrup. While it looked like it might have been a disaster (soggy & having a hard time crisping) my boyfriend stepped in and fixed them for me. This is totally a winner & my first opportunity to try a vegan egg. Next time I might try flax seed or the “neat egg”.
New vegan family here! I have been cooking my way thru your blog for the past few weeks. I just ordered your book on Amazon last night. I can’t wait to get it. I just made the French toast with ciabatta and added a pinch of nutmeg. My family loves it. This is a repeat for sure. I love that there isn’t a bucket of white sugar added to the custard. The maple syrup on top gives it all the sugar it needs!
Thank you for lending your passion and dedication to us.
On the menu this week is your chickpea schwarma salad and wrap, and caesar salad dressing and vegan parm. I love that these recipes can be made in advance in a few batches so we can eat on it throughout the week!
I made this today! Delicious… I blended my wet ingredients in a small blender before I let it sit in refrigerator! It worked really well!?loved it ?
So yummy! I added just a bit of nutritional yeast to give it that eggy flavor that a non-vegan version might have. It was SO GOOD! Thanks for sharing! :)
Hey! I actually used cinnamon raisin bagels for this recipe and they came out great! only like you said i had to cook it quite a bit so it doesnt stay soggy in the middle which leads me to my question if these can be baked? Also so i can save time and make a whole batch at once. they were getting hard on the outside so i could cook the inside well. im new to being vegan. my son has soy dairy and egg allergies. i used daves killer breads’ bagels for this. if you can suggest another vegan bread id appreciate it!
Btw, it still tasted awesome :)!
As a kid, one of my favorite breakfasts was my mother’s french toast. My wife and I have been wanting french toast for a while but since we’ve been vegan, we just haven’t been able to find a good version until now. I made it today for her on Mother’s Day and she (we) all loved it.
My recommendation is to not vary from the recipe – it is perfect. Easy, quick and turned out fantastic. I garnished it just like it is here with the fresh strawberries, and topped it your coconut whipped cream. I did grind the chia in the vitamix, and your tip to use thick bread is a must-do. I only soaked for about 10-15 seconds. Just give it enough time on the griddle – not soggy at all.
Thanks for another great recipe!
It was amazing!! I noticed in the picture the bread seemed to be toasted first before dipping it into the Chia seed mixture, but that wasn’t in the step by step directions. Because I was following the directions I did not toast the bread first. If I had to do anything different that would be it. I’d totally toast it first then dip then to the griddle it goes. Otherwise this was a truly amazing recipe and I look forward to many more mornings just like it :). Thank you!
I made this recipe today….was worried about sogginess…but make sure to keep heat on high and let the bread cook before turning over. Turned out great.,.delish! I replaced chia with flax! Will make again! Thanks for great recipe!
hi. my husband has diverticulitis so chia seeds would cause a problem. Would you have a solution?
Hi Rina! Use flax instead!
French toast was delicious. I used Texas Toast (vegan of course) and it was warm and fluffy. Can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much for your genius. :)
Love, love, love this recipe. It’s a hit with everyone in our house. I love French toast and have missed it so much! This is a wonderful recipe. What kind of bread is best to use?
Hi Shirin! For the bread I went with a rustic wheat, and found that heartier breads are best for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand!
I’ve been searching all over for eggless breakfast dishes and this is exactly what i’ve been looking for. I’m a new cumber. The recipes aren’t to complicated, though i haven’t used them yet i know they’re going to be good. I’m going to reccomend this site to every one
i made this today for my vegan wife and she enjoyed it. but be aware that if you use crappy white bread, like the generic sandwich bread , you will most likely only want to do a quick dip (rather than soak) of your bread into the mixture. im curious to try this recipe with a more rustic bread.
French toast was always one of my favourite quick and easy meals. I was delighted with the results! I’m even ready to say I like the vegan version better! (Note: I tried using a cast iron skillet at first, this is a no go, stick to NO STICK!)
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I thought I commented but it must have been in my head while enjoying my french toast!! EVERYONE loved them! We didn’t think it tasted any different than our old milk/egg recipe. Everyone was on board (which is considerable since there are 8 of us!). Thank you!! We will be adding these to our mornings for sure!
Thanks Dana, quite simply the best french toast I have ever had, the coconut cream pulls it all together perfectly!
I use French Boulle which has a little sour dough (but not too much as it can easily overpower) and slow cook the bread so the crust is crispy without losing the centre softness – everyone loves it!
Thanks again
*boule
Ugh. This is like so basic. Like OMGosh
I was just wondering if anyone was having trouble to it sticking to the pan. I’ve obviously used oils and vegan butter in the pan and a nonstick pan but it just won’t stop sticking.
I made this with sandwich bread because it was all I had. It still came out great!
I put cashew milk and the chia seeds in the Vitamix so you could not detect them.
They did not stick in my cast iron skillet.
Great alternative to egg-based french toast.
I tried this with the loaf of bread at hand I had. It came out way too soggy- I used the measurements suggested with chia seeds. I threw out the bread since it was turning my bread into mush.
Should this be a versatile recipe for any choice breads?
I haven’t had any success with this recipe, either. I’ve never ground the Chia seeds, but it’s always been mush, then it burns or sticks to the pan. Sad.
I used regular wheat bread instead of rustic. It turned out soggy, but I let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving, and they got harder and ended up with the right consistency for the topping. We had them with coconut cream and bananas for breakfast. My husband loved them! Definitively a keeper. It is absolutely delicious!
This looks delicious!
Do you have any recommendations on how to make a vegan French toast bake? I found a few, but they call for an obscene amount of flour- 3 cups!
Pre vegan days I made a kick ass bake, but now I don’t know what to do!
This recipe is perfect!!! Delicious vegan french toast, so yummy!!!
