Butternut Squash French Toast

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Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective

I discovered this recipe for Butternut Squash French Toast on a whim two weekends ago. I had leftover roasted squash in the fridge, a couple apples, and a loaf of my favorite GF bread in the fridge. I was slightly hesitant but fairly confident with enough maple syrup it would be delicious no matter what. So I got to mashing the squash and gave it a go. Maybe you saw me making it on Instagram stories? 

French toast has been my very favorite brunchy-type breakfast since I was a little kid. Between pancakes, waffles, and French toast, French toast was always the winner. Bonus points if it was made with thick slices of Challah bread.

The first batch I made was a total success, and I just knew it was something all of you needed to see. The squash flavor isn't super detectable, but it definitely adds to the outer layer, allowing the bread to become a bit more coated and thick than typical French toast, and less egg-heavy. The squash-apple topping really brings things full circle, adding a bit of crunch and sweetness from the apple and creaminess from the squash. I'm not a huge fan of cooked fruit, so I heat the squash and apple just enough to warm through and coat with a thin layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. With a heavy drizzle of maple syrup over top, it makes the meal complete!

But the real reason I had to share this recipe today, is because I knew my friend Lindsey would love it. And today is Lindsey's virtual blog-land baby shower! If you don't know Lindsey, she writes the thoughtful, beautiful, totally delicious blog, Dolly and Oatmeal. She also recently wrote and photographed the cookbook, Chickpea Flour Does It All, which you must, must check out! Her recipes are all gluten-free and dairy free and I can attest to them being stellar. They're always creative but attainable, typically featuring seasonal fare. And her photography? She's one of my very favorites. 

Lindsey is about to welcome her first little boy into the world (she's about a week overdue now!) and we wanted to shower her with a little foodie-love today. I couldn't be more excited for Lindsey and hope one day we'll be able to get our kiddos together for a play date. And of course, to stuff ourselves silly with delicious food. 

Girl, if you every make it out this way, I'll totally make you this French toast and anything else you want. Wishing you all the best with your delivery and in the first few weeks and months as you become a first-time mama. I know you'll be great, and you can count on me hitting you up for tips in just a few short months. <3 <3

Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective
Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective
Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective
Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective
Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective

Print Recipe!

Butternut Squash French Toast

gluten-free, dairy-free // yields: 2 servings

for the French toast:

  • 1/3 cup packed, well-mashed cubes of roasted butternut squash (1/2-inch cubes, can be roasted 1-2 days before)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 - 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 thick slices rustic gluten-free bread (1/2-3/4-inch thick)
  • vegan butter or tasteless oil for cooking (or butter if not dairy-free)
  • pure maple syrup

apple squash topping:

  • 3/4 cup 1/2-inch cubed crisp apple 
  • 1/2 cup 1/2-inch cubed, roasted butternut squash
  • 2-3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • vegan butter or tasteless oil for cooking (or butter if not dairy-free)

Preheat your oven to 200° F.

Whisk mashed squash, eggs, and 1/3 cup milk in a wide, shallow bowl. Use a potato masher to further break up the roasted squash cubes if needed (a fork wasn't quite enough for me). Mixture will be lumpy, but squash cubes will be fully broken apart (refer photo 4). Whisk in cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. 

Preheat a 10-inch cast iron or non-stick pan over med-low/medium heat with generous dab of butter or oil. Meanwhile, place bread in the batter and coat both sides completely with the mixture (refer photo 4) and let soak for 1-2 minutes. You may need the help of a fork to fully coat the bread. If mixture is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time to thin out (it should be loose enough to coat bread, but still fairly thick).  

Place in the pre-heated pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until deep golden in color. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes. Place finished slices on a pan in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread, adding more butter/oil to the pan and adding a bit more milk to the batter if needed.

While cooking the 2nd batch, heat another pan with a dab of butter or oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the cubed apple, roasted squash cubes, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through, keeping the apple crisp.

Serve French toast with apple, squash, and maple syrup.

Notes:

- Make a big pan of roasted butternut squash 1-2 days before. Roast 1/2-inch cubes on a parchment lined pan, tossed with oil and a bit or salt at 400° F, for about 30-35 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Eat as a side and save about 1 1/2 cups of squash for the French toast. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.

- To save and reheat: Let cooked French toast fully cool. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat slices in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds and heat a pan with a bit of butter or oil over medium. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until fully heated through.

- I didn't feel the need to add sweetener to the batter since adding maple syrup to serve, but if you want sweeter French toast, add 1 tablespoon maple syrup to the batter.

- Butternut squash is my preference here, but peeled sweet potato should also work. I wouldn't use other types of squash because they tend to be a bit "stringier" than butternut. I haven't tested this with butternut squash puree or pumpkin puree, but if you give a try let me know! 

- If you're not gluten-free, sourdough or another rustic (but not overly seedy/wheaty) type of bread would be great here. If you can't find a good gluten-free rustic loaf (I know they're not super common), use the sturdiest GF bread you can find. 

Butternut Squash French Toast | Edible Perspective

I'll be updating with a few more recipes this fall and another pregnancy update or two. Stay tuned!

Happy Monday, friends! 

Ashley

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles + $200 Rejuvenation Giveaway

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It's waffle time. You ready?

Silly question. You're obviously ready.

