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Vegan French toast muffins are the portable breakfast you have been waiting to make and eat! The muffins are a cinch to make, as well as oil-free, gluten-free, and variable with all of your favorite add-ins.
Have you ever wished you could take a piece of French toast to go—syrup included? No plate, no fork, no debate about whether it’s acceptable to eat breakfast with your hands? Just me? Fair enough. Still, I’m guessing you’ll be happy to know it is possible, and I have the recipe to make it happen.
Enter: Vegan French Toast Muffins. All the cozy, cinnamon-spiked goodness of classic French toast, baked neatly into a muffin tin and ready to grab on your way out the door. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free—proof that “practical” and “indulgent” can, in fact, coexist. Think soft centers, lightly crisp edges, and just the right amount of sweetness to make you feel like you’re treating yourself, even on a weekday.
One more quiet win: gluten-free bread doesn’t need a long soak to soften. A quick toss with the custardy mixture and you are good to go—no waiting, no hovering. Mix, bake, and suddenly you have handheld French toast muffins that feel both clever and comforting. Breakfast, solved.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- 5 grams protein each
- Make-ahead (prepare the night before, bake it off the next day)
- A perfect portable breakfast (complete with maple syrup!)
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- Gluten-free white bread (soft, sliced sandwich-style bread; use stale bread)
- Non-dairy milk (e.g., almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk or oat milk)
- Raw cashews or raw sunflower seed kernels
- Chickpea flour
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt (always optional / adjustable)
- Blueberries (fresh or frozen)–leave them out, or swap for other options, as desired
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Soak: In a small bowl, soak the cashews with enough boiling water to cover, Let soak for 20 minutes. Drain, discarding soaking water. (Alternatively, soak the cashews overnight in cold water.)
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with silicone cup liners. If you are ok eating some oil, you can, alternatively, spray the cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- Blend: In a high speed blender, blend the drained cashews, nondairy milk, chickpea flour, maple syrup, psyllium husks, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until completely smooth.
- Combine: Place the bread cubes (make sure to slice into 1/4 inch cubes) in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bread cubes with the cashew-milk custard mixture, stirring to coat and cover. Firmly press down on the bread pieces with a spoon, so they absorb the liquid mixture. Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Portion: Divide the mixture equally between the prepared muffin cups I like to use a ladle.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Transfer tin to a cooling rack.
- Cool: Cool at least 10 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin. Run a knife around edge of each cup to remove from the muffin pan. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing the muffins. They tend to get both dried out and mushy (not good!).
Variations
- Fruit: Swap the blueberries for 1 cup of fresh fruit or berries, such as raspberries, diced strawberries, or diced apples, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, or bananas.
- Dried fruit: Swap the blueberries for 1/2 cup of dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or chopped dried apricots, figs, or prunes.
- Chocolate: Swap the blueberries for 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of miniature or regular size dark chocolate chips or chunks, or 3 to 4 tablespoons of cacao nibs.
- Extracts & Zests: Swap the vanilla extract for an equal amount of almond extract, orange extract or lemon extract. Alternatively, add 2 teaspoons of finely grated orange zets, lemon zest or lime zest to the batter.
- Nuts: Replace the blueberries with 1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, green pumpkin seeds (pepitas), or sunflower seed kernels.
- Whole grain bread: Replace the gluten-free white bread with a gluten-free whole grain sandwich bread.
Tip: Psyllium Husks
I use 5 grams of whole psyllium husks in the recipe. If you only have psyllium powder, use 1 teaspoon of the powder (5 grams). I have not tried the recipe with flaxseed meal (using the flax as flax eggs). You should be able to use 2 to 3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal in place of the psyllium husks.
Related Recipes
Vegan French Toast Muffins (GF, Oil-Free)
Equipment
- 1 standard size muffin tin (12-count)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup raw cashews, or raw sunflower seed kernels
- 2 cups nondairy milk, e.g., almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk
- 1/3 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husks , (or 1 teaspoon psyllium powder)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces day-old gluten-free white bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh (or frozen, thawed & patted dry)
- Optional: confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak the cashews with enough boiling water to cover, Let soak for 20 minutes. Drain, discarding soaking water. (Alternatively, soak the cashews overnight in cold water.)
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with silicone cup liners. If you are ok eating some oil, you can, alternatively, spray the cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a high speed blender, blend the drained cashews, nondairy milk, chickpea flour, maple syrup, psyllium husks, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until completely smooth.
- Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bread cubes with the cashew-milk custard mixture, stirring to coat and cover. Firmly press down on the bread pieces with a spoon, so they absorb the liquid mixture. Gently stir in the blueberries.
- Divide the mixture equally between the prepared muffin cups I like to use a ladle.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Transfer tin to a cooling rack.
- Cool at least 10 minutes before removing the muffins from the tin. Run a knife around edge of each cup to remove. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. If desired, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
These sound soooo good! I need to make another loaf of bread tomorrow and remember to save 1 3/4 cup of cubes for this recipe!
Loving your site, as I’m low on my wheat flours but have lots of oats, coconut flour and almond flour. You’re helping me bake through a pandemic without having to go out to get groceries. 🙂 Thanks!