This dairy-free creme brûlée is smooth, creamy and elegant. Made with coconut milk, egg yolks, vanilla bean, and sugar – it’s just as delicious as the classic!
This classic French dessert feels so sophisticated, yet it’s super simple to make. That’s a winning combo in my book! Plus, who doesn’t love a reason to whip out the kitchen torch?
This decadent dessert is easy to make ahead, which is one reason I love making it for dinner parties and special occasions. Since the recipe calls for a few simple ingredients, I like to use the absolute highest quality products. Real vanilla bean adds the best flavor!
This recipe is also naturally gluten-free, making it a great dessert to serve to guests with varying dietary needs.
Whether you choose to share the ramekins or keep the dessert all to yourself, you’re sure to love this classy, refined dessert!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Dairy-free, gluten-free, and lactose-free
- Easy make-ahead dessert
- Great for dinner parties or special occasions
For more dairy-free recipes, try these recipes for dairy-free eggnog, dairy-free caramel and dairy-free hot chocolate.
You also might like these recipes for classic panna cotta, dairy-free banana cream pie, dairy-free coconut cream pie and dairy-free fondue.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this dairy free creme brulee recipe:
- Coconut milk: Full fat coconut milk serves as the creamy base for this dairy-free crème brûlée. It’s a great substitute for heavy cream and creates the perfect creamy texture! Be sure to use the coconut cream that rises to the top, as well as the milk.
- Vanilla bean: Vanilla bean has a much more intense flavor in comparison to vanilla extract. It adds so much depth to this creme brulee—and when a recipe is so simple, you want to use the absolute best ingredients!
- Egg yolks: Egg yolks create that creamy custard texture you associate with creme brulee. It’s essential! You can save the egg whites to make an omelet or angel food cake!
- Salt: I like to use a pinch of fine sea salt to enhance the flavor of this creme brulee.
- Sugar: Domino granulated fine sugar is my favorite for baking!
You also might like this pumpkin creme brulee or dairy-free rice pudding.
How to Dairy-Free Crème Brûlée
- In a small pot, heat the coconut milk over medium heat until just starting to bubble on the sides. Whisk the coconut milk a little as it heats until it’s smooth.
- Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour a little of the hot coconut milk into the sugar mixture, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the coconut milk mixture into 4 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the filled ramekins into a baking dish. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Careful not to splash any water into the creme brulee.
- Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still jiggly in the center, approximately 30-35 minutes for wider/narrow ramekins and 40-45 minutes for smaller, deeper ramekins.
- Remove the custards from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Then wrap each ramekin with plastic wrap and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Before serving, sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Use a kitchen torch to broil the top until golden brown and a sugar crust forms on top. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to three days. Creme brulee can also be made in advance—either two hours ahead of time, overnight, or up to three days in advance.
FAQs
For dairy-free creme brulee, use a can of coconut milk instead of heavy cream. It will give you the same creamy, silky texture of dairy!
If you’re lactose intolerant, you can still enjoy creme brulee. My dairy-free version uses coconut milk instead of heavy cream, so it doesn’t have any lactose in it!
Creme brulee and custard are similar, but custard is made with milk, while classic French crème brûlée is made with heavy cream. Creme brulee also has a crunchy, caramelized sugar topping that is made by torching a layer of sugar on top of the creme.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- This recipe makes four ramekins, which can be shared or enjoyed individually. Feel free to double the recipe if you’d like—you’ll just need 8 ramekins, instead of four.
- Remember you’ll need to refrigerate the creme brulee for at least two hours before serving. I like to make it the night before—it’s a great make-ahead dessert for dinner parties!
- Don’t have a kitchen torch? No problem! Just set the ramekins under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Watch them closely, or else you’ll have burnt sugar!
- I love topping this creme brulee with raspberries, but you can also top it with other fresh berries, chocolate shavings, or any other topping!
MORE DAIRY-FREE RECIPES
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try this dairy-free creme brulee, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Dairy-Free Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 14 oz unsweetened coconut milk full fat
- 4 egg yolks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar plus more for topping
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a small pot, heat the coconut milk over medium heat until just starting to bubble on the sides. Whisk the coconut milk a little as it heats until it’s smooth.
- Meanwhile, add the egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar and pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour a little of the hot coconut milk into the sugar mixture, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the coconut milk mixture into 4 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the filled ramekins into a baking dish. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Careful not to splash any water into the creme brulee.
- Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still jiggly in the center, approximately 30-35 minutes for wider/narrow ramekins and 40-45 minutes for smaller, deeper ramekins.
- Remove the custards from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Then wrap each ramekin with plastic wrap and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Before serving, sprinkle the top of each custard with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Torch or broil until golden brown and sugar crust forms on top. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Remember you’ll need to refrigerate the creme brulee for at least two hours before serving. I like to make it the night before—it’s a great make-ahead dessert for dinner parties!
- Don’t have a kitchen torch? No problem! Just set the ramekins under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Watch them closely, or else you’ll have burnt sugar!
- I love topping this creme brulee with raspberries, but you can also top it with other fresh berries, chocolate shavings, or any other topping!
Thank you so much for your dairy-free recipes. Being highly allergic to dairy products, these recipes are a delicious and a lifesaver! I have just one question, what type of full fat coconut milk do you buy? I have never really bought coconut milk before so I am not familiar with the brands and varieties.
I have used a variety of brands over the years and they’re all pretty much the same. Lately I’ve been using canned coconut milk from Target – Good & Gather brand!
This is beyond amazing!! Would never know it’s dairy-free!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I haven’t tried this yet, but will. My question however is whether or not coconut cream would be better then coconut milk?
I haven’t tried coconut cream here! I think full fat coconut milk would work better so there is more liquid for the eggs to form a custard. Coconut cream is generally much thicker. I hope this helps!
This looks amazing!! However, I have to avoid coconut and limit eggs. Are there substitutes that would work in this recipe? The coconut would be the higher priority to switch out.
I am rating a 5 because it is a great alternative recipe. However, when I made it, it tasted very “eggy”. I have made regular creme brulee many times and was making this for my father who can’t have dairy. Any suggestions on what I may have done wrong? Or how to fix that?
I think creme brulee always tastes like an egg custard so it’s hard to say. Did you add the vanilla and pinch of salt?