Dairy-Free Oat-Crusted French Toast

The night before, leave the loaf of bread out on the counter overnight uncovered to allow it to become “stale.” (Stale bread absorbs the liquid much better and will allow for a better, non-soggy French toast that won't fall apart.)

The next day, preheat the oven to 300°F. (This is to keep the French toast warm and crispy until you finish making all the slices.) Place a wire cooling rack on top of a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the oat milk and apple cider vinegar, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the coating (oats and cinnamon) in a separate bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

To the milk mixture, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and flaxseed meal. Stir well and let sit for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture is ready when it seems a little thicker.

Completely submerge a slice of bread in the milk mixture and hold it under for 30 seconds. Transfer the slice to the bowl with the oats and coat each side of the bread with the oats. Place the oat covered slice on the wire rack set over the baking sheet. Stir the milk mixture and repeat this process for all the slices. Let the slices rest for 5 minutes to ensure the milk mixture soaks all the way through the bread.

While you wait, heat a large skillet over low heat (a 2 or 3 setting on your stove). If desired, use two pans to cut down on time needed to cook.

Place a little butter in the bottom of the pan and place 2 bread slices in the pan and fry until the oats start to turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and fry the other side. Keep flipping until the slices don't feel soggy when you poke them. Be patient, and don't be tempted to turn up the heat. It will burn the outer oat layer before cooking the centers and you'll end up with soggy French toast.

When done, place the French toast slices on an oven-safe pan or baking sheet and place them in the oven to keep warm and crispy while you cook the rest. Repeat this process until all the slices are cooked. (Be sure to wipe out the oats that fall off in the pan before placing in new slices to prevent the oats from burning.)

Serve with butter and maple syrup.