Creamy, sweet, and delicious vegan flan that literally melts in your mouth. This crème caramel is a no-bake dessert that requires only 15 minutes of prep time. The recipe is egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and very easy to make.
Creme Caramel vs Flan
A classic flan (pronounced FLAHN) is made from eggs, sugar, cream, and milk in a hot water bath. Sweet flan is a common custard dessert in Portugal, Spain, Latin America, and in the Caribbean (e.g. Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc.). A well-known variation of French cuisine is crème caramel. The desserts look very similar, however, flan can be either sweet or savory. Crème caramel is only served sweet.
What You Need
Of course, I didn’t use cream, milk, or eggs. Below are the ingredients and their substitutes that you will need for the vegan flan recipe.
All ingredients AND measurements are listed in the printable recipe card below! There you will also find the nutrition facts (calories in flan).
- Coconut milk – Since I live in the Caribbean, I used coconut milk (flan de coco is very popular here). However, you can also use soy cream or oat cream or a combination of a plant-based cream and plant-based milk.
- Cornstarch – Arrowroot flour might be used instead of cornstarch.
- Maple syrup – Any other liquid sweetener can be used instead of maple syrup, for example, agave syrup, date syrup, brown rice syrup.
- Sugar – You could also use brown sugar instead of white sugar. To make the flan refined sugar-free, try coconut sugar or date sugar with a little maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract, and salt – Used for flavor.
- Agar powder – You will need agar powder and not agar flakes. If you only have agar flakes, make sure to use three times as much (2 teaspoons).
How To Make Vegan Flan?
You won’t need a food processor or blender to make this coconut flan. All you need is two saucepans (I actually used the same saucepan) and a stove. Check the step-by step-photos below:
STEP 1: Start by making the caramel: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it starts boiling, turn down the heat, let simmer until the sugar caramelizes, then turn off the heat.
STEP 2: Pour the caramel into 4 small ramekins and spread it with a spoon or simply by tilting the ramekins. Try to be quick as the caramel starts to thicken. Set aside and start making the custard.
STEP 3: Add coconut milk, maple syrup, cornstarch, agar powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a medium-sized saucepan.
STEP 4: Stir with a whisk until combined, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. As soon as it starts boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for 2 minutes to activate the agar, then remove from heat.
STEP 5: Pour the creme into the 4 ramekins and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
STEP 6: To unmold the flan, carefully slide a knife around the edges of each ramekin. Invert a platter on top of the ramekin and turn the ramekin and platter over (shake it carefully to release the flan).
Since sugar is highly hydrophilic, it will absorb moisture from the air in the fridge and from the custard and therefore, the caramel will be liquid once you unmold the flan.
Tips And Variations
- Make a flan cake: Use a larger mold instead of 4 small ramekins to make a flan cake.
- Add a flavor: You can add orange juice to make orange flan. It will add a refreshing and interesting flavor.
- Add a crunchy topping: You could add roasted walnuts, almonds, cashews or coconut on top of the caramel sauce for a nice crunch.
How To Store?
Store the flan covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it.
If you love easy vegan no-bake recipes, make sure to check out my other delicious vegan desserts that also happen to be gluten-free.
- Homemade Marzipan
- Peanut Butter Mousse
- Lemon Coconut Balls
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Coconut Balls
- Healthy No-Bake Brownies
- No-Bake Chocolate Protein Bars
- Homemade Bounty Bars
- Breakfast Granola Cups
Should you give this tasty vegan flan recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with #elavegan and @elavegan.
Vegan Flan
Ingredients
Caramel:
- 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar (*see notes)
- 1-2 tbsp water
Custard:
- 2 cups (480 ml) canned coconut milk can shaken (*see notes)
- 3-4 tbsp (60-80 g) maple syrup (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch (*see notes)
- 2/3 tsp agar powder (*see notes)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.
- For the caramel, add sugar and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once it starts boiling, turn down the heat, let simmer until it's dark golden brown and thickens, then turn off the heat.
- Quickly pour the caramel into 4 small ramekins and spread the caramel around the bottom with a spoon or simply by tilting the ramekins. Set aside while you make the custard.
