Serves 6
Photo by Kate Lewis
This is the vegan French toast recipe that started it all. Fronch Toast first appeared in Vegan with a Vengeance and people have been making it ever since. That’s two decades of success and counting.
The secret is chickpea flour. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is about it, but chickpea flour in the batter gives you that golden color and custardy, eggy quality that other vegan French toast recipes are always chasing with a million ingredients. This quick, easy vegan recipe has four things in the batter and it’s just perfect.
The recipe has been loved on for years and years. People have made it for holiday brunches, for picky husbands, for kids who didn’t know it was vegan until they were told, and for themselves on a lazy Sunday with nothing but bread and maple syrup and a free morning. If you’ve googled “fronch toast” and ended up here, you’re not the first. One commenter pointed out that it’s the first result and honestly that tracks.
I did make some updates! The original called for creamer. That’s really not necessary. A full-fat soy milk or oat milk works great. Soy milk browns a little nicer. If you do want to use creamer, like the original, replace half the milk with that.
I originally wrote this recipe for a crusty baguette, but these days I actually prefer it with thick, soft bread. A good country white style loaf, sliced about an inch thick, is beautiful here. The soft bread soaks up more batter and you get this pillowy center with golden crispy edges. A baguette gives you more crunch and structure, which is also great. Both are correct. Use what you have.
And the oil. I think it just called for canola oil, before which is fine. But I’ve since started cooking it in refined coconut oil and my god the butteriness is unbelievable. It makes such a difference. I use plenty of it, and add more when flipping. I also really enjoy the fruitiness of olive oil once in awhile, so give that a try if you’ve got a more sophisticated palate.
Serve with fresh berries, sliced bananas, and pure maple syrup. And if you want to make it a whole spread, Smoky Maple Sausages on the side are the move.
More On The Bread Situation…
The bread matters. For the original, it’s true, I was on a baguette-sliced-on-a-bias-kick. Whatever kind you use, it should be a little stale. Not rock hard, just not fresh-out-of-the-bag soft. Stale bread soaks up the batter without falling apart. If your bread is super fresh, you have two options: leave the slices out on the counter overnight (the lazy way, and my preferred method), or spread them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to dry them out. You’re not toasting them, just taking the moisture down a notch.
I prefer thick slices to thin. About an inch is ideal. Thinner bread gets soggy fast and can tear when you flip it. But that said, I totally respect sandwich bread french toast. Even whole grain!
For the crustier, more classic French toast experience: baguette, Italian bread, or sourdough. For the soft, pillowy, diner-style experience: challah-style bread, vegan brioche, or any thick, soft loaf.
More Tips For The Best Vegan French Toast
- The batter should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat the bread. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk. If it’s too thin, add a little more chickpea flour, a teaspoon at a time.
- Cook over medium heat, not high. You want the French toast to cook through and get golden, not burn on the outside while staying raw in the middle.
- A nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast iron works best. Use enough oil to create a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Olive oil works. Coconut oil is great too if you want a little butteriness.
- If you’re cooking for a crowd and want to serve everyone at the same time, keep the finished slices warm in a toaster oven or regular oven preheated to 250°F.
- And I love to finish the toast with flaky Maldon salt to serve. It’s a really game changer for a little extra salty crunch.
FRONCH TOAST FAQ:
What is chickpea flour? It’s flour made from ground chickpeas. Also called besan flour or garbanzo bean flour. You can find it at most grocery stores in the baking or international aisle, at health food stores, or at any Middle Eastern or Indian grocery. It’s what gives this vegan French toast its golden color and custardy texture.
Can I use a different flour? You can try, but chickpea flour is doing specific work here. It creates that golden, eggy quality that regular flour won’t give you. If you absolutely can’t find it, cornstarch mixed with some AP flour is the closest substitute, but it’s not the same. Some people in the comments said they used a tablespoon of nooch along with it, but I haven’t tried it. People are weird.
What kind of bread should I use? Whatever thick bread you like. Baguette is the original, but I prefer soft, thick bread these days: challah-style, or a sturdy sandwich loaf sliced thick. The bread should be a little stale. If it’s fresh, leave it out overnight or dry it in a 350°F oven for a few minutes.
