How to Make French Dairy Free Toast

French toast is a popular breakfast dish made with eggs, milk, and bread. However, if you are lactose intolerant or vegetarian then the standard formula will not work for you. Fortunately, there are many ways to make French toast without milk. If milk is not available at home (even plant-based milk), this is also an option for you!

Table of Contents

Ingredient

French Toast Without Dairy ^{[1] X Research Source}

2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
4-6 slices of bread left over a day
Coconut oil or butter for frying

Topping ingredients (optional)

Maple syrup
Sliced Banana
Fresh berries

2 servings

French Toast with Plant Milk ^{[2] X Research Source}

4 large eggs
⅔ cup (160 ml) full-fat or low-fat canned coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
10 – 12 slices of bread for 1 day
Coconut oil for frying

Topping ingredients (optional)

Butter does not contain milk
Desiccated coconut
Sliced Banana
Maple syrup

4-6 servings

Vegetarian French Toast ^{[3] X Research Source}

1 banana
1 cup (240 ml) almond milk or plant milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices of bread to last 1 day
Coconut oil for frying

Topping ingredients (optional)

½ can coconut milk (full fat)
Strawberry
Raspberry
Blueberry

2 servings

French toast without dairy

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Cut a day’s worth of bread into thick slices. This recipe uses enough mixture for slices of bread about 2cm or 2.5cm thick.

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Beat eggs, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon. Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl and beat with a whisk until the eggs turn pale yellow and no streaks remain. Add vanilla ingredients, sugar, cinnamon powder and beat again.

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Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. If you don’t have a nonstick pan, you can coat the bottom of the pan with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter or coconut oil. Wait for the pan to get hot enough to make the drops of water sizzle.

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Dip a slice of bread into the bowl of the mixture. Dip one side of the cake first, then flip over to the other side. Soak the bread in the mixture for a few seconds to fully infuse. Pick up slices of cake to let the egg mixture soften before baking.

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Place bread in pan and bake for 2-4 minutes on each side. Bake the bread for 2-4 minutes, then turn over with a spatula and bake for another 2-4 minutes. When the cake turns golden brown and crispy, it’s fine.

If the pan is large enough, you can bake 2 slices of bread at the same time, but make sure they don’t touch each other.

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Place the finished bread slices on a plate and bake the remaining slices. Coat the bottom of the pan with butter or coconut oil if needed. Keep the finished slice of bread warm by covering it with a clean towel. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Enjoy freshly baked slices of bread. You can leave the bread slices as is or garnish with a few slices of banana or fresh berries. Drizzle some maple syrup over the slices if desired.

French toast with vegetable milk

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Cut the bread into slices 2 cm thick. Old bread left for a day is best in this recipe. The coarser and more nutritious the bread, the better!

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Beat eggs in shallow bowl. Continue whisking until the eggs are smooth, light golden in color and free of streaks. You can beat the eggs by hand with a whisk or use a hand blender.

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Add to the egg bowl the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Using a whisk, beat all ingredients again until a smooth texture and uniform color are achieved.

For a more traditional taste, you can add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder.

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Heat pan over medium heat. Using a nonstick pan is best, but you can use a regular pan – just coat the bottom of the pan with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of coconut oil (or margarine). You have to wait for the pan to get hot enough that the drop of water will sizzle. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Dip a slice of cake into the mixture. Remember to soak both sides of the cake so that it is completely absorbed. Pick up the cake and hold the top of the bowl for a few seconds to let the mixture down.

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Bake the bread in the pan for 2-4 minutes on each side. Place the slice of bread in the pan. If the pan is wide enough, you can add an extra slice of cake – but make sure the edges don’t touch. Bake for 2-4 minutes, then turn over with a spatula and continue baking for another 2-4 minutes. When the cake is crispy and golden brown, it is okay.

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Remove the finished cake to a plate and continue to bake the remaining slices. The pan may dry out after several batches of baking. If so, you can simply add coconut oil (or margarine) to the pan. Keep the finished slices warm by covering them with a clean towel.

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Enjoy freshly made toast. You can leave the slices whole and serve, or garnish with your favorite ingredients. Maple syrup and/or margarine have the most traditional flavors, but you can also use desiccated coconut or a slice of banana.

Vegetarian French Toast

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Chill the coconut milk first. If you want to use the creamy part of coconut milk in your vegetarian French toast, you’ll need to refrigerate the coconut milk the night before. Put the whole can of coconut milk in the fridge and don’t shake it. You need to separate the cream and milk parts in the coconut milk.

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Cut the bread into slices about 2.5 cm thick. It is best to use French bread that has been aged for a day. ^{[6] X Research Source} If 2.5 cm slices are too thick, you can cut them about 2 cm thick.

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Blend banana, almond milk and spices together until smooth. Peel the bananas and put them in the blender first, then add the almond milk, cinnamon powder, and vanilla. Blend all ingredients together until mixture is smooth.

If you find it too sweet, add ½ teaspoon of salt. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
You can also mix the mixture by hand, but make sure there are no chunks of bananas left.
If you don’t have almond milk, you can use other plant-based milks like low-fat coconut milk or soy milk.

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Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl and dip the bread. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl and dip both sides of each slice of bread into the bowl to soak. Let the mixture settle into the bowl. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Place 1 tablespoon (15 g) of coconut oil in a large saucepan. Wait for the coconut oil to melt and the pan to heat up. ^{[9] X Source of Research} The pan must be so hot that water drops into the pan sizzling. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Place slices of bread in pan and fry for 3-4 minutes. Turn over with a spatula and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove to a plate when the bread slices are crispy and golden brown.

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Continue dipping and frying the bread. Cover the freshly fried bread slices with a clean towel to keep them warm. ^{[11] X Research Source} When the pan starts to dry out, melt more coconut oil before frying again. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Prepare the coconut cream, if desired. Remove the can of coconut milk from the refrigerator and carefully scoop out the curd, leaving the liquid coconut milk in the can. Whip the coconut milk for 30 seconds or until smooth. You can whip the cream with a mixer or a food processor with a whisk.

If you want the ice cream to be sweeter, add a little maple syrup or agave nectar.
You don’t have to do this step, but coconut cream is a great topping for vegan French toast!

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Serve vegetarian french toast. Place a few slices of bread on a plate and scoop some coconut cream on top. Add some blueberries, raspberries, and/or slices of strawberries.

If you don’t use coconut cream, you can drizzle maple syrup or agave nectar over the cake.

Advice

Old bread that has been left out for a day is best.
If you’re buying new bread, cut it into slices and leave it on the kitchen counter for a few hours to dry. ^{[13] X Research Source}
You can bake large batches of cakes on the griddle. Set the grill to 177 degrees Celsius and bake for 1-2 minutes on each side. ^{[14] X Research Source}
Another way to keep baked goods warm is to place them in the oven on the lowest setting.
Sprinkle some powdered sugar over French toast, then top with strawberry slices!
Baking trays, baking pans, and clay pans are all suitable for mixing dips.
Be sure to place the mixture in a shallow bowl large enough to fit the slice of bread.