This vegan crème brûlée is one of those recipes that looks and tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant, but it's actually surprisingly easy to make at home. The secret ingredient is soft tofu, which creates a rich, creamy custard base without any dairy. If you have never thought of tofu as a dessert ingredient, this is the recipe that will change your mind.
Vegan crème brûlée is the perfect thing to make for Valentine's Day, a dinner party, or, honestly, just a Tuesday when you want something impressive! The custard sets beautifully, the sugar top caramelizes into that signature crackly brûlée crust with a kitchen torch, and no one will ever guess it's completely plant-based.
Jump to:
what you need
You only need a handful of ingredients to pull this off. Soft tofu is doing the heavy lifting here, blending into a completely smooth, velvety custard that holds its shape after baking. Here is what goes into it:
- soft tofu
- granulated sugar (plus extra for the brûlée top)
- thick coconut cream from a can of coconut milk
- nondairy milk
- nutritional yeast
- cornstarch
- vanilla bean
- sea salt
- a tiny pinch of turmeric (optional, for color)
A couple of things worth knowing before you start. Soft tofu is key here as it blends into a lump-free, pourable custard that sets beautifully in the oven. The nutritional yeast might surprise you in a dessert recipe, but it adds a subtle richness without any savoury flavour coming through. And the optional pinch of turmeric is purely for color, giving the custard that warm golden hue you would expect from a traditional egg yolk version. You will not taste it at all!
how to make vegan crème brûlée
The process is simpler than it looks. You blend the custard base until completely smooth, pour it into ramekins, and let them set in the fridge. Because there's no eggs in this recipe, baking it in a water bath isn't necessary!
Once the custards are fully chilled, which takes at least 6 hours in the fridge, you sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar on top and use a kitchen torch to caramelize it. Move the torch in small circles and watch the sugar bubble and turn a deep amber. Let it cool for a minute so the sugar hardens into that iconic crackly top, then serve immediately.
hot tips
A few things that make the difference between a good vegan crème brûlée and a great one:
- chill it fully before torching. The custard needs to be completely cold and set before you add the sugar and torch it. If it is still warm the sugar will not harden properly.
- use a thin even layer of sugar. Too much sugar and the top will be thick and difficult to crack through. A single thin layer gives you the best result.
- torch in small circles. Keep the flame moving so the sugar caramelizes evenly without burning in spots.
- serve immediately after torching. The brûlée top softens as it sits, so torch right before serving for the best crack.
how to store
The set crème brûlée can be made up to two days ahead and stored wrapped and covered in the fridge before torching. Once you have brûléed the tops, serve them right away. The caramelized sugar will soften and lose its crunch if left to sit, so do not torch them until you are ready to eat.
how to serve
Vegan crème brûlée is a showstopper on its own, but a few simple additions make it even better:
- fresh berries on the side, especially raspberries or strawberries, which cut through the richness beautifully
- a small sprig of fresh mint for presentation
- serve alongside a good cup of coffee or espresso for a classic finish
If you don't own a kitchen torch to accomplish classic vegan crème brûlée you could try my custard trifle recipe instead!
frequently asked questions
Traditional crème brûlée is made with heavy cream and egg yolks. This version uses soft tofu and coconut cream in place of the dairy and eggs, which gives you the same rich, creamy custard texture without any animal products.
A kitchen torch gives you the best result and the most control over the caramelization. A torch is inexpensive and worth having if you plan to make this more than once. Using an oven won't really work because it will warm the custard too much.
You need soft tofu or silken tofu, specifically. Soft tofu and silken tofu aren't exactly the same, but either will work here. They have a smooth texture that blends into a completely lump-free custard. Firm or extra-firm tofu will not work the same way in this recipe.
Nutritional yeast adds a subtle richness, depth and tasty quality to the custard without any savoury or cheesy flavour coming through. It's one of those background ingredients that makes the overall result taste more complex and satisfying since there aren't eggs in this recipe.