I wish this worked for me :( but the bread stayed soggy in the middle and the outsides got burnt, maybe I did something wrong?
this happened to me too! it was soggy and burnt and it didn’t taste too great:( I was wondering if I did something wrong, too. I followed the recipe but maybe I didn’t have the right bread? I’m not really sure. Being allergic to dairy means I’ve never tried french toast—so I’d be really excited to find a way to do it right!
Hmm it sounds like your pan may have been running too hot? Better luck next time, Bec!
I made this, with baguette bread slices. It was the perfect mix of crisp and chewy French toast. I even fed it to my brother (whose not a vegan) and he couldn’t tell the difference (only that it’s a little bit sweeter). I guess I finally found a way to eat French toast without having to suffer the weird taste or texture. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Just made this today and it was AMAZING. I didn’t have any chia seeds on hand but instead a raw flax, chia, cocoa, and coconut mix which I used in place of the plain chia. I also used some bee free honey (vegan honey is unbelievably good) opposed to maple syrup. It turned out amazing topped with some fresh fruit and berries-no syrup needed. Thank you for the recipie, it’s a new staple
I followed the directions and mine was a soggy mess that I threw away…gross…maybe skipping the egg is the problem?
Totally silly question but do you toast the bread before dipping it? X
Not silly at all! The bread was not toasted before dipping it!
This looks so delicious! Definitely making these. I’ve just turned vegan for ethical reasons and thought I’d have to make some sacrifices with taste…how wrong I was! I’m so thankful for blogs like this that show me how delicious and innovative meals can be. Now I can eat a variety of foods that taste amazing and are cruel free!
I loved this recipe. I ground the chia seeds, used soy milk for a bit more protein and I used whole wheat French bread. They turned out perfect.
Super dissapointed :( Mine came out extremely soggy. I even used thicker toast, and only left it in the batter for a few seconds each side. My bf didn’t even attempt it. Haha. Oh well, though. :)
This recipe made two people very happy this morning. Oh how I’ve missed French toast!
This french toast didn’t crisp up at all. Unfortunately it’s the egg in traditional recipes that crisp the bread. Mine came out soggy and soft. Could hardly eat it.
Love this! But I can only get one side toasty brown. The other side stays soggy and the chia seeds stick to the bottom of the pan. Thoughts? Should I re-butter?
Hmm, definitely try re-buttering the pan as that will help. You can also try increasing the heat a little to quicken cook time. Best of luck, Jen!
Thank you, great suggestions!! My kids ate this with so much gusto. I love the flavor. This is going to be a weekly staple for sure :) xx
What can I use instead of chia or flax seeds? Allergic to them…
My first go at this was a moderate failure. I cut the recipe in half thinking I’d get two or three slices of bread, just for me. Got two pieces of soggy, slimy mush and one perfect piece of French toast. I made the full recipe today and replaced the chia with flaxmeal, and used light coconut milk. I held my bread by diaganol corners and just barely booped it into the mix, and I got twelve pieces of perfect, crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-center, wonderful delicious French toast! Extra coconutty, too! Don’t give up, folks, this is amazing if you tweak it to your preference.
I’d give it four stars – for the original soggy mess – but I can’t seem to click on them, hm.
could you use flour in place of chia seeds ?
If you’re using sandwich bread just tap it in the mixture for like a second on both sides or else it’ll get too soggy. Also it sticks to the pan no matter what so after a failed attempt I put it in the oven at 400 for 10-15 min and they came out GREAT!
this recipe was a fail for me I suck at cooking so I probably did something wrong, I used sandwich bread which wasint thick enough so it came out soggy and not edible my tip for others would be to not use sandwich bread I guess .
Sorry! I recommend hearty baguette for best results (for vegan french toast or not).
This recipe results in a soggy mess with a weird slimy texture. Unfortunately chia is not an acceptable substitute for eggs in this case. The mixture does not coagulate when heated resulting in the soggy slimy mess. Making french toast is a classic example of when to use a proper egg replacement like Ener-G.
I have made this recipe twice and I have to say that it is my favorite yet! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve tried flax before this tasted much butter. My husband said it was good not knowing it was vegan. Thanks for sharing
Just made this and it’s soo delicious!! French toast used to be one of my favorite breakfasts before I was vegan, and now I have a delicious, cruelty-free, vegan recipe!
I tried this with a bagel and OMG, its amazing. This recipe made my all time favourite food (like seriously I have a bagel problem, luckily they are vegan) into something out of dreams, also delicious when topped of with berries 10/10. I love all of these recipes on here, i’m new to this vegan life style and I was really skeptical at first, but i have found so many great recipes and i don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
Excellent!
I left the chia seeds whole and I found that they gave it an extra crunch which I loved! I made them with French bread, which wasn’t the best texture except for the yummy edges.the middle soaked up too much mix and was taking so long to finish cooking. I will try a thicker bread next time. I also added some cinnamon sugar to the mix and it was just all delicious!!
Thank you, I’ve missed French toast so much and this was super easy! I also want to try it with flax seeds…yum!!
Forgot the five stars! ?
I’m thinking of making this for my Mum on mother’s day, but she isn’t vegan and I was wondering how I could sub eggs into this? I’m definitely going to try it myself with the Chia seeds one day, but I’d also like to give her the recipe to keep with eggs if that makes sense, because unfortunately she wouldn’t be interested in buying Chia seeds :P if it won’t work, that’s okay! Your recipes never disappoint anyway. thank you x
Best French toast I’ve ever had including at restutants. Wow, I’m so impressed. This was my first recipe from your site I’ve made, now I’m excited to try them all.
Love the website– really individual pleasant and great deals to see!
Amazing! Loved it. I cut out squares of bread and put them on toothpicks with raspberries and banana slices for a delicious brunch finger food. Thanks so much for the recipe !
I was really disappointed.. My french toast was sobby, however it tasted good. But, I don’t think i will do this recipe again..
I woke up craving French toast and I thought… I can veganize that! I wonder if chia seeds would do the trick to thicken up almond milk into a batter? Then I stumbled upon this recipe! Thanks so much four posting this. I can’t wait to give it a go.
