This dairy-free French toast with coconut milk has crisp, golden edges and a soft, custardy center flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and a little honey. Full-fat coconut milk gives the egg mixture the richness of classic French toast without dairy.
My favorite trick is to cover the pan after the first flip. It helps the center cook into a fluffy, almost soufflé-like texture while the outside stays crisp. I developed this recipe using gluten-free white bread, but regular white bread or slightly stale sourdough works too.
Recipe Overview: Dairy Free French Toast
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕓 Total time: 25 minutes
- 👥 Yield: 4 servings
- Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk
- Texture: Crisp outside, fluffy and custardy inside
- ✅ Gluten-free option: Tested with gluten-free white bread
- ⚠️ Most important tip: Cover the pan after the first flip. This helps the center cook through gently while keeping the outside golden and crisp.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
"This is totally replacing my old recipe! Love the trick where you use the lid for part of the cooking."
- Donna
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Why This Recipe Works
- Medium-low heat gives the center time to cook. The toast can become golden without burning before the custard inside is cooked through.
- Full-fat coconut milk makes a richer custard. Its thicker texture gives the egg mixture more body than thinner plant milks and produces a creamy center.
- A controlled soak prevents sogginess. I soak each side for about 30 seconds-enough time for the bread to absorb the custard without becoming saturated.
- Covering after the flip cooks the center gently. The trapped heat helps the interior set while the bottom finishes browning.
Key Ingredients + Tested Substitutions
This cinnamon dairy-free french toast recipe uses many of the same ingredients as classic french toast. The main substitutions are swapping milk for full-fat coconut milk and butter (for frying) with coconut oil. I recommend other substitutions for these ingredients in the ingredients list below.
Bread
I developed this recipe using gluten-free white bread. Slightly stale or dry bread works especially well because it absorbs the coconut milk mixture without becoming overly soggy.
If you don't need the recipe to be gluten-free, slightly stale white bread, sourdough, brioche-style bread, or another sturdy bread will work. Fresh bread can also be used, but it may need a slightly shorter soak.
Dairy-Free Milk
Full-fat canned coconut milk is my first choice because its richness creates the creamy, custardy interior shown in the photos. Stir the coconut milk until smooth before measuring.
Other non-dairy milks can work, especially creamy options such as oat or cashew milk, but thinner milks may produce a softer interior and may need a shorter soak.
Leftover full-fat coconut milk can be used in my Mango Coconut Chia Pudding, or Mashed Potatoes with Coconut Milk.
You'll also need eggs, honey or maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and coconut oil or dairy-free butter for cooking.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
Topping Ideas
Fresh berries, maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, and dairy-free whipped cream make amazing toppings for a classic version of this coconut milk french toast recipe.
Or get creative and try these other topping variations:
- Cinnamon Apple: Make my Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices and layer them on top.
- Chocolate Banana: Drizzle it with chocolate and add sliced banana.
- Pumpkin Spice: Top with my Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream, maple syrup, and swap the cinnamon in the soaking mixture for pumpkin pie spice.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Add cinnamon sugar as a topping for a churro-themed french toast.
How to Make Dairy-Free French Toast
- Make the dip: Whisk the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a wide bowl or baking dish until evenly combined
- Soak the bread: Soak each slice for about 30 seconds per side. If your bread is especially fresh or soft, shorten the soaking time as needed.
- Cook: Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the soaked bread without overcrowding the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden underneath.
- Flip and cover: Flip the French toast, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until golden and cooked through in the center.
- Serve: Serve warm with maple syrup, berries, powdered sugar, or dairy-free whipped cream.
Tips + Troubleshooting
To get the best texture...
Cover the French toast with a lid after the first flip for a final soufflé-like texture with a crispy outside! The lid does not need to exactly fit the pan. I use a lid from a different pan that nestles into the skillet.
If the inside is soggy or uncooked...
With the quantities and ingredients as listed, there is little chance of the inside not cooking through.
The most likely reason for a soggy inside would be swapping a thinner milk (like low-fat coconut milk or almond milk) for the thicker coconut milk.
Here are 3 ways to fix it:
- Carefully continue to cook the french toast pieces while covered with a lid. You will need to flip frequently to prevent one side from becoming too brown. You also may want to slightly turn down the heat to prevent burning.