What kind of milk should I use? The recipe calls for soy creamer and rice milk, but honestly, use whatever you have. In this updated version I call for soy or oat. But anything with a bit of body works (AKA probably not rice milk). Almond milk is fine. Hazelnut milk. And so on.
Can I make this gluten-free? Yup. The batter is naturally gluten-free (chickpea flour, cornstarch, milk). Just use gluten-free bread.
My French toast is soggy in the middle. WAHHHH! Your bread was probably too fresh or too thin. Use stale bread, sliced thick. Also make sure your pan is at medium heat and give each side a full 2 to 3 minutes before flipping. If the outside is browning too fast, turn the heat down. But also, does it still taste good?
Can I freeze it? You can. Let the slices cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, stack them in a bag with parchment between each one. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven straight from frozen.
What should I put on top? Maple syrup and fresh berries are the classic. Sliced bananas. Powdered sugar. A drizzle of nut butter. And if you ever get a chance to buy apple-maple jam, do it. It is the most wonderful thing over French toast.
Why is it called Fronch Toast? If you have seen the John Cusack movie Better Off Dead you will understand. And if you haven’t, you should watch it. I think it’s still funny?
How did I get here? Maybe you googled “perfect vegan french toast” or “french toast vegan”? My SEO program tells me that those keywords will work. Let me know if that’s the case! Vegan french toast vegan french toast vegan french toast. See what I did there?
Fronch Toast (The OG Vegan French Toast)
Ingredients
- Loaf of thick bread challah-style, brioche, baguette, or Italian, sliced about 1 inch thick
- 1 cup full fat oat milk or plain soy milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- Optional: 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Olive oil or refined coconut oil for cooking
- Maldon salt for sprinkling at the end
- Fruit for serving
Instructions
- Slice the bread into 1-inch slices. The bread should be a bit stale. If not, leave the slices out overnight or put them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to dry them out. You don’t want to toast them, just remove some moisture.
- Pour the milk into a wide, shallow bowl. Mix in the cornstarch and stir until dissolved. Add the chickpea flour (and vanilla if using) and mix until it is mostly dissolved. Some lumps are OK.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to create a thin layer on the bottom, a tablespoon or two.
- Soak the bread slices (as many as will fit in your pan) in the mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook each side for about 2 minutes. If they are not brown enough when you flip them, heat for 1 to 2 more minutes on each side, adding more oil if necessary. They should be golden brown with flecks of dark brown.
- Serve immediately with fresh berries, sliced bananas, some Maldon and maple syrup.
Hello Isa! The word “flower” in the list of ingredient should be “flour”. Just thought you’d like to know. Thanks for all your great recipes!!!
Beautiful! Because of a shopping list malfunction, though, I had to use soy yogurt (instead of soy creamer) and tapioca flour (instead of chickpea). It still turned out a highly edible brunch 🙂
Unbelievably GOOD!!! My family went to town this morning. I really miss french toast since my venture down the vegan path. You are a genius Isa!
…and to drink: Peru.
peru….. Oh my. such a good scene.
Isa,
Am I just getting shitty chickpea flour or is it supposed to be that bitter? While I am a fan of this flour when toasted, I cannot consume it “raw” and the thought of it in French toast? Blech! I bow to your genius but am beyond apprehensive about using it untoasted in a recipe. Is there something I should be doing to mellow the bitter flavor or is that just part of it’s charm?
It’s in such a small quantity and mixed with other ingredients, so I’m really not sure why you’re finding it bitter! I guess it’s possible you’re not cooking it for long enough because really it should be browned and not raw at all. Or maybe you just don’t like chickpea flour! Try the banana french toast instead.
Isa,
Thanks for the quick reply! I haven’t actually MADE these; I was just dubious about how it would come out with the chickpea flour. I’ve used it, “raw”, in much lesser quantities in various (baked) recipes, and it’s always tarnished the end result. It never crossed my mind that while making the French TOAST, I’d be toasting the flour in the process. Duh!
I made some this morning and it is AMAZING! Thanks!
You still have chickpea flower, not chickpea flour, in the ingredients. I’m all for flower power, but let’s make the internet a better place with spelling! /fake cheery voice
I like typos.
You might want to add that a lot of people (such as I) are severely allergic to chickpea flour!!! People with nut allergies should probably avoid it.
