This vegan cornflake crusted French toast is the fancy breakfast of your dreams. Crunchy cornflakes coat soft and buttery brioche. Layer with some bananas and blueberries, and top with some maple syrup. We ate the entire loaf of brioche in one sitting, it was THAT good.
Vegan cornflake crusted french toast

We ate the entire loaf of brioche in one sitting, it was THAT good.
Donβt know about you, but I am a HUGE breakfast person. It is definitely the most important meal of the day. E made this recipe for me our first Valentineβs Day together, so this year, I returned the favor. He used to work at the famed Joeβs Stone Crab and got the recipe from the chef there. So like everything I cook, I modified it to meet my needs.
A French toast usually has two main components:
- Stale bread (in this case, brioche)
- Custard β in this case, Iβve subbed out eggs and milk for aquafaba (the juice from a can of chickpeas or white beans) and coconut milk. Easy.
But THIS vegan cornflake crusted French toast isnβt an ordinary French toast. Nope, we overachieve here at The Hangry Chickpea.
- For starters, Iβve added vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to my custard for maximum flavor. Feel free to add a splash of bourbon if you're feeling feisty.
- We also βdredgeβ aka dip the soaked slice in a bowl of cornflakes.
- To make sure everything stays together, we pan fry for a couple mins on each sideβ¦
- And finally, we bake on a lined sheet tray for a few mins to get that βcrunchy on the outside, soft on the insideβ vibe weβre going for here.
But Elizaβ¦
I canβt find vegan brioche! Talk to your local bakery. Here in Miami, we have an artisanal vegan bakery that makes vegan brioche. Worst case, if you canβt find it, use whatever vegan bread you have. Definitely bias toward cutting your own slices though so it can be nice and thick. If youβre not super strict, you could also use *gasp* regular brioche?!?!?
I only have fresh brioche, will that work? No. You need stale brioche to soak up all the custardy goodness. Luckily thereβs an easy short cut. Slice as desired and leave uncovered overnight. You should wake up to a nice and crusty brioche.
This seems involved. Where can I take some shortcuts? Honestly, I wouldnβt take short cuts on this recipe. Trust me, you canβt take a short cut to perfection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make french toast not soggy? Great question. For this french toast, there are two key steps.
- Use stale bread - leave slices out uncovered overnight, or just use stale bread
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes - this will make the cornflakes nice and crispy and ensure your toast isn't soggy.
What do you put in french toast? I'm so glad you asked! You can go so many ways with toppings & ingredients like...
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped cream
- Peanut butter
- Cornflakes
- Nutella
- Cinnamon & nutmeg
- Stewed apples or peaches
The possibilities are endless!
What is a substitute for milk in french toast? Any nut milk will do the job. This vegan & dairy free recipe uses coconut milk, but basically you want anything that will absorb into the bread. It's 100% reasonable to add a little pour of bourbon into your "milk" to give it some extra flavor and kick.
PrintVegan Cornflake Crusted French Toast
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 8-10 slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
Basics:Β
- 1 loaf stale vegan brioche, sliced into Β½-ΒΎ in pieces (or whatever vegan bread you can find)
- 1 box plain cornflakes
- Butter for pan frying
Custard:
- 1 ΒΌ cup coconut milk
- Β½ cup aquafaba aka chickpea juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- A couple dashes nutmeg
Extras:
- Sliced bananas
- Blueberries
- Syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Coconut whipped cream (Reddi Whip makes some, I find it at Publix)
Instructions
- Set up your stations: stale bread, custard in shallow dish (I used an 8x8 cake pan), cornflakes, frying pan, and lined sheet tray. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Ready? Good.
- Dip each side of brioche in custard for 1-2 seconds each, then dip into cornflakes on both sides. Add a small shaving of butter into the frying pan (you definitely don't want too much). Then, lay your cornflake crusted piece of bread into frying pan, cook for 1-2 mins on each side, then transfer to baking sheet. Once all slices have been through the aforementioned steps, move on to step 3.
- Put sheet pan into your preheated oven, and bake for 10-12 mins.
- Make your stack with your extras.
- Make somebody else do the dishes πΒ
Keywords: French toast, vegan french toast, cornflake crusted french toast, vegan, plant based, breakfast
Amy
This is the best vegan french toast I've ever had, period. It tastes every bit as good as it looks.
★★★★★
The Hangry Chickpea
Aww thanks Amy! I love it too, the brioche is sooo key