How to Make French Toast Without Milk

Co-authored by Anne Lloyd

Last Updated: September 2, 2024 Approved

French toast is a popular breakfast item, made with eggs, milk, and bread. If you are lactose-intolerant or vegan, however, the standard recipe may not work for you. Luckily, there are lots of ways to make French toast without using milk. If you don't have any milk at all, not even the dairy-free kind, then there's an option for you as well!

Ingredients

Milk-Free French Toast ^{[1]
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2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
4 to 6 slices day-old bread
Coconut oil or butter, for cooking

Toppings (optional)

Maple syrup
Sliced banana
Fresh berries

Serve 2

Non-Dairy French Toast ^{[2]
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4 large eggs
⅔ cup (160 milliliters) canned lite or full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
10 to 12 slices of day-old bread
Coconut oil, for cooking

Toppings (optional)

Dairy-free butter
Toasted coconut
Sliced bananas
Maple syrup

Serves 4 to 6

Vegan French Toast ^{[3]
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1 banana
1 cup (240 milliliters) almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices day-old bread
Coconut oil, for cooking

Toppings (optional)

½ can thick coconut milk (full fat)
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries

Serves 2

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Milk-Free French Toast

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This recipe makes enough batter for four 1-inch (2.54-centimeter) thick slices of bread, or six ¾-inch (1.91-centimeter) thick slices of bread.
Crack the eggs into a shallow dish, then beat them with a whisk until they turn pale yellow and no streaks remain. Add the vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon, and whisk again.

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It you don't have a nonstick pan, grease a regular with about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of butter or coconut oil. Allow the pan to get hot enough to sizzle a droplet of water.
Dip first one side, then the other. Hold the bread in the batter for a few seconds to ensure that it is completely soaked. Allow the excess batter to drip back into the dish before proceeding.
5
Add the bread to the pan and let it cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side. Cook the bread for 2 to 4 minutes, turn it over with a spatula, then cook it for to 4 minutes more. It is ready when it turns golden-brown and crispy.
- If your pan is large enough, you may be able to fit two slices of bread, but make sure that they are not touching.
Re-grease the pan with butter or coconut oil as needed. Keep the already-made toast warm by covering it with a clean kitchen towel. ^{[4]
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You can serve the toast as-is, or garnish it with some sliced bananas or fresh berries. You can also drizzle some maple syrup over it.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Non-Dairy French Toast

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Stale, day-old bread will work the best for this recipe. The more rustic and hearty the bread is, the better!
Keep beating the eggs until they are smooth and pale yellow with no streaks remaining. You can do this by hand with a whisk, or you can use a stick blender.
3
Mix in the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat everything together once more with your whisk until the texture is smooth and the color is consistent.
- For a more traditional flavor, add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
A nonstick frying pan will work the best, but you can use a regular one as well—grease it well with about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of coconut oil (or non-dairy butter). The pan needs to be hot enough to sizzle a droplet of water. ^{[5]
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Make sure that you soak both sides of the bread in the batter and that it is completely soaked through. Hold the slice over the bowl for a moment and let the excess batter drip back into it.
Place the bread onto the pan. If your pan is big enough, you can add another slice of batter-soaked bead—just make sure that the edges are not touching. Fry the bread for 2 to 4 minutes, flip it over with a spatula, then cook it for another 2 to 4 minutes. It's ready when it is crispy and golden-brown.
The pan may start to turn dry after a few batches. If this happens, simply add more coconut oil (or non-dairy butter) to it. Keep the already-made toast by covering it with a clean towel.
You can serve it jut as it is, or garnish it with your choice of toppings. Maple syrup and/or non-dairy butter are the most traditional, but you can also try toasted coconut or a sliced banana.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Vegan French Toast

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If you wish to use coconut cream on your vegan French toast, you will need to refrigerate it the night before. Place the entire can into the fridge, and don't shake it. You want the cream and milk to separate.
For best results, use day-old, French bread. ^{[6]
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Research source} If this is too thick for you, you can cut it down to ¾ inch (1.91 centimeters) instead.
3
Mix the banana, milk, and spices together until they are smooth. Peel the banana first, then place it into a blender. Add the almond milk, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Blend everything together until the mixture is smooth and thick.
- If this feels too sweet for you, add ½ teaspoon of salt. ^{[7]
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- You can do this by hand, but make sure that there are no banana lumps.
- If you don't have/like almond milk, you can use other types of non-dairy milk as well, such as thin coconut milk or soy milk.
Pour the batter into a shallow dish. Dip both sides of your slice of bread into the batter until it is soaked through. Let the excess batter drip off of the bread and back into the bowl. ^{[8]
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Place about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of coconut oil into a large frying pan. Allow the coconut oil to melt and the pan to get hot. ^{[9]
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Place the toast onto the pan and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip it over with a spatula, then cook it for 3 to 4 minutes more. Once it turns crispy and golden-brown, slide it off onto a plate.
Keep a clean kitchen towel over the already-made slices of French toast to keep them warm. ^{[11]
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Research source} If the pan starts to feel too dry, melt more coconut oil in it before frying more toast. ^{[12]
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8
Prepare the coconut cream, if desired. Take the can of coconut milk out of the fridge and carefully scoop the harden cream out with a spoon; leave the liquid milk inside. Beat the cream for 30 seconds, or until it is creamy. You can do this with a mixer or a food processor fitted with whisks.
- For a sweeter cream, add some maple syrup or agave nectar.
- You don't have to do this, but coconut cream is a delicious topping for vegan French toast!
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Serve the vegan French toast. Place a few slices of French toast on a plate, then add a dollop of coconut cream on top. Sprinkle it with blueberries, raspberries, and/or sliced strawberries.
- If you opted out of the coconut cream, you can drizzle maple syrup or agave nectar on top instead.

Community Q&A

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Question

Why is milk needed?

Community Answer

The milk is partly to thin out the mixture, to help it soak into the bread easier. It also slightly contributes to the flavor.

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Question

How long can French toast last in the freezer?

Qamar

Top Answerer

If you wrap French toast properly with foil or plastic wrap, it can last about a month or two in the freezer before losing most of its flavor.

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Question

Is the French toast supposed to be squishy?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Slightly. It shouldn't be so squishy that the eggs are still raw inside; instead, it should be slightly softened only, since this meal is cooked for a short period of time on a stove.

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Tips

If your bread is fresh, slice it up first, then let it sit on the counter for a few hours so that it can dry. ^{[13]
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You can cook larger batches of French toast over a griddle. Set the griddle to 350°F (177°C). Cook the toast for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. ^{[14]
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Stale, day-old bread works the best.

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