5-Minute Vegan Custard

Name: 5-Minute Vegan Custard
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 ½ cups plain soy milk (unsweetened); 8 tablespoons cornstarch; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

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This vegan custard is made with just 5 pantry staples and is ready in 5 minutes! It’s perfectly sweet, ultra-creamy, and so versatile. Serve it as-is, use it to fill donuts, incorporate it into fruit tarts, and much more. Plus, it’s easy to customize!

Table of Contents

💛 Why you’ll love this vegan custard

Egg & dairy-free: Enjoy the luxuriously rich and creamy texture of traditional custard without the need for egg or dairy products.
Quick & easy: With 5 ingredients and a 5-minute cooking time, you’ll have a luxurious dessert ready in no time.
Versatile: It’s delicious as a standalone treat, stuffed into donuts, or paired with your favorite vegan cakes, pies, and fresh fruit.
Customizable: Make a chocolate version, use a real vanilla bean, or adjust the sugar levels to suit your taste. You’ve got options!

If you love vegan custard, take a peek at our other dairy-free basics like coconut yogurt, coconut butter, vegan whipped cream, and vegan condensed milk.

🥚 What is custard?

Custard is a type of culinary preparation made from a mixture of egg yolks, cream or milk, and sometimes thickening agents like flour, starch, or gelatin. It’s often thought of as a sweet ingredient, but it can also be utilized in savory dishes and sauces.

Cheesecake, crème brûlée, flan, crème pâtissière, crème anglaise, Bavarian cream, quiche, frittata, and even ice cream are all examples of custard preparations. The ratio of milk to eggs varies, but you get the point!

🍮 5-ingredient vegan custard

This 5-ingredient vegan custard is our answer to traditional dairy and egg-based recipes, and you won’t believe how great the results are! It’s just as rich, creamy, and versatile as the original.

We know how hard it can be to give up custard-based desserts when you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet, so we’re trying to make the switch a little bit easier. All you have to do is heat a few ingredients together in a pot, and voila!

We went with a soy milk-based vegan custard, but you can really use whichever plant milk you have on hand. Just let it cool and use it as you would any custard recipe. The sky is the limit!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

Soy milk: We prefer soy milk for its thick, creamy consistency that emulates dairy-based milk well. Other good options include oat milk, pea milk, cashew milk, or even full-fat coconut milk if you don’t mind a more pronounced taste.
Cornstarch: To thicken the custard in place of egg proteins. If you don’t have cornstarch, arrowroot powder will work, though the texture will be more slimy.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the custard. Make sure to use vegan-friendly granulated sugar or unrefined cane sugar.
Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds a classic custard flavor. If you feel like splurging, you can scrape a vanilla bean into the custard instead.
Ground turmeric: Optional, for an egg-like color. Since turmeric has no effect on flavor here, you can omit it if you don’t have any or don’t care about the color.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan custard

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

Start by whisking together soy milk and cornstarch to ensure a smooth base with no lumps. Add the rest of the milk and the sugar, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Step 2: Flavor & thicken

Add the vanilla extract and turmeric, then let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes until you achieve a thick, creamy texture. Make sure to scrape the sides with a spatula to keep the mixture smooth and lump-free.

Step 3: Cool & serve

Remove your vegan custard from the heat and let it cool. You can enjoy it at room temperature or let it chill in the fridge to enjoy later.

If you’re not serving it immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan custard recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🍩 How to use vegan custard

This sweet vegan custard is incredibly versatile, adding the perfect touch to your favorite desserts. Here’s a list of recipes where you can swap traditional custard for a vegan version:

Dessert topping: Drizzle it over vegan apple crumble, brownies, sponge cake, ice cream, or sticky toffee pudding.
Fruit tart: Use vegan custard as a filling for a colorful tart, topped with fresh seasonal fruits.
Trifle: Layer sponge cake, vegan custard, jelly, and vegan whipped cream.
Bread pudding: Soak stale bread in vegan custard and bake until golden.
Donuts: Fill homemade donuts, eclairs, or pastry puffs with vegan custard.
Banana cream pie: Use it as a layer in a banana cream pie, topped with sliced bananas and vegan whipped cream.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

Maintain the flavor and texture of your vegan custard with proper storage. Here’s how:

Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: It’s best to enjoy vegan custard fresh or from the fridge since cornstarch isn’t very freezer-friendly, but you can freeze it for up to a month if needed. Just make sure it’s in a freezer-safe container to avoid freezer burn.
Prep ahead: You can make it a day or two ahead of time and chill it in the fridge until you’re ready. Whisk it thoroughly and reheat it over low in a pan to make it smooth again.

♻️ Variations

Chocolate: Mix in finely chopped vegan-friendly chocolate or chocolate chips at the end once the custard is off the heat.
Citrus: Add lemon or orange zest for a citrusy element.
Coconut: Use coconut milk for a tropical, coconut-infused flavor.
Coffee-infused: Add a shot of espresso for a coffee-flavored custard.
Refined sugar-free: Instead of granulated sugar, use an equivalent amount of maple syrup. It will also infuse the custard with a maple-forward flavor!
Berry: Blend in puréed berries for a fruity vegan custard.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

Use cold milk: To avoid lumps, whisk the cornstarch and milk while the milk is cold. Ensure it’s fully combined before heating the mixture.
Troubleshoot lumps: If for some reason your custard turns out lumpy, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.
Stir constantly: Switch back and forth between whisking the mixture and scraping the sides with a spatula to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.
Consistency: You’ll know the custard is done when it coats the back of a spoon. However, different plant milks will yield varying consistencies, so be aware. We find the best consistency comes from soy milk.
Plastic wrap trick: To prevent a skin from forming on the surface, cover your vegan custard directly with plastic wrap, making sure it’s in contact with the top.
Serve chilled: While you can enjoy warm vegan custard, it tastes best cold. Let it cool in the fridge before serving!

💬 FAQ

How can I thicken the custard more?

To further thicken the custard, cook it longer or add a little extra cornstarch mixed with cold milk.

Can this custard be used as a pie filling?

Absolutely! This vegan custard sets well and is perfect for vegan custard pies. It also works well as a filling for donuts or muffins.

Why is my custard lumpy?

Lumps usually form if the cornstarch isn’t properly dissolved or the mixture isn’t whisked thoroughly. To fix this, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.

Why did my custard form a skin on top?

A skin forms when the custard is exposed to air as it cools. To prevent this, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard.

🍴 More vegan basics

If you enjoyed this vegan custard recipe, check out more of our vegan basics like these:

Vegan Ricotta: A 5-minute recipe made from almonds and tofu.
Vegan Heavy Cream: A flavorful alternative to traditional heavy cream.
Vegan Buttermilk: A two-ingredient vegan staple.
Vegan Feta Cheese: A simple tofu-based feta replacement.