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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan custard (pastry cream)

    Published: Nov 23, 2021 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Our vegan custard is a smooth, creamy and delicious recipe that you can make in 10 minutes with 5 simple ingredients.

    You can use this custard in tarts, cakes, pastries and other desserts. You can also flavour it with vanilla, lemon, chocolate and much more. Here, we'll show you how.

    vegan custard
    On this page:
    • What is vegan custard?
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • How to make vegan custard
    • Tips and troubleshooting
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Flavour Variations
    • Texture variations
    • Storage
    • YouTube
    • Recipe
    vegan custard in a glass with mint

    What is vegan custard?

    Custard is usually thickened by the coagulation of egg protein, generally made by combining the egg yolks with milk and sugar.

    Our vegan version uses cornstarch as a thickening agent, a tiny bit of turmeric for colour, and plant milk - such as soy, almond or coconut - to replace dairy milk.

    The best thing about this vegan custard recipe is that you can use it in many vegan desserts, such as our easy vanilla cake, tangy lemon tart, or a fresh and summery fruit tart.

    whole slice of vegan vanilla cake
    slice of vanilla cake

    It can also be used as a pastry cream to fill doughnuts and croissants or baked to make custard pies.

    Finally, this basic vegan custard recipe can be easily tweaked and flavoured with several ingredients.

    In the variations section below we show you how to make coconut custard, lemon custard, chocolate custard, coffee custard, and even pistachio custard.

    wholewheat apple cake with vegan custard
    apple cake with vegan custard

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Plant milk: we use soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk to make a low-fat vegan custard. We use coconut milk to make a richer, full-fat one.
    • Cornstarch: we use it as a thickening agent. We find this hard to replace. If you are allergic, then potato starch is a good replacement.
    • Sugar: we use white sugar. Any sugar will work.
    • Vanilla: this depends on your budget really. Most often we use vanilla extract, but if we feel like splurging, then we use the real seeds of a vanilla pod.
    • Turmeric: this is optional, but we like to add a tiny pinch of turmeric when we want to give the pastry cream a yellow colour.

      Do not add too much or else your custard will turn to a fake yellow-greenish colour, and it will taste like turmeric. You can replace turmeric with saffron powder.
    • Lemon: this is optional, but we like to add lemon peel to our basic vegan custard. We also make a mean vegan lemon custard, see variations chapter below for that one.
    apple fritter covered in custard
    apple fritter covered in custard

    How to make vegan custard

    In a pot, off the heat, add all the ingredients: plant milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, turmeric and lemon peel. Stir with a whisk till all lumps are gone.

    mixing all ingredients

    Then on medium heat, stir continuously until the liquid thickens into a creamy custard. It can take between 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the quantities.

    stirring on medium heat

    When you have almost reached the consistency that you like, take off the heat and keep stirring for another minute. The custard will keep thickening while off the heat.

    vegan custard

    TIP: to check if your custard is ready take a wooden or silicone spatula, dip it in the custard, then run a finger through it. If the spatula stays clean, the custard is ready.

    testing the thickness of the custard with a finger

    Tips and troubleshooting

    Cooling down

    If cooled down improperly, the vegan custard will dry up on the surface, and the dry parts will create lumps. To avoid that, keep stirring while the custard cools down.

    The fastest and easiest way to do that is to fill up your sink with cold water, then submerge ¾ of the pot in the water and stir for 5 minutes, or until the custard is close to room temperature.

    slice of vegan strawberry tart
    slice of vegan strawberry tart with vegan custard

    Getting rid of lumps

    If your custard makes lumps, do not worry. There are two ways to fix it:

    1. Whisk the custard very vigorously with a whisk. Like really hard. The fast whisking movement will remove the lumps and the vegan custard will go back to super creamy.
    2. Blitz it up with an immersion blender. This will also remove the lumps, but this way the custard will be more a little more liquid after blending it.

