Sometimes it’s hard to believe, but I’ve been making vegan French Toast for over thirty years. My earliest attempts were back when I was a newbie teenage vegan, back in the early ’90s. In fact, there was a recipe for French Toast in Solace Kitchenzine, a cut & pasted, photocopied old-school fanzine with a collection of vegan recipes that I self-published when I was only 17 years old.

I only ever made 500 copies of Solace Kitchenzine, it only had about 20 recipes (and a lot of my drawings and black and white photographs) – but I sold, traded, and distributed all of them – at hardcore punk / straightedge shows, at high school in the New Jersey suburbs, and (mostly) in the domestic and international post. I mailed them out all over the world to other kids that collected ‘zines.

I’ve actually only got a few more copies of my ‘zines. It’s fun to pull them out, put one of my few remaining Gorilla Biscuits or Youth of Today 12″ records on the turntable… and think amusingly about the old days.

The recipe has come a long way since the 1990s. I’ve got decades more cooking experience and a lot more tricks in my culinary arsenal. Instead of just chickpea flour (which Indians have been using for egg-like dishes for ages, and I learned to use like a boss while living in India) I also like to use corn starch or (freshly) ground flax seeds in the batter – to help bind it. I also typically include some Kala Namak, Indian black salt, for that characteristic egg flavor.

As noted, stale bread is best for French Toast. I’ll usually leave the bread slices out the night before I want to make this. Or just use bread that’s been hanging out in the kitchen for a while.

Depending what I’ve got around and how motivated I’m feeling, I may or may not use ground nutmeg, or add some ground vanilla (or vanilla extract), but it does make things more fun. Back in the old days I liked to use Vanilla Edensoy or Vitasoy soy milk (there weren’t 50 brands of plant-based milks at the supermarket or health food stores decades ago).

I originally learned to make French Toast from my dad, who often made breakfast for the family on the weekends. (I also learned to make pancakes and scrambled eggs from him – all of these things I’ve been making vegan for literally most of my life now.) Btw, vegan recipes for Pancakes and Tofu Scramble are in The Lotus and the Artichoke – WORLD 2.0, if you need more vegan brunch ideas.

Yes, lots of recipes are on this website for free, but I’ll just say that when you download my e-books and order my printed cookbooks, it really brightens my days – and helps keep this project going – and puts food on the table for my family here in Berlin. ;-)

Top your fried toast slices with some fresh fruit and a decent syrup of your choice. I think maple syrup is best, but agave syrup or blackstrap molasses are also fun. And, powdered sugar always makes French Toast extra special.

French Toast

serves 2 to 3 / time 30 min

recipe from The Lotus and the Artichoke – WORLD 2.0
(Rezept auf Deutsch unten)

• 6–8 slices of bread (slightly stale is ideal)
• 2 Tbs chickpea flour or wheat flour (all-purpose / type 550)
• 2 Tbs corn starch or 2 Tbs flax seeds ground
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp turmeric ground
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp kala namak optional
• 1 cup (240 ml) soy milk
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil more as needed

toppings:

• fresh fruit (e.g. sliced banana, pineapple, mango, or berries)
• margarine
• powdered sugar, syrup, or fruit jam

1. Combine chickpea flour (or flour), corn starch (or ground flax seeds), sugar, baking powder,
   ground cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, salt, and kala namak (if using) in a large bowl.
2. Whisk in soy milk and oil. Mix until mostly smooth, but don’t overdo it. Let sit 10 min.
3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium to medium high heat. When a drop of water sizzles and dances on the surface, the pan is hot enough. (If not using a non-stick frying pan, rub a few drops of oil over the surface with a paper towel before frying each slice.)
4. Dip a slice of bread in batter on both sides. Let it soak for a few seconds, then transfer it to the hot pan. Repeat for another slice or two. Fry slices on each side for 3–4 minutes until deep golden brown, turning carefully with a spatula. If slices are sticking to the pan, add a few drops of oil or some margarine around the slices before turning. Transfer cooked slices to a plate and cover. Continue for remaining slices.
5. Serve with fresh fruit, margarine, powdered sugar, syrup, and/or jam.

Variations:

Orange: Add 2 tsp orange zest to batter. Vanilla: Add 1/4 tsp ground vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla sugar to batter. Chocolate: Use chocolate soy milk or add 1 Tbs cocoa powder to batter. Adjust soy milk accordingly.

French Toast

2 bis 3 Portionen / Dauer 30 Min.

Rezept aus The Lotus and the Artichoke – WORLD 2.0

• 6–8 Scheiben Brot (am besten etwas älter)
• 2 EL Kichererbsen- oder Weizenmehl (Type 550)
• 2 EL Speisestärke oder 2 EL Leinsamen gemahlen
• 1 EL Zucker
• 1/2 TL Backpulver
• 1/2 TL Zimt
• 1/8 TL Muskat
• 1/8 TL Kurkuma gemahlen
• 1/4 TL Meersalz
• 1/4 TL Kala Namak wenn gewünscht
• 1 Tasse (240 ml) Sojamilch
• 1 EL Pflanzenöl bei Bedarf mehr

Toppings:

• frisches Obst (z. B. Bananen-, Ananas- oder Mangoscheiben oder Beeren)
• Margarine
• Puderzucker, Sirup oder Marmelade

1. In einer Rührschüssel Kichererbsenmehl oder Mehl, Stärke oder Leinsamen, Zucker, Backpulver, Zimt, Muskat, Kurkuma, Salz und Kala Namak (falls verwendet) vermischen.
2. Sojamilch und Öl unterrühren, bis ein glatter Teig entsteht. Nicht zu stark verrühren. 10 Min. ruhen lassen.
3. Eine große beschichtete Pfanne auf mittlerer Flamme erhitzen. Wenn ein Tropfen Wasser zischend auf der Oberfläche herumhüpft, hat die Pfanne die richtige Temperatur. (Beim Verwenden einer unbeschichteten Pfanne vor dem Braten jeder Scheibe ein paar Tropfen Öl hineingeben und mit Küchenpapier verreiben.)
4. Brotscheibe beidseitig ein paar Sekunden lang in den Teig tauchen. In die heiße Pfanne geben und auch die zweite (und ggf. dritte) Scheibe mit dem Teig überziehen. Die Scheiben auf jeder Seite 3 bis 4 Min. goldbraun braten. Vorsichtig mit einem Pfannenwender umdrehen. Wenn die Scheiben anhaften, vor dem Wenden einige Tropfen Öl oder etwas Margarine außen um den Rand der Scheiben verteilen. Fertige Scheiben auf einen Teller legen und abkühlen lassen. Restliche Scheiben ausbacken.
5. Mit frischem Obst, Margarine, Puderzucker, Sirup und/oder Marmelade servieren.

Variationen:

Orange: 2 TL geriebene Orangenschale unter den Teig mischen. Vanille: 1/4 TL Vanillepulver oder
1 TL Vanillezucker einrühren. Schokoladig: Schoko-Sojamilch verwenden oder 1 EL Kakaopulver unter den Teig mischen. Die Sojamilchmenge entsprechend anpassen.