Vegan Classic Breakfast Casserole – No Eggs!

Vegan Breakfast Casserole for that special occasion! Cheesy and creamy, and oh so good. Made with the help of your favorite vegan sausage, Just Egg, a hearty crusty loaf of bread, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, onions, peppers, and seasonings. This special occasion breakfast bake is naturally egg-free and dairy-free and is sure to be a hit with your vegan crowd.

Is it even possible to make a vegan breakfast casserole?

You know, the kind with eggs and sausage? The one you let sit overnight and pop it in the oven the next morning for a special breakfast bake? With the help of some of the vegan “fun” foods, the answer is yes, you can!

At Veggie Fun Kitchen we are normally about using whole foods – as in mostly plants! We recreate family favorites the plant-based way. But…

Special Occasion Meals

Sometimes though, there are special meals that you just can’t recreate and veganize without a little help from the vegan processed foods. (Read more about when I realized it is okay to have the occasional special treat.)

This is a special occasion breakfast casserole and not an everyday meal. Go ahead and celebrate your loved ones and make them this vegan breakfast casserole for a special occasion. That’s okay because tomorrow you can go back to stir-fry, kale,  and garbanzo beans.

For some other delicious special occasion recipes, try my:

•  Lasagna with Cashew Bechamel
•  Stuffed Shells with (Vegan) Ricotta Cheese – both are so good!

For some special occasion breakfast ideas try:

• Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
• Hash browns Breakfast Casserole

The FAQs About This Vegan Breakfast Casserole Recipe:

Read through the FAQs section for some pro tips, and suggestions that will help you make this special occasion breakfast casserole the best it can be!

Special Vegan Products used:

• Vegan sausage of choice. I have used a variety of types. The Beyond Sausage from Beyond Meat as well as Litelife Gimme Lean Veggie Sausage both work well. I’d love to hear which vegan sausage you use!
• Just Egg, egg replacer. You can find Just Egg at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section next to the liquid eggs. If your grocer a special vegan section, it might be found there. You will need two bottles and it can be costly. FYI – some Costco stores now carry Just Egg at nearly half price. If you have a similar egg replacer, go ahead and use it.

  

• Silken tofu. This is different from the regular tofu you might find in the refrigerated section. As the name implies, it has a more silken or creamy texture than regular tofu and needs to be handled more gently. In fact, it only needs to be drained; pressing it will cause it to fall apart. I have not found silken tofu at my grocery store. You might be able to find it in an Asian Market. I order mine from Amazon (affiliate link).
  • The recipe calls for “firm” silken tofu. If you can only find extra-firm or soft, that is fine – as long as it is silken.
• Black Salt (optional) – This not actually black and doesn’t really taste like salt. It is pink/gray with a sulfur-like flavor. It will give your eggless casserole an egg-like taste. I say optional because not everybody likes an eggy taste. You might find this salt in an Indian market. If not, you will need to order yours from Amazon (affiliate link).
• Agar agar powder.  Agar agar is used in place of gelatin in vegan cooking. It is derived from seaweed. I use it in my baking as well. You will probably need to order this from Amazon. Let me know if you find it in your local market. If you don’t use it, the flavor will not be affected. It won’t set up as well though. It is a useful item to have for your vegan pantry. Here is the (affiliate) Amazon link to purchase agar agar powder.
• Nutritional yeast. This is different from baker’s yeast or brewer’s yeast and can sometimes be found in the health food section of your grocery store. I buy mine from Amazon though and this is the brand I like best (affiliate link):

Making the Sausage/Veggie Mixture:

• This recipe calls for a cup each of chopped onion and chopped bell pepper. When I make this breakfast bake, I am typically preparing it the night before. LATE the night before. At that point, I don’t have the energy to chop onions and peppers. I take a little shortcut and buy pre-chopped from my grocer’s produce department. It works perfectly and will not affect the quality or taste. You’re welcome!
• I have used both Beyond Sausage and Litelife sausage. They both taste really good. Use the vegan sausage of your choice. You will need to take extra care to cut and crumble it as it is cooking. It honestly won’t crumble as easily as a meat sausage would.
• The vegan sausage I have bought comes in 14-ounce packages. If yours is 16 ounces – that is fine.
• I use a non-stick pan as well as a little oil to saute and cook the vegetables and sausage. Vegan sausage does not have a lot of fat and so needs a little extra so that it won’t stick.
• Wait until AFTER the sausage mixture cooks to taste and season. I can’t predict what your particular brand of sausage will taste like, and you may or may not want to add additional salt or spice.

