This Japanese-style custard pudding is velvety smooth with a touch of coconut flavor in the caramel sauce. Made with oat milk, this dessert is perfectly gluten-free and dairy-free.
If you ask me what my favorite dessert is, I am 100% sure that I will say CUSTARD PUDDING ('Purin' in Japanese) for the rest of my life. Coming from Japan, custard pudding has always been available anywhere I go, even at convenient stores. Its eggy, rich, silky smooth texture is just so irresistible...
While it sounds very similar to flan or crème brûlée, this Japanese pudding is much lighter as it is made without any condensed milk or heavy cream.
Even after I decided to cut down on dairy, I have been following the same recipe I grew up with, using plant-based milk. The results have been as good as the original, or even better!
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Super simple Ingredients
Although it is ridiculously delicious, I love it that this recipe requires nothing special. The ingredients are primarily just eggs, milk and sugar. Can you believe these kitchen staples make such a fancy decadent dessert?
Dairy-free custard pudding
So what is this custard pudding made with?
It is made with oat milk. After testing with different kinds of non-dairy milk, I find that the oat milk gives the best result in both texture and flavor.
The caramel sauce is made with coconut sugar. It is a little healthier with a lower glycemic index, and it also adds a subtle coconut flavor. The slight bitterness in the caramel sauce works really well with the sweet custard, making you crave for more and more.
Tips for making custard pudding
While the ingredients for custard pudding are simple, it is a delicate dessert and things could go wrong before you know it! But don’t be worried, these tips will keep you away from major failures.
1. Do not stir the caramel sauce with a spatula: As syrup (water + sugar) boils, sugar starts to form back into crystals, which turns the caramel grainy and cloudy. This is called the crystallization of sugar. To avoid this, do not whisk with a spatula or spoon while cooking the caramel. Gently tilt and swirl the saucepan to check the texture of the caramel.
2. Strain the custard mix twice: Straining the uncooked custard mixture removes any bits of egg that may not have been fully emulsified in the mixing process. This minimizes the chance for unpleasant eggy bits. This also gets rid of excess air bubbles formed during mixing.
3. Bake at a low temperature: The air bubbles inside the custard mixture expand as the temperature rises in the oven. Slowing down that temperature rise keeps the bubbles to the minimum level, bringing a smoother, silkier end result.
4. Bake in a hot water bath: This also prevents the sudden temperature rise in the custard, avoiding the air bubbles expanding rapidly inside. Make sure the water is hot but not boiling - about 130°F/ 54°C.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Coconut sugar - for the caramel sauce
- Water
- Oat milk
- Cane sugar - or any lighter colored sugar for the custard.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Custard Pudding
1. Make the caramel. Cook the coconut sugar and water in a saucepan until it starts to bubble and thicken. Add more water and let swirl. Split into cups.
2. Warm up sugar and milk. Warm up in a saucepan, but do not boil the mix.
3. Make the custard mix. Combine the sugar/milk mix with eggs and vanilla.
4. Strain. Strain the mixture through a sieve and pour into cups (over the caramel).
5. Bake. Bake for 45 minutes in a hot water bath. Refrigerate until cold.
6. Serve. Run a toothpick around the custard. Cover with a small plate, flip and jiggle to release!
*See below recipe card for detailed directions.
Recipe
Custard Pudding with Coconut Caramel
Equipment
- 8 x 4oz size metal cups or ramekins
Ingredients
For the caramel
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup water to mix with sugar first
- ¼ cup water to add later
For the custard
- 1½ cup oat milk or any non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar or granulated sugar, or any white colored sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°F. Lightly grease 8 small cups with vegan butter (preferred) or olive oil.
- In a medium saucepan, place the coconut sugar and ¼ cup water. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it starts to bubble and thicken.
- Pour another ¼ cup of water into the pan in one quick motion. It will make a loud sizzling sound. Let the caramel swirl by moving the saucepan in a circular motion.
- Pour the caramel sauce into the prepared cups. Set aside.
- In a clean saucepan, place the organic cane sugar and milk. Warm up over low heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Do not let it boil (so the eggs won't get cooked in the next step!).
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Pour the milk/sugar mix into the bowl slowly, stirring at the same time. Mix in the vanilla extract as well.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve twice. You can transfer from the bowl to the saucepan you just used, then from the saucepan to the bowl.
- Pour the mixture into the cups, on top of caramel.
- Place the pudding cups in a deep baking tray. Then fill the tray with hot water (about 130°F/ 54°C) up to halfway up the sides of the cups.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool to room temperature. Then wrap individually and refrigerate until cold.
- To release out of the pudding cups, run a toothpick around the custard, cover with a small plate, and flip in one motion. Shake a bit and the pudding will slip out with the caramel on top.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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