Custard is an essential partner to most English desserts. An ideal companion to an apple pie, treacle pudding, or a tasty crumble Traditionally made with cream and eggs yolks … lots of egg yolks, so its really not vegan. But I have good news! It’s shockingly easy to whip up a vegan custard. In less time than it would take if you were using traditional ingredients and significantly easier.
The secret to converting a recipe to plant based ingredients is thinking about why the animal based ingredients have been included. When making custard, egg yolks are used to thicken the mix. They also lend a lovely yellow tone which is key in a good custard. I’ve replaced both with easily found vegan alternatives, I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
- Makes: 500ml Custard
Ingredients
- Small Pinch Saffron*
- 400ml Plant Based Milk (oat milk is my favourite)
- 200ml Water
- 3 Tbsp Cornflour
- 3 Tbsp Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
Place a small pan over a low heat and add the saffron threads. Toast lightly, stirring occasionally until the threads darken. Now add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a very gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the custard thickens to the thickness of single cream and clings to the back of a wooden spoon. If you prefer your custard thicker then feel free to keep cooking until you’re happy with it but remember it will continue to thicken for a few minutes once it’s been removed from the heat so do account for that.
Serve with your next dessert, the perfect accompaniment to your next winter feast!
Notes
*Don’t overdo the saffron, a small pinch should give a delightful golden glow and a indefinable richness to the custard but too much will bring over whelming flavours. I’ve never been good with exact measurements with saffron – the threads wind together and are so light it’s often easier to use your fingers than try to get an exact measurement with a spoon.
Allergy Notes; The custard is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. Let me know if you have any issues with allergens with this recipe and I’ll suggest some substitutions.