- For future french toast pieces, decrease the amount of time they are soaked in the egg mixture.
- Lay the soggy pieces in a single layer on a greased or lined cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 3-7 minutes or until cooked through.
Dairy-Free French Toast Recipe FAQs
Store leftover dairy-free french toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To make this a 1-2 serving French Toast recipe, halve all of the ingredient amounts.
Non-dairy milk makes an excellent substitution for dairy milk in french toast. Choose rich and creamy textures like full-fat coconut milk and oat milk for best results.
The coconut flavor is mild. Cinnamon, vanilla, honey, and the bread remain the dominant flavors. Several readers who made this recipe specifically commented that it did not taste strongly of coconut.
What to Serve with Dairy-Free French Toast
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Dairy-Free French Toast With Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk , well stirred
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 to 10 slices of slightly stale bread depending on size
- coconut oil for frying
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Make the dip: Whisk the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a wide bowl or baking dish until evenly combined.2 large eggs, 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Soak the bread: Soak each slice for about 30 seconds per side. If the bread is especially fresh or soft, shorten the soaking time as needed.6 to 10 slices of slightly stale bread
- Cook: Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the soaked bread without overcrowding the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden underneath.coconut oil for frying
- Flip and cover: Flip the French toast, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until golden and cooked through in the center.
- Serve: Serve warm with maple syrup, berries, powdered sugar, or dairy-free whipped cream.maple syrup for serving
Kathy says
Made it for brunch using Japanese white bread cut thick. It was excellent! This will be my go-to for French toast from now on. Thanks for sharing!
Jamie says
I love that! Thanks for sharing Kathy 🙂
Cindy says
I found this coconut milk French Toast and tried it on a whim. I’m glad I did! The taste and texture are superb. * adds this to my usual lineup
Mindy says
Delicious and easy! Cooked up well and browned nicely. We ate with maple syrup.
Lila says
I tried this Dairy free French toast recipe and substituted 3 tablespoons of water for the egg to make it vegan. We loved it!!
Bri says
This is a really great dairy free French toast recipe! I like it better than the French toast recipe I used to make with heavy cream. It does not taste like coconut. And even my parents liked it!
Kori says
I used happy campers bread (large slice cut in half) and sub'ed slightly warmed edensoy for coconut milk. It turned out fabulous!!
Donna says
This is totally replacing my old recipe! Love the trick where you use the lid for part of the cooking. Thank you!
Lena says
This is fantastic! It’s rich and buttery and doesn’t even taste like coconut.
Jamie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Lena!
Brenda says
I don’t even eat dairy free but this is my new go to recipe! I tried it for a friend and fell in love. Now I’m getting curious about these other dairy free recipes… maybe they’re even better too! The cows must love you.
Emily J says
Simple and delicious! We really enjoyed this French toast recipe and are happy to say it’s better than the old one I made before giving up dairy. Please make more dairy free recipes like this one!
Bianca says
I’m excited to make this recipe again! I truly think coconut milk French toast is better than the regular kind. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Ashley says
I can’t believe how simple this is. Made it for my teenage daughters birthday brunch and she was ecstatic! Thank you and please make more dairy free recipes!
Carol says
This was so perfect! I made the French toast dairy free and gluten free and my family thought I could eat gluten again 🤣 I will definitely make this again. French toast is my favorite!
lana says
i used sandwich bread so the texture was off and not crisp but that’s on me - the flavor was great though! i added a little brown sugar too because i do to all my recipes lol but i will be using this recipe from now on and with french bread so i can get a good crisp!
Jamie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Lana! Brown sugar sounds so good. In the future, if your sandwich bread is a little stale and dry, it still may work out to be crisp. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
Greta says
Like others said this has a great texture! Definitely not soggy and crisp on the outside. This will be my go to recipe from now on!
Jamie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Greta!
Deanna says
I could eat this every Sunday brunch! Can't wait to invite my friends over. The coconut milk makes it taste great, too!
Jamie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Deanna!
Anya says
The texture really is the best part! I mean the flavors are also in perfect balance but the texture is what takes it to the next level. Soft, fluffy, and delicious!
Jamie says
Thank you Anya! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.