    You can use these two tricks also if you reuse the custard after storing it away in the refrigerator. It will get more thick and gelatinous, so you'll need to blend it or whisk it to make it creamy again.

    vegan brioche roll with custard
    vegan brioche roll with custard

    Frequently asked questions

    Is custard gluten-free?

    Yes, our vegan custard recipe is gluten-free as it's made with cornstarch, a thickener derived from corn.

    Corn is naturally gluten-free, however, some lower quality brands might make their cornflour in a machine that has previously worked wheat flour. So, if you want to be sure check the label.

    What do you eat custard with?

    You can eat custard poured over fresh fruit, in cakes, tarts with lemon or strawberries, pies, croissants, doughnuts, danish rolls, and more. You can also eat it with a spoon.

    vegan castagnole

    Can you freeze vegan custard?

    Yes, but we do not recommend freezing it. It takes longer to thaw than to make from scratch and the taste won't be the same. You could however turn it into homemade vegan ice cream.

    To do this, place it in the freezer, then whisk it every 30 minutes until it turns into smooth ice cream. It should take you about 3 hours.

    You can also just freeze the custard, and after 3 hours blend it in a power blender or food processor. It's delicious!

    Who invented custard?

    Believe it or not, it seems that custards have been around since Ancient Rome. I can definitely picture Marcus Aurelius dipping grapes in some freshly made roman custard during his stoic meditations.

    Torta della nonna Pieces Cut Vertical
    grandma's custard pie

    Flavour Variations

    Chocolate custard: made with the same simple ingredients (no lemon, no turmeric). Just add your favourite brand of vegan dark chocolate at the end, off the heat. Stir for a minute and enjoy!

    chocolate custard

    Pistachio custard: roast pistachio nuts first, then blend them with the plant milk, till you have smooth pistachio milk.

    Now add sugar, cornstarch, pistachio milk, and vanilla to a pot, and proceed as for the classic custard.

    pistachio custard

    Coffee custard: add real espresso coffee or instant coffee to the plant milk, dissolve, add the other ingredients and proceed as for the classic custard. No lemon or turmeric in this one.

    coffee custard

    Texture variations

    Baked custard: to make a great vegan baked custard we recommend cooking the custard in a saucepan first for about 2 minutes, then using it to fill a pie shell, and then baking it in the oven for about 30 minutes.

    This is how we made our lemon tart, vegan fruit tart, or custard pie.

    vegan lemon tart with soft crust
    vegan lemon tart with soft crust

    Crème anglaise: also known as vanilla custard sauce, is a lightly thickened pouring custard flavoured with vanilla extract and no lemon flavour.

    Bring to a boil for a minute then while stirring continuously, keep stirring on low heat until lightly thickened. Cut the amount of cornstarch in our base recipe in half.

    Pastry cream: perfect to fill up doughnuts, croissants, custard rolls, or vanilla cakes. Classic pastry cream is generally flavoured with vanilla and no lemon. To make it just cook the custard for longer.

    Boil it for about 3 minutes while stirring, then take it on low heat and keep stirring until you reach your desired consistency.

    vegan cornetti - Italian croissants
    vegan cornetti - Italian croissants

    Storage

    You can store this vegan custard in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Cooldown the custard while stirring before putting it in the refrigerator.

    You can reheat the custard on low heat by adding a dash of plant milk while stirring.

    It is possible that during the cooling process the custard will dry out on the surface and make a thin skin that will result in annoying lumps.

    If you are annoyed by the lumps then you can blend the custard with a hand blender. We tried and it works.

    We do not recommend freezing the custard unless you want to make ice cream out of it.

    YouTube

    Double click/tap to watch video-recipe on YouTube.

    How to make VEGAN CUSTARD - The Ultimate Video GUIDE!

