Vegan Cardamom French Toast with Blackberry Compote & Ricotta
 
 
This crusty cardamom-scented french toast is topped with a slightly tart blackberry compote and lightly sweetened ricotta for the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Soaked in a custard base of aquafaba and non-dairy milk, it’s gluten-free and vegan, but sure to please even the most discriminating breakfast and brunch fiends!
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Vegan, Modern American, Comfort Food
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • For Compote:
  • 24g (2 Tbsp) coconut sugar
  • 30ml (2 Tbsp) water
  • 5ml (1 tsp) fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • ¼-inch slice fresh ginger
  • 1 lb blackberries, rinsed and drained (thawed if frozen)
  • For Ricotta:
  • ½ cup vegan ricotta or strained dairy-free yogurt (should be thick)
  • 15ml (1 Tbsp) maple syrup
  • For French Toast:
  • 120ml (½ cup) aquafaba¹
  • 120ml (½ cup) unsweetened nut or oat milk (I like cashew)
  • 2 tsp maple syrup or coconut sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom
  • ⅛ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 slices staled² GF bread, about 1 ½ - 2 inches thick
  • 2 Tbsp vegan butter (I like Miyoko's) or coconut oil, divided
Procedure
  1. Make compote: In a medium saucepan, whisk together coconut sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add ginger and bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in blackberries, cover partially with lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release their juices and break down, 8-10 minutes. Discard ginger and set compote aside.
  2. Prepare ricotta: Drizzle maple syrup into the ricotta or yogurt, whisking to blend. Set aside.
  3. Make french toast: Prepare custard by adding all ingredients except bread and butter/oil to a blender, and pureeing until frothy. Pour into a shallow baking dish (it only has to be large enough to fit one slice of bread at a time).
  4. Set a well-seasoned cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat and let it preheat.
  5. While cooking surface is preheating, lay one bread slice in custard. Allow to soak for 15-20 seconds, then flip and soak on other side for another 15-20 seconds.
  6. Add 1 tsp cooking fat to hot pan/griddle. Once melted and sizzling, add soaked bread slice and cook for 3-4 minutes, until underside is golden brown and bread releases easily from cooking surface. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes on second side until golden, adding another ½ teaspoon or so of fat to pan if it seems dry. Transfer to a plate or tray, and repeat soaking and cooking steps with remaining bread. After all slices are cooked, cut each one in half.
  7. Serve: Place one piece french toast on each of four plates; spread with about a tablespoon of ricotta or yogurt, and top with a spoonful of blackberries. Stack a second slice of toast on each one, and repeat with more ricotta or yogurt and blackberries. There should be blackberry juice pooled at the bottom of the pan - drizzle some of this over each plate, and serve.
Notes
¹Aquafaba is the brine from cooked or canned chickpeas, and it’s most commonly used as a replacement for whipped egg whites. I actually recommend using canned aquafaba instead of homemade for this recipe, because the consistency is more reliable. A standard 14-oz can of chickpeas typically contains just about ½ cup of brine, which is precisely the quantity you need for this recipe. You can reserve and use the chickpeas in another dish (I have plenty of options for you).


²To stale bread, either leave on the counter uncovered overnight, or place in a directly on rack of 300°F oven and bake for 8 minutes on each side until dry and firm.
Recipe by Good Health Gourmet at https://goodhealthgourmet.com/vegan-cardamom-french-toast/