OMGoddess!
That was DELICIOUS!!!
Thank you for this awesome recipe! Made it for my girlfriend this morning and she was SO impressed and delighted, as was I!
Merci beaucoup!
Julie :)
Once again Dana, your recipe does not disappoint! My boyfriend and I were looking for a new french toast recipe and found this one; I was not sure how it would turn out because the eggs are replaced by the chia seeds, but the recipe was delicious! Thank you for sharing :)
xx
Murielle
This recipe turned out great. I ground up my chia seeds and made sure to let mixture sit a good 15mins. I used coconut oil in the pan with fairly high heat then turned temp down once outside was crispy. This may be the solution to all of those ‘soggy’ toasts. My non-vegan husband even admitted they were tasty. :)
This did not work out as planned lol. Soggy french toast :(((
Tried recipe with freshly ground flax, and turned out delicious!
I just made this and IT’S AMAZING!!!!!! I couldn’t believe how this works… I’m a ‘begginner vegan’ (it’s only been 6 months) and still learning how to eliminate/replacee eggs (my biggest problem with cheese) without having the taste and texture suffer… this is 100% the same (and I have a very fine palate but I also have a rebellious teenager who thinks I’m being an idiot -I’ll spare you the actual quote- and he HAD NO IDEA this was ‘vegan’!!! ;) so that’s the acid test isn’t it?!)
THANK YOU FOR THIS!
Love hearing these comments/stories.. Welcome to Vegan, it gets easier and easier each day :)
I miss French toast ever since giving up eggs and dairy. I’ll try this!
Thank you!
♥ carmen
I used flax seed, not having chia seeds, and it worked perfectly with them ground fine. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, delicious all the way through! The bread really does absorb the mixture quickly so a fast dip is all you need, and it’s definitely essential to oil the pan between flips. I’ve been vegan for three years, and this is one of those dishes I’ve missed the most. Now, can you find me some vegan bacon that has the texture of bacon? :D
The closest thing I have found is coconut bacon…look it up. Benevolent bacon is also good but not the same texture. I really liked the benevolent bacon texture though, just don’t overlook it. ?
*overcook*
I’ve seen coconut bacon around and you can make tempa and tofu bacon too
I made the recipe exactly like the instructions and found the french toast to be soggy and the chia seeds made the outside have a crunchy texture that didn’t resemble french toast. With butter, syrup and powdered sugar it was good enough to eat but I probably wouldn’t make it again.
I would recommend making sure the pan is piping hot prior to putting the French toast in. I had the same issue but once I waited longer to let the skillet heat up it turned out great. I also recommend sloughing off some of the excess chia seeds before cooking.
Yeah, I’ve made it twice and it was soggy both times :( The second time I soaked it for less time. Any tips?
Try using a thick, sturdy, rustic bread! You could also try cooking it at a slightly lower temperature and for longer to ensure it’s cooked all the way through!
Can you use ground flax instead of ground chia?
Being cooked as we speak with your gluten free banana bread including raisins. I am so grateful for your site and the work you put into recipes. I moved in with my vegan boyfriend a year ago and I always look to your site for food-spiration :)
Been wanting to make this for ages. I made it with sandwich bread and it turned out better than I thought, thank you for the recipe.
It was a lovely, simple dish and everyone loved it.
Tried it and it came out delicious! My foodie boyfriend even loved it too.
If I were to make this as a French toast bake (because I want the vegan version of the batter) would I follow the same directions as your pumpkin French toast bake? I promise my kids French toast for dinner and figured it might be easier! Thanks!
Hi Sarah! I don’t think this would work as a bake, because you need the hot surface to get the crispy edge. But if you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
It was pretty mushy at the bottom but I also used regular sprouted bread so it wasn’t super thick and I upped all the ingredients by three so it may have been too much liquid? I also feel like I should have let the batter sit longer since I did all the extra liquid. AND the bread only had the batter on it for an hour. I know a lot of people do it over night. Ah! I’ll keep trying. I feel like it’s easier to do the bake inside of individual pieces. French toast has never been easy for me!
Thanks for all your great posts. I’m newly vegan and you’ve helped me make my food edible!
I’ve been trying to eat less animal product. So I googled vegan french toast and found this! I tried it and it was super delicious! I used honey because I didn’t have agave, and I didn’t have chia seeds at the moment. So I plan on getting those two ingredients and trying it again. SUPER GOOD!
Thanks Sarah! xoxo
Just made these this morning for my girlfriend and I, using Ezekial sprout bread, and it turned out so amazing! Perfect recipe! Thanks so much.
Wow! Just made this.. Delicious and Simple!
I had a craving for ‘eggless’ french toast (breakfast for dinner) this evening. Upon a google search, I found your recipe among the top 3. I followed directions to the letter – they were amazing! I am a simple girl: The toasts were complimented with hot maple syrup only. I am ashamed to admit this, but for the first time, I did NOT gobble my dinner! Thanks for sharing and may you have continued blog success (and beautiful marital bliss).
Yeah…tried this today and I did the amount of ingredients exactly and even soaked the bread for less time than you suggested and I ran out of it on my 4th piece of bread…so the amounts don’t work and also is it not possible to do this on a pan like what most people have, I don’t believe everyone has a griddle. Well no its not possible because I tried and it was a disaster. Bread stayed mushy and fell apart before it could cook. Disappointing
My daughter and I love, love, love your website! Thank you so much for making an almost teen’s (egads!) life happier. My daughter has food allergies and has been challenged with eating like a “normal” kid. French toast for breakfast this morning – yahoo!! Awesome, awesome, awesome! BTW, the photos are GORGEOUS! Bless you!!!
So kind! Thanks for sharing, ladies! xoxo
Whenever I made this, the crispy part stuck to the pan and we got a mushy toast! Instead I broiled them with a bit of sugar on top. Any suggestions?
