This Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole is an easy and delicious way to feed a crowd! Marrying the wholesome goodness of carrot cake with the beloved classic french toast, this recipe brings you a delightful fusion that’s both dairy free and bursting with spiced flavor. It’s a simple yet impressive breakfast dish that will make any celebration a little bit sweeter!
Hosting can be both fun and overwhelming. Time always seems to go by quicker than expected and I’m racing around trying to make sure everything is done before people get here. That’s why recipes like this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast are such a life saver for feeding a crowd! Not only will it be a favorite amongst everyone, but it can also be prepped the night before.
This recipe is also perfect for Spring and Easter festivities because it’s filled with nostalgic carrot cake flavor! Don’t get me wrong, french toast is amazing already but when it’s leveled up with even more spices, a hint of applesauce and some shredded carrots…it’s just a dream come true. I can’t wait for you to try this and see what I mean!
Why You’ll Love this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole
- This is an easy way to serve breakfast for a crowd, especially on Easter!
- You can prep this the night before for a quick breakfast option in the morning.
- This french toast casserole is perfectly crispy on the edges and NOT soggy!
- It’s the perfect marriage of carrot cake and french toast flavors.
- This recipe is dairy free so everyone can enjoy it.
What You Need to Make this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole
- Challah Bread: This is an enriched yeast bread that’s a staple in the Jewish religion. It’s slightly sweet and tastes very similar to brioche bread, however challah doesn’t contain butter. Other options to try in this recipe are brioche (if you’re not dairy-free), french bread or sourdough. Either way, make sure it’s several days old!
- Eggs: Of course, eggs are a crucial main ingredient in french toast and the same applies to this casserole! Plus they add some great protein and healthy fats.
- Non-Dairy Milk: I typically use almond or oat milk – the brand Malk has great ingredients!
- Applesauce: Applesauce adds additional sweetness to this french toast casserole and also pairs perfectly with the carrot cake flavors. Be sure to use unsweetened and unflavored applesauce.
- Maple Syrup: We are sweetening this naturally with pure maple syrup!
- Vanilla: Duh.
- Ground Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves & Kosher Salt: These spices will impart that carrot cake flavor into this french toast casserole. If you don’t have any ginger or cloves, just add a 1/4 tsp more nutmeg and it’ll still be great 🙂
- Carrots: It’s called carrot cake french toast casserole for a reason! Shred your carrots finely so you’re not getting massive chunks of carrot in each bite. Who doesn’t love some extra sneaky veggies in their breakfast!?
How To Make this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole
Spread Bread and Carrots out in Baking Dish:
First, grease your 9×13″ baking dish with either cooking spray, oil or dairy-free butter. Then, scatter the cubed challah evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the shredded carrots over the top of the bread.
Whisk together the Wet Ingredients:
Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk thoroughly. It’s important that the eggs are whisked well so you don’t have any scrambled egg type of bites in your carrot cake french toast casserole!
Then, add milk, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla and spices. Whisk again until well combined.
Pour Wet Ingredients over the Bread:
Next, evenly pour the liquid mixture over the bread and carrots. Use your hands or a spatula to gently press down on the bread to ensure as much of it is saturated as possible.
Let it Soak, Then Bake:
Let the french toast casserole soak at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you’re prepping this the night before, instead cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to soak overnight.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. Then, transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until the top is golden! Optionally, top with powdered sugar, maple syrup and some raisins. Enjoy!
What the Heck is a Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole!?
Is this a confusing title? Lol. Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole is as if carrot cake and french toast casserole had a baby. There’s no actual carrot cake involved here, but rather it has many of the same elements, flavors and ingredients.
And if you’ve never had a french toast casserole, it’s very similar to french toast but rather than soaking full pieces of bread into the custard mixture and then pan-frying them, the bread is cut up into cubes and oven-baked with the custard. It’s an easier way to make french toast for a crowd!
Why Does My Bread Need to be 2+ Days Old?
Using bread that is slightly old and stale will ensure that your french toast casserole doesn’t come out super soggy! Because nobody likes soggy french toast.
My preferred way to get stale bread is just to leave the whole loaf out at room temperature for 2 (or more days). I’ve read that you can also dry it out in the oven at 300F for 400 minutes – check out this article if you’re curious. I haven’t personally tried this method but I’m sure it’ll work!
Can I Use a Different Kind of Bread?
Yup! Challah bread is so delicious in this because it adds sweetness and richness. However, if you can’t find challah bread, you could also use brioche (if you’re not dairy free), french bread or even sourdough. Keep in mind that using french bread or sourdough will likely result in a slightly less sweet french toast casserole.
Topping Ideas:
Although this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole is amazing as is, it’s always fun to add some toppings to take it up a notch!
Transparently, I was planning to develop a cream cheese drizzle to go on top but….it didn’t go so well. I’m not sure if it’s the dairy-free cream cheese I was using or simply user error, but it got all clumpy and gross. Anyways, here are some other topping suggestions:
- Powdered Sugar: A dusting of powdered sugar not only elevates the flavor but also makes this french toast casserole look restaurant-worthy!
- Raisins: I prefer to add these after baking so they don’t burn in the oven. The perfect fit for a carrot cake inspired recipe.
- Maple Syrup: The more maple, the merrier! (Can you tell I’m a Vermonter?)
- Yogurt: Top it with your favorite greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt for a creamy element and additional protein.
- Chopped Walnuts: This is another classic carrot cake pairing and offers a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids.
Can I Make This Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole Ahead of Time?
If you want to save yourself some time in the morning, you can prep this Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole the night before you plan to bake it. Follow the recipe directions but then just allow it to soak, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge overnight. Proceed with the baking instructions as listed in the recipe!
How Should I Store Leftovers?
After the Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole has cooled down completely, either wrap up the whole baking dish with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. Then, store it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat (it’ll stay good for 3-4 days).
Luckily, this tastes just as delicious cold as it does warm! But if you’d like to reheat it, simply transfer an individual portion to a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1-2 minutes. To reheat a larger serving, I’d recommend using the oven at 350F, until it’s warm. If it seems to be getting too brown on top, you can cover it with tin foil while reheating.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by leaving a rating and review below and tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Breakfast Recipes?
Dairy Free Carrot Cake French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- serrated knife
- grater
- whisk
- 9×13" baking dish
Ingredients
- 15 oz challah bread cut into 1.5" cubes (best if 2+ days old)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger *
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves *
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup finely grated carrots **
Optional Toppings:
- powdered sugar
- maple syrup
- raisins
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13" baking dish. Then, scatter the cubed challah evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the shredded carrots over the top of the bread.15 oz challah bread, 1 cup finely grated carrots
- Add eggs to a large bowl and whisk thoroughly. Then, add milk, maple syrup, applesauce, vanilla and spices. Whisk again until well combined.6 large eggs, 1 cup non-dairy milk, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Pour liquid mixture over the bread and carrots. Use your hands or a spatula to gently press down on the bread to ensure as much of it is saturated as possible.
- Let it soak at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you're prepping this the night before, instead cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to soak overnight.
- While the casserole is soaking, preheat your oven to 425F. Then, transfer the baking dish to the oven and cook for 25 minutes.
- Optionally, top with powdered sugar, maple syrup and some raisins. Enjoy!powdered sugar, maple syrup, raisins
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.