    Recipe

    vegan custard

    Vegan custard

    Author: Nico
    Our vegan custard recipe is a smooth, creamy and delicious recipe that you can make in 5 minutes with 5 simple ingredients. You can use this custard in tarts, cakes and desserts.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    4.88 from 62 votes
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Dessert, Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 115 kcal

    Equipment

    • Whisk

    Ingredients
     
     

    For a low-fat lighter custard

    • 2 cups plant-milk soy, almond, oats, rice
    • ½ cups cornstarch
    • ⅓ cups sugar
    • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ lemon peel

    For a full-fat richer custard

    • 1½ cups plant-milk soy, almond, oats, rice
    • ⅔ cups plant-cream soy cream, rice cream, coconut cream or coconut milk
    • ½ cups cornstarch
    • ⅓ cups sugar
    • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • To a pot off the heat, add all the ingredients: plant milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon peel. Stir with a whisk till all lumps are gone.
      mixing all ingredients
    • On medium heat, stir continuously until the liquid thickens into a creamy custard. It can take between 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the quantities.
      stirring on medium heat
    • When you have almost reached the consistency that you like, take off the heat and keep stirring for another minute. The custard will keep thickening while off the heat.
      vegan custard
    • TIP: to check if your custard is ready take a wooden or silicone spatula, dip it in the custard, then run a finger through it (careful it's hot). If the spatula stays clean, the custard is ready.
      testing the thickness of the custard with a finger

    Video Recipe

    How to make VEGAN CUSTARD - The Ultimate Video GUIDE!

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan custard
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 115 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Potassium 126mg4%
    Carbohydrates 22g7%
    Dietary Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 13g14%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 328IU7%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 8mg10%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 1µg1%
    Calcium 118mg12%
    Folate 27µg7%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 1mg0%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other vegan recipes made with vegan custard:

    • apple cake filled with custard
    • fruit tart
    • vegan lemon tart
    • brioche rolls with custard
    • strawberry tart
    • vegan Italian croissants
    • vanilla cake
    • sweet dough balls
    • apple fritters with custard
    • torta della nonna "grandma's custard pie"

    Did you try this recipe at home? Let us know in the comments below, we love to hear from you!

    Buon appetito!

    Nico

    « Castagnaccio: Italian chestnut flour cake
    Easy oat cookies with raisins »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      January 20, 2023 at 10:00 am

      Hi Nico,

      Thanks for the recipe , it turned out delicious.
      I want to use it between laters for a cake but I did it and couldn’t continue until done so I had to refrigerate the custard and a few hrs later when I was ready to use it, it was firm like a jello, can I reheat it ?

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 20, 2023 at 3:46 pm

        Hi Liz,
        Louise replying here, I hope that's fine 🙂

        Sure, you can reheat the custard on low heat by adding a dash of plant milk while stirring. It is possible that during the cooling process the custard will dry out on the surface and make a thin skin that will result in annoying lumps. If you are annoyed by the lumps then you can blend the custard with a hand blender. We tried and it works.

        I hope this helps? I'm so delighted you enjoyed the custard, do let us know how the cake turns out!

        Have a great weekend.
        Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    2. Lynda

      December 24, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      OMG it is so delicious. Simple to make! Thank you for this recipe. My son-in-law is Italian. I will surprise and impress him with a custard pie.

      Reply
      • Louise

        December 25, 2022 at 7:27 am

        That's fantastic, Lynda - thank you for taking the time to comment.
        Best of luck with the custard pie, and happy holidays to you and your family. Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    3. Michelle

      October 18, 2022 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious!!! Perfect recipe

      Reply
      • Louise

        October 19, 2022 at 5:23 am

        Thanks, Michelle! I'm happy you liked it!

        Reply
    4. Rowena

      August 03, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Hi Nico,

      I tried this custard and baked it in a tart. It exploded over the top of the pastry.

      Do you have any suggestions on what temperature is acceptable to bake this custard at?

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Nico

        August 03, 2022 at 1:25 pm

        Hi Rowena, thanks for your comment, I'm sorry to hear about the accident. So, for tarts, we've made a vegan lemon tart (https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-lemon-tart/) with the same custard that baked for 40-45 minutes on 360F (180C). We used the same temperature and baking time for our "torta della nonna" (which is more of a custard pie). I hope this helps, best of luck with the baking! Have a great day, Nico.

