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    Home » Dairy-Free Recipes

    Coconut Crème Brûlée

    Published: Aug 18, 2016 · Modified: Jul 10, 2021 by Philip + Mystique · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Three taps of a spoon cracks the caramelized sugar, exposing a silky custard cream centre of our Coconut Crème Brûlée, made using minimal ingredients and simple steps.

    Crème brûlée is the ultimate dessert. What's not to love? Decadent and luxurious, Crème brûlée is typically topped with fruits and herbs, a glass crust glazed of caramelized sugar and a rich, velvety custard centre that'll have you melting with every bite.

    Close up of Coconut Creme Brûlée topped with Raspberries on a Pink Plate

    Traditionally made with cream, we've opted for a dairy-free crème brûlée, swapping out heavy dairy for silky coconut milk, adding to the richness of the dish yet keeping it simple. And while it seems like a dessert that is easier to order off a menu than make yourself, our Coconut Crème Brûlée uses minimal ingredients and simple steps, that'll still have you melting with every bite.

    "Crème Brûlée is the ultimate 'guy' dessert. Make it and he'll follow you anywhere." - Ina Garten

    Close up of Three Coconut Creme Brûlées topped with Raspberries


    While I adore Ina for her classic techniques, she takes the cake with this advice. Crème brûlée is one of the first desserts Philip made for me on our first Christmas we celebrated together, and the first three course meal he ever made for me  – arugula salad, duck with a cherry glaze and a dairy-free crème brûlée.

    Three taps of a spoon cracks the caramelized sugar, exposing a silky custard cream centre. And with one swoop of the two balancing textures our Coconut Crème Brûlée is the most tantalizing and decadent dessert and the perfect finish to any meal.

    How to Make Coconut Crème Brûlée

    Ingredients for dairy free creme brulee

    Preparation

    Set your oven to 325° F and bring a kettle of water to boil.

    How to Make the Custard

    Pour a can of coconut milk in a saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the seeds from one vanilla bean and heat until just before it starts to simmer.

    Pouring coconut milk into a saucepan

    In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. until they are fluffy and bright yellow. Gradually add the hot coconut milk into the eggs while continuously stirring. Pour through a sieve and into a measuring cup to remove any lumps.

    Pouring milk from a saucepan into eggs while whisking

    Baking Crème Brûlée

    Place 4 ramekins in a deep baking dish and pour an equal amount of brûlée mixture into each. Transfer the baking dish to your oven and carefully pour enough hot water around ramekins to come about half and inch from the lips . Ensure not to get any water into any of the brûlées.

    Pouring dairy-free creme brulee mixture into ramekins

    Bake for 40 minutes, until the centre of the brûlées are set. The custard should jiggle a little bit when shaken. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack then cover and transfer to your fridge for at least two hours.

    How to Brûlée the Coconut Crème Brûlée

    Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each brûlée and using a blowtorch (affiliate link) caramelize the sugar on top until brown. If you're in a pinch and don't have a torch you can caramelize the sugar using your oven. Serve this decadent dairy-free crème brûlée with fresh berries and mint.

    Philip's hand holding a torch to brûlée the coconut creme brûlée

    Bon appetit,

    Chef Sous Chef

    Helpful Tools and Ingredients to Make Crème Brûlée

    Below are affiliate links to products that will assist you in making the perfect dairy-free crème brûlée. If you purchase an item through the links, Chef Sous Chef Inc. will receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you.

    • Crème Brûlée Torch
    • Ramekins
    • Coconut Milk

    Thank you for helping support us through these purchases. If you have made this recipe, please let us know in the comments below!

    Close up of Coconut Creme Brûlée on a pink plate
    Close up of Coconut Creme Brûlée on a pink plate

    Coconut Crème Brûlée

    Philip Lago & Mystique Mattai
    Using a coconut milk and vanilla base, this dairy-free coconut crème brûlée is sweet, silky, and rich yet simple to make. Using just a few simple ingredient, but with the look of restaurant quality, this makes for a great dessert for special occasions.
     
    4.4 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Course Dessert, Food + Drink
    Cuisine Canadian, Comfort, Dairy-Free, French
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 354

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 can coconut milk 400ml
    • 5 large egg yolks
    • ½ cup sugar + 3 tbsp
    • 1 whole vanilla bean

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 325° F and brink a kettle of water to boil.
    • Pour coconut milk into saucepan on medium heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and place cut side up on the cutting board. Using the back of a small knife, scrape the seeds from the pods and whisk them into the coconut milk. Heat until just before it comes to a simmer then remove from heat. 
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and ½ cup sugar, until fluffy and vibrant yellow colour. While whisking the eggs, gradually pour in the hot coconut milk. Once well incorporated, pour the mixture through a sieve and into a measuring cup. 
    • Place ramekins in a deep baking dish. Pour an equal amount of brûlée mixture into each ramekin. Set the baking dish in the oven then carefully pour the hot water into the baking dish around the ramekins, at least ¼ inch from the top of the ramekins. 
    • Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and check doneness by giving them a little shake. The mixture should jiggle but not be liquidy - similar to jello.
    • Once the ramekins are cool enough to handle, place them on a wire rack to cool to room temperature then transfer them to your fridge for at least two hours to set.
    • When ready to serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each brûlée and using a blowtorch caramelize the sugar on top until brown.
    • Serve with fresh berries and mint.

