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These vegan chocolate pots de crème are velvety smooth, irresistibly creamy, and so decadent! This plant-based take on the classic French dessert is prepared with 6 simple everyday ingredients such as almond milk, coconut cream, and dark chocolate. Plus, this recipe is tofu and cashew-free!
⭐️ Why You Should Try It
- Perfect for chocolate lovers. This chocolate pots de crème recipe will satisfy any chocolate lover! It’s not overly sweet, letting the chocolate flavor shine. It’s rich without being bitter.
- Silky smooth, and super creamy. Melted dark chocolate, almond milk, and coconut cream blend together to create the creamiest texture! It’s luxurious with a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Quick and simple to make. These chocolate pots de crème come together in no time. Simply melt the chocolate, mix it in with the custard, and pour it into individual ramekins. It couldn’t get easier! Note that as opposed to many other vegan recipes, this one doesn’t rely on tofu or cashews.
📘 What is Pot de Crème
Pot de crème is a classic French dessert that translates to “pot of cream.” Its origins trace back to the 17th century in France.
Traditionally, pots de crème are made with a base of cream, eggs, sugar, and flavorings. Many versions exist, such as vanilla, chocolate, or even caramel pots de crème.
🍫 Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these pots de crème:
- Plant-based milk – You can use unsweetened almond, soy, oat, or cashew milk. If you’re looking for a subtle hazelnut taste, hazelnut milk is a great choice!
- Coconut cream – Coconut cream brings richness and creaminess. Use the thick cream that sits on top of a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk. Leave out the water.
- Dark chocolate – I went with 50% dark chocolate, but you can use a higher percentage chocolate for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Cornstarch – It helps thicken the custard. Do not omit it. Otherwise, your pots de crème won’t set.
- Sugar – To sweeten. You can use granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract – A splash of vanilla extract helps enhance the overall flavor.
🥣 How to Make It
1. Melt the dark chocolate
- Add the chocolate to a bowl. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and transfer it to a bowl.
- Place it over a double boiler. Place the bowl on top of a small saucepan filled with water to create a doubler boiler.
- Melt it. Heat the saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.
2. Prepare the custard
- Combine the ingredients. Add the milk, cornstarch, and sugar to a saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Next, add the coconut cream.
- Heat over medium heat. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
3. Combine the chocolate and custard
- Pour the chocolate into the custard. Once the custard has thickened, turn off the heat. Pour the melted chocolate into the custard.
- Whisk until combined. Whisk the melted chocolate with the custard until fully combined.
- Strain (optional). If you see some lumps, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
4. Transfer to ramekins
- Transfer to individual ramekins. Finally, pour the chocolate custard into small glass ramekins.
- Let it cool. Let the pots de crème cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator. Chill the pots de crème for at least 6 hours before enjoying!
📔 Tips
- Blend the custard. As the cornstarch can clump a bit, I recommend straining the custard through a fine-sieve mesh or blending it for a few seconds to make it as smooth as possible before transferring it to ramekins.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. Depending on the type of dark chocolate used, you might have to adjust the sweetness. I used 50% dark chocolate, but if you use 70%, I recommend adding an extra tablespoon of sugar to balance the bitterness.
- Transfer to ramekins immediately. Once the melted chocolate is fully combined with the custard, immediately transfer it to ramekins. If you let it sit in the saucepan, a skin will form on top, and you will end up with lumps.
🫚 Variations
- Make it extra chocolatey. Feel free to include a couple of tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor. You can even add half a teaspoon of instant coffee to elevate the chocolate aroma further.
- Infuse it with spices. For an extra kick of flavor, you can incorporate ground spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, or even a pinch of cayenne pepper. You can also use spice mixes like pumpkin spice, chai, or gingerbread spice mix.
- Add flavorings. Give your pots de crème a seasonal twist by adding a few drops of orange essence!
🍓 What to Serve It With
While these little pots de crème are delicious on their own, you might consider garnishing them with:
- A dollop of cream: Add a spoonful of coconut cream or your favorite plant-based cream. Whipped aquafaba works great as well!
- Crushed nuts: Sprinkle crushed hazelnuts, almonds, or cashews for extra crunch and a hint of nuttiness.
- Fresh fruits: For freshness, arrange some fresh berries such as raspberries, sliced strawberries, or blueberries on top of the pots of cream.
- A drizzle of nut butter: Drizzle the pots de crème with peanut butter or almond butter.
❄️ Storing
- To store: You can keep these pots de crème in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing them as it would alter the texture.
💬 FAQ
Can I omit the cornstarch?
Cornstarch is essential to allow the custard to set. It cannot be omitted.
Can I make these pots de crème refined sugar-free?
Yes, you can use your favorite refined sugar-free chocolate (coconut sugar-sweetened for example) for this recipe.
The pots de crème didn’t set. What happened?
You either forgot to add the cornstarch, or you didn’t heat the mixture long enough. The milk must come to a simmer to activate the cornstarch.
Vegan Chocolate Pots de Crème
These vegan chocolate pots de crème are velvety smooth, irresistibly creamy, and so decadent! This plant-based take on the classic French dessert is prepared with 6 simple everyday ingredients such as almond milk, coconut cream, and dark chocolate. Plus, this recipe is tofu and cashew-free!
Ingredients
- 3.5 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy, cashew milk
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sugar use 2 tbsp if you have a sweet tooth
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and transfer it to a bowl. Place the bowl on top of a small saucepan filled with water to create a doubler boiler.Heat the saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.
- Prepare the custard. Add the milk, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract to a saucepan. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Next, add the coconut cream.
- Heat over medium heat. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
- Pour the chocolate into the custard. Once the custard has thickened, turn off the heat. Pour the melted chocolate into the custard.
- Whisk until combined. Whisk the melted chocolate with the custard until fully combined. Note: If you see some lumps, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Transfer to individual ramekins. Finally, pour the chocolate custard into small glass ramekins.
- Let it cool. Let the pots de crème cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator. Chill the pots de crème for at least 6 hours before enjoying!
- These pots de crème will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Blend the custard. As the cornstarch can clump a bit, I recommend straining the custard through a fine-sieve mesh or blending it for a few seconds to make it as smooth as possible before transferring it to ramekins.
- Adjust the sweetness to taste. Depending on the type of dark chocolate used, you might have to adjust the sweetness. I used 50% dark chocolate, but if you use 70%, I recommend adding an extra tablespoon of sugar to balance the bitterness.
- Transfer to ramekins immediately. Once the melted chocolate is fully combined with the custard, immediately transfer it to ramekins. If you let it sit in the saucepan, a skin will form on top, and you will end up with lumps.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @fullofplants on Instagram and hashtag it #fullofplants
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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A new taste dessert. Thank you for sharing Thomas.