Vegan Creme Caramel (Flan) (2024)

So I've been testing this eggless creme caramel recipe (also known as flan) for several months now and finally, I'm happy to share it with you. It does take a little bit of preparation and patience. But, once you follow the instructions I promise you, it will be a recipe you come back to over and over again.

This vegan creme caramel is essentially based on both my vegan panna cotta and creme brulee recipes. I made some modifications to adjust the texture and flavor to best represent a creme caramel without using eggs or dairy.

Pin

📖Recipe Overview

• Smooth and creamy "melt in the mouth" consistency
• Intense caramel and fragrant vanilla flavors
• Keeps setting agents to a minimum to avoid an over-set or "jelly" like texture
• An impressive vegan dessert for dinner parties or special occasions.
• Eggless, dairy-free, and gluten-free with a nut-free option

🍮 What is Crème Caramel?

Crème caramel (caramel custard or flan) is a French custard dessert with caramel that is traditionally made with eggs and dairy. So naturally, I had to whip up my vegan version of it! It's commonly known as "flan" in many Spanish-speaking countries around the world.

There are so many variations of traditional flans around the world. Confusingly enough in Ireland and some other European countries, a flan is actually a filled pastry! But just know that when I refer to the name "flan" in this post, it is in the context of creme caramel.

🧾Ingredients Needed

Pin

Ingredient Notes

• Caster sugar, otherwise known as superfine sugar. I find it great for caramel recipes as it has smaller granules that dissolve more easily than granulated sugar.
• Water: I don't often list water as an ingredient but it is key to get the exact measurement so I recommend getting it measured in advance of making the recipe.
• Almond milk: Almond milk has a nice neutral flavor and creamy consistency which I find the best for homemade vegan creme caramel.
• Canned coconut milk:You'll need full-fat canned coconut milk here, and only use the thick part from the top of the can. This way it will still have a lot of its setting properties, giving a creamy consistency to your vegan creme caramel.
• Cornflour:Or cornstarch if you live in the US. This is a great egg replacement for vegan recipes. Its thickening properties, together with coconut milk help to replace the function of eggs in traditional crème caramel recipes.
• Agar-agar powder: I did try this recipe A LOT without using this ingredient, as I was determined to create a vegan flan without agar. But unfortunately, food science says you need it to get a good texture! The agar has gelling properties, which provide stability. It also helps to prevent the top of your flan from cracking and caving in when removed from its mold.
• Vanilla extract and vanilla pod: Although the vanilla pod is optional, I really do recommend using both extract and a pod. The vanilla flavor is prominent in the custard layer of this dessert. Plus using real vanilla gives it those beautiful vanilla specks.
• Sea salt: A touch of salt helps to balance the sweetness while enhancing both the vanilla and caramel flavors in this vegan dessert.

🥣 How To Make Vegan Crème Caramel

Step 1: Make the caramel sauce

If you're nervous about making a wet caramel sauce, don't be! The key to getting it right is patience and timing. As long as you follow the steps and avoid things like stirring the caramel and keep a close eye on the pan it's pretty straightforward. There are more tips over on Cooks Illustrated on how to make foolproof caramel.

Firstly, weigh out your sugar and water and place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it on low-medium heat (yes I do recommend using digital kitchen scales for this recipe to get the most accurate results).

Using a spoon gently stir the sugary water to help dissolve the sugar, once it has dissolved turn up the heat to medium-high, and DO NOT TOUCH it anymore (super important)!

Pin

Once the caramel starts to turn light amber gently tilt the pan to evenly distribute the caramelization. Once the caramel turns an amber color remove it from the heat. If it gets too dark it will give a more bitter taste.

Pin

Now you'll need to work quickly as the caramel will start to harden pretty fast when removed from the heat. Pour the caramel into your ramekins (you'll need 4 large 240ml or 6 medium 180ml porcelain ramekins) and set them aside at room temperature to harden.

Pin

Pin

Step 2: Make the custard

To make the custard element of this recipe start by combining the almond milk, sugar, cornflour, and, agar-agar powder in a saucepan. Whisk vigorously over low-heat to evenly mix the ingredients and dissolve the sugar.

Next add in the remaining creme caramel ingredients (coconut milk, vanilla pod, vanilla extract, and sea salt) and bring the mixture to a simmer on medium-high heat.

Pin

Pin

Now continue to simmer for 5 minutes whilst whisking and stirring, in order to cook out the cornflour and activate the agar-agar. The custard will thicken a lot during cooking.

Once ready, remove the custard from the heat and pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. This will remove the vanilla pod and any larger particles it left behind.

Pin

Allow the custard to cool for about 20 minutes before transferring it to the ramekins. If added too hot it will melt the caramel layer too quickly and you won't get that gorgeous clean finish on top.

Pin

Use a spoon to smooth out the tops of the vegan coconut flan, cover in clingfilm, and off into the fridge with them to chill for at least 8-12 hours.

This may seem like a long time but it's totally worth it to get the most out of that caramel layer on top. According to Serious Eats, because sugar is hygroscopic it pulls in humidity and moisture from its environment meaning that the hard caramel will turn back into a liquid underneath the cold custard. Hence, when you turn out your creme caramel a delicious fountain of vegan caramel sauce will follow.

Pin

Pin

Step 3: Demolding creme caramel

Just before serving, very carefully run a sharp knife about 1 inch deep around the inner edge of the ramekins to loosen the custard. Be careful not to go deeper as this can ruin the smooth appearance of the flan.

Place a serving plate on top of one of the ramekins and quickly turn them over. Very slowly start to lift the ramekin, you should be able to hear a "slurp" as the creme caramel unmolds itself. As the caramel starts to run down the sides the flan should release from the mold.

Pin

🔪 Substitutions

• Almond milk: If you want to make this flan nut-free, you can use soy milk or coconut drinking milk in its place.
• Agar-agar: Although I have not tried it, you could likely use another vegan gelling agent (carrageenan, vegeset) for dairy-free creme caramel, although I cannot recommend the quantity for alternatives as all setting agents have different potencies.

❄️ Storage instructions

These vegan creme caramels are best served within the first 1-2 days once they have been set. Do not remove them from the ramekins until just before serving. I recommend making them the day/night before you serve them.

💬FAQs

Pin

🥮 More Vegan Puddings

Love this recipe?Please leave a 5-star★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment as well, thanks!

Stay in touch with me through social media@Instagram,Pinterest,TikTok, andFacebook. And if you like one of my recipes, tag me