French toast is always so good on its own but add toppings to the equation and it gets even better. The thing that I love most about this classic is that it is so customizable. You can add anything from dairy-free chocolate spreads, to maple syrup, to bananas and vegan cream.
Check out this vegan peanut butter jelly French toast which is decorated so generously and also takes less than 20 minutes to make.
You can peanut butter and jelly french toast for breakfast, as a midday snack or for supper. You can't go wrong with its versatility. There's no right or wrong time to eat this fine treat.
If you're looking for more vegan breakfast inspiration, check out my vegan biscoff pancakes, vegan pretzel sticks, vegan caramel rice krispie treats and vegan danish mini pastries which are also awesome options to begin your day with.
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Why You Will Love This French Toast
- A Great Way To Start The Day - If you're a big fan of PB&J, this may be the best possible way that you could begin your foodie day. The French toast is beautifully sweet, golden and totally delicious. Some other peanut butter recipes that you'll enjoy, include the vegan chocolate peanut butter fudge and the eggless vanilla peanut butter cake loaf.
- Generously Filled - The fillings in this recipe are packed into the French toast. When I have general peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I like the fillings to overpower the bread. If there is much more bread than filling, it can ruin the experience a little.
- Easy to Make - To make this simple recipe, you need to firstly make the French toast batter. You can then add the fillings to the bread. Create a sandwich then dip it (on both sides) into the batter. Fry until golden brown and enjoy.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan peanut butter jelly French toast recipe is wholly vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch - This ingredient is mainly used as a thickener in this recipe, as well as in my vegan chocolate cinnamon french toast rolls and vegan chocolate french toast. Without this the batter would be much thinner and the final texture of the French toast wouldn't be right. The cornstarch also helps to make the outside of the toast super crispy, just like my vegan strawberry cheesecake tacos.
- Maple syrup - A great white sugar alternative which tastes fantastic. It also works really well as a topping along with some fresh fruits. See my mini vegan chocolate pancakes for another example of this.
- 4 slices of thick white bread - I prefer to use thicker breads for French toast recipes, as they doesn't collapse when being dipped into the batter.
- Smooth peanut butter - One of the two main ingredients. I personally recommend smooth peanut butter as I think it works better but you can also use crunchy peanut butter if you're feeling adventurous.
- Raspberry jelly (jam) - The second main ingredient. Compliments the 'PB' perfectly.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You don't have to use white bread to make the French toast. Don't let that hold you back! You can easily make this French toast healthier by changing a couple things. Firstly, use brown or wholemeal bread instead. This will work just as well and these kinds of breads also contain many more nutritional benefits. You can also bake, instead of frying. Baked french toast is very possible in an air fryer or an oven.
- If you prefer, you can use alternative fillings in this recipe. Feel free to use a different nut butter and a different flavor of jelly. Some people like to use almond butter or cashew butter. As for the jelly, how about strawberry like I used for my vegan strawberry lemon layer cake, blueberry or blackberry?
How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Make the French toast batter inside a mixing bowl.
2: Spread the peanut butter and jelly onto the bread.
3: Make a sandwich.
4: Dip one side of the sandwich into the batter.
5: Flip and dip the other side of the sandwich into the batter.
6: Fry the French toast in vegan butter on one side for 2 minutes.
7: Flip and cook the other side until both sides are golden brown.
8: Garnish your french toast.
Expert Tips
Always use thick bread - The thicker the bread, the less likely that it will break when dipped in the batter. Thick bread can easily withstand being wet, whereas this isn't the case at all with thin slices.
Don't dip the bread for too long - Whether the bread is thick or not, the longer you leave the bread soaking in the batter, the harder it is to take it out. This is why I recommend a maximum of 10 seconds on each side.
Make french toast sticks - If you prefer you can slice the bread into sticks before dipping. As these are smaller, only dip for a few seconds.
Recipe FAQs
Cinnamon works great for french toast and this recipe. It gives it some extra flavor and seasonal warmth.
French toast is amazing when you make it from scratch at home. It tastes super fresh and it's easy to make. I have never tried pre-prepared or packaged french toast but I can't imagine that it is very nice!
The best french toast recipes are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside (NOT soggy). If your french toast is soggy, you may have dipped it in the batter for too long.
You can store this french toast in the fridge for two days, covered with plastic wrap.
I don't advise this. Please eat it fresh.
Most of the time, yes. This means it great for people who may be trying veganism for the first time. Almost all peanut butters are naturally vegan. However, sometimes jellies, jams, preserves and conserves can contain animal products. Make sure you check.
More Vegan Breakfast Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Peanut Butter Jelly French Toast Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Easy Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast
Ingredients
For the French toast batter:
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 120 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Bread:
- 4 slices of thick white bread
- 1.5 tablespoons vegan butter* for frying (see notes)
For the filling:
- Smooth peanut butter to taste
- Raspberry jelly jam (to taste)
Garnish:
- Melted peanut butter optional
- Chopped peanuts optional
- Fresh raspberries optional
- Maple syrup optional
Instructions
Make the French toast batter:
- To a medium bowl, add your cornstarch. Gradually, add in the soy milk while whisking constantly so that there are no lumps.
- Next, pour in the vanilla and maple syrup. Then sprinkle in the cinnamon. Combine again with a whisk.
Add the PBJ:
- Take 2 slices of your thick bread, then spread some peanut butter and raspberry jelly onto them (as much as you like). Place the other 2 slices of bread over them, creating two sandwiches.
Dip the bread:
- Heat a large skillet pan over a medium heat. While the pan heats up, add your sandwiches to the French toast batter. Leave them to soak for 5-10 seconds on each side. Any longer and the bread may fall apart.
Fry the French toast:
- Add the vegan butter to the hot frying pan. Place as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into the pan as you can fit. This will usually be 1 or 2 at a time.
- Cook your French toast for 2 minutes, pressing down with a metal spatula until the bottom is golden brown. This makes sure that the sandwich is properly pressed together.
- Flip your French toast and cook the other side until it is also golden brown. Repeat this process until all the French toast has been fried.
Garnish the French toast:
- If you want topping for your French toast, I recommend melted peanut butter, chopped peanuts and fresh berries.
Video
Notes
- The thicker the bread, the less likely that it will break when dipped in the batter. Thick bread can easily withstand being wet, whereas this isn't the case at all with thin slices.
- Whether the bread is thick or not, the longer you leave the bread soaking in the batter, the harder it is to take it out. This is why I recommend a maximum of 10 seconds on each side.
- If you prefer you can slice the bread into sticks before dipping. As these are smaller, only dip for a few seconds.
- Fry using coconut oil for a healthier option.
Barry says
Really enjoyed this French toast. Such a simple recipe.
Vegan Treats Blogger says
So happy that you loved it!