Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole (Vegan)

This Vegan Pumpkin French Toast Casserole at a Glance

• Stress-free mornings. This overnight French toast casserole is easy to prep the night before. Simply add the maple pecan topping and bake when it’s time to serve.
• Eggless and dairy-free. Even though this vegan French toast is made without eggs or dairy, it’s still rich, custardy, and true to the original.
• Festive flavors. With the cozy spices, maple, and pumpkin, a baked French toast casserole fits right in at Thanksgiving breakfast, Christmas morning, or holiday brunch.
• Crowd-pleasing. Everyone loves this casserole. Even non-vegans!

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Gluten-free bread – The best bread for French toast is day-old, stale bread, as it will soak up more of the custard (see below). French loaf or challah are my first choices. You can use traditional French bread, sourdough, or challah if you’re not avoiding gluten.
• Pumpkin puree – Make sure you buy pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. 
• Flax eggs – To replace the traditional eggs in this vegan French toast casserole and give it structure. See how to make a flax egg.
• Coconut milk – Use the canned variety, not the refrigerated cartons or bottles. This adds creaminess to the recipe.
• Almond milk – Or you can use oat milk, soy milk, or another plant-based milk you have on hand.
• Maple syrup – Buy real maple syrup, not artificial breakfast syrup. It’s not the same!
• Ground cinnamon and vanilla – Try a version made with pumpkin pie spice, or add nutmeg, ginger, and cloves along with the cinnamon.

Crunch Maple Pecan Topping

• Almond flour – You can use coconut flour instead of almond flour, or regular flour if you aren’t gluten-free.
• Maple syrup – You can sub any other liquid sweetener, such as agave. 
• Vegan butter – This needs to be melted.
• Pecans – You can buy whole pecans and chop them, or buy pecan pieces. Feel free to swap the pecans with walnuts, if you’d like.

Why Stale Bread Works Best for French Toast

The most important thing is that your bread should be stale. If it’s fresh and moist, your French toast casserole will turn out soggy. Use day-old bread, or if that’s not an option, cut the bread into squares and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours to dry out. Or, pop the bread cubes in the oven at 300ºF for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread is dry but not toasted.

How to Make a Vegan Overnight French Toast Casserole

• Prepare the custard. First, combine the pumpkin puree with flax eggs, coconut milk, almond milk, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the puree is fully incorporated.
• Assemble the casserole. Next, cut the bread into cubes and arrange them inside a greased casserole dish. Pour the custard over the bread and press down gently, so the bread is completely soaked.
• Chill overnight. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, or for at least 6 hours.

• Prepare to bake. The following day, preheat the oven to 350ºF and remove the casserole from the refrigerator. Set it on the countertop to take the chill off slightly before it goes into the oven.
• Make the topping. Meanwhile, combine the almond flour with maple syrup, vegan butter, and chopped pecans for the topping. Stir that together and spread the mixture on top of the casserole.
• Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 45 to 60 minutes. Since this vegan French toast casserole doesn’t contain eggs, you can bake it until it reaches your desired texture. If you want it extra soft and creamy, take it out earlier!
• Serve. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. Serve with a drizzle (or generous pour) of maple syrup, if desired.

Recipe Tips

• Add the topping before baking. Don’t make the topping in advance. It needs to be made in the morning so it’s fresh and crunchy.
• About the cooking times. I prefer cooking this casserole for about 50 minutes, when it’s set but still soft on the inside. If you want it completely baked, definitely aim for 60 minutes. 
• Watch the topping. The top may get a bit browned after the first 20 minutes, so cover the baking dish with foil, if necessary.

Get Creative With Add-Ins

The cozy pumpkin flavors in this vegan French toast casserole go well with any of the following ideas.

• Fresh fruit. Great fall options are diced apples and pears.
• Dried fruit. Add in raisins, dried cranberries (great for Christmas morning!), cherries, chopped apricots, or currants.
• Nuts. Fold chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds right in with the bread for the casserole.
• Pepitas. Small pumpkin seeds, or save the seeds from Pumpkin carving, and toast them!
• Chocolate chips. Make sure to buy vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs.

Serving Suggestions

You may or may not need the maple syrup for serving. Taste a bit of the casserole first, because mine tasted lovely without. Otherwise, you can serve your vegan French toast casserole with a dusting of powdered sugar, topped with apple butter, or coconut whipped cream. Add this casserole to a breakfast or brunch spread with a savory tofu scramble and garlic roasted potatoes, with your favorite plant-based sausage or crispy vegan bacon on the side.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can warm them up in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes (depending on the amount you’re heating up) or in the microwave until they’re warmed through.
• Freeze. Wrap it well and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months. For best results, let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

More Vegan Brunch Recipes

• Apple Pie Pancakes
• Pumpkin Waffles
• Cinnamon Roll French Toast
• Fluffy Tofu Scramble
• Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats