VANILLA BEAN CRÈME FRENCH TOAST

Serving size: 4

There's nothing like a weekend morning that includes thick slices of french toast — golden on the outside, creamy & fluffy on the inside with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Since french toast is typically made with eggs and milk, it's not always an option for me to order when out at breakfast so I love to whip these up on a weekend morning if I'm at home.

These are pillowy soft with a deliciously crisp exterior and are even more dreamy served with my cashew vanilla bean crème sauce. I know I say this all the time, but this is my favorite french toast recipe of all time, even including some non-vegan ones I have had in the past.

FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups oat milk

• 1/3 cup cashew butter

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons JUST egg (or other vegan egg replacer)

• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 vanilla bean, scraped

• pinch salt

• potato bread, sliced (or bread of choice)

• vegan butter

• vanilla bean crème sauce* (recipe below)

I use potato bread because it is the most similar vegan alternative to brioche bread in terms of a buttery, light, fluffy texture. I buy this brand from Whole Foods.

DIRECTIONS

First, prepare the french toast batter by adding the oat milk, cashew butter, maple syrup, JUST egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and insides of the scraped out vanilla bean to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the batter into a shallow dish that you'll be able to dip the bread slices in.

One or two at a time, place each slice of bread into the batter and soak for 1 minute. In a large fry pan, add 1 tablespoon vegan butter and melt over medium low heat. Once melted, add the soaked bread slices to the pan and grill on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Flip the slices, cook until lightly golden, and remove from the pan. Repeat with the melted vegan butter until all your slices have been cooked.

Serve with fresh fruit, maple syrup, and my vanilla bean crème sauce.

VANILLA BEAN CRÈME INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups raw cashews (soaked)

• 3/4 cup oat milk

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 vanilla bean

• pinch salt

VANILLA BEAN CRÈME DIRECTIONS

After the cashews have soaked for at least a couple or few hours, drain and discard the soaking water. Finely mince the entire 1/2 vanilla bean pod then add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend on high until completely smooth.

If you're unable to source whole vanilla bean pods, you may use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract instead.

Serve on top of the french toast and store the rest in the fridge for up to a week.

It's no easy feat to create a plant-based french toast that hits all the same notes as the classic without any of the traditionally used ingredients, but this recipe accomplishes just that. If only I could order this at more breakfast spots, I would be one happy girl.