I have missed custard so much since turning vegan so being able to make custard that is both egg and dairy free is so exciting for me. It tastes just like actual custard! It is thick, vanilla-ry, warming, sweet, a hug in a bowl – basically everything you want custard to be.
I’m currently trying to perfect a steamed pudding recipe which I hope to share with you all soon. This is how this this recipe came to be, as you can’t really have pudding without custard – well I can’t anyway!
This 5 ingredient custard which I could eat straight out of the bowl has taken me a few attempts to perfect but it is worth it. Now, I use an almond and coconut milk as it is naturally quite sweet so you can be economical with the sugar. I found that pure coconut milk was a bit gloopy. You can however use any vegan milk but may need to adjust the amount of sugar you add.
Ingredients-serves 2 poured over pudding
2 tablespoons of any vegan margarine
1 heaped tablespoon of plain flour
300ml of almond and coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 teaspoons of sugar
Method
Put a medium size pan on a low to medium heat. Add the vegan margarine and melt in the pan. As soon as it has melted add the plain flour and stir quickly to form a paste.
As soon as the paste is formed start to add the milk slowly, stirring quickly as you pour. Wait until all the milk is incorporated before pouring more in. This will avoid lumps. It should take about 2 minutes to incorporate all the milk. If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan you will need to turn the heat down.
When all the milk is incorporated add the sugar and vanilla extract. Take the heat up to medium high to bring the custard up to a simmer. Continue to stir but pick up the pace to prevent the mixture from boiling. If it starts to stick you will need to turn the heat down. It should take about 8 minutes for the custard to reach the perfect consistency. You want it to be thickened but still fairly runny. This is a good time to taste it and add more sugar if required. Some people like their custard sweeter than I do.
Take the pan off the heat and let the custard stand for 5 minutes. This will allow it to cool slightly and thicken further. Now it’s ready to eat and you will not believe it’s not custard!
When yo say a vegan spread are you talking about a vegan butter ?
Yes that’s right, maybe I should rephrase if it’s not clear.
No that’s fine, just double checking 🙂 do you think that works with olive oil instead
I have never tried it. I think that it would probably work but it might alter the taste. Vegan spreads are quite neutral tasting so the flavours of the coconut milk and vanilla stand out. If you try it let me know how you get on.🙂