Vegan Pastry Cream
This rich and creamy homemade vegan custard is made without eggs or dairy, yet it tastes like the real deal! Use it as pastry cream in vegan fruit tarts, Boston cream pies, cream puffs, as a donut filling, for vegan creme brulee, or simply eat it by the bowl full.
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❤️ What makes this recipe great?
This egg-free custard uses chickpea flour to replace the eggs in traditional custard. A chickpea flour egg has a similar protein structure to real eggs, so it gives an authentic taste and texture like traditional custard.
Most other vegan custard recipes use cornstarch alone to thicken it which leaves you with a gloppy texture. Chickpea eggs allow you to use less cornstarch and it gives you the taste and texture of real eggs.
Without eggs, the vegan custard is just thick pudding, however, this method makes the custard taste truly authentic!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Chickpea Flour – To mix with water to form a chickpea flour egg replacer. This replaces egg yolks in traditional custard recipes.
- Water – To mix with the chickpea flour.
- Vegan Sugar – To sweeten the custard. Any organic brand of sugar is vegan. You can use any sweetener that you would like, but the whiter the sugar, the lighter your custard will be. I like to use 1/2 cup regular sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar for a richer flavor. You can also use maple syrup instead of sugar if desired.
- Corn Starch – To thicken the custard. You can also use potato starch or arrowroot powder as a thickening agent. I would not use tapioca starch because it would give it a stretchy texture.
- Salt – Just a pinch for flavor.
- Plant-Based Milk – After testing nearly every type of vegan milk, my family and I decided that oat milk had the best flavor and consistency. However, you can also use almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk. Canned full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream also gives it a very rich texture, but it does have a coconut flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor. Vanilla bean paste also flavors it nicely.
- Vegan Butter – For a rich and creamy consistency. You can use any type of vegan butter that you want. I like my homemade vegan butter.
- Turmeric – Just a pinch of turmeric for a yellow color if desired.
🔪 Helpful tools
- Wire Mesh Strainer – for sifting the chickpea flour and cornstarch to avoid lumps.
- Heavy Bottomed Pan – a heavy saucepan will provide more even heat distribution and keep your custard from burning.
- Whisk – for stirring the custard.
🥄 How to make vegan custard
Make the vegan “egg”-
Step 1 – Sift 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour into a small container and then add 2 tablespoons of water and stir well until all of the lumps are out.
Step 2 – Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water to the chickpea flour mixture and stir again until it’s very smooth. Allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Make the custard base
Step 3 – Sift 3 tablespoons of cornstarch into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. (Sifting will help avoid lumps.)
Step 4 – Add 3/4 cup of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt, then slowly pour in 1/2 cup of cold oat milk (or any plant milk), and stir well with a whisk until all of the lumps are gone and the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cold oat milk and stir again.
Step 5 – Over medium heat, stirring frequently with a whisk. As it starts to boil slowly, stir constantly.
Step 6 – Once the milk mixture has boiled slowly for about 30 seconds, slowly add the chickpea flour egg mixture while continuing to stir with the whisk.
Step 7 – Once all of the chickpea “egg” has been added simmer at a low boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
After cooking
Step 8 – Remove the custard from the heat and add 1/4 cup of vegan butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and stir well until it’s incorporated.
Step 9 – Pour the custard into a bowl and lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly over it so that no air is touching it. (This will prevent it from getting a skin on top.)
Step 10 – Eat the warm custard or refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before using it as pastry cream.
Note: This dairy-free custard recipe is also delicious with the zest of a lemon or two. It makes it tastes like lemon curd.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to add a small amount of liquid to both the chickpea egg and the cornstarch mixture and stir well before adding the remaining liquid. This will give you the best results and help to avoid clumps.
- Add the chickpea flour egg to the custard slowly while stirring with a whisk. If the mixture is allowed to settle to the bottom, it will harden before it gets incorporated.
- Turn this vegan vanilla custard into chocolate custard by adding 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mixture.
- For a firmer consistency increase the amount of cornstarch by 1 teaspoon.
❓ Frequently asked questions?
Use this vegan custard to make creme brulee, a vegan fruit tart, fill donuts, or eclairs. You can also use it as filling in cupcakes or sandwich it between sponge cake for a vegan Boston cream pie.
Yes, Birds brand custard powder is vegan and you can use it to make a super easy vegan custard. I prefer my recipe for homemade custard, but it’s a good vegan alternative.
🥡 How to store pastry cream
Refrigerate: This vegan pastry cream will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
🌟 More vegan desserts
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan pastry cream recipe
Vegan Custard (Pastry Cream)
Ingredients
For the chickpea egg
- 3 tablespoons chickpea flour
- 3 tablespoons water
For the custard
- 3/4 cup vegan sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups oat milk, (or any plant-based milk)
After cooking
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, (use soy-free if needed)
Instructions
Make the chickpea egg
- Sift 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour into a small container and then add 2 tablespoons of water and stir well until all of the lumps are out.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water to the chickpea flour mixture and stir again until it’s very smooth. Allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Make the custard base
- Sift 3 tablespoons of corn starch into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. (Sifting will help avoid lumps.)
- Add 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and slowly pour in 1/2 cup of cold oat milk and stir well with a whisk until all of the lumps are gone and the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cold oat milk and stir again.
- Turn on the heat to medium and stir frequently with a whisk. As it starts to boil slowly, stir constantly.
- Once the mixture has boiled slowly for about 30 seconds, slowly add the chickpea flour egg mixture while continuing to stir with the whisk.
- Once all of the chickpea "egg" has been added simmer at a low boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly.
After cooking
- Remove the custard from the heat and add 4 tablespoons of vegan butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and stir well until it's incorporated.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly over it so that no air is touching it. (This will prevent it from getting a skin on top.)
- Eat the warm custard or refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before using it as pastry cream.
Notes
- Be sure to add a small amount of liquid to both the chickpea egg and the cornstarch mixture and stir well before adding the remaining liquid. This will help you avoid clumps.
- Add the chickpea flour egg to the custard slowly while stirring with a whisk. If the mixture is allowed to settle to the bottom, it will harden before it gets incorporated.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!
Delicious! Thanks Monica.
Glad that you liked it, Sue! 🙂