Creamy vegan chai-spiced crème brûlée! A decadent, warming, custard-like dessert with a crackly, caramelized top. Simple methods and just 10 ingredients!
Add the cashews to a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1-2 inches. Set aside to soak for 20-30 minutes.
Once the cashews are done soaking, drain them and discard the soaking water.
To a high-speed blender, add the soaked and drained cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, and optional sea salt. Blend until creamy and smooth. If needed, add more coconut milk 1 tsp at a time to encourage blending (we didn’t need any), but avoid adding too much — you want the mixture to be thick.
Divide the pudding between four 3-4 oz heatproof ramekins. We used shallow, wide ramekins that hold 4-5 ounces and added ~4 Tbsp per ramekin. It’s rich! Set in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. At this point, the custard can be enjoyed without the brûlée topping and/or can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
TO BRÛLÉE: Just before serving, set out a baking sheet and preheat oven to a high broil. Place an oven rack on the very top shelf just below the broiler element, leaving just enough space to fit your baking sheet and ramekins.
Place each ramekin on the baking sheet and top each one with 1/2 Tbsp cane sugar. Place the ramekins on the very top shelf of your oven just under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the sugar is melted, bubbling, and turning brown. Watch carefully — it can burn in seconds. Alternatively, if you have a butane torch, you can use it to caramelize the sugar on top. Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy. The top will stay crisp for up to 1 hour.
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Notes
*We haven’t tested with other dairy-free milks, but they might work. Let us know in the comments if you try it! *Adapted from our Vegan Tiramisu Pudding Cups and inspired by the gorgeous Chai Masala Crème Brûlée in Amisha Dodhia Gurbani’s Mumbai Modern. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.