Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (2024)

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4.92 from 50 votes

1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

by Marly

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This easy vegan crème brûlée recipe is everything you want in a creamy, decadent dessert. Make this crème brûléewithout eggs for a simple but elegant dessert! This plant-based dessert is easier than the traditional recipe and uses only 7 ingredients.

Drizzle some blueberry sauce over the top for an even more dramatic presentation and flavor.

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (1)

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Vegan Crème Brûlée

Growing up in a super small town, I would not have pictured myself oohing and ahhing over a vegan crème brûlée recipe. And yet… here I am. This deliciously creamy custard recipe comes with a crispy burnt sugar topping that makes this dessert sing!

The contrast between that crispy topping and the creamy custard in this vegan coconut creme brulee is nothing short of spectacular. It surges this simple vegan dessert into another hemisphere!

Making a crème brûlée vegan may seem like an affront to die-hard French dessert connoisseurs, but I’m here to tell you, it’s the only way to go! The thing is dairy-free crème brûlée is still just as creamy but it’s ready without even baking.

Why This Recipe is a Winner

  • Using full-fat coconut milk makes this dessert rich and creamy
  • Adding raw cashews impacts the flavor and texture of this dish
  • Using a tiny pinch of turmeric adds a hint of golden color.
Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (2)

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Coconut milk— We’ll use full-fat canned coconut milk (it should have 12+ grams of fat)
  • Arrowroot powder — This is a thickener, and you can substitute others, like cornstarch.
  • Nutritional yeast flakes — There’s a bit of nutritional yeast flakes for color and flavor.
  • Ground turmeric— There’s a pinch of ground turmeric for color.

How to Make Vegan Creme Brûlée

It may seem complicated to make this healthy crème brûlée recipe, but of course, you might think that about any creamy dessert with a fancy, French name. Trust me, this recipe is easy!

In fact, I think making vegan crème brûlée is easier than the standard recipe. Because you don’t have to crack eggs, or worry about bacteria in your kitchen from said eggs, or temper the egg yolks, or ensure the eggs are cooked adequately.

See? This vegan crème brûlée is easier.

So, let’s get started.

  1. Make the cream base by simmering the coconut milk, arrowroot powder, sugar, and cashews in a saucepan while stirring for about 5 minutes.
  2. Blend the cream base with nutritional yeast flakes, vanilla, and turmeric until creamy.
  3. Pour the cream into brûlée dishes or ramekins.
  4. Chill the brûlée in the fridge for 2 hours.
  5. Sprinkle the top of each dish with granulated sugar.
  6. Make the burnt sugar topping by suing a kitchen torch to carmelize the sugar and create a crispy top coating.
  7. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.

Here are more detailed, step-by-step instructions for this vegan creme brûlée:

Step One: Bring Coconut Milk and Cashews to a Simmer

Add the coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and cashews in a small saucepan. Use a spatula and stir to combine. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook it for 1 minute, then remove it from heat. Don’t worry about lumps if they occur. We’ll take care of that in the next step.

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (3)

Step Two: Blend & Chill

Add the cream mixture to a high-speed blender. You can use a food processor here, but to get the creamiest texture, a blender works best.

Add the yeast flakes, vanilla, and turmeric. Blend for a few seconds, then use a spatula to push ingredients down from the side of the blender jar. Blend again until smooth.

Blending Hot Liquid

  1. Allow the liquid to cool slightly.
  2. Never fill a blender more than half-way with hot liquid.
  3. Remove the center cap from the blender lid.
  4. Place a towel over the top of the blender lid.
  5. Blend until smooth.
Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (4)

Pour the vegan brûlée into 4 brûlée dishes or ramekins. Place them in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours up to overnight (it gets creamier as it chills).

Step Three: Burnt Sugar Topping for Serving

Brûlée actually means burnt. This requires a kitchen power tool — bring on the kitchen torch!

So, before serving, cover the entire surface of the brûlée with a thin layer of sugar. Use a kitchen torch to carmelize the sugar and create a crispy top coating. Let the sugar sit for a few minutes (so the sugar isn’t too hot), then serve it immediately or refrigerate it for up to an hour before eating it.

Don’t have a kitchen torch? Use your oven broiler to burn the sugar. Move the oven rack to the highest position. Heat up the broiler so it’s very hot. You won’t achieve the same golden color as with a torch, but this works. I’ve also read that a grill lighter (the ones with a long wand) can burn the sugar topping, too.