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. This is the best french toast I’ve ever made.
So wonderful! thanks for sharing, Lucie! xoxo
I ? these little french toasties! Everyone ate them right up and asked for more. I will say, they are a sweet labour of love. No matter what I did, I too has them sticking to the pan. I crumbled those chia seeds in the coffee grinder then did the rest. Began with 15 second or so soak- went down to the dip fast dip. Primarily used coconut oil. I turned the oven to the lowest temp. Then after cooking each piece for over 10+ minutes, I tossed them in the oven on a cookie sheet. Voila. Delicious frawnch toast! Thanks Dana!!!
Which did you find worked best — whole chia seeds or ground! I looked through the post twice & skimmed the comments but didn’t see a preference. I’ve been making French toast the the Vegg egg replacement and it’s been hit or miss thus far so I would like to do whatever method gives the best chance for success!
I used whole chia seeds and they worked well – they coat the french toast in a crunchy sort of covering.
I can help you with the Vegg French Toast. Do you use soy or soy free version?
This was excellent. The kids loved it and couldn’t tell it was vegan.
I am so happy I found this recipe! Went vegan a few years ago and french toast is definitely at the top of my miss list. Toys was a tasty replacement, with the Chia seeds adding the perfect amount of ooey gooey yumminess! I topped with nectarines, blueberries, and coco whip! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Whoop! Glad you enjoyed it, Andi!
Thank you for this recipe for French Toast. I served it to my omnivore mother today – and also to my WFPB self – this morning and both of us were very very happy with our breakfasts. Topped with bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup, they were delectable. I made extra with the remaining batter and bread and have frozen the slices for a happily anticipated breakfast tomorrow or the next day.
Can you give me an example of what type of ‘hearty rustic bread’ to buy? I really want to make this recipe since it doesn’t require cashews/tofu and it’s pretty inexpensive. I just am not sure what type of [vegan] bread to buy & I don’t want to use sandwich bread. Thanks!! Btw I LOVE your cupcake/muffin recipes.
Like the loaves that are fresh baked in the bakery section with a hard crust and soft center!
I made this recipe this morning and it was delicious! I used a whole grain bread and it worked just fine. The only issue I had was when I tried to use earth balance to grease the pan because the bread kept sticking, but I switched to coconut oil and it was so much easier. Definitely recommend!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Grind up the chia add a little warm water and it will thicken quicker – like egg whites, will save time.
Can’t wait to try this recipe, I have yet to make vegan french toast, the chia sold me.
Thank you SO much for sharing this delicious recipe!! My daughter is allergic to dairy, eggs, gluten,soy & many other things. I never thought french toast was possible for her. I FINALLY found a bread she can eat & with your recipe she gets more variety for breakfast!! She LOVED it!! So did i! Thank you again!!
Shortly after becoming a vegan I began looking for recipes and this was the first vegan French toast I found. I haven’t tried another one since. It includes ingredients I normally keep in my kitchen (which is a huge deal when trying new recipes). I’ve made this recipe about 4 times over the last couple of months and the only “negative” thing I can say is that I have had issues with it sticking to the pan. I know it’s the combination of the chia seeds and milk that forms the binding factor, but for some reason oil or butter it still sticks. If
Anyone has any advice to help with that I’d greatly appreciate it. In the end this recipe is SO yummy and I’m so glad I found it
I’ve been experimenting with alot of vegan recipes lately, some good, some not so much. My first try at vegan french toast was a disaster (another recipe using flour and almond milk). But I didn’t want to give up. So, I decided to try yours as I had great success with your Cinnamon Roll recipe (it was awesome). I REALLY liked this french toast recipe, and with some stewed fruit on top (I did apples and bananas) and maple syrup, I truly could not tell the difference between this and eggey french toast. On its own, yes, not quite the same as an authentic french toast, but with fruit and syrup, just fabulous! The ONLY thing I would add next time is abit of salt, as I did feel it needed that. But, thats just a personal preference. Oh, I ground my chia seeds, and used a soft (but not too soft) bread. Don’t cook it at too high a temp (med is good), and like others have mentioned, make sure the pan is well oiled when you flip. Mine turned out perfect, and it’s my new go to French Toast recipe….thanks!!!! :-)
Just made this recipe and it was delicious. I didn’t have chia seeds so used flax instead. For the topping I heated some frozen wild blueberries and added a little maple syrup. And the bread was sprouted Ezekial. I’m putting this one down as a favorite weekend breakfast. Thanks!
Hello!!!
I am currently writing several articles for a Japanese (but later to be English bilingual) website about healthy eco-positive and sustainable lifestyles, and I was wondering if I could please use a few of your French toast images for an article about the benefits and uses of chia seeds? Of course you will be credited with a direct link. The recipe will also be translated into Japanese. I look forward to your reply!!
Kind Regards,
Nikki
I was wondering which bread brand is the kind used here? Is it gluten free as well or is it simply whole grain vegan? Thanks!
(P.S. I love your site!)
My husband said I outdid myself with this one! Excellent job!
Looks to be a great recipe, I will try it out this morning. I’ve always made our vegan French toast with banana in the batter, which works well, but not if your guests aren’t fans of bananas. Excited to try it with chia seeds. Thanks.
I want to leave a comment that actually tells your readers how the recipe turned out. I liked it! Obviously it’s not QUITE the same, but the recipe tastes great!
I made this recipe this morning. It was delicious. We plan to try a couple changes next time. The chia seeds really thickened the batter so we plan to try flax instead. Also to help it be less soggy, it might be good to put it in the oven for a while so that it gets crispy.