I can’t add everything about allergens to all of my recipes. I would hope that someone with an allergy would be educated about it. This is a food blog, not a medical blog.
I can’t believe I’m just finding this now…and to think, I just bought a huge *expensive* bag of organic chickpea flour! How convenient. I can’t wait to try this tomorrow morning covered in berries and maple syrup- thanks Isa!
The Hubby and I will be making this in the morning. We have a late show to see tonight *feeling like an old lady for wishing it wasn’t so late* Theres a 24 hour shop across the street and they just so happen to have fresh vegan baguette……well it will be late so it wont be fresh anymore HAHAHAHA.
Oh and I think its pretty silly to even comment about your allergy. If your allergic to an ingredient find a different recipe. And if you need Isa to tell you there is something in there that you may be allergic to, why are you cooking in the first place you could be a danger to yourself. PUT THE SPATULA DOWN!!
Thank you! delicious.. and very much kid approved!
Yeah, re: allergies, for crying out loud a lot of people are allergic to wheat and soy as well, and they manage to figure out what not to use in a recipe all by themselves. They would look at this recipe and go, hmm, substitute gluten free bread and use the rice milk option, and wouldn’t go whining that no one told them they might be allergic to some of the ingredients. I think you should read every recipe as though it said at the top “don’t use any of the following ingredients if you’re allergic to them.” Just sayin’.
[…] Diary-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free “Fronch” Toast adapted from Post Punk Kitchen chefinista Ida Chandra My adaptation. . . ingredients: 3/4 cup Native Forest full-fat coconut milk 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder 1/4 cup chickpea flour Gluten-Free bread (current favorite is Happy Camper Bakery) preparation: Blend all ingredients (except bread!) in a Magic Bullet or blender until well combined. Pour batter into a wide dish and soak slices of bread in the mixture until well saturated. Heat ghee or coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add soaked bread slices and cook up your “fronch” toast! […]
Hi Isa, I really enjoy reading your blog and your recipes are fabulous! Tried this recipe and my family loved it! Although if I may point out, you spelled “French” as “Fronch” in the blog post heading. Keep up the good work with the blog! 🙂
[…] sort of used this recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She really is a genius when it comes to recreating foods without […]
great recipe – love it. works right nice for me. i <3 FRONCH. thats how australians would say that WE say French. viva la difference! i might see if i can give okara a look in. damn stuff drives me LOCO just sitting in the fridge saying "im too much for you ho"!
Made this on Sunday…a hit with me AND my non-vegan hubby! KUDOS! 🙂
I used oatmilk and oat cream and it turned out great.
[…] week I’m starting with Fronch Toast from Vegan with a Vengeance. It’s good. Seriously […]
I just made this for my non-vegan hubby and our non-vegan friend (along with those smoky maple sausages) and neither one knew this didn’t have eggs in it. A HUGE hit!! My new favorite saying: “This is soooo good…good enough to live for…” Thanks, Isa. Added a splash of vanilla and mape syrup to the batter…..yum!
[…] Banana Bread – I like this recipe. Pancakes – this looks good! French toast (I use the recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance) Toast Bagels, good with the __spread in Raw Energy, or leftover Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dip […]
[…] Vegan with a Vengeance has a recipe for “Fronch” toast with garbanzo bean flour instead of egg. If you don’t have a copy of VWAV, a) why not? and b) Isa posted the recipe on the PPK. […]
[…] from Seward Cafe, which is fricking amazing. I decided to gather ingredients and make Isa’s Fronch Toast which is also in her book Vegan with a Vengeance. I used Cinnamon Chip bread from Great Harvest […]
I’ve been longing to have a lazy weekend and make this for brunch – just thought as an additional idea, nigella Larson does this jam sandwich dippe in French toast mix, shallow fried and then rolled in sugar thing. Obviously I don’t want to eat her version due to eggs, but I was wondering if you think your fronch mix would achieve similar? Here’s hoping!
So Good! We made them with Tapioca flour and a dash of vanilla! Love the way they are crispy outside and soft inside. Yummy!!!
[…] from The PPK and Diners, Drive-Ins and […]
A Mother’s Day brunch success! Served with mango and farmers market fresh berries. My grandmother, who still gives me a hard time about my vegan ways, had a second serving (a very rare occurrence) and asked for the recipe. Added a splash of vanilla and a sprinkle of nutmeg to the batter. Thanks for your magic Isa!
