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This famous French dessert consists of a vanilla custard with a texture similar to flan, and a delicious salted caramel on top. It’s super smooth, perfectly sweet, and so light! This flan is vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free! SO GOOD!
⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It’s a dreamy dessert. The silky smooth yet delicate texture of this flan will get you addicted in no time! It’s a crowd-pleasing dessert that even non-vegans are going to love!
- It’s quick and easy. You are just 6 ingredients and about 30 minutes away from this dessert. The process is super simple, and I’m showing you below how to make it step-by-step.
- Perfect for caramel lovers. This vegan flan packs a ton of caramel flavor! Combined with the fresh vanilla aroma of the flan, it creates a real flavor bomb.
📘 What is Creme Caramel
Creme caramel, also called Flan, is a dessert that first appeared in France during the middle ages, around 1400. It consists of a custard creme that is infused with vanilla and topped with a layer of caramel.
It is now popular all around the world, from Latin America (Milk Flan) to the Philippines (Leche Flan), and Viet Nam (Bánh Flan). Each version has slightly different ingredients and processes.
Most recipes usually call for eggs to firm up the creme, but here we are going with a combination of coconut milk and agar to get a rich and creamy consistency with a firm texture.
🥛 Ingredient Notes
This vegan flan requires pantry staples that are affordable and easy to find. Here is what you will need:
- Unsweetened almond milk – Or soy, cashew, or oat milk. I personally like to use soy milk, but any plant-based milk works!
- Coconut cream – Coconut cream brings richness and creaminess. It also helps the flan get firmer once cold.
- Sugar – Or maple syrup. You will be using sugar to prepare the caramel and sweeten the flan itself.
- Vanilla extract – For the vanilla, you can use vanilla extract or the seeds from a fresh vanilla bean if you are looking for a deeper flavor.
- Cornstarch – It acts as a substitute for the eggs, giving the flan a creamier and slightly thicker consistency.
- Agar agar – Finally, agar makes the flan firm up once chilled. Make sure you are using agar agar powder, not agar flakes.
🥣 How to Make Vegan Creme Caramel
This recipe consists of two different preparations. First, we have the caramel that will harden at the bottom of each ramekin. Then, we have the vanilla cream that will go on top of the caramel.
1. The Caramel
We start by preparing the caramel. I am sharing two ways to make it: the traditional way that makes use of granulated sugar, and a refined sugar-free version that makes use of maple syrup and coconut sugar. Here, I will be showing you how to make the former one.
- Add the sugar and water to a light-bottomed saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat until the sugar starts to melt and bubble. Do not stir.
- After a few minutes, the sugar will start to crystallize. It will appear as if it’s getting harder. That is totally normal. Keep heating the sugar over medium heat.
- After another 1-2 minutes, the caramel will turn golden brown. Heat it for another 10-20 seconds or until it gets an amber color.
Next, divide the caramel into 4 small ramekins and tilt to spread the caramel evenly into each ramekin. Let it harden at room temperature.
For The Refined Sugar-Free Version
If you want to make this creme caramel without using any refined sugar, I have got you covered as well!
To do so, we will use a combination of maple syrup and coconut sugar to create the caramel. Why a combination of both? Simply because maple syrup prevents the coconut sugar from burning. To make the caramel, you will need:
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- a pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Add the maple syrup, coconut sugar, salt, and white vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly until it starts to boil. Once boiling, let it boil for about 30 seconds, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Immediately remove from heat and divide the caramel between 4 small ramekins.
2. The Flan (Vanilla Custard)
Once the caramel is done, it’s time to prepare the flan.
- Add the almond milk, coconut cream, sugar or maple syrup, vanilla, cornstarch, and agar to a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat, constantly whisking until it comes to a boil.
- Once the mixture has slightly thickened, transfer to the ramekins, over the caramel.
Here is a quick tip if you want your creme caramel to look good: let the vanilla custard cool down a bit (2-3 minutes) before pouring it into the ramequins. I found out that if you pour it while still very hot, the creme tends to crack a bit on top.
