Tofu Custard French Toast with Sourdough Bread – 25g Protein | Vegan Breakfast

French toast, rebuilt from the ground up. The custard is blended silken tofu, oat milk, vanilla protein powder, and nutritional yeast – same rich, eggy texture, no eggs. Cornstarch is the detail that makes it work: it gelatinizes in the heat and sets the batter into a proper crust rather than staying soft and wet. Thick white sourdough soaked through, pan-fried low and slow, golden and caramelized on the outside, custardy in the middle.

The only rule is patience at the flip. The custard needs 3–4 minutes undisturbed on the first side to fully set and develop that golden-brown crust. Move it too early and the batter is still liquid, the bread tears, and the whole thing falls apart. Wait until the edges look set and the color is creeping up the sides. Then flip once. That’s the whole technique.

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📊 NUTRITION (per serving, without toppings) Calories: 491 | Protein: 25g | Carbs: 60g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 4g

Optional toppings add approximately 20–25 calories per teaspoon and are not included in the base nutrition above.
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⏱️ Time: 15 minutes (Prep: 5 | Cook: 10) 🍽️ Serves: 1
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INGREDIENTS:

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Blend the custard: Add the silken tofu, oat milk, protein powder, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend on high for 30–45 seconds until completely smooth – no lumps, no graininess. The batter should look like thick, pale golden custard and coat the back of a spoon. The cornstarch won’t be visible but it’s what makes the batter set properly in the pan rather than staying wet and soft.
2. Soak the bread: Pour the custard into a wide, shallow dish. Submerge both bread slices and let them soak for 30–60 seconds per side, pressing gently to help absorption. White sourdough has an open, airy crumb that draws the custard deep into the center – it needs the time to fully saturate. If your bread is fresh rather than stale, press each slice down firmly for 10 seconds per side to force the batter in.
3. Heat the pan: Heat the coconut oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Let it warm for 30 seconds until it shimmers but doesn’t smoke. The temperature matters here – too hot and the outside burns before the custard sets, too cool and the bread steams rather than caramelizes.
4. Cook low and slow: Lift the soaked bread slices carefully – they will be heavy with custard – and place them in the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes on the first side without touching them. Watch the edges: when you see the custard turning from wet and shiny to set and matte, and the color creeping up the sides of the bread, it’s ready to flip. Use a wide spatula and flip confidently in one motion. Cook for 3 more minutes on the second side until both sides are evenly golden and the custard is completely set through.
5. Serve immediately: Transfer to a plate while still hot. The outside should be crispy and caramelized, the inside soft and custardy. Top with agave, maple syrup, plum jam, or thawed forest berries.

PRO TIP: Leave your bread slices out uncovered for 30–60 minutes before soaking if you have the time. Slightly stale bread acts like a sponge and draws the custard deeper into the center, creating a more decadent, pudding-like interior while the outside still caramelizes properly. Fresh bread works fine – just press it firmly into the custard to help absorption.

CHEF’S KISS: Add ½ tsp rum aroma and the zest of half an orange to the blender with the custard. Rum aroma and orange zest with vanilla is a classic French toast flavor combination – it makes the custard taste festive, fragrant, and considerably more complex than the base recipe alone. The orange zest in particular cuts through the richness of the tofu and lifts the whole batter. Impact: +0 calories, +0g protein, but transforms a great everyday breakfast into something that feels like a special occasion.

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🌱 PLANT DIVERSITY: White sourdough (wheat) • Silken tofu (soybeans) • Oat milk (oats) • Vanilla protein powder (pea or rice protein) • Nutritional yeast • Cornstarch (corn) • Cinnamon • Vanilla • Coconut

Optional: thawed forest berries add 1–3 additional plants depending on the mix.

(If you’re tracking plants per week, this adds 9 to your count, plus optional berry plants.)

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*Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients and brands used.* 

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ESSENTIALS

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You may find yourself in need of:

Immersion Blender – blends tofu and protein powder into a completely smooth custard with no graininess or lumps.

Silken Tofu – structural base of the custard – soft enough to blend silky, firm enough to set into a true French toast interior.

Cornstarch – the setting agent that gelatinizes in the pan, turning liquid batter into a golden crust instead of soggy bread.

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