Oh! And I used almond milk instead of the creamer/rice milk. Perfect.
Followed the recipe exactly, except for the creamer/milk I used 90%cup of rice milk and 10%cup of soy milk powder. Also sprinkled some coconut flour in the batter, and fried the toasts in coconut oil. Turned out AMAZING.
Can’t wait to try this…I’m baking fresh bread next week…I don’t know that I’ve ever even had French Toast with fresh bread, but the idea makes me giggle with glee! LOL…thanks Isa!
Just a piece of brilliance. At first I thought the besan (chickpea flour) would make it taste earthy but the end result is just gorgeous.
[…] am a big fan of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s cookbooks… her Fronch toast recipe is the best French toast I’ve ever had. So when I felt like trying my hand at a vegan […]
I had whole wheat flour in the house, so that’s what I used. I was out of “creamer” too, so I just used a cup of vanilla soy milk. I used a sweet italian loaf that. This was absolutely delicious even with my substitutions, though I’m sure my crust wasn’t what it could have been.
So happy to find a way to use up this loaf tonight. I’m making french toast & tator tots for dinner, and my fiance can have some eggs with his as well. I think I’ll try to make a strawberry maple syrup since I have a while til it’s dinner time! Yes.. I’m obsessive and have to test new recipes before I serve them to others. Don’t worry, I only made two slices of toast, haha!
Just made this, added a dash of vanilla extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon (because that’s how dad made it and dad was in charge of french toast, waffles and pancakes growing up). As another commenter noted I used tapioca flour instead of chickpea, because that’s what I had) and it was AMAZING! Disturbingly close to the traditional version!
[…] Breakfast can be difficult for new vegans. So much of what we are used to eating for breakfast involves some type of animal product or another. It’s a very tough meal to eat out at a restaurant without resorting to fruit or potatoes only. However, at home, it’s a different story. There’s a variety of meal options that aren’t difficult to make yourself. One of my favorite easy recipes is Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Fronch Toast from the Post Punk Kitchen website. Click here for the recipe. […]
[…] toast-wise, I go fronch, using this recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance as a base. The batter consists of soy milk, chickpea flour, vanilla […]
[…] from The PPK and Diners, Drive-Ins and […]
I used all almond milk for the soy creamer and rice milk – worked out great!
Super delicious and all my carnivorous boys wanted seconds! I didn’t tell them it was vegan : )
[…] Chandra Moskowitz and her Post-Punk Kitchen, we have actually been able to make a super-convincing egg-free “Fronch Toast;” and other explorations and experiments have helped us figure out ways to substitute for the […]
[…] is the recipe, modified from The PPK. I added some vanilla, and used soy milk instead of soy […]
[…] recipe comes from years of loving this recipe: The PPK Fronch Toast! and the modest alterations I have done throughout my adoration of […]
[…] Diary-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free “Fronch” Toast adapted from Post Punk Kitchen chefinista Ida Chandra My adaptation. . . ingredients: 3/4 cup Native Forest full-fat coconut milk 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder 1/4 cup chickpea flour Gluten-Free bread (current favorite is Happy Camper Bakery) preparation: Blend all ingredients (except bread!) in a Magic Bullet or blender until well combined. Pour batter into a wide dish and soak slices of bread in the mixture until well saturated. Heat ghee or coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add soaked bread slices and cook up your “fronch” toast! […]
[…] basic recipe is adapted from one by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Even with the spices (which are very mild in the resulting product), this recipe is my […]
[…] With chickpea flour […]
This is the most amazing recipe! Thank you. I love the typos – I just type Fronch toast into google and this is the first recipe that comes up! Handy. I made it with coconut cream as I didn’t have any soy and it is so delicious!
I’m late to the party but I just made this recipe from VWAV and it is amazing. For what it’s worth, I work at a breakfast restaurant and I’d pick Isa’s Fronch Toast any day of the week.
I can’t wait to sneak this past my omni hubby. He’ll freak when I tell him. I can’t thank you enough, Isa. You’re the bast
I wonder if this could be soaked overnight and then baked in the oven?
I wouldn’t soak the bread overnight.. Just have the batter ready and soak the break day of.