Finally, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before flipping over a plate. The caramel will “melt” over the creme caramel! It is sweet, full of vanilla flavor, and so creamy!
If you want to make this creme caramel fancier, I highly recommend making the salted coconut topping! It consists of shredded coconut and coconut flakes combined with maple syrup and salt that are toasted until golden brown and crunchy. Check out the recipe card below for the full recipe!
📔 Tips
- Sugar vs. coconut sugar for the caramel. If you are hesitating between the different ways to make the caramel, here is some information that may help you decide. The white sugar version, which is the traditional way of making caramel is a bit simpler and yields a slightly superior flavor. The maple syrup and coconut sugar version is a bit more tricky as I find it easier to burn the caramel. It is, however, free of refined sugar, so the choice is yours!
- For a salted caramel. If you want to give a hint of saltiness to the caramel, stir in about 1/8 teaspoon of salt once the caramel has turned an amber color.
💬 FAQ
Basically, yes, it is the same dessert. The denomination changes depending on the country.
There are two ways to enjoy this delicious dessert: Flip on a plate and let the caramel coat the vanilla pudding, or simply dig with a spoon in the ramekin.
Both yield great results! Seeds from a vanilla bean give the pudding a deeper, fresher flavor. However, it is more expensive than vanilla extract.
Creme caramel will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
I hope you will all love this creme caramel! They are full of vanilla flavor, rich, and melt in your mouth! The caramel on top goes perfectly with the vanilla creme.
Vegan Creme Caramel (Flan)
Ingredients
Caramel*
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice
- a generous pinch of salt
Creme
- 1 and 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4 cup coconut cream
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp agar powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Salted Coconut Crumble (optional)
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp large coconut flakes
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Start by preparing the caramel. Add the maple syrup, coconut sugar, salt, and white vinegar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly until it starts to boil. Once boiling, let it boil for about 30 seconds, keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Immediately remove from heat and divide the caramel into 4 small ramequins. Tilt each ramequin to spread the caramel in the bottom. Set aside and let it cool for at least 20 minutes.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the almond milk, coconut cream, and maple syrup. Add the cornstarch and agar and whisk to dissolve.
- Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens (usually just before boiling). Once it has thickened, remove it from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and whisk again.
- Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it cool for about 5 minutes before pouring it into the ramequins over the caramel. I recommend letting it cool a bit because if you pour it immediately over the caramel it will make it melt and it won't result in good-looking creme caramel.
- Let the creme caramel cool a bit at room temperature before transferring it to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight, the creme caramel will set and the caramel will melt.
- To serve, run a knife along the edges of each ramequin, cover with a plate, and flip it. The caramel sauce will be on top and coat the creme. Serve fresh, topped with the salted coconut crumble!
Salted Coconut Crumble (optional)
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the shredded coconut, coconut flakes, maple syrup, and salt.
- Spread the coconut on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let it cool completely before using.
Video
Notes
- For a more traditional caramel: place 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Add 1 tbsp of water and a pinch of salt. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and starts boiling. After another 1-2 minutes, it will get nice golden brown color. At this point, remove from heat immediately as you don’t want the caramel to burn, and divide into the ramequins.
- Sugar vs. coconut sugar for the caramel. If you are hesitating between the different ways to make the caramel, here is some information that may help you decide. The white sugar version, which is the traditional way of making caramel is a bit simpler and yields a slightly superior flavor. The maple syrup and coconut sugar version is a bit more tricky as I find it easier to burn the caramel. It is, however, free of refined sugar, so the choice is yours!
- For a salted caramel. If you want to give a hint of saltiness to the caramel, stir in about 1/8 teaspoon of salt once the caramel has turned an amber color.
Nutrition
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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This recipe was DELICIOUS. Beautiful, delicate texture and taste. Next time I make it (I think I’ll make it often) I plan to add some salt to the custard. But this was gorgeous as it. Thank you.
Glad you liked it Sarah! Thanks for your feedback and rating!