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you check that your cornstarch and vanilla extract are certified gluten-free, which most standard brands are.
The tiny pinch of turmeric is optional and purely for colour. It gives the custard that warm golden hue you would expect from a traditional egg yolk based crème brûlée. You will not taste it at all. But be careful, don't add too much as it will make the resulting colour a little neon green and not very accurate looking.
vegan crème brûlée
Ingredients
- 1 C soft tofu
- ⅔ C granulated sugar, plus extra for brûlée
- ½ C thick cream from a can of coconut milk
- ¼ C nondairy milk
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- tiny pinch of turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- Strain excess water from the tofu. I used a nut milk bag to squeeze most of it out. You could also use panty hose - just cut the leg off! - or a tofu press.
- In a blender, add tofu, sugar, coconut cream, nondairy milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, sea salt, turmeric, and scrap the inside of the vanilla bean, adding the paste to the blender.
- Blend until very smooth, then pour into a sauce pan. Heat it over medium low heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until it's thickened and gelatinous - approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
- Divide evenly into ramekins and allow to cool at room temperature. Once they're somewhat cooled and still warm, but not piping hot, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours until firm or overnight.
- Only brûlée the top right before serving! To brûlée, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on top of a serving and torch it until deep golden brown and a caramel coating forms. You want to hold the torch far enough away from the surface so the end of the flame is burning the sugar rather then the base of the flame. Move it around to prevent overly burnt spots. Let it rest for a few minutes, then serve immediately.
Payton
I'm allergic to coconut. Is there anything I could use as a substitute for the coconut cream?
Kirsten R
I cannot wait to make these! Drool worthy!
Tora
This is super creative! What is the purpose of the nutritional yeast in this? I always think of NY as a savoury/umamiy ingredient (my bad, of course), so it's super interesting that you have added this here!
Natalie
I just made this and WOW. It is incredible. Thanks Lauren!
Jenna
Made these for Valentine's Day and it was so easy! I normally like my brûlée a little closer to room temp, so I set it out about 20 minutes before doing the top, but it ended up having more of a pudding texture than the normal thick brûlée custard. So just serve ASAP from the fridge so it stays thick! Flavor was great as well, I might add a little orange zest next time I try the recipe for a new spin. Thanks for this awesome idea!
Lauren Toyota
ya that's why I mention to do it right out of the fridge. The torching warms up the brulee just enough
Samantha
Is there any way to caramelize the sugar without a torch?
K8
You can use your broiler. Watch it very closely so it doesn’t burn.
Kiana Colley
Do you think this would make a good bread pudding base?
Alice
This was amazing! No coconut flavor. Vanilla beans were totally worth it and the vanilla flecks are so elegant. The only suggestion I have is that it doesn't really set a ton in the fridge so get it decently thick when stirring over the stove. I made this alongside my roommate who made a non-vegan one and she said the flavor was perfect, but mine was a little softer, but I think it was my fault for not cooking long enough. Five stars, I will definitely be making this to impress guests! Thank you Lauren!!
Lauren Toyota
so glad you liked it!
Shy
This is my 2nd time making your recipe and OMG, it’s perfect. Thank you!!!
Aracelis
Can I use silken tofu?
Lauren Toyota
yes
Toube Benedetto
I'm "seconding" Tora's question above. What is the purpose of nooch in this sweet creation???
Lauren Toyota
nooch has an egg like taste and quality!
Joyce
Would you recommend this custard recipe for the filling for a fruit tart? Will it thicken up enough to hold up fruit toppings? The plan is to make a fruit tart and use the leftover custard for mini crème brûlées (all for me)😬
Lauren Toyota
Hi! Not sure if you saw the recipe for english trifle which has a custard. VERY SIMILAR RECIPE! It's more personal preference as the creme brulee is a little more sugar and a little denser - slightly!
ANyway that recipe is here to check out https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/recipes/desserts/2018/04/10/vegan-english-trifle-with-custard/ BUT short answer is yes you could use it for the tart