Vegan Gingerbread French Toast
These Vegan Gingerbread French Toast Sticks are coated in gingerbread spice and served with a creamy yogurt dip. The perfect Christmas breakfast or holiday brunch!
It’s the holiday season! My favorite time of the year is finally here—cue the Christmas music, holiday parties, and festive breakfasts that make the whole house smell like cinnamon and joy.
Growing up, my mom always made French toast on Christmas morning, so this recipe feels extra nostalgic, but with a twist. We’re taking classic French toast, making it vegan, giving it the spiced gingerbread treatment, and (optional) cutting it into sticks because…well, fun!
They’re crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and generously spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for that classic gingerbread flavor. Now tell me that’s not the most perfect Christmas morning breakfast!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Taste like gingerbread cookies in French toast form
- Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside (and rolled in cinnamon-sugar)
- Perfect for Christmas morning or holiday brunch
- Dunkable, snackable, and so much fun!
- Vegan + gluten-free option
When it comes to the bread, I personally like to use sourdough for that slight tangy flavor, but brioche, ciabatta, or gluten-free bread all work. And while you can totally keep them as full slices, I like cutting them into sticks just so I can dunk them into that creamy yogurt dip (which is just the cinnamon-vanilla yogurt from CocoJune).
Made with just a few wholesome ingredients, ready in under 20 minutes, and guaranteed to bring holiday cheer to your kitchen (and tummies!). Let’s make them!
Ingredients Needed
- Non-Dairy Milk: I use soy milk since it’s naturally creamy and thick, but any dairy-free milk works here.
- Cornstarch:Â This thickens the batter and gives the French toast that crisp golden color once we fry it.
- Ground Flaxseed:Â Acts as an egg replacer to bind everything together.
- Maple Syrup:Â Adds a touch of natural sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract:Â Brings a warm and cozy flavor.
- Gingerbread Spices: A festive mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice for that classic gingerbread flavor.
- Bread:Â I like to use sourdough, but brioche, ciabatta, or your favorite gluten-free bread will work. Stale bread is ideal for French toast since it soaks up the batter without turning mushy, but if you only have fresh bread, no worries, just pop the slices in the toaster for a few minutes to dry them out. Problem solved!
- Cinnamon-Sugar Coating (Optional): A simple mixture of coconut sugar (or brown sugar) and cinnamon for rolling the French toast sticks. Pro-tip: add some gingerbread spices to this mixture for an extra festive kick.
- Vegan Yogurt (Optional): For the yogurt dip. I used CocoJune’s vanilla-cinnamon dairy-free yogurt.
How to Make Vegan Gingerbread French Toast Sticks
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements.
- Make the batter:Â In a shallow bowl, whisk together the soy milk, cornstarch, ground flaxseed, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until smooth. Let it thicken for 5 minutes.
- Dip the bread: Quickly dip each slice of bread into the batter, coating all sides. Don’t soak them, just do a quick dunk so it absorbs the flavor without getting soggy.
- Cook until golden: Heat a little vegan butter or oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the bread for 2–3 minutes per side, or until crisp and golden.
- Slice into sticks (optional): If you want to make French toast sticks, cut each slice of toast into 3–4 even sticks.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar (optional):Â In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the cinnamon and sugar (optional: add some more gingerbread spices to this mixture for an extra festive kick!). While the toast is still warm, coat each piece in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so it sticks.
- Serve warm:Â Enjoy as-is, drizzle with maple syrup, or dunk in vegan yogurt. Enjoy!
Megan’s Tips
- Use day-old bread:Â Slightly stale bread creates that perfect crisp exterior without turning mushy.
- Fresh bread hack:Â Only have fresh bread? Pop the slices in the toaster for a minute or two to dry them out. Problem solved!
- Only do a quick dip:Â Be careful not to soak the bread, just give it a fast dunk in the batter so it doesn’t become soggy.
- Watch the heat:Â If your pan is too hot, it might burn, so I recommend using medium heat in order to get those perfectly golden slices.
- Spice it up: If you’re looking for even more gingerbread flavor, add a generous pinch of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the cinnamon-sugar mixture before coating the toast.
Serving Suggestions
Serving this vegan French toast for a holiday breakfast or Christmas morning brunch? Here are some pairing ideas:
- Dunk in vanilla yogurt
- Drizzle with warm maple syrup
- Serve with a side of fresh berries
- Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream
- Pair with my gingerbread hot chocolate
- Make a full holiday brunch spread with my tofu scramble and a fruit salad
And there you have it! Festive, simple, and quite nostalgic. Wishing you many warm, cozy mornings filled with spiced French toast (particularly this recipe) and good company this holiday season. XO.
a very merry brunch Holiday Brunch Favorites
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below letting me know how you liked it! This helps others find my recipes. I appreciate your support, as always. xo, Megan
Vegan Gingerbread French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 6-8 slices stale bread, sourdough, brioche, or ciabatta
- 1-2 tablespoons vegan butter, for frying
- â…“ cup coconut sugar, optional; for serving
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, optional; for serving
- ½ cup non-dairy yogurt, optional; for serving
Instructions
- Make the batter:Â In a shallow bowl, whisk together the soy milk, cornstarch, ground flaxseed, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice until smooth. Let it thicken for 5 minutes.
- Dip the bread: Quickly dip each slice of bread into the batter, coating all sides. Don’t soak them, just do a quick dunk so it absorbs the flavor without getting soggy.
- Cook until golden: Heat some vegan butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the bread for 2–3 minutes per side, or until crisp and golden.
- Slice into sticks (optional): If you want French toast sticks, cut each slice into 3–4 pieces once cooked.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar (optional):Â In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the cinnamon and sugar (optional: add some more gingerbread spices to this mixture for an extra festive kick!). While the toast is still warm, coat each piece in the cinnamon-sugar mixture so it sticks.
- Serve warm:Â Enjoy as-is, drizzle with maple syrup, or dunk in vegan yogurt. Enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
- Use day-old bread:Â Slightly stale bread creates that perfect crisp exterior without turning mushy.
- Fresh bread hack:Â Only have fresh bread? Pop the slices in the toaster for a minute or two to dry them out. Problem solved!
- Only do a quick dip:Â Be careful not to soak the bread, just give it a fast dunk in the batter so it doesn’t become soggy.
- Watch the heat:Â If your pan is too hot, it might burn, so I recommend using medium heat in order to get those perfectly golden slices.
- Spice it up: If you’re looking for even more gingerbread flavor, add a generous pinch of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to the cinnamon-sugar mixture before coating the toast.