Most excellent! It is delicious and came out perfectly! Adding it to the Christmas menu. It was great to see Vinegar used an old candy ingredient to keep the flow. It used to be used with Taffy. Thanks for the reminder. It was what I was missing in my caramel sauce. I am really enjoying your recipes! Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe Maggie! 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
The recipe ingredients state coconut cream, but the instructions state coconut milk. Which is the correct ingredient??
It’s coconut cream, sorry! I fixed it in the instructions, thanks for the heads up!
Can I use coconut milk or oat milk instead of almond? We have almond allergies in the family.
Yes! It will work 🙂
I made this earlier this week and am currently making another batch! It is so good!! The texture was spot on! The taste was amazing! Thank you!
Glad you are enjoying this flan Laurie!
Thanks for your rating!
Soooo delicious! I made this yesterday for friends and everybody (including a 2 year old toddler) were impressed.
I printed out a lot of your recipes and I’m working my way through them. So far everything was well balanced and crazy delicious. Thank you so much for your work. Greetings from Berlin,
Feli
So glad you and your friends liked this creme caramel!
Thanks for your feedback Feli 🙂
Hello!
Would this flan work to make a creme brûlée? (I’m thinking maybe less agar to make it more creamy?) Would love if you would come up with a creme brûlée recipe since you are so good in veganising desserts!
Hello Audrey,
I think that would work! I’ll add creme brûlée to the list!
This recipe was easy and turned out perfectly. Outstanding flavor! Everyone loved it. I will definitely make it again. The coconut crumble is a nice addition.
So glad you liked it Anu! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
I made these the first time, following the recipe strictly, and turned out DELISH. My picky vegan boyfriend liked them a lot. I have just made these again, but replaced oat milk for almond milk and added a vanilla pod, and we’ll see how they turn out. I’m sure DELISH anyway. Thank you for sharing your fantastic content Thomas 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you and your picky boyfriend liked this creme caramel 😉
Thanks for your feedback Daura!
Can I substitute pure cane sugar for the coconut sugar?
Yes, no problem!
Thank you for sharing.
Have a nice day.
I loved the caramel and the consistency of the flan. I Just added a generous pinch of turmeric powder to tint it more “yolky”. Thank you for the recipe, it came out perfectly in consistency, sweetness and favor.
Glad you liked this flan! Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it 😉
hi i have tried this recipe and to my surprise it has worked it is now in the fridge for a long 8 hours till it is finally time to eat can’t wait🫶🏻
Hope you will like it 😉
Made this last night and it was a big hit. I used the recipe for the more traditional caramel and omitted the salted coconut crumble out of laziness. The end result tasted very similar to the creme caramels I used to eat in France as a kid. Great stuff!
Awesome! I’m so glad you liked these creme caramels 😉
Hello – the recipe says “coconut cream”. In the US, cans of coconut cream contain both cream and water. The thick cream separates from the coconut water within the actual can. So when your recipe calls for 177 ml coconut cream are you referring to just the thick cream in the can (none of the water) OR should I shake/mix the can first (mixing the separated cream and water together) and then use 177 ml of the liquid from the shaken can? Your photo looks like you are using just the thick substance directly from the can before shaking but your video looks the opposite. Please clarify – thanks!
Yes, it is 3/4 cup of coconut cream (the thick and hard cream), so you do not want to shake the can.
I shoot the video in the summer so the coconut cream already turned liquid 😉
Hi there! I know this has been posted a while ago, but just stumbled upon it, and am super excited to try it!
I was wondering if it was possible to replace the coconut cream with a substitute of some sort? I have a coconut allergy and truly would love to make this for my family.
Betsi
You could try to replace it with another plant-based cream alternative, like soy cream for example.
Great texture and flavour! Can I suggest, if you’re making the plain sugar caramel, that you use the microwave method? (search “caramelize sugar microwave” in YouTube). I was gobsmacked how well it works and also how much time I used to take laboriously making caramel on the stovetop! Minimises time and cleanup too.
Sounds like an interesting technique for those who own a microwave 😉
I’ve tried this recipe for my family’s dessert. It’s excellent! Thank you Thomas.