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (5)

Marly’s Tips

Use these expert tips to make this vegan crème brûlée perfect every time:

  • The texture of crème brûlée is more like Greek yogurt than a true custard, so serving this dish after it chills will let it thicken properly.
  • Add up to 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the milk mixture to make vegan chocolate crème brûlée (and leave out the ground turmeric).
  • Traditional crème brûlée is served in ramekins to ensure they cook evenly. Of course, that’s not an issue here because we’re not baking it. You can serve this in any dish you want, but I love the “traditional” look of ramekins.
  • I used plain granulated sugar for the topping and it works just fine!

That burnt-sugar, crackly topping on a cashew creamy custard creates such a simple, elegant dessert.

Reader Reviews

★★★★★
WOW! Creme brûlée is a favourite dessert in my house and, since going plant-based, we’ve missed it dearly. Not any more! This is truly delicious, decadent, creamy, and wonderful. It’s also just so darned much easier to make than the “real” thing.

KM

Frequently-Asked Questions

Is Creme Brûlée Vegetarian?

Although crème brûlée is technically a vegetarian dish, because it’s made with both milk and eggs, it is not considered vegan. However, it’s a very easy recipe to adapt to a vegan diet and tastes just as creamy and delicious!

What's the best coconut milk to use?

There are so many types and brands of coconut milk. Which ones are best? I recommend using full-fat coconut milk, regardless of the brand. To make sure you’re using full fat, simply check the label. It should indicate somewhere between 12 and 15g of fat. The amount of fat in each can vary, and this will have an impact on how creamy the custard is. It will take longer to set if there’s less fat in the can.

Fancy Vegan Desserts

If you love this vegan creme brûlée, you obviously like the finer desserts in life. Be sure to try these indulgent vegan desserts.

Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Cake

50 mins total

Vegan Pecan Pie

95 mins total

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

380 mins total

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (10)
Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (11)

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Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (12)

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (13)

No-Bake Crème Brûlée

Take your dessert to another level with this indulgent no-bake vegan Crème Brûlée recipe. Any recipe that requires a blow torch is fine with me and that crispy sugar topping makes it all worthwhile!

4.92 from 50 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

  • 13.5 oz can coconut milk (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup raw cashews (not soaked cashews)
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tiny pinch turmeric (for color)
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)

Instructions

  • Scoop one cup of the fat from a can of chilled coconut milk, arrowroot powder, sugar, and cashews in a saucepan. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer (low boil) over medium heat while stirring (this can take up to 5 minutes). Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Don't worry about lumps in the sauce if they occur.

  • Add the cream mixture to a high-speed blender. Add the nutritional yeast flakes, vanilla, and pinch of turmeric (for color). Blend until creamy.

  • Pour the cream into 4 brûlée dishes or ramekins (or 8 smaller containers). Place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours to overnight (the longer it sits the thicker the cream will become).

  • Before serving, sprinkle the top of each with approximately 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and make sure the entire surface of cream has sugar over it. Use a kitchen torch to carmelize the sugar and create a crispy top coating. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour before serving.

Recommended Equipment

Kitchen Torch

Blender

Medium Saucepan

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Video

Notes

If you don’t have arrowroot powder, you can substitute cornstarch.

For Chocolate Creme Brûlée

Add up to 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the milk mixture (and leave out the ground turmeric).

Regarding Coconut Milk

Use full-fat coconut milk. The label should read between 13 and 15g of fat. The amount of fat in each can varies which will have an impact on how creamy the custard is.

Keep your coconut milk in the fridge so the fat hardens. Then you can scoop the fat from the can. If your can has 1 cup of fat that’s good. If your can has less than 1 cup, use 1.5 tablespoons arrowroot powder.

Make-Ahead Tips

To make ahead, prepare the custard and pour it into serving dishes. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days before serving.

Burning Sugar Options

Don’t have a kitchen torch? You can use your oven broiler to burn the sugar. Simply, move the oven rack to the highest rack in the oven. Heat up the broiler so it’s very hot. It helps if the custard itself is well chilled. Just be sure to set it out at room temperature for a few minutes so the ramekin doesn’t crack. You won’t achieve the same golden color as with a torch, but this works. I’ve also read that a grill lighter (the ones with a long wand) can burn the sugar topping as well. However, it seems like that would take a while so it may not be practical. Once the sugar coating is done, let it sit for a few minutes before eating it, so you don’t burn your mouth.

Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a rating below then tag @namelymarly on Instagram and hashtag it #namelymarly. I love seeing your creations!

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan crème brûlée made of? ›

You will love this Vegan Crème Brûlée recipe made with coconut milk and vanilla bean! It has the most creamy, smooth vanilla custard topped with a crunchy caramel layer. Plus, this coconut creme dessert is super easy to make, and no baking is needed for a quick and elegant dessert any time of the week.

