Can you tell I’m scrambling to get in as many fall recipes as I can before it becomes completely taboo to even mention anything stereo-typically autumn? I am sort of wincing right now as I’m sure some of you want to slap me through your computer screen for even mentioning pumpkin again. Well, if you’re one of those people I’m sorry. Not that sorry, though, because I have one more recipe involving pumpkin to share after this!

You may have noticed that I’m on a French toast kick. It all started with my vegan Coconut French Toast Stuffed with Fried Plantains a few weeks ago. I’ll admit, I’ve always been more of a French toast person than a pancake person. Pancakes always sound so good, but then end up giving me a yucky tummy. Plus, I’m never satisfied with my pancake outcome. They’re never as fluffy as I think they should be. When I discovered I could make delicious plant-based French toast, that tastes even better than the egg version, I was a happy camper. When I realized I could make a fabulous pumpkin flavored French toast with only main 5 ingredients… well I pretty much was out of my gourd with excitement!

This recipe is so easy you could make breakfast with your eyes closed. Maybe open them for the cooking over medium heat part, though. You know, kitchen safety and all that. Plus, your kitchen is going to smell like you’re baking pumpkin pie! Ok, so let’s see… It’s easy, your whole house will smell delicious… what else can I tell you about this fantastical French toast? Oh yeah, as written, it has less fat, more fiber, similar (or more) protein, more nutrients, and zero cholesterol compared with conventional egg French toast. Check it out:

Conventional (Egg) French Toast made with cow’s milk, per slice (source: McCormick)

• 3 g fat
• 55 mg cholesterol
• 4 g protein
• 1 g fiber
• 1.9% DV vitamin A
• 1.3% DV  iron

Pumpkin French Toast – prepared as in the recipe below, per slice

• .9 g fat
• 0 g cholesterol
• 6.4 g protein
• 3.9 g fiber
• 14.2% DV  vitamin A
• 6.8% DV iron

Just a little reminder that healthy plant-based meals have the same if not more nutrients than their traditional animal-food based counterparts. I mostly included that nutritional info for my dear mom, who requested I come up with a vegan French toast recipe with a little extra protein. Of course those numbers are just an idea, the first I pulled from a recipe online for basic egg French toast, and the second is my recipe calculated on myfitnesspal exactly as written below. I didn’t include calories or sugar, because these can change depending on how you top them, but both varieties have about 100 calories per slice before topping.

Let’s get to the recipe, shall we? By the way thanks for not slapping me for saying pumpkin. I promise after my next recipe, (which is so much fun! I can’t wait to share… yeeeee!) I will refrain from posting any more dishes with my favorite orange squash. All good things must come to an end. Just know that I will be secretly enjoying pumpkin yumminess all year round, including in this Pumpkin French Toast.

Edit 11-13-16: Get all fancy-shmancy and add some cooked apples and my Easy 4 ingredient Caramel Sauce!

Pumpkin Protein French Toast

Ingredients

• 4- 5 slices of gluten free bread, whole grain bread, or bread of choice
• 2/3 cup almond milk (or, for even more protein, use soy or hemp milk)
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin purée
• 1-2 medjool dates or 2 -3 tsp maple syrup
• 1 heaping tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder (or sub with ground flax seed)
• optional, but recommended, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• coconut oil for frying

To make:

1. I like to toast my bread before dipping it. This ensures that your bread doesn’t get soggy. Some people don’t mind a little sogginess so feel free to skip this step. I also like to turn my toaster oven on 300 F or so, and have a pan ready to keep the French toast warm.
2. Blend all ingredients except bread in a blender and pour into a shallow, wide dish. If it seems too thick, add a splash of almond milk and whisk it in. If it seems too thin, add a bit more pumpkin puree.
3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a 1/2 tsp of coconut oil. Right before cooking, dip your toast in the pumpkin puree. I even scraped off the excess with a butter knife so it wasn’t too gloppy. Then place in the pan and cook on both sides for a minute or two until lightly browned and crispy on the edges. Repeat with remaining slices. Place them in the warm toaster oven if there’s no one waiting next to the stove with a plate in their hands 🙂
4. Top with maple or coconut syrup and enjoy!