I recently hosted a brunch that needed to be kosher and include a few dairy free offerings. I made my very first challah from scratch to serve that day and I must say it came out great! I can definitely use some practice and improve my technique, but I was so pleased with my results.
Even though I was serving freshly baked challah, I also wanted to do a challah french toast. I toyed with the idea of making individual french toast on the fly to serve fresh and hot. Even this introverted chef likes to play hostess and interact with my guests, so I quickly nixed that idea.
Then I thought a baked french toast would be easier and everyone could still choose a slice or two for themselves. That felt easy enough, but then my bestie Ina came to my inspiration rescue with challah french toast bread pudding. That was a fun recipe because it ballooned up so huge in the oven and deflated after a few minutes out.
I played around with the ratios (not a bad few weeks of taste testing) and came up with this dairy free challah french toast casserole you see here. I wanted something that was not too wet but still moist.
I like how this version has a bit of crunch on the top layer, too. If you want no crunch and more moist, just use a little less challah. A standard loaf is 16 ounces, but you can go all the way down to 10 ounces of challah cubes to increase the moistness. Serve with maple syrup if you like, but I actually think this french toast casserole is sweet enough on its own.
Dairy Free Challah French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 (453 grams) challah loaf
- 6 large eggs
- 1 14-fluid-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 70 grams (1/3 cup) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut the challah into slices and allow to sit uncovered at room temperature overnight. Tear the bread into about 1-inch cubes and spread evenly in a 9 x 11 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. The coconut milk with have a few lumps if it cool, but that is okay. They will melt away during baking.
- Let the dish sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes, to allow the challah to soak up the egg mixture. Or cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oven to 350F, and bake until the center of the french toast casserole no longer looks wet or jiggly, about 45-50 minutes.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately. The french toast casserole will deflate a bit as it cools.
This would make a delicious meal as well as a snack. I was just thinking of raiding the fridge, maybe I should just make this instead.
This actually looks amazing! And I’m not a french toast fan so that’s saying something! I’m not sure if we can get challah loafs here in new zealand though 🙁 I’ve never heard of them.
This looks so good! I love French toast casserole. I’ve seen people make it in so many different ways. My husband makes a kind with a nice crunchy pecan topping.
I have never made or eaten a challah before. Always interested in trying new dishes and this one sounds delicious.
This looks so GOOD!!!! I’m allergic to dairy, so finding dairy-free recipes is always a win to me
What a yummy recipe. I love that you used coconut milk and kept this dairy free. This recipe will make a great addition to Easter brunch!
I’m a huge fan of French toast and have to give this a try! Coconut milk sounds like agreat substitution for milk.
Omg can we say yum?!?! This casserole looks absolutely delicious. I must give your recipe a try
I didn’t even know french toast casserole was a thing until now, but now that I do I am DYING to make this! It’s on my must-bake list for next weekend for brunch now!
This french toast casserole looks and sounds absolutely delicious. I love that this recipe is dairy free, as some people in my household are sensitive to lactose.
I’ve never heard of challah before. Sounds like a delicious, tho, so I need to try this out.
We do a breakfast meal one night a week, my kids would love this. I am going to add it to our choice list!!
my husband loves pudding, but unfortunately I don’t know how to make one. Thanks for the recipe.
I am so impressed that you made homemade challah! I am gluten free now but when I wasn’t, that was my most favorite bread – especially for french toast.
Well I’ve never tried Challah before. Looks like a delicious dish. I can’t wait to make and serve to the family an see what they think
That sounds good. french toast and pudding in one recipe. Delicious. I want some please.
This sounds like a lovely recipe, perfect for when you’re hosting a brunch or a dinner party. I love that it’s baked instead of fried and it’s also dairy free!
I love French Toast. .This recipe sounds delicious!! I can’t wait to try it this weekend.