When I was growing up, I used to love my mom’s French Toast. She’d soak white bread in a mixture of beaten eggs and milk or cream, and fry each slice in a pan of melted butter.
Fast forward, and now I’m vegan. My palate has truly changed, and not one of those ingredients sound good to me anymore.
Yet French Toast can still be a comforting favorite on Mother’s Day or any other morning, if we skip the frying, use whole grain instead of white, and leave out the milk, butter, and eggs. What’s left, you wonder? The answer is so simple, it’s almost magical.
In this deliciously lighter version, the bread is dipped into a blend of nondairy milk, vanilla extract, and creamy mashed bananas. Then it’s oven-baked until golden brown and slightly crispy.
This is great straight from the oven, and downright memorable topped with sliced fresh berries. Or make your brunch sweeter and crunchier with chopped walnuts, extra cinnamon, and pure maple syrup. With breakfast this good, you can turn every morning into a holiday all year long.
BAKED FRENCH TOAST
1 cup nondairy milk
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 slices Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, sliced in half diagonally
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, blend milk, banana, cinnamon, and vanilla.
In a 9” x 13” baking pan, place bread triangles, so they fit snuggly in the pan in a single layer. Carefully pour banana mixture over the bread. Flip every slice a couple of times to ensure each one is very well-coated on both sides.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and crusty on the outside, and still a little soft and moist inside.
Serve immediately, topped with your choice of powdered sugar, fresh berries (or other fruit), chopped walnuts, or/and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Copyright © Vicki Brett-Gach | Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen