How to make Vegan Custard

Vegan custard

Source: nutriciously

Custard is served with so many desserts or even on its own. The sweet cream can be addicting – I would know from personal experience. 

We did not want you to miss out on the fun, so we have this vegan custard recipe from “The minimalist vegan”. 

Before we get into the recipe, it is essential to know how your custard is served. For example, with a dessert, by itself, etc. 

If you already know, then fantastic! If you don’t, that is okay. I wanted to explain the difference between Crème anglaise and creme patisserie. 

Crème anglaise vs Crème pâtissiere

Crème anglaise is french for “English cream”. It is a thin pouring sauce that is typically used as a topping. It’s commonly made if you are trying to drizzle the custard over anything like fruits. 

Crème pâtissiere is a thick cream for pastries. Pastry cream is used for doughnuts, eclairs, cannelloni, and tarts.

Both are made the same way, just with more or less cornstarch.

Below we have provided the recipe, tips, and different ways to serve custard. Let’s not hesitate any longer. Here is a Vegan Custard Recipe.

Vegan Custard Recipe

  • 118.29ml aquafaba
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 60g  powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon agar powder
  • 157.73ml cold water
  • 250g sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or peppermint extract
Vegan Custard Recipe

For this recipe, you will only need a saucepan and a mixing bowl. If you are serving the custard right away, I would have serving dishes on hand as well.  

In the ingredients section, you will notice that the cornstarch has a range of measurements. The amount of cornstarch depends on how you will serve the custard. I mentioned this earlier – if you want crème pâtissiere, you will need the measurements for a thicker sauce. If you want a  crème anglaise, you will use the measurements for a thinner sauce. 

  • For a thinner sauce, you can use 2-3 tbsp. 
  • For a thicker sauce, you can use ¼ – ⅓ cup.

Once you decided how much you want to use, we can get into the ingredients. 

Ingredients

  • 500ml plant milk 
  • 2 tbsp – ⅓ cup cornstarch
  • ½ cup raw granulated sugar 
  • ½ cup coconut cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla seeds scraped from half a vanilla pod
  • ¼ tsp turmeric (for colour)

Vegan Custard Instructions

  1. On medium-high heat, place 250ml milk in a medium-sized saucepan. 
  2. While the milk warms up, add the rest of the milk and custard ingredients to a bowl. Mix the ingredients with a whisk until it is well combined. 
  3. When the milk comes to a simmer, pour in the custard and whisk for 4-5 minutes. The custard will thicken or stick to the bottom. 
  4. When the custard sticks or thicken, reduce the heat to low and stir for 2 minutes. (When you reached your desired consistency, take it off the heat.)
  5. Remove the saucepan to let it cool. 
  6. Depending on what you are serving it with, you can serve it hot or cold!

Tips for a Vegan Custard

Typically custard is made with eggs which can burn during the process. Luckily, you do not have to worry about that, but we have some tips to help you out. 

  • When you finish cooking your custard, it might be lumpy. You can stir the custard or strain it. 
  • If you plan to reheat it later on, it might get too thick. If it is too thick, you can add a bit of plant milk and stir it over low heat to warm. 
  • For chocolate custard, add 1-2 tbsp of cocoa powder. For more sweetening, you can add ¼ cup of vegan dark chocolate. 
  • Custard can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
  • Note that custard does thicken as it cools.

How to serve custard?

How to serve custard

Custard can be eaten on its own! It is delicious served in a small bowl, but it is just as good as many other foods and desserts. 

With Fruit

You can drizzle custard across berries for a sweet snack. If you want to drizzle custard on top of anything, you will need to do it quickly because your custard will thicken when it cools.  If your custard does thicken, it makes a good dipping sauce for strawberries.

Another option is custard served with fruit on top such as kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Desserts

Custard is commonly served in pies! I have seen lemon and peach pies – even custard pies with nothing added are very common.

Another custard product is with cream pastries known as a creme patisserie. These are so delicious with the vegan custard. 

Lastly, an easy custard dessert is creme brulee. It is effortless to make and adds a fancy touch to your dessert.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you enjoyed this delicious vegan custard with your favourite dessert! You can be as creative as you want with this recipe or enjoy a nice cup by itself. Enjoy with friends, and don’t forget to come back for more vegan recipes! 

FAQs

Learning how to make vegan custard? Every vegan custard recipe will have different ingredients but it is common to use cornstarch and plant milks.

About the Author

Celeste PS

My name is Celeste. I am a student at Austin College. I am currently pursuing a business degree and interested in entrepreneurship. Before my career, I hope to get the chance to travel internationally.