Easy Dairy-Free French Toast Recipe

You know what they say: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When it comes to a delicious breakfast, the possibilities are endless. This recipe for dairy-free French toast is the perfect start to the morning and would be great for a pre-school or pre-work meal — or it would make a great weekend brunch for a crowd. All you need to do is drizzle some syrup and add fresh berries and (as the French say) voila! You've got one amazing way to begin your day. 

Recipe developer and food photographer Jennine Rye came up with this dish. "Personally, I love how this French toast recipe feels so luxurious to eat; it's my go-to birthday breakfast!" she says. "It really is the height of lazy decadence because it's just so simple to throw together, yet it is always so delicious — especially when it's served with maple syrup and berries," she adds. Rye also says that the dairy-free aspect doesn't change the taste much. "The taste can change ever-so-slightly depending on which dairy-free milk is used," she explains. "For example, I used coconut milk, which gives it the tiniest extra sweetness and hint of coconut. The flavors all pair so well though. Whether it's almond, oat, or coconut, you definitely aren't missing out on the deliciousness of French toast!"

For this recipe, you will need to grab either coconut or almond milk, a couple large eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, maple syrup, white bread, coconut oil, and mixed berries.

Once you have those things, you're ready to make this dairy-free French toast.

Grab a flat-bottomed bowl and pour in the dairy-free milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and some maple syrup. Whisk this mixture thoroughly. This is the custardy batter you will use to coat the bread. 

Before this next step, place a skillet on your stove and turn the heat to medium. Then, drizzle in a little bit of coconut oil. "I do think that frying the French toast in coconut oil rather than dairy-free butter or another oil is a little unusual — and it is just wonderful because of the flavor it imparts," Rye says.

While the pan gets hot, place your first bread slice into the bowl with your custard. Be sure to coat both sides of the bread evenly. Then, place the bread into the hot pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; you can always just work in batches. "Challah bread is a great option for French toast, as is a baguette and sourdough. You could definitely use wheat bread as an alternative," Rye notes.

Cook each piece of toast for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until it achieves a nice, golden brown color. Remove the finished toast slices from the pan as you go and continue this soaking-and-cooking process until each slice of bread is now a delicious piece of French toast.

The best part of every recipe is the last step, because it means you finally get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Serve the French toast with a generous helping of maple syrup and (dairy-free) butter if you wish. You can also add some fresh berries on top.

"There are so many delicious serving suggestions for French toast. It pairs really well with most fruits, so banana, peanut butter and maple syrup is a great flavor combination," Rye adds. "Stewed apples or fried peaches with yogurt on top is amazing, or if you want to go with something a little bit savory, bacon is a classic French toast topping."

We hope this is a hit at your next family breakfast.