Eggnog French Toast Casserole (Dairy-Free!)

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This eggnog French toast casserole is dairy free, sweetened naturally with maple syrup, and easy to make in advance! Made with less than 10 ingredients, this healthy breakfast bake uses cubed sprouted grain bread and eggnog flavored non-dairy milk for a crowd-pleasing dish! Great for special occasions or an everyday make ahead meal!

Thank you to Food For Life for sponsoring this post.

Eggnog French toast casserole

I love eggnog flavors! The great thing about making your own homemade dairy-free eggnog batter is that you can choose ingredients that you feel good about!

We’ve put a healthy spin on this recipe.

Plus, when you make it at home, you can whip up the recipe any time to enjoy eggnog flavors throughout the year!

What makes this dairy free French toast casserole healthier than most?

Better bread option – we’re using sprouted grain bread – Sprouted grains increase digestibility, antioxidants, and the absorption of minerals. In comparison, the body can’t properly digest the grain in traditional flour or whole grain flour bread, resulting in lost nutrients during digestion.

Naturally sweetened – only maple syrup is used in this French toast casserole!

Dairy-free – thanks to creamy canned coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk we’re keeping this dairy-free.

Whole eggs and egg yolks – most eggnog is made using just egg yolks, but we’re upping the protein by also including whole eggs.

What goes into the dairy-free eggnog mixture?

Traditional eggnog uses cow’s milk, lots of sugar, egg yolks, and spices. 

In our easy dairy-free eggnog mixture, we’re using canned coconut milk, almond milk, egg yolks, and whole eggs, along with maple syrup for sweetness. 

Cinnamon and nutmeg bring out the eggnog flavors and it all comes together super simply in the blender! 

Simple ingredients you’ll need for eggnog French toast casserole

Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.

• sprouted grain bread
• pomegranate arils
• coconut milk
• egg yolks
• eggs
• almond milk (here’s how to make your own almond milk at home)
• pure maple syrup
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• sea salt

How to make dairy free French toast bake

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cube 12 slices of bread. Add to the casserole dish, along with pomegranate arils.
2. In a blender, blend the coconut milk, egg yolks, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until combined.  If you don’t have a blender handy, simply add the ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until fully combined.
3. Pour the eggnog mixture over the bread cubes and press into the baking dish – the bread into the homemade eggnog mixture.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the liquid is set and the top is slightly golden brown. Cool slightly at room temperature, then enjoy!

Watch me make this easy French toast bake

The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!

Can this be prepped in advance?

You can easily prepare this overnight French toast casserole in advance. 

Follow through step 3, cover, and place in the fridge overnight. 

In the morning, bake according to step 4. The casserole will take an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven because it is baking from a chilled state.

How to store leftovers

Once the casserole is cooled to room temperature, if can be covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge.  It will keep well for 1 week.

Reheat individual pieces at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.  You can also pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to reheat it.

Add a drizzle of maple syrup and it’s the perfect simple leftover breakfast for the whole family!

Substitutions

Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this baked French toast recipe. 

If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!

Sprouted grain bread – Use any type of bread here. If you need it gluten free, be sure to use a gluten-free bread.  You can use day old bread that you have on hand, French bread, Italian bread, challah bread, thick slices of sour dough, whole wheat or white bread. If using really fresh bread, allow it to sit out on the counter for a few hours to try out.  A more stale bread works better here, but really, just use your favorite bread and what you have on hand!

Pomegranate arils – Pomegrantes are so festive and great for a holiday or Christmas morning.  Substitutes that would work great are fresh berries (diced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and huckleberries), salted diced apples, diced pears, or fresh cherries.

Coconut milk and almond milk – In this recipe we’re using a combination of coconut milk and almond milk.  The coconut milk adds lots of creaminess, like heavy cream or half and half would.  You can of course use your favorite dairy-free milk as an alternative here – try light coconut milk, oat milk, cashew milk, soy milk, hemp milk, or flax milk.  If you don’t need this recipe to be dairy free, go for cow’s milk!

Eggs – For a lighter homemade eggnog mixture, feel free to use egg whites to replace the whole eggs.  If you’re wanting to make his into a vegan French toast casserole, replace the eggs with ground flax.

Maple syrup – Alternatives to maple syrup include honey, agave nectar, and date syrup.  These liquid sweeteners will work really well to replace maple syrup.  You can also use granulated sweeteners like coconut sugar, brown sugar, or natural cane sugar.  A touch of vanilla extract is a great addition to add in!

Cinnamon/nutmeg – For that classic eggnog flavor, don’t skip these two spices.  But if you’re looking for another great option, try pumpkin pie spice or swapping the nutmeg for warm spices like ground ginger or anise.  You taste buds will love those!

More healthy breakfast recipes

• Cranberry stuffed oatmeal breakfast cake
• Whole grain apple pie pancakes
• Gluten free protein waffles
• Peanut butter baked oatmeal recipe

If you try this perfect breakfast recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!

XO

Heather

Originally published December 2020. Updated May 2023.