Description
A delicious and comforting egg-free French toast casserole made with stale sourdough baguette cubes soaked in a flavorful mixture of almond milk, dairy-free yogurt, cinnamon, maple syrup, and flaxmeal, then topped with a crunchy almond topping and baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a cozy brunch or breakfast with fresh berries, peanut butter, and extra dairy-free yogurt.
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 1 pound Stale Sourdough Baguette – 1-2 days old, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 ½ cups Almond Milk
- ½ cup Dairy-Free Yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 3 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 3 tablespoons Flaxmeal
Almond Crunch Topping
- ⅔ cup Sliced Almonds
- ⅓ cup Almond Flour
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Mild-Flavor Olive Oil
Serving Ideas per Bowl
- ⅓ cup Berries
- 3 tablespoons Dairy-Free Yogurt
- 2 teaspoons Peanut Butter
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly oil a 9-inch x 13-inch ceramic baking dish and set it aside to prevent sticking during baking.
- Cut the Bread: Use a serrated knife to chop the stale sourdough baguette into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Place the cubes flat into the prepared baking dish, overlapping is fine.
- Make Soaking Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, almond milk, dairy-free yogurt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup, and flaxmeal until combined. Some cinnamon and flaxmeal may float; that is normal.
- Soak Bread Cubes: Immediately pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Use a spoon to stir and ensure all the cubes are coated well.
- Rest the Mixture: Cover the baking dish with foil or a chopping board and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the flavors.
- Prepare Almond Topping: While bread soaks, mix sliced almonds, almond flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and mild-flavor olive oil in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub ingredients together evenly; set aside.
- Preheat Oven: About 10 minutes before soaking time ends, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C), using the fan-forced (convection) setting if available.
- Mix and Level: Remove the foil from the baking dish, stir the bread mixture again to coat well, then press lightly with your hand to spread the mixture evenly.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the prepared almond crunch topping evenly over the surface of the soaked bread cubes.
- Bake: Place the dish on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy.
- Cool and Serve: Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with fresh berries, powdered sugar, maple syrup, peanut butter, or dairy-free yogurt as desired. Makes 6 servings.
Notes
- I buy sourdough baguette weekly for best taste, but stale brioche or challah bread work well too.
- Brown sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar or any crystal sweetener of your choice.
- Almond milk can be swapped for soy milk or any milk alternative for more protein or preference.
- Dairy-free yogurt options include coconut or soy yogurt; any yogurt type will work.
- For a fall flavor, replace cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice and swap dairy-free yogurt for pumpkin puree.
- Maple syrup can be substituted with agave syrup or any preferred liquid sweetener.
- Flaxmeal can be replaced with golden flaxmeal, ground chia seeds, or corn starch.
- The almond topping nuts can be swapped for chopped walnuts, pecans, seeds, or rolled oats; measure after chopping.
- Almond flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour or oat flour.
- Mild-flavor olive oil can be replaced with melted coconut oil or any mild-flavored oil.
- This recipe uses a fan-forced (convection) oven mode; if using conventional mode, increase temperature by 25°F (15°C) and watch for slight time adjustments.
- Store leftovers covered with foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat cold or warm in a microwave, air fryer, or oven before serving.