    Notes

    • For best results, use a full-fat or premium coconut milk

    Nutrition

    Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 231mgSodium: 23mgPotassium: 234mgSugar: 25gVitamin A: 306IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword coconut milk recipe, dairy-free, dairy-free creme brûlée recipe, dairy-free dessert recipe
    Have you tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @chef.souschef or use the hashtag #chefsouschef and let us know how it was!
    Close up of dairy-free creme brulee with raspberries and pistachios on top
    « No Meat, No Wheat, No Dairy | Beet Burgers
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stephanie says

      November 17, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      I was surprised by how good the texture was. The coconut milk was so delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        November 20, 2017 at 8:15 am

        Thanks Stephanie!

        Reply
    2. Kelly says

      April 08, 2018 at 4:30 pm

      Can this be made with sous vide

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        April 08, 2018 at 7:47 pm

        Hi Kelly,

        We’ve never thought of cooking the brûlée sous vide and couldn’t tell you whether it would work with this recipe. Here is an article with instructions which may be helpful https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/creme-brulee

        Reply
    3. Jahnavi says

      April 16, 2018 at 9:19 pm

      I don't have vanilla beans. How many teaspoons of vanilla extract is 1 vanilla bean equivalent to? I'd appreciate your feedback.

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        April 16, 2018 at 9:57 pm

        Hi Jahnavi

        Thanks for the question. You can use 1 tsp of vanilla extract for one vanilla bean.

        Reply
    4. Robert Dufort says

      June 16, 2018 at 9:36 am

      I am replacing vanilla bean with 3 tsp of matcha (green tea powder) I will let you know if it was good. Thank you for this simple recipe.

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        June 16, 2018 at 10:28 am

        That sounds delicious! I'm curious how the colour will turn out. Please let us know the results! Good luck Robert.

        Reply
    5. Josephine’ says

      August 13, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Are the +3 tablespoons of sugar for mixing with the egg yolks or for the brûlée?

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        August 13, 2019 at 2:56 pm

        Hi Josephine. The 3 tbsp of sugar is to sprinkle on top of the set custards for the brûlée. Thanks for stopping by, please come back and let us know how the recipe turned out for you!

        Reply
    6. Ann Wright says

      December 10, 2019 at 10:12 pm

      How long will these last in the refrigerator? I am trying to figure out how much in advance I could make these.

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        December 11, 2019 at 2:12 pm

        Hi Ann, I have made them up to 12 hours before serving. You should be able to make them the day before serving I imagine.

        Reply
    7. Chris Gorman says

      January 31, 2020 at 11:37 pm

      I absolutely loved this recipe for its simplicity and the results are restaurant-quality to boot. I have a go to Creme' Brulee' recipe that is almost exact except sub heavy cream for the coconut milk. On a side note, I used a brand of milk called Polar (full cream). It was definatley thicker than standard coconut milk. Thanks for sharing this!5 stars

      Reply
    8. Kim says

      March 22, 2020 at 6:40 pm

      I made this recipe twice. The first time I used light coconut milk so it took almost two hours in the oven. The next time I bought the full fat version but it’s been over an hour in the oven and is still liquid.4 stars

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        March 23, 2020 at 11:03 am

        Hi Kim,

        The creme brulee may still seem liquidy when in the oven, or even when you pull it out but firm up in the fridge once cold. Hopefully, they were okay after chilling. Feel free to reach out further for any troubleshooting. All the best!

        Reply
    9. Laura says

      April 26, 2020 at 6:29 am

      Followed the recipe exactly, although the recipe separated when it cooked and I was left with a coconut water liquid at the bottom of the ramekin.1 star

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        April 29, 2020 at 7:40 am

        Hi Laura,

        Thanks for stopping by and trying out the recipe. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Keep in mind, that this is a dairy-free recipe and coconut milk does not have the same properties as heavy cream. Different brands of coconut milk will yield different results based on their ingredients, such as emulsifiers. Coconut milk naturally separates when heating up so there is likely to be a little bit of liquid at the bottom. This can be remedied somewhat by dabbing the top of the Brulee with a paper towel before dusting with sugar.

        Reply
    10. Jamie says

      April 29, 2020 at 7:42 am

      I made this last night for my wife and it was absolutely divine. Creamy, smooth and could barely tell that it is dairy-free. Thank you for the recipe, love it!5 stars

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        April 29, 2020 at 7:43 am

        Hi Jamie,

        So glad your wife enjoyed the recipe. We make it for special occasions and it's definitely one of our favourites.

        Reply
    11. Delena says

      June 09, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      How much fat should there be in the coconut milk??

      Reply
      • Chef Sous Chef says

        June 10, 2020 at 9:41 am

        Hi Delena,

        Thanks for stopping by and for the question. I am not sure of the percentage of fat, however, the can will say premium and/or full-fat coconut milk. Our cans we have in our pantry show between 9 to 11g of fat per 1/4 cup or 60ml. Good luck with the recipe!

        Reply
    12. Matt says

      May 05, 2021 at 3:10 pm

      Ow come in the picture above looks thicker?5 stars

      Reply
    13. Kristy says

      December 19, 2021 at 9:32 pm

      This was outstanding! Only change I made was to swap 1/2t vanilla bean paste for the whole vanilla bean. Absolutely delicious, thank you for the recipe.5 stars

      Reply
    14. Russ says

      February 26, 2022 at 1:25 pm

      Terrific dairy free recipe. You can slightly tweak it very easily with rum extract, bourbon, lime, etc.5 stars

      Reply
      • Philip + Mystique says

        March 07, 2022 at 11:34 pm

        Thanks Russ! It's a special recipe. Tweaks are always welcome.

        Reply
    15. Lesley Bailey says

      July 04, 2022 at 9:05 am

      Hi there can these be frozen after cooking ?

      Reply
      • Philip + Mystique says

        July 04, 2022 at 9:55 am

        Hi Lesley, They can be frozen for 1-2 weeks after cooking, but before caramelizing. Happy baking!

        Reply

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