Creme Brûlée French Toast Casserole
With a rich vegan custard, tender bread, and a caramel drizzle over the top, this Creme Brûlée French Toast has the flavour of the classic dessert, but in the form of a crowd-pleasing breakfast!
The only thing better than shattering the crisp sugary topping on creme brûlée is digging past those sweet caramelised shards and getting to the rich, creamy custard beneath. This creme brûlée French toast doesn’t have the torched sugar on top (we don’t want to set the bread on fire!), but the rich, creamy custard? Oh, it’s got that and THEN some, friends! Instead of the caramelised layer of sugar on top, we add caramel sauce for that same taste, without the blowtorch.
Why This Creme Brûlée French Toast Is Destined to Be a Brunch Favourite
Between holiday brunches and family visits, this is the time of year when you want to have some GOOD brunch recipes (like Eggnog French Toast!) in your back pocket. And this creme brûlée French toast is better than good—it’s divine!
- Rich layers of flavour. Start with a good bread, layer in caramel sauce and brandy-infused vanilla custard, and each bite of this creme brûlée French toast is absolute bliss!
- Overnight option. You can assemble this French toast casserole the night before you plan on baking it, which means your work in the morning is minimal. (That’s a definitely plus for anyone who’s not exactly at their best in the AM!)
- Everyone will love it. This isn’t one of those vegan dishes that only vegans will enjoy. Like my Cinnamon Roll French Toast and Vegan Pumpkin French Toast, it has a universally-pleasing flavour that means everyone at the table will want seconds!
Notes on Ingredients
This creme brûlée French toast recipe has a lot of overlap with my classic Vegan French Toast in terms of the ingredients you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Caramel Base & Sauce:
- Vegan butter – I like to use my homemade Vegan Butter.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will both work for this recipe.
- Maple syrup or corn syrup – Maple syrup will add a subtle maple flavour to the caramel, while light corn syrup has vanilla flavour added to it.
Bread Layer:
- French bread or brioche-style bread – You can use my Classic French Bread Recipe, Vegan Japanese Milk Bread, or Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread, which are all vegan!
Custard Mixture:
- Coconut cream – You can scoop this from a can of chilled coconut milk, but now that they sell coconut cream in cans, I usually just buy one of those and then I don’t have leftover coconut water!
- Unsweetened almond milk – Or another unsweetened and unflavoured plant milk.
- Cornstarch – This thickens the custard.
- Maple syrup – The main sweetener in the custard, this also adds a nice flavour.
- Vanilla extract – You can use liquid vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Brandy-based orange liqueur – Such as Grand Marnier. For an alcohol-free version, use orange juice.
- Sea salt – Just a bit, for balance.
- Turmeric – Optional, for a golden colour.
How to Make Creme Brûlée French Toast
Once you gather up all your ingredients, it’s time to start cooking! Here’s a step-by-step view of the process.
- Make the caramel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then, stir in the brown sugar and maple syrup. Continue stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour caramel into dish. Pour half of the caramel into a greased baking dish, coating it in an even layer. Chill the remaining caramel.
- Add the bread. Place the bread in the pan over the caramel.
- Make the custard. Whisk or blend the coconut cream, almond milk, cornstarch, maple syrup, vanilla, orange liqueur, salt, and turmeric until smooth.
- Assemble. Pour the custard over the bread and press the bread with a spatula so it soaks up the custard. Cover the baking dish; chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Prepare to bake. Let the casserole come to room temperature for 20 minutes while preheating the oven to 350ºF.
- Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden.
- Serve. Warm the reserved caramel sauce and plate the creme brûlée French toast with a drizzle of the caramel.
Tips and Variations for Perfect French Toast
Vegan French toast is a bit different from traditional French toast, but a lot of the same tricks apply!
- Dry out the bread for best results. Stale bread is best for making this creme brûlée French toast, or you can toast the bread in a 325ºF oven until it’s no longer moist. This allows the bread to soak up the custard without getting mushy.
- Make sure the bread is submerged. Just before placing the pan in the oven, press down on the bread with the spatula again to make sure it’s all well-soaked. Dry parts of the bread will bake up dry in the oven.
- Swap the coconut cream. You can use my Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute instead of the coconut cream if you’d like.
What to Serve With Creme Brûlée French Toast
Sliced bananas or fresh berries would be perfection with this French toast casserole, as would a dollop of Cashew Whipped Cream. For a little protein and a savoury contrast to the sweetness, serve it with Tofu Bacon or Fluffy Tofu Scramble.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Creme brûlée French toast can be wrapped in the baking dish for freezing or you can transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm leftovers in a 350ºF oven or in the microwave until heated through.
More Vegan Brunch Ideas
Enjoy friends! If you make this creme brûlée French toast recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Crème Brûlée French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Caramel Base & Sauce
- ¾ cup vegan butter, 115g
- 1 cup packed brown sugar, 200g
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or corn syrup, 30mL
Bread Layer
- 1 large loaf French bread or brioche-style bread, cut into 6 slices, each 1 inch thick – about 450g
Custard Mixture
- 1 ½ cups canned coconut cream, 360mL
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other plant milk – 240mL
- ¼ cup cornstarch, 32g
- ¼ cup maple syrup, 60mL
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 10mL
- 1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or orange juice – 5mL
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1.5g
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric, optional, for colour – 0.5g
Instructions
Prepare the Caramel Base
- In a small saucepan, melt all of the vegan butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and maple syrup (or corn syrup) until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth, about 2–3 minutes.
- Pour half of the caramel mixture into the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, tilting to coat evenly.
- Reserve the remaining half in a jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for serving later.
Assemble
- Slice off the crusts of the bread if desired, then arrange the bread slices in a snug single layer on top of the caramel in the baking dish.
- In a blender or mixing bowl, whisk together coconut cream, almond milk, cornstarch, maple syrup, vanilla, orange liqueur, salt, and turmeric (if using) until completely smooth and slightly thickened.
- Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread, pressing gently with a spatula so the bread absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Bake and Serve
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden.
- While the casserole bakes, gently reheat the reserved caramel sauce in a saucepan or microwave until pourable.
- Slice and serve the casserole warm, drizzling each portion with the warmed caramel sauce.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Creme brûlée French toast can be wrapped in the baking dish for freezing or you can transfer smaller portions of leftovers to an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm leftovers in a 350ºF oven or in the microwave until heated through.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
