Vegan Pumpkin French Toast with Silken Tofu Custard and Maple Pecans
Thick sourdough soaked in a blended silken tofu and pumpkin custard, pan-fried until crisp at the edges, then topped with sticky maple-glazed pecans.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
Vegan Pumpkin French Toast with Silken Tofu Custard and Maple Pecans is a vegan breakfast recipe made with pecan halves, maple syrup, ground cinnamon. It takes 35 minutes of hands-on time, serves 4, and each serving has 480 calories, 17 g of protein and 5 g of fiber.
Silken tofu blended with soy milk and a little chickpea flour makes a custard that sets on the griddle the way an egg one does, so the centers turn creamy instead of soggy. The tofu and soy milk also bring the protein that most plant-based French toast lacks. Sturdy day-old sourdough stands up to the thick pumpkin batter, and a slightly lower heat than usual gives the custard time to cook through before the outside darkens.
Ingredients
Maple pecans
- ½ cup50 gpecan halves, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup
- 1 pinch0.3 gground cinnamon
- 1 pinch0.4 gfine salt
Pumpkin tofu custard
- 12 oz340 gsilken tofu, drained
- ½ cup123 gpumpkin puree (unsweetened, not pie filling)
- ¾ cup182 gunsweetened soy milk
- 3 tbsp17 gchickpea flour
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup
- 2 tsp8.4 gvanilla extract
- 1½ tsp3.9 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp0.6 gground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp0.5 gground ginger (optional)
- ¼ tsp1.5 gfine salt
French toast
- 8 slices256 gday-old sourdough bread, cut about 3/4 inch thick
- 2 tbsp27 grefined coconut oil, for the pan
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup, for serving (optional)
Kit: Blender, Large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, Wide shallow dish, Wire rack and baking sheet
Tips
- If your bread is fresh, dry the slices on a rack in a 300°F oven for 8–10 minutes, flipping once, so they soak up custard without falling apart.
- Keep the heat at medium-low. Chickpea flour tastes raw and beany until it is cooked through, and the tofu custard needs the full time to set in the middle.
- A thick layer of custard on the surface will scorch before it sets, so let each slice drip well before it goes into the pan.
- Leftover custard keeps for 2 days in the fridge; whisk it before using.
Swap ideas
- Thick-sliced whole wheat bread instead of sourdough
- Softer and slightly sweeter with less tang; soak closer to 15 seconds per side because it absorbs faster.
- Cornstarch (2 tbsp) instead of chickpea flour
- Still sets the custard but with a more neutral flavor and a slightly softer center.
- Walnuts instead of pecans
- A more bitter, earthy crunch that offsets the sweet maple glaze.
- Neutral oil instead of coconut oil
- Removes any coconut note; the edges crisp slightly less.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
480kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 7.4 g 37%
- Sugars
- 19.6 g
- Sodium
- 605 mg 26%
- Potassium
- 433 mg 9%
- Calcium
- 234 mg 18%
- Iron
- 4.7 mg 26%
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg 2%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.39 µg 16%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Nuts, pecans, Syrups, maple, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Salt, table, Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari), Pumpkin, canned, without salt, Soymilk, original and vanilla, with added calcium, vitamins A and D, Chickpea flour (besan), Vanilla extract, Spices, nutmeg, ground, Bread, french or vienna (includes sourdough), Oil, coconut
Method
Make the maple pecans: toast the chopped pecans in a dry large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker, 3–4 minutes. Add 2 tbsp maple syrup with the pinch of cinnamon and salt and stir until the syrup bubbles and clings to the nuts, about 1 minute. Scrape onto a plate to cool and wipe out the skillet.
Blend the silken tofu, pumpkin puree, soy milk, chickpea flour, 2 tbsp maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt until completely smooth, 30–45 seconds, scraping down the sides once. The custard should be as thick as heavy cream; pour it into a wide, shallow dish.
Heat the skillet over medium-low heat and melt 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil, swirling to coat. The pan is ready when a drop of custard sizzles gently rather than spitting.
Lay 2 or 3 slices of bread in the custard and soak for 20–30 seconds per side, pressing lightly so the batter works into the crumb. Lift each slice, let the excess drip off, and scrape any thick clumps from the surface with the edge of the dish.
Cook the soaked slices without moving them until the underside is deep golden brown and releases easily, 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook the second side another 3–4 minutes, until browned and the center feels set and springy when pressed, not wet. Turn the heat down if the outside darkens before the 4-minute mark.
Move the cooked slices to a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven to stay warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining bread, adding 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil for each batch and stirring the custard before each soak.
Serve 2 slices per person, topped with the maple pecans and an extra drizzle of maple syrup if you like.
Storage: Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate cooled slices in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze in a single layer and then bag for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster or a 375°F oven for 6–8 minutes until hot and crisp. Store the pecans separately at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Questions
- How much protein is in vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans?
- Each of the 4 servings has 17 g of protein, 5 g of fiber and 480 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, so 35 minutes of hands-on time.
- Can you make vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans ahead?
- Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate cooled slices in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze in a single layer and then bag for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster or a 375°F oven for 6–8 minutes until hot and crisp. Store the pecans separately at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- What can I substitute in vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans?
- Thick-sliced whole wheat bread instead of sourdough — softer and slightly sweeter with less tang; soak closer to 15 seconds per side because it absorbs faster.. Cornstarch (2 tbsp) instead of chickpea flour — still sets the custard but with a more neutral flavor and a slightly softer center.. Walnuts instead of pecans — a more bitter, earthy crunch that offsets the sweet maple glaze.. Neutral oil instead of coconut oil — removes any coconut note; the edges crisp slightly less..
- Does vegan pumpkin french toast with silken tofu custard and maple pecans contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 20, 2026 ·American
