Apple Pie French Toast (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free)
Nov 03, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Autumnal Apple Pie French Toast, but it’s vegan!
Fall (or autumn) is upon us, and apples are in season and better than ever so let’s make some Apple Pie French Toast! You can enjoy this treat year-round but something about a warm, sweet and cinnamon-y dishes get me in the cozy feels. This is the perfect combination of fluffy bread, softened and spiced apples and a drizzle of maple syrup. It’s a great way to use up apples and old bread (or about to go old bread) and your tummy will thank you too!
Now typically, french toast is anything but vegan, with milk, eggs and sometimes butter involved too. So how do we make it vegan? We’ll be using a vegan egg substitute, non-dairy milk and bread of choice. Since I’m not able to eat gluten, I used some homemade gluten free sourdough bread, however you can use anything you’d like!
To create the apple pie flavour, I’ve blended in an apple right into the french toast batter, but you can also add a splash of apple cider instead. Of course, the cooked apple topping really completes the dish, so don’t skip it 😉
This Apple Pie French Toast recipe is vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and nut free (if you skip the walnuts, that is!).
What’s in this Apple Pie French Toast?
- Apples → for this recipe, I used Enterprise apples I picked at a farm. At least… I think they are, things got a little mixed up in the bag towards the end of the day. Anyway, use what you like, or whatever you can get your hands on!
- Not-so-fresh bread → usually french toast calls for old bread because when it starts to dry out, the idea is that it can then better soak up the moisture in the batter.
- Walnuts → gently toasted walnuts are a great finishing touch for extra crunch and IMO, apples and walnuts go hand in hand.
- Plant milk → to sub out conventional milk, use plant milk instead! I like soy milk because it’s rich and creamy, but you can use whatever you’d like.
- Ground flax seeds → this is the faux egg we’re using. It doesn’t add much eggy flavour, but it does thicken up the batter the way an egg would AND adds a nice little boost of omega-3 fatty acids.
- A touch of flour → just helps to bring it all together. Most flour will work but my top 3 recommendations are arrowroot, or cornstarch and chickpea flour.
- Vanilla → a touch of vanilla extract, just to add to the sweet flavour.
- Spices → namely, cinnamon!
And of course some maple syrup to serve, if you’d like.
Secrets to success
To prepare the batter and infuse some hearty apple flavour, you can either use apple cider or blend an apple into the mix. I detail both options in the recipe notes below, but because apples add a little natural sweetness, I find that no added sugar is necessary in the batter. I prefer to serve with maple syrup to top instead!
Also, if you do opt to blend apples into the batter, be sure to peel and de-seed the apple and also strain the mixture after. It will make cooking the french toast much easier, and the batter less chunky.
If you like this recipe, try…
- Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Oatmilk French Toast
- Hot Chocolate French Toast
- Simple Banana Oat Pancakes
- Apple Crumble Loaf
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Apple Pie French Toast (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free)
Ingredients
- french toast
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice
- 1 apple peeled and chopped or 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour can also use chickpea flour, or cornstarch
- 4-5 slices of bread preferably not so fresh
- warmed apples
- 1-2 apples finely diced
- 1-2 tbsp coconut sugar or other granulated sugar of choice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg optional
- water or oil to cook down
Instructions
- Start by preparing your french toast batter by adding non-dairy milk, peeled apple, cinnamon and vanilla extract into a blender. Blend until smooth, then strain into a large mixing bowl. If you are using apple cider, skip the blending and just whisk everything in a large bowl. Next, whisk in flax seeds and arrowroot flour and let mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare your cooked apples. In a saucepan over medium heat, add apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg if using and cook down with water or oil until soft and fragrant. Cook time will vary based on the size of your apple chunks. Remove and set aside.
- Next, place a slice of bread or two into the batter, flip and let sit for about a minute to soak up the moisture. Prepare another pan, or us the same one you used to cook the apples down, and add a touch of neutral oil. Place as many slices of bread into the pan as you can fit and let cook until edges start to lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula, flip and cook the other side for another few minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat until all the bread or batter is used.
- To serve, plate french toast, top with cooked apples, crushed walnuts and maple syrup if desired. You can also dust with additional cinnamon, powdered sugar or non-dairy yogurt as well.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from my Oat Milk French Toast Recipe
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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