French toast fresh out of the skillet, topped with a slab of soft butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup is certainly a great way to start the day on the homestead. However, when the chores start stacking up combined with other daily obligations, you might just not have time for cooking stovetop French toast. That’s where this gluten-free cinnamon raisin baked French toast saves the day! You can still have French toast hot outa’ the skillet, but you can prepare the toast the night before, simply pop it in the oven in the morning, multitask while it bakes, and still enjoy a warm plate of French toast even on busy homestead mornings! 

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Modern Pioneer Recipe

This gluten-free baked French toast is a modern pioneer recipe that certainly has a few traditional pioneer twists! In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the early pioneers or homesteaders made something similar to baked French toast using fire-baked sourdough bread, fresh eggs, fresh milk, home-churned butter, and even dried raisins. 

Baked in a cast iron skillet, this French toast is certainly rustic and simple! It uses ingredients you probably already have on hand in the homestead kitchen and ingredients that are wholesome plus allergy-friendly. You can easily prep this French toast ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 12 hours before baking it. Just pop the skillet in your preheated oven and you’ll have hot French toast in a jiffy! 

To top things off, this cinnamon raisin baked French toast can easily be made accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions! You can easily adapt this French toast recipe so that it is…

• gluten-free 
• grain-free (use homemade grain-free bread)
• dairy-free (substitute coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative for the butter)
• corn free (make sure the gluten-free bread you use doesn’t contain corn)
• soy free
• refined sugar free
• tree nut free 
• coconut free

Sorry modern pioneers with egg allergies, but I just can’t bring myself to make a homestead French toast that is egg free. What’s French toast without farm fresh eggs!? Looking for a traditional French toast recipe to whip on the stovetop? Look no further than this grain-free French toast recipe that is bursting with cinnamon goodness and can easily be made gluten-free and dairy-free!

Tips for Baking in Cast Iron

Cast iron is about the only cookware I use on my stovetop aside from a few stainless steel sauce pots I use for more liquid based foods like soups or puddings. Other than that, any stovetop cooking is done in one of the various sizes of cast iron skillets we have in the homestead kitchen. But cast iron doesn’t just have to be for cooking, you can bake in your cast iron too!

The early pioneers would use cast iron cookware because, despite its weight, it was the one cookware item that could withstand hard use and travel. Plus it was one of the only cookware items available at the time (Teflon wasn’t a thing!). I still mostly use glassware for a lot of my baked goods, but every once in awhile I like to bake something in an old fashioned cast iron skillet or in my cast iron Dutch oven. This gluten-free cinnamon raisin baked French toast was just one of those recipes that seemed made for the cast iron skillet!

When you first start baking with cast iron, you will want to know a few basic tips so you don’t end up with a smokey, sticky, or burnt mess.

Here are a few tips for baking in cast iron:

• Clean Cast Iron: Make sure your cast iron is clean. If you use your cast iron for cooking over an open fire, you will want to make sure there is no ash or charcoal on the pan that will smoke and burn when you bake with the cast iron.
• Seasoned: As well as being clean, your baking cast iron should be adequately seasoned but not coated in oil that could drip off as the cast iron bakes. 
• Crispiness: Since cast iron conducts heat so well, it often gives baked goods a crispness around the edges, which can be desirable for breads and even this baked French toast!
• Prevent Burning: If you are worried about the bottom of your baked item burning or if you want to reduce some of the crispiness, line your baking cast iron with some parchment paper to add a layer between the baked good and the cast iron. 

Keeping these tips in mind, you should be able to successfully bake with your cast iron like a modern pioneer! I also like baking these grain-free carrot cake sweet rolls in a cast iron skillet or cooking up some egg meals in my cast iron too!