        Reply
      • Tahliah

        September 06, 2022 at 5:53 am

        Hi there. I baked the tart shell and make the custard separately then add it once cooled, works great.

        Reply
      • Abbe

        November 10, 2022 at 11:49 pm

        5 stars
        Its not a baked custard, its a custard you put over cakes, or eat with fruit and cream...

        Reply
    5. Julie

      July 10, 2022 at 7:06 pm

      Hi Nico! I have been connecting to my Italian roots lately- learning Italian, doing some genealogy, etc. I am SO grateful to you for sharing vegan Italian recipes so that I can also connect through food. 🙂 I'm making the cornetti for a family brunch- I'll let you know how it goes!

      -Julie

      Reply
      • Nico

        July 11, 2022 at 5:35 am

        Brava, Julie!! That sounds fantastic, I am delighted to hear that you are discovering your Italian heritage. What better way to do that than eating and speaking? 🙂 Double proofing is essential for the best Cornetti, I am sure they will be delicious!! Let me know. Grazie mille, Nico

        Reply
        • Meredith Tremayne

          August 23, 2022 at 10:36 am

          Hi Nico, I just made your vegan custard. I use coconut milk. Had no lemons so put a bit of lemon juice in. This recipe is so easy and quick to do. 10/10. Cheers. Meredith T.

          Reply
        • Meredith Tremayne

          August 23, 2022 at 10:40 am

          5 stars
          Hi Nico
          Just made your vegan vanilla custard. Did it on unsweetened coconut milk. Had no lemons, so a dash of lemon from a bottle. This is a beautiful custard. Silky smooth and delishish. 10/10.

          Reply
          • Nico

            August 23, 2022 at 10:44 am

            Hi Meredith, thanks so much for your message! My favorite combination is with coconut milk, I am so happy you like it too! Yubeee! Cheers, Nico

            Reply
    6. Molly

      June 30, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      5 stars
      To avoid a skin building on top of the custard when cooling it just press a double piece of clingfilm (Saran/Toppits etc.) directly on to the hot custard's surface. Leave no gaps. It peels off easily when the custard is cold.

      Reply
      • Nico

        July 01, 2022 at 6:34 am

        Fantastic, Molly. Thanks for the tip - very useful for making the custard in advance. Hope you enjoyed it, have a great day. Nico

        Reply
    7. Jacqueline

      June 28, 2022 at 5:01 pm

      Help! I need a savory custard for a potato dish. Can I omit the sugar? It's a baked casserole type of thing. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Nico

        June 28, 2022 at 6:47 pm

        Hi Jacqueline! I understand the emergency!! I would not recommend omitting the sugar - use our white sauce recipe instead: https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-bechamel-sauce/

        It's just as creamy and made for pasta bakes and casseroles. I hope that helps! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    8. Lisa

      June 26, 2022 at 9:40 pm

      5 stars
      Made this yeterday. This morning made crepes and fresh blueberry sauce. Put the custard in the crepe covered with blueberry sauce and topped with coconut whipped cream. Absolutely delicious.

      Reply
      • Nico

        June 27, 2022 at 10:48 am

        I'm so happy you liked the custard, Lisa - that sounds like a truly FANTASTIC combination! I've put it on our brunch to do list 🙂 Have a wonderful week, cheers, Nico

        Reply
    9. Alena

      June 13, 2022 at 4:04 am

      5 stars
      I made banana pudding with this! Super easy to make, surprisingly quick. I honestly eyeballed quite a few ingredients and managed to salvage the custard when it was too thick by adding more soy milk. Super easy to make.

      Reply
    10. R

      May 15, 2022 at 1:41 pm

      5 stars
      I did 5/8 oat milk and 3/8 almond milk, and paired the custard with oven baked rhubarb and a simple gluten free crumble. YUM It really exceeded expectations!

