Vanilla Custard | Custard Recipe » Dasana Veg Recipe

This creamy, dreamy vanilla custard is one of the easiest dessert sauces around. Learn how to make this simple and easy version of crème anglaise without using eggs or artificial custard powder with my easy-to-follow recipe and step-by-step photos.

what is custard

Custard is a family of pudding-like sauces and desserts often made with a mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar.

Whether you’re talking about pouring sauces like crème anglaise; baked sweets such as flan or crème brûlée; Dense donut fillings like pastry cream; Even frozen and churned desserts like ice cream—they’re all a kind of sweet custard.

In case you weren’t aware, custard can be made without eggs. Swapping out cornstarch for egg yolks creates a sauce or pudding that’s still nice and thick.

And can be enjoyed by anyone with an egg allergy. Plus, you can make a delicious vegan custard sauce too!

About the custard recipe

To make egg-free vanilla custard, all ingredients such as milk, sugar and cornstarch are mixed and slowly simmered over low heat until the sauce thickens. The consistency of custard can be made thin or medium or thick by changing the ratio of milk or cornstarch.

Making eggless custard is so easy – you don’t have to worry about egg tempering or dealing with the hassle of a double boiler! Remember to cook the custard sauce mixture on low heat and stir gently.

In place of cornstarch, you can use custard powder which is a sweet and colored cornflour mixture. Other thickening agent options include rice flour, arrowroot flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch.

This recipe is very helpful if you don’t have custard powder. Custard powder is nothing but cornstarch mixed with some flavoring, coloring agents and preservatives.

Step by step guide

How to Make Vanilla Custard

preparation

1. Take 3 cups of milk in a heavy sauce pan.

2. Add ¼ cup cornstarch. In India we call cornstarch “corn flour” and it is a white colored flour.

3. Add 8 tablespoons of sugar or add as per taste.

4. Next add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or half of a vanilla bean, scraped. i am Used vanilla bean. If using vanilla essence, add only half a teaspoon.

5. Mix everything and place the pan on the stove on low to medium-low heat.

Make the vanilla custard

6. Stir so that all the sugar dissolves. Use a wired whisk for ease of use and best results.

7. Simmer on low to medium heat.

8. Once the milk is heated, stir frequently so that the vanilla custard mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan or form lumps.

9. Keep stirring until the custard sauce gradually thickens.

10. Be sure to keep it on low to medium-low heat.

Don’t rush the process. You don’t want a lumpy custard or a brown or black custard.

11. The sauce will thicken.

12. Continue to simmer and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.

13. Continue to whisk and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

14. Turn off the heat. Place the pan on the kitchen countertop and cover the pan with a cotton kitchen towel or napkin. A cotton kitchen towel helps prevent a layer of skin from forming on top.

Allow the vanilla custard sauce to cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. As the sauce cools, it will thicken.

15. You can use this custard sauce to make desserts like fruit custard, bread and butter pudding, baked custard or trifle. You can also use it to jazz up any baked goods by drizzling on top. Enjoy!

Types of Custard

Custard can be either sweet or savory, although when we think of the word, our minds often go to dessert.

Examples of savory custards are French quiches, delightful bowls of Japanese chawanmushi, or slices of Swedish ostakaka or Italian frittatas.

In addition to these various savory applications, custards can be used across the dessert spectrum: as toppings or fillings for other desserts or sweets; as baked goods such as flan or cheesecake; As pudding; Or even as a frozen dessert.

Did you know that ice creams are made with custard sauce that is churned and frozen?

Here is a relatively short list of dessert recipes made with custard:

As you can see, the term “custard” is quite broad. In this particular recipe post, I’m mentioning a vanilla flavored sauce that’s basically a crème anglaise that I make without eggs.

How to make a vegan custard

For vegan custard, I like to use almond milk. Be sure to boil it on very low heat and do not let the almond milk boil, lest it curdle. You can easily swap in your favorite plant-based milk, though you should keep in mind that soy and coconut milk will have the most pronounced flavor.

Material swaps and variations

1. For a thicker and firmer vanilla custard, add more cornstarch than the recipe calls for. You can add up to 1 to 2 tbsp more.
2. Instead of adding more cornstarch, you can also reduce the amount of milk.
3. You can use whole milk or toned milk to make crème anglaise.
4. Use high quality ingredients for best taste. Although artificial vanilla essence can be used, using real vanilla beans or pure vanilla extract will give the best results.
5. If you don’t have vanilla, don’t bother. You can use other flavors like green cardamom powder or cinnamon powder and even a bit of nutmeg powder. Word of the wise: Cardamom-flavored custard goes exceptionally well with blueberries!
6. You can turn this recipe into a fruit-based custard sauce. Make the custard and let it cool. Then add fruit puree like mango, apple, banana or strawberry puree to the sauce. Mix and refrigerate. When using fruit, especially very sweet fruit, reduce the amount of sugar in the basic custard sauce recipe.
7. Chocolate custard pudding can also be made by adding chocolate chips melted into the custard sauce and then whisking to combine. Another option is to add cocoa powder first and cook until the custard sauce thickens. Refrigerate the chocolate pudding to set later.

Expert tips

1. Simmer: While cooking, simmer gently on low or medium-low heat. Adjust the heat if necessary while cooking the sauce.
2. Stir often: Stirring often ensures that the custard sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Type of Pan or Pot: Use a good quality, heavy-bottomed steel pan so the sauce doesn’t brown or burn on the bottom.
4. Refrigeration: After the crème anglaise has cooled to room temperature, you can refrigerate it. It keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. If making fruit custard, mix fruit into chilled custard just before serving.
5. Preventing formation of upper skin: After the sauce is done, turn off the heat and place the pan on the kitchen counter. Cover the pan with a cotton kitchen towel or a cotton napkin. Placing a cotton kitchen towel instead of a lid over the pan will prevent a layer of skin from forming on top.
6. Scaling: The recipe is easily scalable to make a large batch of crème anglaise.

More DIY recipes

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This vanilla custard was updated from the archives first published in July 2018 and republished in February 2023.