Vegan French toast - a great start to the day

Ellie Krieger

Breakfast bakes can be made ahead, which takes the pressure off in the morning, letting you relax and sip coffee as the dish warms in the oven and fills your kitchen with the most enticing aroma. They easily feed a crowd or can cover you as a quick, reheatable breakfast for the weekday mornings.

This berry-studded French toast bake delivers a creamy center that is dairy and egg-free. Pour that mixture, spiked with vanilla, orange zest and maple syrup, over cubed whole-grain bread and mixed berries in a baking dish, and let it soak in for a couple of hours or overnight. When you are ready to bake, sprinkle the top with chopped pecans and almonds (or any combination of nuts and seed you like) and pop it in the oven.

The finished bake bursts with berries and crunchy nuts, warm, fragrant, crisp on the outside and delightfully custardy on the inside.

Vegan French Toast With Berries and Nuts

4 servings (makes about 6 cups)

Active time: 20 mins; Total time: 1 hour

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover with foil and place in a preheated 350-degree oven until warmed through, or microwave until warmed through.

Make ahead: The pudding needs to be assembled and refrigerated at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before baking.

Ingredients

neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, for the pan

185 grams day-old whole-grain crusty bread, such as a boule, cut into 3/4-inch dice (5 cups)

1 1/2 cups (375 grams) mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries, raspberries and quartered strawberries

1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) unsweetened soy or almond milk

1/3 cup (40 grams) raw cashews

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

1/3 cup (40 grams) chopped unsalted pecans

1/3 cup (30 grams) sliced almonds

Method

Lightly bush an 20cm square baking pan with oil. Place the bread and berries in the pan, toss to combine, then spread into an even layer.

In a blender, combine the milk, cashews, flaxseed, maple syrup, vanilla and zest, and blend until smooth. Let the mixture rest until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then stir it well and pour over the bread and berries, spreading it around and moving the bread or berries as needed so the liquid saturates the bread evenly. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.

When ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180ºC.

Sprinkle the top of the bread mixture with the pecans and almonds. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until the French toast is set and the top is nicely browned. Let the bake sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, with additional maple syrup for drizzling.

Substitutions: Whole-grain bread - any crusty bread. Not vegan? Use regular milk (any fat level), 3 large eggs and honey. Pecans or almonds- use just one type of nut, or sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Maple syrup - agave or honey (if not vegan). Only have one type of berry? Use that. Soy or almond milk - other nondairy milk (excluding canned coconut milk). Cashews - blanched almonds.