Vegan crème caramel
A creamy custard topped with a rich caramel sauce, this dessert has a perfect, just-set texture.
Equipment and preparation: You will need six stainless steel or aluminium ramekins or small pudding moulds.
Ingredients
For the dry caramel
- oil, for greasing
- 120²µ/4¼´Ç³ú caster sugar
For the crème caramel
- 830ml/1½ pints oat or soya milk
- 280g/10oz caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú cornflour
- 30g/1oz custard powder
- 75ml/2½fl oz coconut oil
Method
To make the dry caramel, use a fingertip to wipe a drop of oil all the way around six stainless steel or aluminium ramekins or small pudding moulds that are about 8cm/3¼in in diameter – this will make for an easy release.
Take a small saucepan (it helps to use one that's a light colour so you can see the shade of the caramel) and place it over a medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar in. As it dissolves, reduce the heat, pick up the pan and very carefully swirl it so the sugar melts and caramelises to a mahogany colour. (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.) Carefully pour in just enough caramel to cover the bottom of each ramekin or mould (about 15g/½oz in each) and leave to set at room temperature.
To make the crème caramel, pour 750ml/1¼ pints of the milk into a large saucepan. Add the sugar, vanilla seeds and scraped pod to the pan and place over a low heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove the pod.
Meanwhile, mix the remaining milk, cornflour and custard powder together in a bowl until the cornflour has completely dissolved.
Add the cornflour mixture to the milk mixture in the pan and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Stir constantly with a silicone spatula, scraping the base of the pan. The mixture will thicken on the base of the pan first so continue stirring and scraping the whole pan so it doesn't catch.
Add the coconut oil and stir with a silicone spatula, gently at first, then swiftly to incorporate the coconut oil. It will look separated at first but it will come together. Keep mixing until it adheres to the sides of the saucepan. The mixture will be smooth and glossy, with no oily streaks.
Pour the custard into the prepared ramekins or moulds (about 130–150g/4½–5oz per serving), and chill in the fridge for 4 hours. (These can be prepared the day before.)
To serve, use a fingertip to pull the edges of the custard gently away from the sides of each ramekin. Put a serving dish upside down over the top of each mould and flip over, drizzling any extra syrup on top.
Recipe Tips
If you don't feel confident making a dry caramel, add 40ml/1½fl oz water to the sugar in the saucepan. Place over a medium-high heat and cook until the syrup starts to caramelise at the edge of the pan. Gently swirl it around until all the syrup is caramelised evenly. Remove from the heat and allow to settle.