GillyCakes: Vegan Pecan Crusted French Toast

Go make this. Like, right now. You will thank me later. Not a breakfast for dinner kind of person? Then just be sure to make it sometime soon because this was all kinds of delicious. Whenever I try a new recipe, I try not to get my hopes up too high in case it doesn't come out how I expected, but these exceeded my expectation by a long shot. I love french toast but have never mastered getting the outside to be crisp enough while the inside stays fluffy and flavorful. Usually the bread toasts unevenly, something is a little too soggy, or the middle gets burnt..not the case with these at all! All morning I told myself I was going to get to the gym, but instead I decided to clean up a bit, worked up an appetite and wound up with these..delicious! I'm not much of a breakfast person, but for some reason today after I glanced at this recipe again, I decided I wanted to try it out. The way the pecans browned up on the outside added a great crunch and I highly recommend using syrup with these. But use real syrup, not that chemically modified fake stuff (eww!). I get mine from Trader Joe's and it's not overly expensive like you may find in some grocery stores...plus it's totally worth it! I even mowed down almost all three pieces. I know...that's a lot of french toast, but don't say I didn't warn you that it's really, really good! I made three only because I figured it would be more visually appealing for the picture..but then I had a case of "just one more bite" and had to force myself to give the last half to Tucker (my dog) or else I may have exploded and wouldn't have been able to share this recipe with you! So you see, I do have some willpower...but just not much. :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chickpea flour or brown rice flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, or more as needed for cooking
6 to 8 slices vegan whole-wheat or whole-wheat raisin bread
Maple syrup, for serving

Preparation

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy or rice milk, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Whisk in the chickpea or brown rice flour. Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl. Place the pecans in another shallow bowl.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. One slice at a time, dip the bread in the milk mixture, turning to soak both sides. Dip one side in the pecans, pressing to coat. (Yeah, it’s a little challenging to make ‘em stick in there. Quit whining. You’re about to have french toast!) Arrange the bread in the skillet (you might have to do more than one batch), pecan side down. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the pecans are well browned. Carefully turn the bread and continue cooking until the second side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Notes
I used almond milk for mine and I didn't have chickpea or rice flour, so I just subbed in whole wheat flour so don't panic if you don't have the right flour they call for on hand!

Adapted from: Skinny Bitch in the Kitch