Today we're talking about the cinnamon apple buckwheat waffles you see below and one of my new favorite stores, Rejuvenation. (Read to the end for giveaway details!)

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles | edibleperspective.com

This post + giveaway are sponsored by Rejuvenation. All opinions are always my own. I only partner with brands I love and think are a fabulous fit for this blog. Thanks for your continued support!!

It's been awhile since I've made a recipe featuring one of my all-time favorite ingredients, buckwheat flour. Despite "wheat" being in the name, this is actually a gluten-free grain. Way back in the day I was slightly obsessed with making buckwheat bakes for breakfast. If you're a long time EP reader, I'm sure you remember.

ground buckwheat flour for Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles | edibleperspective.com

I love buckwheat flour for its hearty texture and slight earthy flavor. When using raw buckwheat groats (photographed above) the earthiness is subtle and it pairs tremendously well with the cinnamon in these waffles. I find buckwheat flour to really help with the texture of gluten-free baked goods in things like muffins, waffles, quick breads, etc. 

making apples part of breakfast with Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles | edibleperspective.com

A few months ago I connected with Rejuvenation through my good friend Melissa. She raved about working with them and also about the quality of products they sell. So when I had the opportunity to work with them myself, I jumped at it. 

Rejuvenation's focus is in home lighting. And they have what seems like an endless amount of options. For instance, you can pick a light you like and then sort through 80 different shade options for that light and pick different finishes, and so on. It's pretty amazing. 

But beyond their lighting, they also have a fun assortment of kitchen items, interior furniture, outdoor furniture, cabinet hardware, and so much more. I definitely got stuck searching their site for hours. When I got to looking at their kitchen items I found so many things I had been on the search for for quite some time. You can see all of those items in this post!

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles with kitchen items from Rejuvenation | edibleperspective.com

So what did I think of my Rejuvenation home + kitchen goods? Honestly, I have been loving them all. They've been in my kitchen for a few months now, so I was really able to test everything out. And you know, if I didn't love it, I wouldn't be reviewing it.

Both glass cake plates make such a statement. They're super sturdy with a lovely vintage flair and will make any stack of waffles look fancy, and I love the vintage flair.  I've been looking for a set of quality white nesting bowls for awhile now and am so happy with this trio from Rejuvenation. They're a creamy white milk glass and are the perfect size for all of my baking needs. I'm also loving the casual look of these enamelware, black-rimmed plates. The bright white color really makes food POP! And the adorable serving trays? They're perfect for catching waffle crumbs and maple syrup spills when serving up breakfast to a crowd. And finally, a spoon rest that's sleek + white and easy to clean!

Okay, one more thing. Did you notice the adorable wooden box accent light? I'm sure you did. I am in love. Each light is hand crafted in Portland, OR by A-Lamp Design. You can pick from a few different colors and it comes with a sweet, LED Edison-style bulb you can see in the photo above. The wood box is super sturdy and I love the heavyweight cord that's attached. The craftsmanship and style are top notch. 

Crisp + fluffy Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffle recipe | edibleperspective.com

I had more fun than you want to know playing with my new props and creating this recipe to help show them off.

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffle gluten-free recipe with only 2 flours | edibleperspective.com

Now let's do that waffle thang.

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffle recipe that's gluten + dairy free! | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles

gluten-free, dairy free // yields 2, 6" Belgian-style waffles

  • 3/4 cup raw buckwheat flour (ground from raw buckwheat groats)
  • 1/2 cup almond flour 
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 
  • 2 tablespoons applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
  • scant 3/4 cup peeled and grated crisp apple (use the large side of your grater)

Preheat your waffle iron and grease according to manufacturer's instructions. (I like to set mine a slightly over medium heat.)

In a large bowl combine the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir well.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg. Then whisk in the milk, applesauce, and syrup. Whisk in the melted oil then pour immediately into the dry bowl. Whisk until just combined (when you no longer see dry flour). Fold in the grated apple and let the mixture sit for 2-4 minutes. (It will thicken a bit as it sits.)

Pour half of the mixture (or more/less depending on your waffle iron) into your waffle iron and cook until deep golden brown in color. 

Serve immediately for the best crispy texture and cook the remaining waffle. Top as desired.

Notes:

You can sub in 2%, whole milk, or soy milk instead of almond milk if desired.

Buckwheat flour can be easily ground in a blender right at home. Look for raw buckwheat groats (pale green/yellow in color) in the bulk aisle at your store or packaged by Bob's Red Mill. Grind about 1 cup of groats at a time until flour-like in texture. Sift if needed to remove any un-ground pieces. Store excess in a sealed container in the fridge to preserve freshness. Most packaged buckwheat flour has a much earthier flavor, due to the husk being ground into the flour along with the groats. However, store-bought buckwheat flour will work! Avoid using "kasha" buckwheat groats (red/brown in color) as these are toasted buckwheat groats and they have a much stronger, overpowering flavor. 

Maple syrup topped Cinnamon Apple Buckwheat Waffles | edibleperspective.com

And now for the best part!! Rejuvenation is giving one lucky reader the chance to win $200 to their store to buy anything you want! And be sure to read the entry options carefully, as the email list signup will get you FIVE entries and a 10% discount code to their store that will be emailed once the giveaway ends.

Enter below to win!!

Ashley

This post + giveaway are sponsored by Rejuvenation. Thanks for your support!