EASY VEGAN FRENCH TOAST WITH CHICKPEA FLOUR

Make a seriously delicious weekend brunch come true with this easy, light, crispy & protein rich vegan French toast – a plant-based twist on the traditional old classic! Minimum effort & time yet maximum taste and lots of brownie points from your friends and family!

I was endlessly scrolling through my Pinterest boards the other day [yet another hour of screen time… ouch!] in search of some exciting breakfast & brunch inspiration. I must be honest, I get a little lazy with my breakfasts these days and tend to resort to the same trusted favourites (like these overnight oats, chia pudding bomb or ‘cheesy’ polenta).

When French toast came up on my screen, I suddenly thought – I honestly can’t remember the last time I had eggy bread, it’s definitely been way too long. French toast always reminds me of my childhood when my mum cooked eggy bread for me and my brother as a special Sunday breakfast. I’d always sprinkle extra sugar on it when mum wasn’t looking…  

Now that I’m trying to introduce more plant-based meals into my diet (it’s been a slow process and I’m not there with being fully plant-based yet), I thought it’s a great time to experiment with a vegan-friendly version of French toast. And off I went to the kitchen, experimenting with:

• Tofu – it was a little too heavy in texture for my liking.
• Traditional flour – couldn’t quite get the same ‘eggy’ flavour as traditional French toast.
• Mashed banana – great taste but very far-fetched from the classic French toast and the taste of banana was a little overpowering for me.
• Chickpea flour – Bingo! Apart from bringing out the savoury flavour, it’s a great protein-rich option too (great for counter-balancing those calories, right?!)

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR VEGAN FRENCH TOAST RECIPE:

It’s just a handful of staple ingredients – 9 to be precise – and you’re very likely to stock them in your cupboard/fridge already:

• Chunky bread (see notes on which type of bread to use below in the post)
  
• Chickpea flour. I use this type of flour in a lot of my recipes for a number of different reasons:
  1. It’s rich in protein and naturally free from gluten, so it’s great from nutritional perspective.
  2. It’s perfect for baking (especially vegan baking) as it doesn’t need a binding ingredient to hold the dough together (check out these delicious spinach wraps or chickpea waffles).
  3. It’s great value for money, which makes it a budget-friendly option.
  
• Dairy-free milk (I used almond milk, although you can use any plant-based milk of your choice, preferably with neutral flavour)
  
• Nutritional yeast flakes. These protein-rich ‘little guys’ add a savoury taste to this toast, as well as extra nutritional benefits (they hold anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, improve digestion, promote healthy hair & skin etc).
  
• Cinnamon, just because there’s no French toast without cinnamon… Doh!
  
• Vanilla extract
  
• Maple syrup
  
• Salt
  
• Coconut oil (or olive oil/sunflower oil) for frying

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY VEGAN FRENCH TOAST RECIPE:

Making this delicious breakfast or brunch couldn’t be easier:

1. Slice your bread to around 1 inch thick slices (see notes on the type of bread to use below) and set aside.
2. Combine all batter ingredients in a shallow bowl and whisk until the batter is smooth.  
3. Heat up a good quality non-stick frying pan and grease with coconut oil.
4. Dip the bread slices into the batter and hold for 3-5 seconds on each side to allow the bread absorb the batter. Be careful not to hold the bread in the batter for too long, otherwise it’ll become too soggy.
5. Fry the toast for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Serve warm.

TIPS ON MAKING YOUR PLANT-BASED FRENCH TOAST TASTE THE BEST:

• Use good quality bread
  * I find that using chunky, unsliced, wholemeal loaf works best (I used gluten free wholemeal seeded loaf). Avoid using ready-sliced bread as the slices tend to be very thin. It’s best to buy an unsliced loaf and cut your own slices, around 1 inch thick.  
  *I recommend using stale bread in this recipe (one or two day old bread is perfect). Fresh bread tends to absorb too much moisture and comes out too soggy.
  
• Sift the chickpea flour – you don’t want clumps in that batter!
  
• When dipping the bread slices into the batter, allow the bread to soak the batter for 3-5 seconds. If you hold it for too long, the bread will become too soggy.
  
• Use a good quality non-stick frying pan. Burnt sticky toast is not what we are after here!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Coconut yoghurt (or any thick yoghurt of your choice)
  
• Berry compote. In my mind, a drizzle of berry compote elevates this toast to another level. It takes minutes to prepare and totally worth it: place 1 cup of frozen blueberries in a saucepan, add a tablespoon of maple syrup, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a splash of water (about 2-3 tablespoons). Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-7 minutes until the compote is starting to thicken. Voila!
  
• Maple syrup (or honey for non-vegan version). French toast will not taste the same without it!
  
• Dairy free butter (I’m not a big lover of butter, so I skipped it all together).
  
• Fresh fruit or berries

This easy vegan French toast is an absolute must to try because it is:

• Light
• Crispy on the edges but soft inside
• Wholesome and nutritious
• Rich in plant protein
• Brings back sweet childhood memories
• It’s an ultimate weekend brunch recipe – your family & friends will totally love it!

And if you really like delicious vegan brunch situations, check out my 

• Mango & chia breakfast popsicles
• Granola breakfast pizza
• Butternut squash pancakes
• The ultimate orange crepes

As always, if you recreate this easy vegan French toast at home, I’d be delighted to read your comments and hear your feedback. Be sure to drop a comment here on the blog, tag me in your photos on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest so I don’t miss them. It gives me so much joy seeing your takes on my recipes!

See you next week.

Healthfully yours,

Tania x

PIN FOR LATER:

EASY VEGAN FRENCH TOAST WITH CHICKPEA FLOUR

Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter

Make a seriously delicious dream-worthy weekend brunch come true with this easy light, crispy & protein rich vegan French toast – a plant-based twist on the traditional old classic! Minimum effort & time yet maximum taste and lots of brownie points from your friends and family!

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine British, Dairy free, Vegan

Servings 4 toasts

Equipment

• Hand whisk
• Non-stick frying pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For French toast:

• 4 chunky bread slices around 1 inch thick (refer to the post on which type of bread to use)
• 4 tbsp chickpea flour sifted
• 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 cup almond milk or any other dairy free milk of choice
• Coconut oil for frying

To serve:

• Dairy free yoghurt
• Berry compote*

Instructions

 

• Combine all batter ingredients in a shallow bowl and whisk until the batter is smooth.
• Heat up a good quality non-stick frying pan and grease with coconut oil.
• Dip the bread slices into the batter and hold for 3-5 seconds on each side to allow the bread absorb the batter. Be careful not to hold the bread in the batter for too long, otherwise it’ll become too soggy.
• Fry the bread slices for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Serve warm.

Notes

• Refer to the blog post on how to make berry compote

Keyword vegan French toast, French toast, French toast recipe, easy French toast, vegan brunch, vegan recipes, dairy free

Making this? I’d love to see!Tag your snaps @Fit.Foodie.Nutter and #fitfoodienutter