How to make a delicious creme brulee with no dairy, eggs, or special equipment required? Impossible, right!? Wrong! We’ve got your back, friends. The recipe from the beautiful cookbook Mumbai Modern inspired this vegan creme-brulee.
Imagine a creamy cashew custard, and chai spiced with a caramelized crackly top. Easy methods are required to make this elegant dessert. Let’s brulee!
What is Creme Brûlée
In a French cookbook published in 1691, the first recipe for crème brulee was found. It translates as “burnt cream.” The recipe may have been inspired by crema Catalana, a well-known Spanish dessert that originated in the 1500s. However, the ingredients and preparation differ slightly.
Masala Chai, a creamy spiced tea popular in India, is also enjoyed all over the world. The sweet and spicy flavors inspire this chai-spiced dessert of masala chai.
How to Make Vegan Crème Brulee
This vegan version of creme brulee is rich and custardy, but unlike the traditional creme brûlée, it’s made with cashews, coconut cream, and no cream or eggs.
We soak the cashews first to ensure that they are softer and have a milder flavor.
Then, blend the cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, and spices inspired by chai (cinnamon and ginger), as well as nutmeg and cardamom.
After blending, transfer the mixture into ramekins to chill. You can now enjoy the “creme,” as it is, after cooling. We recommend “bruleeing” it to get an extra special result.
It’s as easy as adding a little sugar and popping it under the broiler (yes, you can make creme brulee even without a brulee torch). Grab your spoons, and let’s get cracking!
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews
Cans of coconut milk with full fat, 1/3 cup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg
Cardamom ground to 1/8 tsp
1/8 tsp of ground cloves
Cane sugar, organic (fine is best, but regular can be used): 2 tbsp
Instructions
Add the cashews into a heatproof dish and cover it with hot water at least by 1-2 inches. Let the cashews soak in hot water for 20-30 min.
Drain the cashews and throw away the soaking water once they are finished soaking.
Add the cashews soaked and drained, maple syrup (or other sweetener), vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. Also, add cardamom and cloves. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more coconut milk, one teaspoon at a time, to encourage the mixture to blend (we didn’t). Avoid adding too much – you want it to be thick.
Divide the pudding into four heatproof ramekins that hold 3-4 oz each. We used shallow, large ramekins with a capacity of 4-5 ounces. Each ramekin was added 4 Tbsp. It’s rich! Set the custard in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. The custard is ready to be served without the brulee and kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To BRULEE, just before serving, place a baking tray on the top shelf and heat the oven to high broiling. Place the oven rack just below the broiler element on the top shelf.
Each ramekin should be placed on a baking sheet, and each ramekin should have 1/2 Tbsp of cane sugar topped with it. Place the ramekins on the top shelf of the oven, just below the broiler, for 1-2 mins until the sugar has melted and is bubbling. It can burn within seconds. If you have a torch with butane, you can caramelize the sugar. Allow to cool for five minutes, then enjoy. The top will remain crisp for 1 hour.
