by 
This Vegan Creme Brulee is a dairy-free, paleo-friendly take on the classic French dessert. Made with full-fat coconut milk and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, it is creamy, lightly sweet, and finishes with that iconic crackling caramelized sugar top.
Creme brulee is one of those desserts that feels like an occasion. The ritual of cracking through the caramelized sugar top with a spoon, the cool creamy custard underneath, the way it manages to feel both elegant and deeply comforting at the same time. It is one of those things that people assume you cannot have if you are dairy-free or vegan.
This version proves otherwise. Full-fat coconut milk creates a rich, luscious custard that is surprisingly close to the original, and agar powder replaces the gelatin to set it perfectly. The caramelized top is every bit as satisfying as you would hope.
It is also easier to make than traditional creme brulee. No water bath, no tempering eggs, and no worrying about curdling. Just blend, whisk on the stove, chill, and torch.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfect for Valentine’s Day, dinner parties, or any special occasion
- Rich and creamy with a perfect crackling caramelized top
- Dairy-free, vegan, paleo-friendly, and refined sugar-free
- Easier to make than traditional creme brulee
- No water bath or egg tempering required
- Make ahead friendly, stores in the fridge for up to 5 days
A few notes on key ingredients
Full-fat coconut milk is essential here. Low-fat coconut milk does not have enough fat to create a creamy, rich custard. Make sure to use two full cans of full-fat coconut milk and do not substitute.
Agar powder is a plant-based gelatin substitute derived from algae that sets the custard. You can find it at most health food stores or online. Make sure to use agar powder rather than agar flakes, as the quantities are different.
Tapioca starch helps thicken the custard alongside the agar. Arrowroot starch works as a substitute. Cornstarch also works but makes this recipe no longer paleo.
Vanilla bean powder gives the custard a beautiful speckled look and a deep vanilla flavor. If you do not have it, two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract works just as well.
Tips for the best vegan crème brûlée
Whisk constantly. Once the mixture goes on the stove, it needs your full attention. Whisk constantly to prevent lumps and keep the heat even. Do not let it boil.
Cook until pudding-thick. The mixture needs to reach a pudding-like consistency before you pour it into the ramekins. You will know it is ready when you run your whisk through it and can see the trail hold for a second or two before disappearing. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Chill fully before torching. The custard needs at least 2 hours in the fridge, ideally overnight, to set completely before you add the sugar and torch.
Only torch what you are serving. Once torched, the caramelized sugar softens as it sits in the fridge. Torch each ramekin just before serving for the best crunch.
Use fine sugar for the top. Coconut sugar can be harder to caramelize evenly than cane sugar. If your coconut sugar has large crystals, pulse it briefly in a spice grinder or blender to make it finer before topping the custard. Alternatively, use regular white sugar for a more reliable crackle.
Do I need a kitchen torch to make creme brulee?
A kitchen torch is the best tool for the job and is inexpensive. If you do not have one, you can caramelise the sugar under the broiler on the top rack of your oven for 3 to 5 minutes. The result is not quite as evenly crunchy, but it does the trick. Just watch it carefully as it can go from golden to burnt very quickly under the broiler.
More recipes perfect for celebrating
- 20+ Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes for the full collection
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Melting Cakes for a gooey chocolate lava cake
- No-Bake Raspberry Chocolate Tart for a 10-minute no-bake showstopper
- Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies for a classic fudgy option
Vegan Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup tapioca starch, you can also use arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon agar powder, this is the one I use, you can usually find it in health food stores
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 to 6 teaspoons cane sugar or coconut sugar, for the caramelized top
Equipment
Instructions
- Set out four to six ramekins (depending on size) on a small baking sheet.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, except for the sugar used to caramelize the top, and blend until smooth.2 cans (15 oz) full-fat coconut milk, ¼ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup pure maple syrup, ¾ teaspoon agar powder, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- Pour into a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisking frequently, cook the mixture until it’s thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Do NOT let it come to a boil, and turn down the heat if necessary. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s thickened significantly and is a smooth, creamy texture, similar to pudding. You should see the trail of the whisk when you whisk the mixture.
- Divide between your prepared ramekins. Let cool for about an hour at room temperature, and then transfer to the refrigerator to firm up.
- When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar evenly over each creme brûlée. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the top. If you don’t have a blow-torch, you can put the sugar-dusted creme brûlées under the broiler on the top rack of your oven for about 3 to 5 minutes.4 to 6 teaspoons cane sugar or coconut sugar
- Make sure to only caramelize as many as you’ll be serving immediately, otherwise the sugar will soften in the fridge. The pre-caramelized creme brûlées will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
How big are the cans of coconut milk that you use? There are different standards everywhere, and using two of the wrong size would completely throw the proportions off… A real shame, I really wanted to make this recipe today because it seems delicious, but don’t want to risk doing it wrong. :)
Hi Sara! The standard cans of coconut milk here are 15 oz – I’ll update the post to reflect that!!
Thanks for this recipe. How far in advance can I make these? Thanks
Hi Lisa, they would probably be okay covered in the fridge for a few days – just don’t do the brulee until right before serving!
Does it taste like coconut? I don’t want a coconut flavor. Looks delish!
Hi Constance, I don’t find it tastes overwhelmingly like coconut but if you don’t like coconut at all, this probably isn’t the recipe for you!
Hi! Could I use gelatin instead of the Agar powder? I don’t have it and I am not vegan.
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Lili, I know they work slightly differently, I think you’d need a little less gelatin than agar. Unfortunately, since I haven’t tried it that way I can’t confidently recommend the right amount!
We love this recipe. It turned out great.
I cut the recipe in half so we could try the recipe without wasting ingredients.
I used six- 3″ ramekins so we would have small portions. I will probably continue to make it cut in half since there are just two of us, it was so successful and we were pleased with the small portions size.
We did not find it to taste overwhelmingly like coconut.
So thrilled you loved it, Ann! Thanks so much for the feedback, and good to know it works well cut in half!
Looks delicious!!! Can i use a mix of coconut milk and condensed coconut milk (half/half)?
Hi Pilar, I haven’t tested that way but it may work – you may just want to reduce the sweetener to taste because the condensed milk is pre sweetened.
We LOVED this!!! So fun bruleeing the top. We’ve missed creme brûlée since going vegan and this was a fun and easy recipe to make.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Help! The mixture didn’t set. Can I reheat it and add more agar agar. I have made it successfully many times and don’t know what went wrong!!!!
Hi Nicola, how odd! I haven’t had this happen but I think agar can sometimes be finnicky with temperature. Did you manage to fix with more agar?
I mistakenly added cornflour and ruined the consistency. Maybe just agar would have been ok. A shame as it one of my, go to, recipes as it is very easy and everybody loves it…
Oh no, yes that change would definitely affect the texture – sorry it ruined the recipe but hopefully it will be perfect next time with the correct flour!
Do you have any tips on torching coconut sugar? It just seemed to burn and not get crunchy here. My mom is coming for my birthday and this will fit into her special diet:) loved the taste though, just would like to learn how to burn the thing.
Hi Cheyenne, how odd! Did the granules seem large? You might want to try pulsing them in a food processor/blender/spice grinder to make the crystals finer, which should help them brown faster!