Are you ready for a silky vegan creme brûlée that uses only 6 ingredients; is ready in about an hour and requires no baking?
If yes, you’re going to love this one.
It is also soy free and could be made nut free by replacing the almond milk and extract. Instead, use coconut milk or another nondairy milk substitute and any extract you like.
This idea has been in the pipeline for sometime now. It had been requested since I posted this: Ackee Creme Brûlée (not vegan). The comments of the “Official Amazing Ackee Recipe Taster and Quality Control Officer” aka the hubby were that this one could be competing to knock the Ackee Creme Brûlée out of the seat as his favorite ackee dessert to date! Yup, it’s that good! I’m really pleased with this result and if you give it a try I believe you will be too.
What thickener is used for Vegan Creme Brûlée?
It took a few tweaks until I was satisfied with the texture. This is why you’ll see that I’ve used both agar agar and arrowroot as thickeners.
I love that sexy wobble of a brûlée just out of the oven when you jiggle the ramekin. And wanted this characteristic to hold true for the vegan version. Traditional brûlées rely on egg yolks to set the custard as well as provide richness. Here, the ackees provide the richness while adding a mild flavour. Getting the set “just right” is what would make it an ultimate vegan brûlée versus being just a “vegan custard”.
Can I use Agar Agar to thicken Vegan Creme Brûlée?
Agar for those unfamiliar, is a gelatin from seaweed. It can be found either in your health food store or a well stocked grocery store. It’s usually in the aisle with other seaweed products such as nori and dulse. Agar comes in either powder or flakes; and must be boiled so that it dissolves before it can set whatever liquid you use (juice, stock etc). It can set up quite firm depending on how much you use. This is a good quality for making a terrine (for example); or any dish you’d like to demold and slice. When tested on it’s own for this brûlée though; it didn’t yield that silky custard-like set that I was after and so I tried arrowroot.
Can I use Arrowroot to thicken Vegan Creme Brûlée?
Arrowroot is a neutral tasting thickener. It’s perfect for sauces, gluten free baking, puddings or as a coating for deep fried foods to name a few. Tested on it’s own for the brûlée, it yielded a thick pudding like texture. I then reduced the amount which gave the consistency of a thin pastry cream that didn’t quite set up; again, neither of these outcomes were what I was going for.
The best Vegan Creme Brûlée Recipe!
Then I had a brainwave! Why not combine the two?! The arrowroot would give the custard-like texture; and the agar the precise set I was going for (the signature wobble I mentioned above). After a few more tweaks of the amounts of each to use, this Vegan Almond Creme Brûlée was born.
(Side note: reject creme brûlée makes an awesome base for your protein shake 😆)
I topped my brûlées with fresh figs, raspberries and blackberries as well as sugared almonds.
What kind of brûlée do you like?
As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you try this or any of the recipes from this site be sure to #amazingackee and @amazingackee so that I can see your posts across social media.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by 😊
Almond Ackee Brûlée (Vegan)
Ingredients
To start:
- 1/4 cup Sugar (I used cane sugar)
- 1/2 tsp Agar agar flakes heaped*
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk
Second:
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Plain Almond Milk
- 2 tsps Arrowroot powder** (also called arrowroot flour or starch)
- 1/2 cup Parboiled Ackee (or canned, packed into cup when measuring)
To finish:
- 3/4 tsp Almond Extract
Garnish:
- Raw/Demerara sugar for tops of brûlée
- Sugared almonds, optional (recipe below)
- Assorted fruit, optional
Instructions
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Combine the sugar, agar flakes and 1/2 cup of almond milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar and agar flakes have dissolved.
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In the meantime, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of almond milk, ackees and arrowroot powder in a blender and puree till completely smooth
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Once the sugar and the agar have dissolved, turn down the heat and add the almond milk puree to the pot and cook for another minute or two. Do not let boil vigorously or for too long as arrowroot loses it’s thickening power at high temperatures and if it’s cooked too long.
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Turn off heat and mix in the almond extract
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Pour into ramekins and chill till set. Depending on the size ramekin you use, they can set up in less than an hour. These can be made a day ahead and kept chilled overnight.
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When ready to serve, sprinkle the tops with sugar and caramelize with a kitchen torch. Let sit for a few minutes for the sugar to reharden before serving.
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Top with sugared almonds and assorted fruit if using.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you use powdered agar do not heap the 1/2 tsp when measuring
**Cornstarch can be substituted if you don't have arrowroot in which case use 1 tbsp instead
Sugared Almonds
Ingredients
- Almonds slivered (or whichever nut you like)
- Granulated white sugar as needed
Instructions
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Have a baking tray lined with parchment ready and near the stove before beginning.
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Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add almonds in an even layer. Cook shaking the skillet from time to time to heat evenly. The nuts will start to glisten as they heat up and start to release their oils.
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Sprinkle a hearty amount of sugar over the nuts and mix well using a high heat spatula or silicone spoon (anything that won't scratch your skillet). The sugar will melt and coat the nuts (this will happen quickly, so work fast and move the nuts around so the sugar doesn’t burn)
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Once the sugar has melted and coated the nuts, pour them out into an even layer on the prepared tray and sprinkle with more sugar. Shake the tray to coat. Let cool completely before using.
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Enjoy!
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