Yum!! Thanks for this recipe! It is delicious and, you’re right, it’s very close to the original. I was really craving French toast and wasn’t sure if a vegan version would satisfy my craving, but it totally did! I’m so glad because I haven’t had French toast since going vegan almost 2 1/2 years ago. This will be a new staple in my recipe collection. I left the chia seeds whole, and they added some nice texture. I was using plain old French bread. Even though it was kinda dry, a wimpy bread like that soaked up the milk mixture really fast. I had to cook my French toast for a long time on low heat to un-soggy it. Next time, if I’m using up wimpy, white bread again, I’ll only soak it for a few second on each side. But I can’t wait to try it with a hearty, substantive, whole-grain bread.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Cheryl!!
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. There are very few things I have missed since becoming vegan and french toast was one of them. I haven’t had success with other vegan french toast recipes in the past but your’s turned out great. Delicious. Loved it.
The first time I made this was on Christmas morning, as a treat for my parents who have recently gone vegan but who very much miss their favourite French toast. It turned out amazing! We were delighted! However, strangely enough, I just tried to make it right now, following the exact recipe just the way that I did last time… and the bread was beyond mushy. The outside was perfect, but the moment I cut into it, the inside was a goopy off-white mess in a texture I didn’t think was even possible. I wish I knew what I’d done wrong! (It’s possible, however, that I messed something up without realising; I’m pretty sick right now and yesterday I actually managed to screw up oatmeal, I was so out of it. But I don’t know what I did wrong this time…)
I most definitely had all of the problems described! However through experimenting and determination I discovered that the pan needs to be quite hot and use a decent amount of coconut oil. Leave in the pan for at least 3 or more minutes and flip carefully almost scraping off the pan. The center was still slightly mushy but tasted pretty good, my daughter who is two absolutely LOVED it, I’ll make it again for sure.
I tried making this recipe this morning and it was a disaster. I am not sure what went wrong. I used vegan butter in the pan, but it kept sticking. I barely dipped the bread in the batter but for some reason each piece came out incredibly soggy. I tried different temperatures and nothing seemed to work. I’m wondering if my batter didn’t thicken enough. Do you think it’s possible to use flaxseed instead of chia seeds?
Thanks!
Hmm, what kind of cooking surface did you use? Stainless steel may pose some problems – perhaps that was it!
Absolutely, utterly fantastic! Though I’m not vegan, I’ve found that vegan recipes are a great help in accommodating those with egg allergies. This was so good that I had to FORCE myself to stop eating once I got full. Twice. :P
haha, nice! That’s when you know it’s good!
I just made your french toast and wow! I can’t believe I just made something so delicious. I’m pregnant and have been looking for some good easy meals to make for my new family. This is perfect. I’m so happy I found your site.
I started out soaking the bread for 20 seconds and ended up with a soggy mess. The next piece I barely dabbed each side in the mixture. They came out perfect this way. I also tried it with sourdough bread and the rustic bread. The rustic bread did stay more dry. With the sourdough I cooked 4 minutes each side then found I had to cook it a few more minutes on each side. But it was still delicious no matter which type I used
So excited to try this recipe! I’m not vegan at all, but wanted to thank you for going through the trial-and-error of coming up with this recipe. I recently developed a mild egg allergy and have been trying (and failing) to come up with a viable french toast variation since!
Tried posting on Instagram but couldn’t work out how to link it to your page. I made this with homemade vegan butter and served it up with homegrown strawberries, soy yoghurt, and sweetfreedom syrup. Mmmmmmmmmm. Very nice!! I was actually at the point of thinking about using eggs but thanks to this amazing recipe I didn’t need them! My only suggestion for others is when you turn the slice, quickly butter the pan underneath before putting it down again as otherwise all the nice crunchiness sticks to the pan too much. Actually more satisfying than egg & milky french toast!
I am so thankful I found this recipe! Before being diagnosed with food allergies (dairy, egg, nuts), my girls’ and I loved French toast. This is on our menu for next week and I am so looking forward to it!
Any idea on whether applesauce would work as an egg replacer instead of the chia seeds? Thanks.
This. was. amazing.
I have not had french toast since going vegan in 2007. I have seen many recipes but I never had all the ingredients. This morning I thought of your site and how simple your ingredient lists always are and did a quick search for french toast. I am so glad I did!
My first batch started to fail, like others had mentioned, it wasn’t cooking or really browning, so I gently scraped off most of the layer of coagulated (whole) chia seeds that were on the bread and then it cooked and turned a nice brown without sticking.
Thanks for making such quick easy recipes!!
This recipe is incredible! I just tried it out, and my goodness, it was exactly like french toast! (Once I figured out the right soak time, oil usage, pan heat, and used chia “flour”) My suggestions: Grind your chia seeds into a fine powder/flour in order to have more of an egg-like mixture. I think this helps the mixture thicken up quicker too. Experiment with soak times. I used a soft sandwich bread, (It was the only bread I had in the house-next time I will use a sturdier french baguette!) so I only needed about 5 seconds of soaking. About half way through cooking, I started using a tiny bit of coconut oil for each slice and each cooking side. This really helped make the edges crispy. By tiny bit, I literally mean tiny. I only used about a pea size of oil on each side and focused on spreading the oil around the edges. As for pan heat, I set my stove-top between medium-low and medium.
I tried making these last night and unfortunately, they turned out mushy and soggy. I used vegan butter and whole chia seeds. I tried many different kinds of bread that I had on hand, lightly coated each piece, each time, and I experimented with the temp of the pan also to see if that would help, it did not. Every time I had the same problem some of the other people posted about, it turned my bread into a mush pudding :(
Thanks so much for this recipe, I made it the other day as a recent convert to vegan food and eggs used to be a staple for me. I had not even thought about making vegan french toast… And then I stumbled across this. It is so super tasty and is actually better than using eggs! Love love love. Thanks so much for sharing. x
P.s. If your tofu scramble and omelet are as tasty as this I won’t be giving eggs another thought!
