Few foods are as timeless as a classic French Toast breakfast. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a good thing even better! Our Gluten-Free Bagel French Toast Stuffed with Vegan Cream Cheese captures the spirit of reinvention our enthusiasm for bringing the hottest foodie trends to your gluten-free kitchen. We can barely contain our glee to share this gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based breakfast. Made with our Gluten-free Cinnamon & Raisin bagels, this Gluten-Free Bagel French Toast Stuffed with Vegan Cream Cheese recipe is not only brunch-worthy—it’s downright bagelriffic!
This recipe makeover is so much more than swapping bagels in place of bread to make vegan French toast. It’s got a showstopping vegan cream cheese filling, with plenty of room for improv.
Our Eggless French Toast recipe offers a master-recipe base for turning your favourite gluten-free bread—or bagels!—into vegan French toast. Start by dipping slices of our Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels into this easy plant-based, egg free French toast batter. Cook until golden. Then stuff each bagel with an irresistible vegan cream cheese filling. We used raspberry jam and lemon zest in our filling but check out our tips below for more ways to create different taste profiles with other jams or chocolate.
Served with a dollop of non-dairy vanilla yogurt, maple syrup or fresh fruit, our Gluten-Free Bagel French Toast Stuffed with Vegan Cream Cheese is an unforgettable twist on a classic!
Instructions:
For the Vegan Cream Cheese Filling:
- Beat vegan butter in a bowl until smooth. Add in vegan cream cheese and mix until creamy.
- Mix in lemon zest, raspberry jam and vanilla until smooth and combined.
- Blend in powdered sugar one cup at a time, until mixture becomes thick, spreadable and your desired consistency and sweetness.
- Allow filling to set in the fridge slightly while you prepare your French toast bagels.
For the Vegan French Toast Bagels:
- Begin by making batter. In a shallow bowl, combine plant-based milk, ground chia seeds, maple syrup, and vanilla. Set aside for approximately 5 minutes, giving the mixture time to thicken slightly.
- Working with half a bagel slice at a time, dip both sides of the bagel slice into the soaking mixture. Place slice in a pre-heated, non-stick pan greased with non-dairy butter over medium-high heat.
- Cook until golden brown on one side. Flip and cook again until the second side is golden as well. Repeat with the remaining bagel slices, transferring them to a warm oven on a cooking rack on top of a cookie sheet until you’re ready to add vegan cream cheese filling and serve. (Note: Steam can make the bagel slices soggy, so do not cover when keeping warm in the oven.)
To Assemble:
- Remove filling from fridge and generously layer vegan cream cheese filling between slices of French toast bagels. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Serves 4
Tips:
- Substitute the two tablespoons of raspberry jam in the vegan cream cheese filling for two tablespoons of mashed fresh raspberries if they’re in season!
- Attention chocolate connoisseurs! Add cacao nibs or mini dark chocolate chips to your vegan cream cheese for a chocolatey twist on our gluten-free bagel stuffed French toast. (Or double down and add a tablespoon of cocoa powder, too!)
- Enjoy this dish twice in one week! The vegan cream cheese filling makes enough for four gluten-free stuffed French toasts. Serving one or two people? Save leftover filling to spread the goodness over two—or more!—meals. (Breakfast for dinner, anyone?) Serving more? Double the vegan cream cheese filling for a quick remake later in the week. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 – 7 days.
- Experiment with the filling! Try adding cinnamon and a couple spoonfuls of applesauce for an apple-pie-inspired twist, or some pumpkin pie spice and a quarter cup of pumpkin purée for a little fall flair. Try different jams like blueberry, strawberry, or your favourite marmalade for a fruity, use-what-you-have flavour experiment. Or add a dash of cocoa powder for a chocolatey finish.
- Experiment with the bagel! Make a pancake-inspired gluten-free bagel French toast with our Blueberry Bagels. (They capture the essence of blueberry pancakes straight from the toaster, but the French toast treatment would take them over the top!). Or try this recipe with our plain gluten-free bagels for a blank bagel-French-toast canvas just waiting to be stuffed with your most creative interpretation of our vegan cream cheese filling!
Did you opt for fresh raspberries? A dash of chocolate? Show us your gluten-free French Toast Bagels on Facebook! Post a photo of your makes on the Little Northern Bakehouse Facebook page or tag us @littlenorthernbakehouse on Instagram.