Making the Egg Mixture:

• In the past, I  made this eggless breakfast casserole using only silken tofu. It was not quite right though. I was very aware it was a tofu dish (read more to learn of my dislike for blatantly tofu dishes.) Just Egg has been a game-changer. If you haven’t tried it yet, it really does cook up like scrambled eggs.
• Using only Just Egg was not enough either. It cooks up like a scrambled egg but made the casserole too dense when using only Just Egg. Adding back in the silken tofu made this casserole more realistic “egg” dish.

More Questions and Answers About the Recipe for Vegan Breakfast Casserole:

• What kind of bread should I use? Is bread even vegan?

  • My favorite type of bread is a crusty loaf I buy in my grocer’s bakery department. The slices are usually a little thicker and the bread doesn’t fall apart while soaking overnight.
  • I used to use sourdough bread. It does lend a tangy flavor. Lately, though I’ve just been using a nice white hearty loaf.
  • Yes, you can find vegan bread! It probably won’t be labeled or certified as vegan though. Just read your label! At the bottom of the nutrition information, it will say if it contains eggs or dairy. Another ingredient to watch out for is L-cystine. This can be derived from hair or feathers. Read this article “7 Sneaky Non-Vegan Ingredients” by The Spruce Eats to learn more.

• What is Silken Tofu? Is it the same as the tofu in my grocer’s refrigerated sections?

  • Silken tofu is not the same as the tofu you will find in your grocery store. It is shelf-stable and so you might find it elsewhere at the grocery store. I have not been able to find it in my small town. I order my silken tofu from (affiliate link) Amazon. It requires special handling because it is more delicate. Don’t press the liquid out of it, just gently drain.

• Do I have to use Black Salt?

  • No. Black salt actually tastes like sulfur and will help your egg-less egg casserole taste more like eggs. If you don’t like an egg taste, then leave it out. (Affiliate Link)

• Why is turmeric powder used?

  • The turmeric powder is used for its yellow color. The vegan breakfast bake is egg-free and even though the Just Eggs are yellow, they are not yellow enough when mixed in with everything else. Your casserole will come out a very pale yellow/grayish if you don’t use turmeric powder.

• How long does the casserole cook and how will I know it is done?

  • The directions are for 1 hour-with up to up to 15 minutes more. After an hour give it a little wiggle and see if the middle is set up. Cook up to 15 minutes more if necessary but check every five minutes.

• Should I cover the casserole while it is cooking?

  • No, cook it uncovered. You are probably thinking about the breakfast casserole made with eggs. That one was usually covered to allow the eggs to cook. I have found though that this eggless casserole will become too soggy if covered.

• Shouldn’t there be cheese? I remember cheese in my breakfast casserole. 

  • Let me just put this out there – so far I have not found a vegan cheese that tastes the same or melts the same in a recipe as cheese made with dairy. Perhaps you have, so let me know.
  • Because we use nutritional yeast as an ingredient, it will have a cheesy taste.
  • If you really miss having cheese in your breakfast casserole, save it for the last 10 minutes of cooking and just sprinkle on top for aesthetics. But really, you won’t miss it.

    

New to vegan cooking?

Are you curious about  food items  that may contain hidden animal products? If you have landed on this page looking for a recipe, chances are you might be wondering about how to use some of the new vegan products available and about some the other food items you’ve been using that may or may not be vegan. I found this article helpful by Public Goods very informative: What Are Animal Products and Byproducts.

Items I Found Useful in Making this Recipe (affiliate links):

There are a lot of specialty items for this recipe. Perhaps you can find them at the grocery store as well. Here are some Amazon links if you can’t.