I just made this and it’s a recipe I will try again although I did have trouble with it sticking to the frying pan and the batter took an incredibly long time to brown and “crisp” up. It was half an hour in the pan! I even switched pans because I had such a mess in the first one. I raised the temperature. I lowered the temperature. I used more oil. I used less oil. It was an experimental recipe for sure. I did eventually end up with a satisfying result and that’s why I will try it again.
I tried this recipe but my bread turned out very mushy! I was using a thick bread too! is there anything I could’ve done to prevent this??
Next time, try soaking it for less time and cooking it on pretty high heat. It could’ve been that you either soaked it too long and (or) didn’t have your heat high enough, which doesn’t create a crust and can make the toast soggy. Hope that helps!
Awesome! A crowd favorite on the first try! Just need to soak the bread a little more next time. Crusts were a little dry but I may have been the only one who noticed. Clean plates all around. Thx!
Ive made this recipe a million times this summer. My boyfriend loves it too! Its amazing!!!!!!!
Yay!
This recipe sounds delicious! I notice some people struggling a bit with this recipe . . . it may be that they’re allowing the bread to soak up the batter too long which could create a real mess. With other eggless recipes I’ve learned to dip quick and not let the bread soak up a lot of liquid. Just a thought ~ hope this helps. I would love a knock out lemon cake recipe for my 60th b-day next year . . . any suggestions? LOVING your recipes (and stunning food photography) for this life-long veg, 10-year vegan.
I was SO excited to try this recipe and replace eggs, and it failed miserably!!!! I followed everything to a “T” with no luck and became so frustrated it was ridiculous. I apologize for being negative, but for someone who rarely eats eggs–replacing them in everything I bake, but would rather eat them occasionally to have decent french toast than to get frustrated over making it.
So sorry it didn’t work out Megan! What kind of bread did you use? I had best luck with a hearty, rustic bread, but other people have had success with sandwich bread as well. What seemed to be the issue? I’d love to help troubleshoot!
I will admit up front that I am not vegan, although I respect the lifestyle and many of my family members are vegetarian/vegan. I made these for me and my 9 month old son because we recently discovered that he has an egg allergy. Now I am on the hunt to replace all of my recipes with egg-less versions. Your french toast recipe was delicious!! I absolutely loved it. I tried to grind the chia seeds in my sesame seed suribachi, but those things are hard as a rock and wouldn’t crack!! I have to say that I loved them whole in this recipe, though. It was kinda like a seeded bread – they didn’t seem at all out of place for me. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe that has earned a spot in my recipe box!
yeaaah! ditch the eggs, they are menstrutions!
ok sorry about that
this recipe is amazing! can’t wait to try!
Seriously? Grow up and don’t make such rude comments. Even you knew it was wrong because you then apologized for it!
Perhaps a naive interpretation is that what is fact, is rude.
If you are unaware that cycle of unfertile bird eggs, are in fact the exact same outflow as a human period, EGGS- well, now you know.
If anything is rude, it’s the masking of such a crude act of consuming eggs or feeding them to children, without telling them what they are, why or where they come from, and growing having no idea…
Thanks for your reply! I had a wonderful chuckle to begin my day! It’s people such as yourself that give vegans bad names. Or maybe it’s egg eaters you give a bad name to? How awful they all are feeding their innocent, unsuspecting children something so horrific as EGGS.
People who dont want to accept the truth are the ones denying what vegans will tell them and act like there saying such terrible things. Why dont you do some research on how animal agriculture is affecting tue environment and destroying the world then try and justify yourself.
So sad this didn’t work for me! The chia/milk combo never cooked. It just wouldn’t brown. I had to throw them in the trash because they just stayed mushy. I can see that yours are browned….how did you do it?
My French toast turned into a scramble. :( it tasted delicious but was runny?? Did I over soak it? Under cook it? Help! Lol. Thanks for the awesome idea though! Just found your sure and can’t wait to go explore!! :-)
Great recipe!
Added to my Vegan Sandwich group.
I really liked this recipe. I didn’t have chia seeds though, but replaced them with flax seed and it seemed to turn out really good. I didn’t miss the egg at all.
Great success! I topped mine with dark choc dipped banana, mixed berry colis and coconut :) TY
Great recipe! I’m going to try this with some vegan, yeast free bread from Food for Life.
Making this tomorrow!:) Will comment after I make it and let u know how it turns out! YUm:D
Wow!!! This looks amazing. My kids are going to love me tomorrow. I’m thinking of using ground flax for the eggy part. Wish me luck!!
This looks amazing. We were having one of those morning where nothing sounded goog until we both thought of vegan French toast. Excited to make this!! One note (maybe someone mentioned it): Udi’s GF bread is not vegan. It’s a great GF option, but sadly, it contains eggs. For a non-vegan, it’s awesome. Thanks again for sharing!!
Thank you that really made my brunch. My cold brewed coffee had just finished brewing, I give it 24 hours, and I had some raspberries that were on the verge of going bad. So I made some raspberry syrup with them as a topping to this delicious recipe. A great meal.
I loved this recipe and tried it on my own with a thicker velagio style sandwhich bread. However when I cooked it it turned out really soggy. I’m not sure if that’s because I used butter instead of the coconut oil. Nonetheless a great recipe!
Cool shining pictures. Simple and practical recipe. I love it so much. It is really inspiring. I can make it with different kinds of fruit and ice cream. Go Dana!
My first visit to your blog. I found it looking for a gluten free vegan rhubarb crisp recipe (which looks amazing) and spotted this recipe. I have a child who is gluten free, casein free, and egg free. I am excited to try this recipe! Just so you know, if one is trying to be gluten free and vegan, you can’t use Udi’s bread because it contains eggs (at least every version I have checked). :)
Had no eggs but had a craving for French toast. This fitted the bill! Amazing. Thank you :)
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Hannah!
this was really good. I used homemade coconut milk and worried that it would be too thin, but with the amazing chia seeds…THANK YOU!