Baked French Toast Recipe Tips

Gluten-free & Grain-free Bread Options

This baked French toast can easily be made gluten-free or grain-free depending on the bread you choose to use. I like to use Sami’s Bakery gluten-free cinnamon raisin millet bread for making my cinnamon raisin baked French toast. Little Northern Bakehouse also makes a nice gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread and Canyon Bakehouse makes a variety of gluten-free breads that would also work in this recipe. For grain-free bread options, your best option for a grain-free and nut free bread would be to make your own homemade loaf to use. I like to use this grain-free bread recipe for French toast. You can also check out my grain-free version of baked French toast in this recipe!

If you don’t have allergy-friendly cinnamon raisin bread options to choose from, you can still make your baked French toast cinnamon raisin flavor by adding in 1 more tsp. of cinnamon and 1/2 cup of organic raisins. You can chop the raisins or leave them hole. 

Can I use any dairy-free milk alternative or even whole milk in this recipe?

You can use any dairy-free milk alternative beverage in this French toast recipe. For a thicker, hardier French toast you could even use canned coconut milk with the cream stirred in. I like to use coconut milk beverage or oat milk in my baked French toast.

How can I make the recipe completely dairy-free?

For the butter portion of this recipe, you can substitute in coconut oil or a dairy-free butter substitute to make the French toast completely dairy-free. I don’t recommend using a cooking or baking oil, like avocado oil or olive oil since those oils are liquid at room temperature and will affect the flavor of the French toast.

Are there any sugar substitutes I can use instead of coconut sugar or maple syrup?

You can substitute maple sugar for the coconut sugar and honey for the maple syrup in this recipe. Swapping sugars will affect the taste slightly and using maple sugar will make the French toast lighter in color. However, it will still be just as sweet and delicious!

Can I make this in a glass pie plate or other glass bakeware?

You can easily make this baked French toast in glassware instead of a cast iron skillet! The French toast might just need to bake for 5-10 minutes longer. This recipe fills a deep 10” cast iron skillet, so a 9×13” glass baking pan would probably be your best option unless you reduce the recipe measurements. 

Can the French toast be baked immediately? How long can it set in the fridge unbaked?

Yes, you can bake the French toast almost immediately after prepping it in the skillet. However, I do recommend waiting at least 5-10 minutes before popping it in the oven to allow the bread slices to absorb some of the French toast mixture. When prepped in advance, the French toast can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 12 hours.

I don’t recommend letting it set for too much longer without baking it since the bread will just get soggier. If you do plan to let the French toast set overnight, don’t dip the bread slices in the milk and egg mixture. Simply arrange the slices in the skillet and pour the milk and egg mixture over the slices. As the French toast sets, the bread will absorb the milk and egg mixture. 

How is the best way to store leftovers? Can I freeze baked leftovers?

Keep leftovers stored in airtight container in the fridge. Make sure the leftovers are fairly cool before covering them. Baked French toast leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-4 days and can easily be reheated in a hot even or toaster oven. You can also freeze leftover baked French toast in an airtight container. Allow the French toast to unthaw at room temperature or in the fridge before reheating.

This gluten-free cinnamon raisin baked French toast is super easy to make and will supply you with all the warm, sweet, and cinnamon flavored feels of classic stovetop French toast. It is perfect for a quick, warm breakfast or for a cozy, sweet dinner!

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Simply Organic cinnamon sugar
• Little Northern Bakehouse gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread
• Anthony’s organic coconut sugar
• Pacific organic coconut milk beverage 
• Pacific gluten-free oat milk 
• 100% pure maple syrup 
• Organic raisins 
• Supplies: 10” seasoned cast iron skillet

Gluten-free cinnamon raisin baked French toast is the perfect cozy homestead meal to add to your menu! It is a sweet breakfast that the whole family will enjoy! After I bake the French toast in my cast iron skillet, I like to cut it into pie wedges to serve hot with a generous drizzle of dark, rich maple syrup. The cinnamon flavor, sweet bursts of raisins, and sticky sweetness of the maple syrup make for a French toast combination that is hard to beat! 

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By Alexa