Did you just turn into a vegetarian recently and already you are missing crème brûlée so much? Then this article is for you! Below you will learn how to make the perfect crème brûlée without a trace of animal-based ingredient!
Perhaps you have already tried all sorts of vegetarian crème brûlée recipes in cyberspace. Or maybe you have used your own creativity in whipping up one that’s perfect for a vegan such as yourself. Either way, you may have been really frustrated with the outcome, which is either too runny or too stiff.
But it’s not time to give up yet. That’s because there is a particular recipe that will surely make the vegetarian crème brûlée of your wildest dreams become a stark reality! And such recipe can be found below!
A lot of vegetarian crème brûlée on the internet usually use silken tofu or cashew nuts as the main ingredients. While it’s true that the said ingredients are wonderful substitutes for some of the most important ingredients in making the real deal, the resulting crème brûlée usually is not that impressive most especially texture-wise.
Fortunately, there is a particular ingredient that can make it possible for a vegetarian crème brûlée to have that wonderful wiggly texture without the use of heavy cream and egg yolks. It’s agar-agar!
Agar what?
You can think of agar-agar as vegetarian gelatin. You can get your hands on it in flake or powder form. What’s so nice about agar-agar is it’s so versatile, which means it can be used for making anything from jellies to custards.
Definitely, agar-agar is something that you can count on when making the perfect vegetarian crème brûlée. It allows you to end up with just the right consistency, making it seem as though you are pleasing your mouth with the real deal, but it’s not as you will find out just about now:
Ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups of coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 tablespoon of agar-agar flakes
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 6 teaspoons of white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- A dash of turmeric powder
Directions:
In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, agar-agar flakes, brown sugar, vanilla extract and turmeric powder, something that will give the resulting vegetarian crème brûlée the unmistakable color of the real thing. Bring to a near boil using medium heat. This is important to ensure that the agar-agar flakes are dissolved. Remember to constantly stir all of the ingredients to keep them from burning. Switch off the stove as soon as everything looks like it’s about to boil. Give everything one more stir and set aside. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Once already completely cool, carefully divide the mixture into 6 ramekins. Afterwards, stash them in the refrigerator. It usually takes about 3 hours before things are set. Sprinkle white sugar on top of the vegetarian crème brûlée and caramelize with the help of a kitchen blowtorch. Allow the melted sugar to cool for a bit so that it will harden. Serve afterwards. That’s how trouble-free it is to make your very own vegetarian crème brûlée. This dessert is perfect not only for vegans like you, but also for those who are allergic to dairy and eggs. By the way, it’s not a good idea to let your homemade vegetarian crème brûlée to set in the refrigerator longer than what’s recommended above. Otherwise, some of the coconut milk may separate from the rest of the ingredients.
But worry not in case you have left your masterpieces in the refrigerator for several hours. All you have to do is drain the excess fluids in the ramekins over the sink.
Sources: thevegancookiefairy.com and www.edenfoods.com