      Reply
      • Nico

        May 15, 2022 at 1:45 pm

        Wow that sounds AMAZING! Yum, know I'm craving rhubarb. Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    11. Anuja

      March 11, 2022 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      I made the pouring consistency custard halving the amount of cornflour and following the recipe as per the directions. The result was a silky smooth and delicious custard, which I served with fresh fruit salad topped with nuts. The sweetness was just right for me too. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
      • Chef Nico

        March 11, 2022 at 6:04 pm

        Hi Anuja, wow that sounds like a glorious fruit salad, I need to try! Thanks so much for making our recipes. Cheers, Nico

        Reply
      • Brooke

        July 04, 2022 at 9:41 am

        I want to use this custard to bake vegan German puddingbrezels (basically German danishes). After the custard is baked (ie. In a tart, etc) is it stable at room temperature?

        Reply
        • Nico

          July 04, 2022 at 11:29 am

          Hi Brooke! Yes, it will indeed be stable at room temperature. Have a look at these Danish rolls for your reference: https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-brioche-rolls-with-custard/
          Sounds like a delicious baking quest, you're on. Let me know how you get on. Cheers, Nico

          Reply
    12. Anna

      January 29, 2022 at 9:13 pm

      This is so good! Thank you for the easy recipe! I will place it in my personal recipe book ❤️

      Reply
      • Chef Nico

        January 30, 2022 at 8:13 am

        Thank you so much Anna, happy you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    13. Rachael

      January 29, 2022 at 10:43 am

      Hello! I am wanting to make a vegan Manchester tart and wondering if the full fat custard recipe would set firm enough in the fridge to slice? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Chef Nico

        January 30, 2022 at 8:14 am

        Hi Rachel, yes, it will set firm enough to slice if you let it cool down in the refrigerator for a few hours 🙂

        Reply
    14. Morgan

      September 06, 2021 at 12:15 am

      5 stars
      This worked out great to make a cardamom custard to top a blackberry cobbler!

      Reply
      • Nico

        September 06, 2021 at 8:56 am

        Awesome! Great to hear Morgan. Cardamom custard sounds delicious! Thanks 🙂

        Reply
    15. Caroline Rutter

      June 09, 2021 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      I made the custard today and it is so easy and delicious. Thank you. I made a torta di prugne ciliegie (fruit from our olive grove) and ate it with the custard.

      Reply
      • Nico

        June 11, 2021 at 5:56 am

        Hi Caroline, thanks for the message, happy to hear you liked the custard. It must have been delicious with the torta di prugne:-) Thank you!

        Reply
    16. Jeri Rossi

      May 07, 2021 at 2:41 am

      D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!! Clear directions. Will be filling Cornetti with this batch. Bravo! My tip: use a hand held potato peeler to peel off lemon skin as to avoid the white bitter stuff under the skin.

      Reply
      • Nico

        May 07, 2021 at 8:32 am

        thanks so much Jeri. We are happy you liked the recipe. The potato peeler is a really great tip! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    17. Doug Rees

      April 11, 2021 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good! I’ve been looking for a vegan custard recipe for awhile. We’ve used it in between cake layers and as a stand alone pudding. This is a must try - so good

      Reply
      • Nico

        April 12, 2021 at 6:04 pm

        Thanks so much Doug! We are so happy you liked the vegan custard! Thanks for letting us know 🙂

        Reply
      • Xenia

        May 01, 2021 at 3:44 pm

        HELLO FROM CYPRUS! FOR THE THICK CUSTARD, CAN WE SUB THE CREAM WITH SOY YOGURT? YOUR RECIPES ARE WONDERFUL!!!

        Reply
        • Nico

          May 02, 2021 at 8:31 am

          Hi Xenia, thanks a lot for your message. I haven't tried personally with soy yogurt, but I think it would work 🙂 Cheers!!!

          Reply
          • Linda Oei

            February 02, 2022 at 1:08 am

            5 stars
            Thank you so much chef Nico, you are a hero in Plant Based
            My family like the chocolate custard 👍👍

            Reply
            • Chef Nico

              February 02, 2022 at 4:25 pm

              Thank you so much Linda, happy they liked it 🙂

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