Vegan Breakfast Casserole

This special occasion vegan breakfast casserole is made with your favorite vegan sausage, Just Egg, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, and a crusty loaf of bread.

from 18 reader reviews

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: special occasion breakfast casserole, vegan breakfast casserole, vegan eggs, vegan sausage

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Refrigerated Resting Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

Ingredients

• 5 cups bread cubed *see note for suggestions

Sausage and Vegetables

• 1 cup white or yellow onion chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper - any color chopped
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
• 14 ounces vegan sausage of choice *see note about amount
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper *to taste - see recipe note
• 1/2 teaspoon salt *to taste - see recipe note

"Egg" Mixture

• 12.3 ounces silken tofu firm
• 2 cups unsweetened plant milk of choice I used cashew
• 24 ounces Just Egg (Egg Replacer) Two 12 ounce bottles
• 1/2 teaspoon black salt *optional - see recipe note
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder for coloring
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon agar agar powder link in notes
• 2 Tablespoons chives more for topping

Optional

• 2 cups vegan cheese
• chives for topping

Instructions

• Cube about 5 slices of sourdough bread for a total of 5 cups. Put in a large bowl and set aside.
• Grease a 9x13x2 casserole baking dish. I use vegan butter for flavor. You can also spritz with cooking spray.

Sausage and Vegetables

• Chop vegetables and saute in a non-stick pan with 2 Tablespoons of oil for about two minutes.
• Add in the vegan sausage. Break it up as it is cooking if necessary for a crumbly texture. Continue sauteing for about 6 minutes or as per package directions. Set aside.
• This is the time to taste and add salt and cayenne pepper if necessary. Depending on the flavor of the vegan sausage you use, you may or may not want any.

"Egg" Mixture

• In a mixing bowl, beat together the silken tofu and plant milk until smooth. The silken tofu will still have tiny lumps similar to ricotta cheese. That's okay.
• Add in Just Egg, black salt (optional - see note), turmeric powder, mustard powder, agar agar powder (see note), chives, and nutritional yeast. Stir until well mixed.
• Along with the sausage mixture, pour over the cubed bread and stir so that all bread pieces are moistened.
• Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Cover well and set in the refrigerator for at 8 hours - or overnight.

Baking and Finishing - after 8 hours

• Take the refrigerated casserole out and set on the counter for about 30 minutes while the oven is preheating.
• Preheat your oven to 325°
• Cook uncovered for 1 hour.
• Pull out of the oven, and check for doneness. Give is a little jiggle. It should be mostly solid in the middle. It will firm up slightly when sitting. Put back into the oven for up to 10 minutes if it needs a little more time to firm up.
• Top with chopped chives. Allow cooling for about 10 minutes before cutting into the casserole. Serve with some fresh fruit for a balanced breakfast.
• OPTIONAL: You can sprinkle a little vegan cheese on the top during the last 10 minutes of cooking. The casserole is fine without it. In fact, unless you have a brand of vegan cheese you really enjoy, leave it off.

Notes

• Use a crusty loaf of bread with thick slices if available. I have used sourdough and regular bread. I enjoy the taste of both, but the sourdough has a more tangy flavor.  Read the nutrition label of the bread for vegan compliance. 
• Agar agar is a powder used in vegan baking and cooking.  I have only found it online on Amazon (affiliate link). If you don't use it the flavor won't be affected but it might not set up as well. It will actually be a handy ingredient in your vegan pantry and is used in many of the recipes on Veggie Fun Kitchen.
• Silken tofu is not the same as regular tofu.  It is usually shelf-stable and is not found in the refrigerated section like regular tofu is.  You might find it in an Asian market.  I cannot find it at my grocery store and order from Amazon (affiliate link). I've use firm and extra firm silken tofu. That does not matter BUT you MUST use the SILKEN tofu.
• Use any vegan sausage of your choice. The recipe calls for 14 ounces. If your sausage comes in a 16-ounce package, that is fine. 

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 705mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 575IU | Vitamin C: 17.4mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 9.8mg