Dairy-Free ‘Nutella’ French Toast Bake

A totally decadent dairy-free ‘Nutella’ French Toast Bake recipe to enjoy as a weekend breakfast.

One area of recipe development that I seem to be lacking in is the breakfast department. Compared to my lunch and dinner offerings, my breakfast page is, well, a little bit paltry.

I hope to change that, beginning with my dairy-free ‘Nutella’ French Toast Bake recipe. I had been craving a French toast bake for some time, and I finally got around to making it a few weeks ago. While I hadn’t intended to include vegan Nutella, it just sort of spoke to me from its perch in my pantry. I had impulse purchased a jar at Whole Foods a couple of months earlier, and hadn’t gotten around to using it in a recipe yet.

Well, here it shines through in all its sweet, fudgy glory, sandwiched between two thick slices of sourdough bread and soaked in a protein-packed egg, coconut milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup blend.

While I wouldn’t consider this recipe to be as “clean” or “healthy” as many of my recipes–it utilizes white sourdough, and vegan Nutella that is higher in sugar than what we might typically enjoy as breakfast fare–I don’t believe that we always need to hold ourselves to the highest nutritional standards. When we talk about what constitutes healthy food, we should also consider what brings us feelings of joy and togetherness. And digging in to this over good conversation with family or friends on a cozy morning? Well, I think that is healthy.

how to make a dairy-free nutella french toast bake:

Slice enough sourdough bread for four sandwiches. Slice them on the thicker side for best results.

Whisk together eggs, coconut milk, cinnamon, and maple syrup and pour into a dish that is wide enough to fit a slice of bread.

Spread vegan Nutella onto four slices of bread and top with the remaining four slices.

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the four sandwiches in the dish and pour the egg mixture over top, flipping each sandwich to ensure that both sides are fully saturated.

Bake for 30 minutes and serve with fresh or frozen fruit. I chose raspberries and banana. You could even make some coconut whipped cream to really take it over the top!

some final thoughts:

I think that this would make the most amazing Valentine’s Day-themed breakfast for you and your sweetie.

It is very important to use day-old sourdough bread here. Slightly stale bread works best for French toast!

My go-to vegan chocolate hazelnut spread is La Vida Vegan brand. It’s certified organic, fair trade, and palm oil-free. Or, make your own!

If you would prefer to use a different nut or seed butter instead of vegan chocolate hazelnut spread, go for it. Almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, and cashew butter are all fantastic options. I think that my cinnamon pecan almond butter would be particularly tasty.

You can use any non-dairy milk in place of the coconut milk.

If you are vegan, refer to this recipe for an egg-free batter. Proceed with my recipe instructions after making the vegan batter.

I usually provide serving and menu ideas at the end of my posts, but I think that just the French toast bake with some hot coffee or tea is enough!

If you make this recipe, leave a comment and rating below the recipe, and don’t forget to tag me @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen if you share a photo to Instagram!

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Enjoy!

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