Avocado Crème Brûlée (Vegan)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A creamy custard made of avocado and coconut milk, topped with crunchy caramelized sugar. [Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free]
Author: Mary Ross Fowler | Daily Dose of Greens
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 5 6-oz ramekins
Ingredients
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 2 T. melted coconut oil
- 1 ripe avocado, peel and pit removed
- 1-1/2 to 2 t. organic cane or raw turbinado sugar
- Optional: caviar (inner scrapings) of 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
- Stir together the coconut milk and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, stirring constantly or every minute or so. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture thickens slightly (like the viscosity of sweetened condensed milk), about 15 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut oil.
- In a blender, combine the avocado and saucepan contents until completely smooth. Pour blender contents into 5 small ramekins (about 6 ounces each), spreading to achieve a flat surface. Transfer ramekins to the fridge to set at least an hour.
- When avocado custard is set, evenly sprinkle sugar on top of each crème brûlée until you can't see any green spots. Using a culinary torch, angled and about 2 inches from the sugar surface, caramelize the sugar by constantly waving the torch back and forth until no granules are visible and you achieve a golden, caramel color. Remember to keep the torch moving over different areas of the sugar surface to prevent burning. This process improves with practice! If you don't own a culinary torch, place ramekins close to the broiler for a few minutes until the sugar is caramelized (this may take some experimentation).
- Serve crème brûlées warm, or return them to the fridge to set more (they are heated and re-liquefied slightly by the torch/broiler). Enjoy!
Notes
To make chocolate avocado crème brûlée, simply add about 2-3 Tablespoons of cocoa to the blender before combining all of the ingredients. Taste and add more cocoa to get to your desired level of chocolatiness (should be a word).
The custard can be made up to one day ahead, but wait until you're within one hour of serving to caramelize the sugar topping. Over time it starts to dissolve and soften.
UPDATE: If you want to save time, you could also just put all ingredients except the sugar in the blender and blend until completely combined rather than using the saucepan to cook the coconut milk first. I have been using this method with similar results, although the custard is slightly more pudding-like. Still tastes great though!
The custard can be made up to one day ahead, but wait until you're within one hour of serving to caramelize the sugar topping. Over time it starts to dissolve and soften.
UPDATE: If you want to save time, you could also just put all ingredients except the sugar in the blender and blend until completely combined rather than using the saucepan to cook the coconut milk first. I have been using this method with similar results, although the custard is slightly more pudding-like. Still tastes great though!
Recipe by Daily Dose of Greens at https://dailydoseofgreens.com/2015/02/18/avocado-creme-brulee/