GREAT recipe! I made this french toast this morning and it was absolutely delicious! My only problem came when I tried to grind the chia seeds in my mortar and pestle…they didn’t grind. I used them whole and it worked just fine, but I’d rather have them hidden. Any suggestions?? Thanks for the wonderful recipes!
Coffee grinder? That works best!
You can also buy chia seed already ground. I keep a small bag in the freezer and reach into it whenever I need to make a chia egg. No need to thaw. It doesn’t freeze.
Hi there!
First off, I just want to say that i LOVE your website! This is my first time on, but i will definitely be coming back. I flew back to my hometown for Mother’s Day and wanted to make something for my mom tomorrow as a breakfast or brunch, however, I am vegan so I’ve been looking for recipe that suits everyone in the family, not just me, and this looks perfect! I was wondering if it would it be ok if i made the batter at night and left it to soak until the next morning or would that be way too long?
Thanks so much!
You could give it a try, but I think the batter would get too thick. And definitely don’t soak the bread overnight. It’ll be too mushy. Hope that helps!
I always considered a chia egg, but never thought it would work because it might make the bread too “jelly-ish” and wouldn’t toast right. But now since the Minamalist Baker has tried it, it must be legit- and it worked! Woohoo, the grounded chia egg replacement worked just fine and my french toast turned out delish! I used both stale wheat bread and gluten free bread and both turned out wonderfully! Thanks for another amazing recipe!
PS. I enjoy your photos, especially the step-by-step ones. They’re helpful and artistic!
Yay! So glad it did, Grace. Thanks for sharing! hugs :D
Oh wow… this is my first visit to your amazing blog and I am blown away with the fact that you’ve made the chia seeds disappear….! Why did I never think of that in terms of making a ‘chia egg’? Genius. Anyway, back to this French toast. It looks dense, crispy, deliciously wholesome, everything you’d want from a French toast breakfast. Definitely sharing this with my friends (I’m not entirely vegan either but probably 80% plant based, so I appreciate an amazing vegan recipe like this one). Great job guys. So happy to have found your blog! -Laura
I made the vegan french toast this morning, and it was absolutly delish! I really like french toast, but i do not like the classic custard made with milk and cream.. its too heavy for me. We made this one with whole spelt baguette – it was wonderful!
But, i have to say, we had again problems with the coconut whipped cream. I followed all directions, the coconut milk was in the fridge overnight, i scooped out the solid part, cooled the bowl, and I tried to whip it with a hand mixer, afterwards with a standmixer. It resembled a coarse meal.. even after a few minutes of mixing :( the coconut milk is whole, and doesnt contain any additives. Do you know what the problem might be?
thanks alot for the great vegan french toast recipe!
xxx,
ce.leb
I never really liked french toast, simply because of the “eggy” flavor from the batter. THIS would be perfect, and LOOKs perfect.
Let me know how it goes if you try it, Brittany!
Oh my goodness this looks great. I am egg free(family isn’t). Every time I make French toast I get sad. It looks and smells so good. Iced tried 2 vegan recipes that were a flop. I’d given up. I never thought of using the chia seed as a thickener! Now I must get some beautiful bread to try! Xoxo happy vegan now
So I tried to make this is morning, and I have to say, it was a complete disaster. My house smells like burned coconut oil and the French toast was burned but still so soggy that I had to throw it out. It seems French toast of any kind is just not my forte, going to try one of your pancake recipes next time instead! Round one: French Toast 1, me 0
Oh no! So sorry Caitlin. What kind of coconut oil did you use? Perhaps you used a little too much or the temp was too high? Next time, perhaps you could try vegan butter as that’s what gave me the best results. This is the first issue I’ve heard with this recipe, so I’ll be sure to watch for anyone else who may experience similar issues.
I’m having he exact same issue, and I’m using vegan butter.
Currently having the same issue ??
Turns out it was my pan!bswitched pans and now we’re good ?
I love French toast too! Your photos are always so good I just want to reach through the screen and eat!
Thanks Charlie! Hope you give this a go!
I love that it says “real deal” cinnamon, haha! Chia seeds are kind of a secret power food I feel like – I use them all the time in oatmeal!
Congratulations on the 4 year anniversary. You have become one of my inspirational blogs to get out there and try vegan baking which I used to be so scared off. The French toast photographs are gorgeous :)
Awe, congrats on your anniversary! This post was so sweet, and those photos look soooo good, makes me what to try these for dinner (or brinner) tonight!
Wow that looks amazing. I didn’t think it was possible to create vegan French toast, I’m definitely going to give this a go.
Rosie
This looks incredible! My favorite breakfast treat is French Toast, and always has been. Yours looks like a fantastic dairy-free version. Love the use of flax seed in yours! I sometimes use a hearty flax bread, which may provide a similar effect. Great pictures!
THESE LOOK AMAZING! French toast slathered with maple syrup is one of my favourite breakfasts and I love that you managed to make it vegan (with chia seeds – amazing!) Thx for another great minimalist and healthy recipe!
You forgot the word “luscious” in your description…
haha, thanks Annie!
Your photos as always are absolutely stunning, I just love the pops of red from the strawberries, it’s really eye catching!
Thanks Jenny! You’re kind.
The French toast looks spectacular. In fact, I just bought a new bag of chia seeds and now know how I’ll use them in a day or two.