- For the custard, add coconut milk, maple syrup, cornstarch, agar powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a medium-sized saucepan and stir with a whisk.
- Once combined, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. As soon as it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 2 minutes to activate the agar, then remove from heat.
- Pour the custard into the 4 ramekins and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
- To unmold the flan, gently slide a knife around the edges of each ramekin. Invert a platter on top of the ramekin and turn the ramekin and platter over (shake it carefully). Check the step-by-step photos in the blog post above.
- Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Refined sugar-free version: Try coconut sugar or date sugar with a little maple syrup instead of white sugar.
- Coconut milk: You can also use lite coconut milk or a mixture of soy cream or oat cream with the addition of soy milk or oat milk.
- Maple syrup: Agave syrup, brown rice syrup or any other liquid sweetener can be used instead of maple syrup.
- Cornstarch: Arrowroot flour might be an alternative to cornstarch.
- Agar powder: Make sure to use agar powder (not flakes). If you have agar flakes, you will need to use 3 times as much (2 teaspoons).
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
May
Can I use tapioca flour instead of arrowroot or cornstarch? Is it a 1:1 sub?
Thanks!
Ela
Hi! It might end up a little more “gummy”, but yes, I would use a 1:1 sub.
Alia
Can pectin be used instead of agar?
Ela
Hi Alia, I don’t think that will work, as it probably won’t firm it up as agar does.
Vianey
So delicious and not too sweet. Easy to follow directions and presentation is just beautiful!
I opted for 4 tablespoons of maple syrup and scant 3/4 teaspoons of agar powder. Thank you for such a tasty dessert recipe!
Ela
Wonderful! Thanks for your lovely feedback, I appreciate it. 🙂
Brianna
Hi! I’m wondering what size ramekins should be used.
Brianna
I see you said “small” but does that mean 4oz or 6?
Ela
Hello Brianna! My ramekins are 3-inches in diameter and hold about 1/2 cup of water (about 4 oz). I hope this helps! 🙂
Ivana
Hello! I wanted to know how much should I use of oat cream and oat milk?
Ela
Hi Ivana, you can use 1 cup of oat milk and 1 cup of oat cream. 🙂
Serap
Hi Ela, I was so excited to try this recipe as I love creme caramel. The creme turned out good but I could not get the sugar to caramelize, I have tried with 4 different types of sugars without success, maybe because they were all some version of cane sugar (raw, brown, crystal)? The final one was rapadura sugar from Brazil and although it did kind of caramelize when I added the creme it melted back to liquid form. Regardless, it was really tasty. I am so glad I found your recipes as I can only cook plant-based and zero oil due to heart disease and love that you have a wide variety from many world cuisines and tried and proven recipes. Thank you.
Ela
Hello Serap! You could try organic white sugar next time, it might work better. 🙂
Happy you like my recipes. 🙂
Kathryn
In my experience it will only caramelize with stainless steel. I tried 5 times once with a non-stick pot only to realize it was the cookware that was the issue.
Ela
That is so interesting! Thanks so much for sharing, Kathryn! 🙂
Jose
This was my first attempt at flan and it was so good. I think I cooked the sugar a little long, even the next day some still stuck to the ramekin. But the texture was spot on and the taste very good. Thank you!
Ela
You are very welcome, Jose! I am so glad you liked it. 🙂
Lorena
Hi!
I don’t have agar powder and unable to find in my area. I do have gelatin powder. Can I substitute agar powder with gelatin powder?
Amalija
That would defeat the purpose of a vegan flan, but yes you could use animal cartilage powder.
Laura
Some people eat vegan due to food allergies such as eggs- I’ve been looking everywhere for a vegan flan recipe for this very reason! For those of us who are not “true” vegans, it is sometime necessary to make substitutions such as gelatin for agar due to unavailability – so don’t judge! 🙂
Sandy
There is no such thing as “eat vegan”. You probably mean “eat plant-based”. There’s a difference. Veganism is not simply a dietary choice, it is a lifestyle of taking a moral and ethical stance against animal cruelty. If someone feels it’s okay to use animal body parts for the sake of a dessert, they’re certainly not vegan. Let’s not conflate an animal rights movement with optional dessert preferences.
