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Vegan Chai-Spiced Crème Brûlée Recipe

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This Vegan Chai-Spiced Crème Brûlée offers a creamy, dairy-free twist on the classic French dessert, infused with warm chai spices and a perfectly caramelized sugar topping. Made from soaked cashews and coconut milk, it's rich, smooth, and fragrant with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves. The custard must chill in the fridge before being topped with cane sugar and broiled to create a delicate, crisp brûlée crust.

Ingredients

Custard

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/3 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 pinch sea salt (optional)

Brûlée Topping

  • 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar (fine works best but regular will work)

Instructions

  1. Soak Cashews: Add the raw cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water by 1 to 2 inches. Let them soak for 20 to 30 minutes to soften, which will help create a smooth and creamy texture for the custard.
  2. Drain Cashews: After soaking, drain the cashews and discard the soaking water completely to prepare them for blending.
  3. Blend Custard Mixture: In a high-speed blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and a pinch of sea salt if using. Blend until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add additional coconut milk in teaspoon increments if needed to achieve a thick but blendable consistency.
  4. Divide and Chill: Pour the blended custard evenly into four 3-4 ounce heatproof ramekins. Use shallow, wide ramekins if possible, filling each with about 4 tablespoons of custard. Cover and place them in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. The custard can be served at this stage without the brûlée topping or stored covered in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
  5. Prepare for Broiling: When ready to serve, preheat your oven’s broiler and position a rack on the top shelf, just below the broiler element, ensuring there’s enough room for a baking sheet and the ramekins.
  6. Apply Sugar Topping and Broil: Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of fine cane sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Slide the tray onto the top rack under the broiler. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully until the sugar melts, bubbles, and caramelizes to a golden brown. Alternatively, you can caramelize the sugar with a butane torch if you have one. Be cautious as the sugar can burn quickly.
  7. Cool and Serve: Allow the brûlée to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. The caramelized top will remain crisp for up to one hour, providing a delightful contrast to the creamy custard beneath.

Notes

  • The custard mixture is rich and thick, so use shallow ramekins to prevent overfilling.
  • If you do not have a broiler or torch, you can skip the brûlée topping and enjoy the custard as is.
  • Fine organic cane sugar caramelizes better but regular cane sugar works in a pinch.
  • This dessert can be prepared a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
  • Watch the sugar closely when broiling, as it can easily burn in seconds.

Find it online: https://recipefeastful.com/vegan-chai-spiced-creme-brulee-recipe/