I have only one complaint. In my daily email from you, I get a very long email that accompanies the recipe. I must scroll and scroll and scroll to actually get to the recipe. Not really a complaint, since the photos are very well done, but when I opened the email for the French Toast, and clicked on FrenchToast, I had to wade through the first photograph, then a photograph later of a piece of French Toast on a fork (a bite-sized piece, I imagined), and so forth. I understand the nature of photos, (one being worth a thousand words), but it is almost too much. I tend to find myself a bit annoyed. I want the recipe up first, so that I know what ingredients I need, and how to make it. Although, by my age (61), I rarely need the instructions. Been vegetarian since age 18, vegan now for several years. I do love your recipes – I have a huge collection of both vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, but what hangs me up always are recipes that contain 17 exotic ingredients when most often we eat very simply. A banana for breakfast, beans and rice for dinner most days. Miso soup with a bit of cubed tofu for lunch. Salads often. Sometimes steamed veggies for lunch if we’re hungry. Homemade whole grain bread. So, being a minimalist, I do enjoy your recipes. But, if possible, try some restraint with your photos. They are indeed beautiful, but open any recipe magazine, and they try to dazzle you with food photographs – I don’t enjoy them, since it is obvious that the food is faked – shaving cream used for whipped cream, etc. Please do continue my email subscription, though, because I do love your recipes. I just made your chai ice cream (vegan) last week, and it is almost gone now.DELICIOUS!
Thanks,
Annie
Thanks for your feedback Annie, we really do appreciate it. Although we can understand why our style might not fit with everybody, our original focus and desire here is to create something that we personally enjoy.
We appreciate good food photography and feel that adding our photographs to posts contribute to our art in a style that reflects our personality.
We aren’t trying to be a magazine, other blog, or something else; we just want to be us. For now, that means we will keep posting high-quality delicious photos that reflect our creations. Hope you understand.
Good grief Annie. What a lot of effort you made to “complain” about something so trivial. Scroll, scroll, scroll or find some other site.
I totally agree. It is such a waste of my time scrolling to find out if I have all the ingredients or do I need to run to the store, that I will skip the whole post to avoid the pictures and the narrative. Tonight I woke up at 1:48 and have not been able to sleep so i scrolled through this one. But normally, all the pictures and narrative are just too much of a time waster. Please one picture and a recipe first. Then babble all you want.
Wow! How rude those of you are being to complain! These people are sharing their passion, artistry & deliciousness with you! Be grateful, not critical. I happen to enjoy the entire blog, photos & all! If it’s just boring recipes you’re looking for I’m confident you may find them elsewhere. Oh & just for the record, I made this French toast today & it looked almost exactly like the photos. I am a believer! Keep up the awesome work guys, my family loves it!!
Agreed! I really enjoy this blog!
There should be a warning not to read these when hungry!! Yet ANOTHER amazing recipe – and the photography…. that syrup dripping off the fork…? Wow. Well done! And Happy Anniversary! Coming up on our 30th, and I am more in love now than ever…<3
Yay! Glad you liked these! And thanks for the kind words about the photography. Made my day, Cathy!
this looks great! i have been needing a vegan french toast recipe, and i can’t wait to try this one out! PS: i made your 1 bowl vegan chocolate cake for a friend’s birthday – it was a massive hit!!
Yay! Makes me so happy! Did you take a photo of the cake? I’d love to see? Tag it on instagram if you did :D
yep! you totally caught it :)!
I also made the chocolate cake, OMG! It was a hit. It was for my daughter’s 25th birthday. Thanks for the recipe.
Lurve lurve lurve any unexpected place I can throw in some chia seeds!
Yum! Great for a lazy Sunday.
xx,
Elizabeth
When I saw this on instagram I wondered how you made the custard-y part sans eggs…obviously you’re a wizard! This looks great and any sweet breakfast fare topped with fresh strawberries and cream is a favorite.
Thanks Cindy! Everything you’ve been doing with rhubarb lately? Wizard skillz. Teach me your ways!
Hi Dana
I was just wondering whether you would be interested in talking to me regarding my new Italian imported Vegan food.
We are the exclusive agent for this Italian Culinary genius direct from Italy.
From Vegan Porchetta, Hot Vegan “salami” to Vegan cutlets and Burgers…and much more.
It will make headline news in all the Vegan communities around Australia in the coming months – once we get aligned with the right distribution groups.
We need to get the word out there… maybe you can help?
regards
joseph
This looks so amazing! I’ve been trying to figure out a vegan french toast recipe (and I think I’m right on the cusp) but because it’s not perfect yet I’ve found myself eating tons of vegan waffles! I am in love with vegan breakfast food!
Could these pictures be any more beautiful?! How f-ing genius to use chia seed to thicken the custard. I would like to bust into that stack of toast with my bare hands. Happy anniversary, Dana and John!
Great recipe. Don’t think i would have strawberries. But it looks great. L x
Congrats on your anniversary! What a great twist on classic breakfast :)
Mmmm… looks yummy! Can’t wait to try this! Thanks!
I am thinking I need to go dairy free soon… so this looks like an excellent alternative to traditional french toast! Will have to try soon! Such a smart use of chia seeds, I would never have thought to use them!
Try it! Especially if you notice dairy gives you stomach qualms. It was rough for me at first because I was raised on the stuff. But I don’t miss it anymore and am feeling much better.
I’ve been having stomach qualms as well concerning the dairy aspect and even though I’ve switched to almond milk I still find that it leaves me queasy. Have you ever experimented with rice milk?
I haven’t but from what I understand they’re interchangeable in recipes and pretty similar in taste!
French toast mornings are key to our mornings as a couple too! Happy four years!!
Indeed! Thanks, Katrina!
Loooove that you used chia seeds! I have made my fair share of vegan french toast, but never like this- awesome!
This looks incredible! Love that you used chia seeds instead of eggs! Very cool!
Mmmmm this looks so goood! Pancakes and French toast are the best breakfasts! X
I didn’t think it was possible to make vegan french toast. I’m so excited to give this a try!
Me either! I think you’ll like it, Megan. Let me know if you give it a go!
It taste more like regular french toast if you use a flax egg.
How much flax and water did you use? Thanks, Shirley
just search how to make a flax egg replacement
1 tablespoon of ground flax to 3 tablespoons of warm water equals one egg
This was soooo of awesome! Very tasty I followed the link for the coconut whipped cream and added blueberries and warm syrup!! Man oh man my husband and son could not get enough!!
What an interesting use of chia seeds! French toast is a favorite that I don’t have very often and this looks absolutely delicious!