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    You are here: Home / Breakfast / Vegan Banana Walnut French Toast Casserole

    LAST UPDATED: October 28, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: October 28, 2020

    Vegan Banana Walnut French Toast Casserole

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan French Toast Casserole

    This vegan French toast casserole is made with crusty bread chunks slathered in banana batter and topped with a crunchy brown sugar walnut crust. A crowd-pleasing dish that's perfect for brunch!

    Spoon Drizzling Maple Syrup Over a Piece of Vegan French Toast Casserole on a Plate

    It's official: this is my new go-to brunch recipe. I loosely decided that as soon as I popped this in the oven. I confirmed it as soon as I took a bite.

    Brunch can be tricky.

    Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Brunch

    Overhead View of a White Wooden Table Set with Bowl of Strawberries, Glass of Orange Juice, and Piece of Vegan French Toast Casserole on a Plate

    Most of the time I'm not feeding an entire house of vegan guests. The food may be absolutely delicious, but I've got at least a few loved ones who will turn their noses up at the mere mention of tofu, even though I make a mean tofu-based savory brunch (as demonstrated by my tofu scramble, huevos rancheros, and shakshuka).

    I've served this one to plenty of non-vegans and it's always a hit. Nothing scary here! Bread, bananas, walnuts, brown sugar...most people love these things in a brunch!

    Easy Brunch

    Also, brunch can be a lot of work, which can really cut into my lazy, treasured Sunday mornings.

    But this dish doesn't have to! You have the option of doing all the work a day ahead, then just baking it right before serving. Easy!

    What You'll Need

    Casserole Dish Filled with Vegan French Toast Casserole, with Plates and Bowl of Strawberries in the Background
    • Overripe bananas
    • Non-dairy milk
    • Coconut milk
    • Cornstarch
    • Maple syrup
    • Cinnamon
    • Vanilla
    • Salt
    • Vegan butter
    • Brown sugar
    • Bread
    • Chopped walnuts

    How to Make Vegan French Toast Casserole

    Prepare by tearing your bread into bite-sized pieces. You ideally want to use bread that's a day or so old, so it's a little bit stale. If you bread is fresh, don't worry! Just tear it up and pop it into the oven at a low temperature (around 200°F) for a few minutes to dry it out.

    Now make the batter. For this you'll be using your bananas, non-dairy milk, coconut milk, cornstarch, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend everything up in a food processor or blender.

    Side By Side Images Showing Vegan French Toast Casserole Batter Before and After Blending in a Food Processor Bowl

    Melt some vegan butter and spread it into the bottom of casserole dish, then sprinkle the butter with a little brown sugar. Transfer your bread pieces to the dish and pour your batter on top. Gently use a spoon to distribute the batter evenly.

    Finally, sprinkle the top of your casserole with some chopped walnuts and brown sugar.

    Collage Showing 3 Steps for Assembling Vegan French Toast Casserole: Place Melted Butter and Brown Sugar in Casserole Dish, Add Bread and Batter, and Top with Walnuts and Brown Sugar

    From there, you can bake your casserole right away, or cover it up and refrigerate it, then bake it the following day.

    The casserole is finished when the top is crispy with some dark brown spots.

    Serve your casserole with vegan butter, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of maple syrup!

    Close Up of a Piece of Vegan French Toast Casserole with Bowl of Strawberries and Casserole Dish in the Background

    Vegan French Toast Casserole Tips & FAQ

    • Can this casserole be made gluten-free? I think so! Try using your favorite gluten-free bread.
    • Leftovers and storage: Your best bet for leftovers is to store them in the original casserole dish, wrapped tightly in plastic. Keep the dish in the fridge for up to 3 days.
    • What kind of bread works best for this dish? I recommend a crusty French or sourdough bread.
    • For some eggy flavor, add a pinch of kala namak to the batter. This ingredient is a salt with a high sulfur content. It can be found in Indian supermarkets or online.
    • Looking for more vegan French toast variations? Try my classic vegan French toast, savory vegan French toast, or French toast waffles!

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Spoon Drizzling Maple Syrup Over a Piece of Vegan French Toast Casserole on a Plate
    5 from 3 votes
    Print

    Vegan Banana Walnut French Toast Casserole

    This vegan French toast casserole is made with crusty bread chunks slathered in banana batter and topped with a crunchy brown sugar walnut crust. A crowd-pleasing dish that's perfect for brunch!

    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 320 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium overripe bananas, peeled
    • ¾ cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk
    • ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
    • 4 tablespoons organic brown sugar, divided
    • 6 cups bite-sized bread pieces (torn from a loaf of sourdough or French bread, preferably a day old)
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts

    For Serving

    • Vegan butter
    • Maple syrup
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. If you're planning on baking the casserole right away, preheat the oven to 400°F. Otherwise, wait to preheat the oven until you're ready to bake.

    2. Place the bananas, milk, coconut milk, cornstarch, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend until smooth.

    3. Pour the butter evenly into the bottom of a 2 quart or larger casserole dish. Sprinkle the butter with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

    4. Place the bread pieces into the casserole dish, then pour the batter evenly over the bread pieces. Gently stir the bread pieces to distribute the batter.

    5. Sprinkle the walnuts over the casserole, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

    6. If you're planning on baking the casserole later, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and remove the plastic before baking.

    7. Place the casserole into the oven, uncovered, and bake it for about 30 minutes, until the top is crispy with dark brown spots.

    8. Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes before scooping or slicing portions and dividing it onto plates.

    9. Top with vegan butter and maple syrup. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Banana Walnut French Toast Casserole
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 320 Calories from Fat 146
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 16.2g25%
    Saturated Fat 6g30%
    Sodium 401mg17%
    Potassium 305mg9%
    Carbohydrates 39.9g13%
    Fiber 3.3g13%
    Sugar 15g17%
    Protein 6.2g12%
    Calcium 132mg13%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Escarole Soup
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joey says

      November 14, 2014 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      This is so delicious that I make it every weekend! So darn easy, too!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        November 16, 2014 at 9:10 pm

        Thanks Joey! I totally agree - this is still one of my favorites to serve brunch company for exactly those reasons. :)

        Reply
    2. Nina Windhauser says

      April 13, 2019 at 7:33 am

      5 stars
      Wow! I love this! It was so easy and tasted incredible. I used raisin cinnamon bread and subbed pecans for the walnuts. Prepping it the night before was a great tip. So easy in the morning!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 13, 2019 at 2:00 pm

        Cinnamon raisin bread sounds like a delicious way to make this! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Nina!

        Reply
      • Lacey says

        April 02, 2021 at 10:25 pm

        I am using the same! Did you still do the bananas?

        Reply
    3. Melissa says

      November 01, 2020 at 9:21 am

      5 stars
      This was a big hit with the family. We used pecans instead of walnuts, and dark brown sugar. My bread cubes weighed out at about 3/4 lb. Definitely on our rotation!

      Reply
    4. Amy says

      December 22, 2020 at 1:31 pm

      Can this made ahead by 24 hrs? I see the recipe only states 12, and I'm wondering if longer would make it absorb too much of the liquid, or if it'd need more liquid?

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 24, 2020 at 10:31 am

        I haven't tested the recipe with that long of a time frame, but I think it would work! I wouldn't add more liquid.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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