Step 1- Make the Caramelized Peaches (5–7 Minutes)
Slice the peaches in half, remove the stones, and cut each half into 4–5 slices. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in your non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the peach slices, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Stir immediately to coat everything and let the mixture bubble actively over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Watch for the sauce to reduce and turn sticky and glossy that's the signal that the sugars have caramelized and the peach juices have concentrated into something genuinely magical. Don't rush this step with high heat; a proper medium-high gives you caramelization without burning. Remove from heat and set aside. These peaches reheat effortlessly when everything else is ready.
Step 2- Make the French Toast Batter (3 Minutes)
Pour the 240ml of plant-based milk into your shallow dipping dish. Add the cornstarch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Whisk firmly until the cornstarch completely dissolves with no lumps remaining. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes this rest time lets the cornstarch fully hydrate, which improves the coating quality on the bread.
If you see the batter thickening slightly in the dish as it sits, that's exactly what you want. A slightly thickened batter clings to the bread better than a thin, watery one.
Step 3- Soak the Sourdough
Cut each large sourdough slice in half diagonally or straight across you want manageable pieces that fit in your frying pan without overlap. Lower each piece into the batter, let it sit for 15–20 seconds on the first side, then flip and soak the second side for another 15–20 seconds. The sourdough should absorb some of the batter without becoming completely saturated and falling apart.
Thick-cut sourdough is critical here thin sandwich bread absorbs too quickly, goes soggy, and falls apart in the pan. A sturdy sourdough holds the batter while still soaking up enough to create that custardy interior. IMO this is the single most important ingredient choice in the whole recipe.
Step 4- Fry the French Toast (8–10 Minutes Total)
Heat your large non-stick frying pan with a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add two sourdough halves and cook for 2–3 minutes without moving them let them develop a golden, slightly crispy crust before flipping. Flip carefully and cook the second side for another 2 minutes until golden.
Transfer the cooked slices to your wire rack to keep them crispy while you fry the remaining pieces, adding a fresh splash of oil to the pan between batches. Covering cooked slices or stacking them on a plate traps steam and softens the crust the wire rack keeps them crisp while they wait.
Step 5- Assemble and Serve
Spoon a generous layer of coconut yoghurt or whipped dairy-free cream onto each plate as the base. Stack the hot French toast slices on top two to three pieces per person depending on appetite. Add another spoonful of yoghurt between and over the stacked slices, then pile the caramelized peaches with all their sticky juices over the top. Finish with a drizzle of maple syrup and a generous scatter of crushed almonds.
Serve immediately. The contrast of crispy warm toast, cooling creamy yoghurt, sticky sweet peaches, and crunchy almonds all landing in the same bite is genuinely hard to beat.
