I serve prepare-ahead French toast to my family for breakfast on most major holidays. They never get tired of it because it tastes amazing. I never get tired of it because I make it the night before, and pop it into the oven in the morning half an hour before we eat. I served it plain for many years, but recently have been adding fruit to the French toast. This Christmas morning, my family will wake up to Raspberry French toast.
Raspberries should be a food group unto themselves. They’re tart, sweet, great as a snack, delicious in baked goods, in drinks, and as a savory accompaniment to meats. I’m sure I’m leaving a few things out. I never get tired of raspberries. The fresh ones are expensive and only available for a short time in the summer, but frozen raspberries are available twelve months of the year.
I always have a supply of frozen raspberries in my freezer. You never know when the need for raspberries will arise, so it’s best to be prepared. This recipe is a perfect example. I wanted a variation of my blueberry French toast, so I tried making it with raspberries. Sweet-tart raspberries topping French toast. What could go wrong? But the dish was only so-so. The delicate raspberry flavor was overwhelmed by the eggy bread.
Never a quitter, I tried again, this time adding lemon juice and stevia to enhance both tart and sweet flavors. Success! Everyone asked for more. If you have lemon verbena or lemon basil on hand, add a pinch to the raspberries for an extra lemony note.
Prepare this dish the night before you plan to serve it, cover it and keep it in the fridge. It’s perfect for Christmas morning while the kids are opening gifts, or for brunch when you’d rather spend time with your guests instead of in the kitchen. Remove it from the fridge half an hour before you plan to eat, uncover, pop it into the oven for 30 minutes, and serve! The raspberries bake into a sweet-tart glaze so there’s no need for syrup.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Raspberry French Toast
Eggy French toast topped with sweet-tart raspberries makes a one-dish breakfast.
Ingredients
- 6 thick slices gluten-free bread
- 8 eggs
- 1.5 cups dairy-free milk (I use cashew or coconut milk)
- 3 tablespoons starch (corn, tapioca, arrowroot or potato)
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or coconut nectar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 2/3 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh lemon verbena or lemon basil (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9" by 13" baking dish with dairy-free butter.
Lay the slices of bread in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish, and set aside.
Blend the eggs, dairy-free milk, starch and maple syrup or coconut nectar in a blender or whisk together in a mixing bowl.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Be careful to cover the bread completely.
In a medium bowl, mix the coconut sugar, stevia, lemon juice and vegan cream cheese.
Add the raspberries, and mix until the berries are completely coated.
Spread the raspberry mixture on top of the bread in the baking dish.
If you're making this dish for breakfast the next day, cover with parchment and plastic wrap or foil, and put in the fridge overnight.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes, then cut into squares.
Serve immediately.
Grease a baking dish with dairy-free butter, and lay the bread on top.
Use one cup of thawed frozen raspberries, which keep their tart, sweet flavor.
Whisk eggs and dairy-free milk in one bowl…
…and blend dairy-free cream cheese and sweeteners in another bowl.
Fold the raspberries into the cream cheese mixture.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread, then spread the raspberry mixture on top. (Stop here, cover and put it in the fridge if you’ll be eating it the next morning). Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
The raspberries bake into a sweet, tart glaze on top of the eggy bread. Cut into squares and serve!
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