Emmm
Sandy,
No one asked you.
Keep your unnecessary paragraphs to yourself.
Your choices are your own and harassing and shaming others because they do not align with your beliefs won’t change anyone’s mind. You just look rude and irrational… you must enjoy being the epitome of the vegan stereotype. 🙂
Tiffany
I was excited to try this recipe, but as I’m mis’ing out the ingredients I see, “2/3 tsp agar powder,” and I wonder, how am I supposed to measure that? Even when I weigh out a teaspoon it equals zero grams, so I can’t even divide the weight. I’d increase the recipe by a third but only have four ramekins of the proper size.
Ela
Tiffany, you can use a little less than 3/4 tsp. 🙂
Sheila Otero
I substitute 1cup of coconut milk with cup a condense coconut milk and there is no need to add any sweeter. Taste amazing!!!
Ela
Thanks for sharing, Sheila! 🙂
Icela
Thank you for the tip!!!
Donna Weber
Love this recipe!!!
Came out way better than expected… super creamy and delicious!
The only problem I had was most of the caramel stayed hardened stuck to the bottom of the ramekins and never liquified. Not sure what I’m doing wrong.
Ela
I am glad it turned out delicious! Caramel normally liquefies in the fridge. However, you could also cook the caramel and pour it over the finished flan afterward. 🙂
Natrucora
Can I substitute agar for arrowroot powder??
Ela
No, that won’t work. You would need a lot more arrowroot powder and the texture would be different.
Nikita Thomas
This was amazing and far more easier than I thought it would be to make, Thank you so much for an. Amazing dessert.
Quick question my caramel keeps coming out too lite in colour, what would you suggest I’m doing wrong ? Ive tried it. 4 times and although the taste is right, the colour isn’t as vibrant?
Ela
Hi Nikita, I am so glad you liked it! You could add a little brown sugar or coconut sugar for a darker color. 🙂
Merci
Hello,
I just found your recipe and was wondering a few a things;
1. Why cornstarch? My understanding is that cornstarch is a thinking agent and so is Agar.
2. Would just add I bf Agar to the recipe work as well?
Trying to make this flan for my vegan friend.
Ela
Hi, if you just add agar the texture will be totally different and not as smooth. 🙂
Mandy
Can I make this in a larger pan instead of ramekins?
Ela
I think that should be fine. 🙂
Reena
Thanks Ela for the wonderful recipe. I was a bit skeptical at first since this recipe looks way too easy but man oh man the flan came out great. It’s creamy and the perfect texture.
Btw as a small suggestion it would be good to have the add comment at the top of the comments section. Takes a while to find it.
Ela
Hi Reena! Thanks for your great feedback, I am so glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
PS: Yes, I will make the changes soon.
Chris
How much coconut milk do I use?
Ela
Chris, it’s all mentioned in the printable recipe card. It’s 2 cups.
Patricija
Can I use Vege-gel instead of agar agar? And if yes what quantity?
Ela
Maybe. I have no access to this product, therefore, I can’t try it. Please report back if you give it a try, Patricija. 🙂
DELIMAR
Hi!!! I just made it with Vegi gel! As soon as I try it I will report back!!!!
Thank you for the recipe ????
Ela
That’s so interesting! It would be really awesome to hear how it turned out. 🙂
Merci
How did it turn out?
Eugenia
It looks amazing dear Ela as everything I have tried from your recipies! Can I substitute sugar with Erythritol or liquid sweetener? Thank you so much!
Ela
Hi Eugenia, I never tried it but it should work with Erythritol. It will look different though. 🙂
Natalia Meneses
I cannot believe how quick and easy this is ! I have made this recipe two times this week! It’s so delicious and almost guilt free! I’m the only vegan in the house and everyone LOVED IT! I have to say that I’ll be making this VERY often ! The textures mixed with the sugar is so so Devine!
Ela
That’s fantastic, Natalia! I am so glad you all loved it. 🙂
Veronica
Amazing, made this for Mother’s Day today and my mom who turns up her nose at anything vegan had two servings, actually all 5 of us had two servings, some more, glad I doubled the recipe.
Ela
That’s awesome, Veronica! 🙂