Raise your hand if you love French toast!
*both hands raise towards the ceiling*
This was one of my favorite special weekend breakfasts as a kid. Unfortunately a piece of white bread French toast will not hold me over for very long, or I’ll just want more and more until I’m overly stuffed. You guys know that I love making healthy versions of my fav comfort foods, so I wanted to try and make a healthy French toast out of oatmeal. No bread required! It’s definietly toastless French toast!
The oatmeal is cooked with water and a little bit of salt and then refrigerated in a pan overnight to form a “bread” that is then coated in a sweet cinnamon, vanilla, egg mixture, cooked over the stove, and baked! The oat squares become golden brown and crisp on the outside, while still being soft and chewy on the inside.
It’s actually simpler than it sounds, and the prep is pretty easy. I make both the oatmeal “bread” and egg mixture the night before I want to serve this breakfast and then assemble it in the morning.
Oatmeal (Toastless) French Toast
Serves 2
Oatmeal “toast”
1 cup oatmeal
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
Egg Mixture
1 egg
1/4 cup almond or soy milk
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey (or stevia for a sugar free option)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla
Night before: Make the oatmeal “bread”: In a saucepan, bring the water, salt, and oats to a boil. Cook uncovered until the water has completely absorbed into the oats. Coat an 8 x 8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the oatmeal to the baking dish and press firmly with a spoon until oats are distributed evenly and packed down. Place the oatmeal dish in the fridge uncovered (do not cover or it won’t solidify) overnight. Whisk together the egg mixture and place covered in the refrigerator.
In the morning: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the chilled oatmeal “bread” into 9 squares. Give the egg mixture one last stir, and then pour it over the bread pan, completely coating the dish. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and place over medium-low heat. Take a few oatmeal squares out of the egg mixture dish and place in the skillet, cooking on each side until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer oatmeal squares to a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with maple syrup or fresh berries and your choice of nut butter!
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: none – enjoy with 1 cup of fresh berries*
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: egg
Plant Based Fat: none – top with 1 Tbsp nut butter of your choice*
* Follow these suggestions to make this a complete Rabbit Food Pyramid approved meal!