What can I substitute for heavy cream in crème brûlée? ›

Vanilla – I use fresh vanilla beans from fresh vanilla pods. If this is not an option, you can substitute 1 pod for 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Cream – You must use heavy whipping cream for this crème brûlée. However, you can substitute with half and half.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and custard? ›

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and panna cotta? ›

Indulgent crème brûlée also has heavy cream as its star ingredient, which is heated and sweetened with sugar. However, unlike panna cotta, crème brûlée relies on egg yolks, rather than gelatin, to give it its luxurious thickness and an even richer finish, more like a traditional custard.

What is the black stuff in crème brûlée? ›

(That's what all the specks of black are on my brûlée pics…. straight up vanilla bean.)

Is the egg in crème brûlée raw? ›

Just save doing the sugar topping until no more than 30 minutes before you plan to serve it. Does creme brulee have raw eggs? The eggs are completely cooked in creme brulee. They are baked in a water bath instead of being cooked on the stove.

Can I use coconut cream instead of heavy cream? ›

You can substitute an equal amount of heavy cream with coconut cream and use it as a dairy-free alternative in recipes that call for heavy cream. It can be baked, cooked, and whipped, but it does have a coconut flavor, so choose your recipes accordingly.

What can I use instead of ramekins for crème brûlée? ›

If you don't have ramekins, use a large wide ceramic or glass dish. Do not use metal. The bake time will increase with a larger size pan. Oven Broiler Directions: If you don't have a kitchen torch, use the oven broiler to caramelize the sugar in step 7.

Is burnt cream the same as crème brûlée? ›

The name “Crème brûlée” literally means “burnt cream“, because once the dessert it's ready, it's dusted with granulated sugar which is then caramelized with a propane torch. The caramelized sugar becomes a hard crust, and it is a pleasure to break it with the tip of a spoon before eating.

Is crème brûlée just leche flan? ›

“Leche Flan” is the Filipino version of Crème brûlée and is also known as Crème caramel. The main difference with this Filipino dessert is that leche flan is Jello-like in consistency, while crème brûlée is pudding-like. Another difference is how the leche flan is cooked.

What is flan vs crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée is a baked custard made with cream, sugar and egg yolks with a thin layer of sugar on top that is caramelized with a kitchen torch to create a hard caramel crust. Flan is also a custard made with cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks, but it's baked in a caramel-lined ramekin until soft and jiggly.

What is the English name for crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée or crème brulée (/ˌkrɛm bruːˈleɪ/; French: [kʁɛm bʁy. le]), also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, and virtually identical to crema catalana, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.

What is crème brûlée called in Italy? ›

The Crema Bruciata is the Italian version of crème brûlée. The velvety custard is infused with fresh organic thyme, orange, lime, and lemon & develops a caramelized sugar layer on top giving a perfect crunch.

What is the difference between crème brûlée and Catalan? ›

Crème brûlée is a slightly richer French vanilla custard made with heavy whipping cream baked in a water bath. Crema Catalana is a Spanish custard made with milk and flavored with citrus and cinnamon. Because Crema Catalana uses milk instead of heavy cream, it is lighter and more delicate than crème brûlée.

What is the top layer of crème brûlée? ›

Brûléeing the Top

This involves sprinkling the surface of the chilled custard with a little sugar and using a creme brulee torch to melt the sugar into a solid, brittle crust. If there's too much sugar, the crust will start to burn before it melts evenly. Too little, and it will just melt into the custard.

What is crème brûlée mostly made of? ›

Five simple ingredients – cream, vanilla, salt, eggs and sugar – make for an exquisitely rich and elegant dessert. Most crème brûlée recipes require the use of a small propane torch to achieve the crackly sugar top, but this version offers a simpler (and safer) solution: your oven's broiler.

What is creme brulee boba made of? ›

This bubble tea crème brûlée features a creamy milk tea custard under a layer of crunchy caramelized sugar and topped with tapioca pearls in brown sugar syrup.

What is creme brulee cake made of? ›

This dessert features layers of moist vanilla cake, topped with a luscious creme brulee custard, and topped with a caramelized sugar crust. The contrasting textures of the soft cake, velvety custard, and crunchy caramel create a delightful sensory experience.

Is creme brulee just sugar? ›

At its most basic, crème brûlée is a creamy, pudding-like, baked custard with a brittle top of melted sugar that cracks when you gently tap it with a spoon. The custard is made with heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.

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