This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Vegan cashew creme brulee is your new favorite dessert! Made without eggs, dairy or soy, it is a healthy new take on a French classic. 
School’s out, and I’m celebrating with pudding.
Or rather, fancy pudding. Creme brulee, to be precise.
I may have left behind both my life as a student and as a professor, but after spending close to two decades of my adult life in the academy, my inner-clock is forever set to the semester system. But my English professor-husband is still fully synchronized to the semester system, so I can live vicariously through him and his completion of another round of classes.
Hence, a celebratory dessert!
Vegan Creme Brulee, Made with Cashews
But my crème brulee has a healthy twist. You would never guess from the luscious taste and texture (I am not sure I’ll mention it to my husband; is that wrong?).
My crème brulee is made without eggs and without dairy. Really and truly.
It is my Cashew Creme Brulee and it is amazing.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Oil-free
- Paleo
- Easy to prepare
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- raw cashews
- full fat coconut milk
- natural cane sugar
- tapioca starch (see notes in recipe card for options)
- vanilla extract
- salt
- Optional: large pinch of ground turmeric (for yellow color)
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Spray or lightly oil four small (6 ounce) ramekins or creme brulee dishes. Place the ramekins in a shallow baking dish.
- Place the cashews in a small bowl; cover with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Place the drained cashews, coconut milk, sugar, tapioca starch, vanilla, salt, and optional turmeric in a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
- Pour the cashew mixture into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook and whisk for for about 3 to 4 minutes until small bubbles appear and the mixture thickens slightly.
- Evenly divide the creme brulee mixture into the prepared ramekins. Fill the shallow dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 33 to 38 minutes until the puddings are just set (they should jiggle slightly when moved).
- Remove the puddings from the water bath and cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until cold (at least 4 hours or up to overnight).
- When ready to be served, sprinkle each crème brulee with a layer of sugar about 1/8 inch thick and caramelize with a kitchen torch, the torch quickly over the sugar until it is caramelized (see notes for using broiler instead). Serve immediately.
Tips
- Turmeric for color: The natural color of the crème is off-white. To give it a sunny hue, I like to add a large pinch of turmeric, too; it is completely optional.
- Water bath for even cooking: cooking the cashew creme brulee in a water bath ensures even cooking and a silky smooth texture.
- Use a kitchen torch for sugar caramelization: kitchen torches are inexpensive and so handy for last minute browning, such as this.
- Use broiler as a kitchen torch alternative: No torch? No problem. You can also caramelize the sugar using the broiler function of your oven.Position a rack to the highest place in the oven (4 to 6 inches from heat source) and preheat broiler to HIGH. Place the chilled crème brulees on a baking sheet and top with sugar, as directed. Broil, watching closely, for 30 to 90 seconds until the sugar is caramelized.
- Sugar tip: Regular granulated sugar can be used in place of the natural cane sugar.
Enjoy!
More Delicious Cashew Recipes:
- Strawberry Cashew Smoothie
- Easy Cashew Mayonnaise (4 ingredients)
- Easy Cashew Cheddar Cheese (oil-free)
- Cashew Boursin Cheese
- Easy Cashew Cream Cheese
- Creamy Cashew Salad Dressing (oil-free vinaigrette)
Cashew Creme Brulee (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 4 oz 115 grams raw cashews (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 can, 13.5 oz full fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup 125 mL natural cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, see notes for options
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Optional: large pinch of ground turmeric, for yellow color
- Additional cane sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Spray or lightly oil four small (6 ounce) ramekins or ceme brulee dishes. Place the ramekins in a shallow baking dish.
- Place the cashews in a small bowl; cover with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Place the drained cashews, coconut milk, sugar, tapioca starch, vanilla, salt, and optional turmeric in a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
- Pour the cashew mixture into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook and whisk for for about 3 to 4 minutes until small bubbles appear and the mixture thickens slightly.
- Evenly divide the creme brulee mixture into the prepared ramekins. Fill the shallow dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 33 to 38 minutes until the puddings are just set (they should jiggle slightly when moved).
- Remove the puddings from the water bath and cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill until cold (at least 4 hours or up to overnight).
- When ready to be served, sprinkle each crème brulee with a layer of sugar about 1/8 inch thick and caramelize with a kitchen torch, the torch quickly over the sugar until it is caramelized (see notes for using broiler instead). Serve immediately.
Hello,
Can I use any other sugar as I don’t use granulated sugar for health reasons and the organic cane sugar I usually buy is out of stock. What about date sugar,unrefined cane sugar(slightly brown in appearance), coconut sugar?
Thank you
Hi Karen! Yes, any of the alternative sugars you mention will work very well here (although the date sugar will not work for the topping–it will not carmelize since it is not a sugar but finely ground dates).
Out of this world! Found this by googling vegan crème brulee. Love that this does not use tofu. It is sooo good, thanks for such a great recipe.
Camilla, I want you to know I have made this many times over the years, all to rave reviews! I have done different flavors (lavender, orange, kahlua, cinnamon) and it always comes out perfect. My father in law is French and even he thought it was very good! Thanks for the great recipe.
this is perfection! I did not tell my hubby it was made from cashews. He guessed that it was different, but loved it anyway. What a clever way to make creme brulee, thank you!
This is outstanding and really very easy to make. Well done!
This came out PERFECT! Love it, thank you.
I was skeptical…but pretty sure it would be good when I tasted the cooked cashew crème (yum!). It ended up very very good, thank you. Tastes just like the real thing. Great!
That looks amazing–the cashew cream sounds very intriguing.
That looks totally decandent!
Whatever you call it your “fancy pudding” looks heavenly. I love the use of cashews to replace the cream and eggs and how creative you always are.
I would never have thought of combining the flavors the way you did here. It looks fantastic and I bet it was just delicious!
Camilla,I cook a lot with coriander and chocolate,but never thought of combining both flavors.I usually make a quick silken tofu chocolate pudding, your decadent recipe sounds very tempting to try:)
Love the grading jokes. I’ll keep my eyes open this weekend as I grade papers and finals.
Also, the pudding sounds delicious! Your pictures and styling are lovely, too.