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4.89 stars (18 ratings)

Vegan Custard (Pastry Cream)

Silky smooth and rich vanilla vegan custard, made with only 6 ingredients! No eggs or milk needed. Perfect for eclairs, tarts, donuts and more!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 151kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (soy, almond, cashew, etc)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 oz)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter

Instructions

  • Whisk the plant milk and cornstarch in a measuring cup or bowl until smooth.
  • To a medium pot, add the coconut milk, sugar and milk/cornstarch mixture.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high, and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and continue whisking for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and vegan butter, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
  • Place in a bowl with a layer of plastic wrap touching the top of the custard, to avoid a film forming. Place it in the refrigerator for a few hours to cool (you can speed this up by sticking it in the freezer for 30 minutes).
  • Once cool, if it is clumpy at all, use an immersion blender to smooth it out. You could also use a high powered blender, stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a. hand mixer to smooth it out. Use immediately anywhere you'd like, or serve with a spoon and enjoy!

Notes

  1. For a thinner custard, you can decrease the cornstarch to 1/4 cup and use full fat coconut milk, not coconut cream.
  2. I have used soy, almond and cashew milk. They all worked well. Make sure to use unsweetened for best results; it may be too sweet if you use a sweetened milk.
  3. I have tried this using full fat coconut milk AND a can of coconut cream, and they both work well. The custard is thicker using coconut cream.
  4. If you need to substitute the sugar, you could likely add a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup instead, for a less sweet custard. Or use coconut sugar, but the custard will be brownish.
  5. You may leave out the vegan butter if needed, but it adds a richness that will be missed. It works without it though.
  6. Chocolate Pastry Cream - Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder with everything in the pot at the beginning, then stir in 6 ounces of vegan chocolate chips when you stir in the butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 servings | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg