Hot Cross Bun French Toast Bake (Vegan)
This spiced, sticky and deliciously tender Hot Cross Bun French Toast Bake is ideal for Easter and is a fun spin on a classic bread and butter pudding combined with hot cross buns while being dairy-free and egg-free.
I love a good bake for Easter and this one makes such a fun dessert to share with friends and family (or to enjoy for yourself). Not only is it gooey, sticky and spiced, it’s also loaded with dried fruits, orange or apricot jam and it’s made without eggs or dairy. I am also using my favourite sourdough bread from Jason’s Sourdough (you can use any of their loaves here, I am using their wholemeal one) which are readily available in the shops. It’s a cross between a bread and butter pudding and French toast while having everything we love about hot cross buns laced into every bite.
Why will I love this bake?
This dessert is amazing:
- Gooey, sticky, spiced and orangey
- Perfect for Easter and all year round
- Easy to make
- Ideal to prepare in advance
- Tastes delicious warm or cold
- With lots of dried fruits inside
- Made without eggs or dairy and fully vegan
- Easily gluten-free and naturally nut-free
- Serve with your favourite dairy-free ice cream/cream/custard or yoghurt
- Comes together with 15 minutes of prep time
- A cross between French toast and bread and butter pudding
- Made using wholemeal sourdough bread
- You can use other bread too
- Spread with orange or apricot jam
- Everyone will love it
If you already love the sound of this dessert, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
You can see the ingredients with weights in the recipe card below and see my favourite and recommended products in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the bake:
- Dairy-free milk: use your preferred plant-based milk like soya, oat or almond.
- Cornstarch: this acts instead of egg in the batter.
- Coconut or light brown sugar: to sweeten the milk mix.
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger and mixed spices.
- Vanilla extract: for sweetness and flavour.
- Salt: for flavour.
- Dried mixed fruits: for adding chunks of fruitiness.
- Orange: the zest adds lots of flavour.
- Sourdough slices: I use the wholemeal loaf from Jason’s Sourdough which I love (this is their new and improved one too without folic acid) but I also love their white sourdough, too.
- Orange or apricot jam: this is for spreading onto the slices of bread and I love the St Dalfour range as they are made entirely from fruit and fruit juices instead of added sugar.
- Dairy-free yoghurt: this is for the cross. Make sure it’s really thick so that it holds shape when piped on top (I use NUSH or Cocos Organic).
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as you use GF bread. This is naturally nut-free but check your ingredients.
How do I make this?
This is ready to go in a few steps:
- Combine the milk with the spices and cornstarch: for the batter.
- Slice the bread with the jam: and arrange in a dish.
- Sprinkle over the dried fruits: so they are in all of the gaps.
- Pour over the milky mix: and let sit on the side.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes: first with some foil on top and then without.
- Serve warm or cold with a yoghurt cross on top: and extra yoghurt, cream or custard.
How long will it last?
This will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge in a sealed container once baked and you can warm it u in the oven for 20 minutes.
What other recipes can I try?
For more desserts and Easter recipes:
- Mini Egg Brownie Cookie Bars
- Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Hot Cross Bun Banana Bread
- Carrot Orange and Walnut Cake
- Chocolate Raspberry Easter Fudge Cake
Hot Cross Bun French Toast Bake (Vegan)
This spiced, sticky and deliciously tender Hot Cross Bun French Toast Bake is ideal for Easter and is a fun spin on a classic bread and butter pudding combined with hot cross buns while being dairy-free and egg-free.
Ingredients
- 360ml plant-based milk
- 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp coconut or light brown sugar
- Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp mixed spices
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- 80g dried mixed fruits
- 1 orange, zested
- 8 slices Jason’s Wholemeal Ciabattin Loaf
- 8 tsp orange or apricot jam, plus extra
- Dairy-free yoghurt, for the cross
Instructions
- Add the milk, cornstarch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spices, vanilla and salt to a large jug and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Spread each slice of wholemeal sourdough with the jam and slice in half.
- Into an ovenproof dish (16x22cm or 20x20-cm square), arrange the bread slices half standing up so that they fill the dish and overlap each other. If needed, slice some of the pieces in half again to fill the gaps.
- Sprinkle on and push in the dried fruits.
- Pour over all of the milky mix so that all of the bread is covered.
- Cover with foil and leave somewhere at room temperature for 60 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and once hot, place the dish in the oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until bubbling and golden all over (it may bubble over a little).
- Once out of the oven, allow to cool slightly and brush with extra jam, if you like.
- To pipe on a neat cross, wait until the pudding is much cooler and then use the yoghurt to make a white cross.
- Or, slice and serve while warm with some dairy-free yoghurt, custard or cream.
- Keep leftovers, once cool, in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days and warm back up in the oven for 20 minutes before eating.
Shop the recipe
Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Hot Cross Bun French Toast Bake so please do let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make these, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With bread-y love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Jason’s Sourdough who I love and this blog post is not sponsored.
Skip to Recipe