Delightful Dairy-Free Bagel French Toast Bake
Servings: 6-8 | Preparation Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: 20 mins | Refrigeration: 2-24 hours
Description: Close up of French toast bake with blueberries and raspberries in a Pyrex dish
Inspired by: One of my fondest memories is having a BYOB brunch with friends, a while back before I was mostly on a dairy-free 🧀 diet. My friend Alli made a version with french bread 🥖 or challah, cream cheese, and blueberries—which was amazing! It was so fluffy and creamy, with bursts of juicy blueberries in every bite.
While reading/watching: Ancient Recipes with Sohla - The Samurai Mochi episode.
Digging into the recipe
This is a simple, cozy and delicious recipe that you can prepare the night before and pop in the oven when you wake up. It's perfect for a brunch with friends, a cozy breakfast with your loved ones, or a convenient meal prep for the week. Best paired with a steaming cup of coffee ☕️.
The unique twist in this French toast bake comes from the bagels! Using day-old bagels yields a firmer texture compared to the usual brioche or bread, offering a delightful balance between springiness and sponginess without turning mushy like a bread pudding.
The Tale of Leftover Bagels: I found myself with surplus bagels from Rubinstein and Blazing bagels, purchased in bulk. Rather than discarding these slightly older bagels, I gave them a new lease on life in this recipe. I'll admit, I even enjoyed a small serving as dessert—guilty as charged!
Make it your own!
This is a simple recipe but you can substitute and get creative here, take a look…
• You can make it with almost any fruit. Blueberries,Peaches, Mangos, Bananas, Plums..
• You can add a few dollops of vegan or cow cream cheese or goat cheese if you like it. Reminds me of how tasty it is to have goat cheese with jam on toast.
• You can use bagels, brioche, challah, dry gluten-free bread or multi-day-old sourdough.
• If you use banana, mango or peach there might be a bit of fruit browning if you don’t add citric acid by way of lemon juice to the fruit.
"…a delightful balance between springiness and sponginess”
Ingredients to gather
Liquids + Fats
6 Eggs
1/2 can of Coconut cream (or 1 mini can plus teaspoon of water)
Vegan or cow butter
Breads
4 -5 Day old chewy Cinnamon raisin bagels or sourdough or dried out/toasted gluten-free bread cut into 1” squares (about 2.5cups)
Veggies and fruits
1 small carton of fresh raspberries OR
1/2 cup of frozen berries
Seasoning and Spices
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2cup packed brown sugar
Small pinch kosher salt
Instructions to follow
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and coconut cream. Add spices, sugar, and vanilla extract (wet mixture).
Gently fold in the cut-up bagels or bread until they're thoroughly soaked in the wet mixture.
Carefully fold in the raspberries.
Lightly coat a 9x13 deep Pyrex baking dish with butter.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-24 hours, allowing the bagels to absorb the flavors fully.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Before baking, place 6 small pads of butter on top. Bake covered for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let it rest for a while before cutting and serving.
Optional Sweet Crunch Topping
For an extra crispiness, combine the following and pour over the French toast mixture before baking:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oat milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butte
