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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Getting rid of lumps
If your custard makes lumps, do not worry. There are two ways to fix it:
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recipe
Vegan custard
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Video Recipe
Nutritional Values
If you liked this recipe, you might also like these other vegan recipes made with vegan custard:
Did you try this recipe at home? Let us know in the comments below, we love to hear from you!
Buon appetito!
Nico
Liana
Hello from Greece! The custard was excellent, thank you very much. I was happy to get the right consistency, which is my usual problem with creams that must thicken. I don't know if people in other countries eat this cream as it is - without adding it to a dessert, for example. Here we put custard cream in bowls and eat it as a sweet or dessert. This is exactly what I will do in a moment. Thank you again!
Louise
Hi Liana,
You're welcome, I'm really happy you liked the consistency! We eat it exactly like you, sometimes with fresh berries and mint leaves on top 😉
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. All the best,
Louise
Steven
Excellent
Jo
1/2 a cup of cornstarch! I thought it sounded like too much but put in anyway and it was like concrete! It needed another pint of milk to dilute it
Marta
Hi! I will try this recipe tonight, can't wait! Quick question: when you say coconut milk...do you mean canned coconut milk? Thanks!
Louise
Hi Marta, yes correct, it's canned coconut milk. It adds a wonderfully creamy flavor to the custard.
Happy cooking.
Kindest,
Louise
Tracy
do you think arrowroot would work instead of corn starch? I have a corn allergy.
Louise
Hi Tracy,
Sorry to hear about your allergy. We haven't tested this recipe with arrowroot, but according to reliable online sources arrowroot powder can indeed replace cornstarch as a thickener. Most food sites recommend using twice as much arrowroot as cornstarch for similar results.
If you do try, let me know how the custard turns out.
Have a great Friday.
Kindest,
Louise
Deb
When you say 1/2 a lemon peel, do you mean the zest of half a lemon, or just a big chunk of lemon peel that you remove at some point?
Louise
Hi Deb,
It's a big chunk of lemon peel that we remove after the custard is thick and has gained a lemon-y flavor.
Kindest,
Louise
Rachel
I made the low fat version and it was absolutely amazing!!! Thank you so much. I then used it in your Apple Cake recipe, which took the recipe to the next level. God bless you.
Louise
Hi Rachel,
I'm so delighted you made and liked the reduced-fat version, it is such a delicious addition to the apple cake!
Thanks very much for taking the time to leave a comment, and enjoy your cake 🙂
All the best,
Louise
Rachel
A pie i make has a custard made with cream and eggs and has to be refrigerated. I was wondering if this custard could be added to the fruit pie, baked and then the pie left out at room temperature for a day or two? Apparently plant based milk has to be refrigerated after being open. Any thoughts?
Jessica
The flavour of the custard is yummy and using a little tumeric for an authentic yellow colour is ingenious. However I found the recipe used way too much cornstarch to be a traditional custard. I added additional oat milk and it still was gloopy and too thick. Next time I'm going to add 1/4 c of cornstarch and add more if needed. It's always easier to add than to take away!
Liz
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 ?
Louise
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
Lynda
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.
Louise
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
Michelle
This was delicious!!! Perfect recipe
Louise
Thanks, Michelle! I'm happy you liked it!
Rowena
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
Nico
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.
Tahliah
Hi there. I baked the tart shell and make the custard separately then add it once cooled, works great.
Abbe
Its not a baked custard, its a custard you put over cakes, or eat with fruit and cream...
Julie
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
Nico
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
Meredith Tremayne
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.
Meredith Tremayne
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.
Nico
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
Molly
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.
Nico
Fantastic, Molly. Thanks for the tip - very useful for making the custard in advance. Hope you enjoyed it, have a great day. Nico
Jacqueline
Help! I need a savory custard for a potato dish. Can I omit the sugar? It's a baked casserole type of thing. Thanks!
Nico
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
Lisa
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.
Nico
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
Alena
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.
R
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!
Nico
Wow that sounds AMAZING! Yum, know I'm craving rhubarb. Cheers, Nico
Anuja
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.
Chef Nico
Hi Anuja, wow that sounds like a glorious fruit salad, I need to try! Thanks so much for making our recipes. Cheers, Nico
Brooke
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?
Nico
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
Anna
This is so good! Thank you for the easy recipe! I will place it in my personal recipe book ❤️
Chef Nico
Thank you so much Anna, happy you liked it 🙂
Rachael
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!
Chef Nico
Hi Rachel, yes, it will set firm enough to slice if you let it cool down in the refrigerator for a few hours 🙂
Morgan
This worked out great to make a cardamom custard to top a blackberry cobbler!
Nico
Awesome! Great to hear Morgan. Cardamom custard sounds delicious! Thanks 🙂
Caroline Rutter
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.
Nico
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!
Jeri Rossi
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.
Nico
thanks so much Jeri. We are happy you liked the recipe. The potato peeler is a really great tip! Thank you 🙂
Doug Rees
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
Nico
Thanks so much Doug! We are so happy you liked the vegan custard! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Xenia
HELLO FROM CYPRUS! FOR THE THICK CUSTARD, CAN WE SUB THE CREAM WITH SOY YOGURT? YOUR RECIPES ARE WONDERFUL!!!
Nico
Hi Xenia, thanks a lot for your message. I haven't tried personally with soy yogurt, but I think it would work 🙂 Cheers!!!
Linda Oei
Thank you so much chef Nico, you are a hero in Plant Based
My family like the chocolate custard 👍👍
Chef Nico
Thank you so much Linda, happy they liked it 🙂