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Creamy, no-bake, and easy-to-make vegan pumpkin crème brûlée with just a few ingredients—no tofu and no nuts! This silky, pumpkin-spiced custard is rich, velvety, and made with real pumpkin. And, of course, it’s topped with the classic, crackly caramelized sugar crust.
It’s the perfect decadent dessert for the holidays or any time in the fall. This treat is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and a must-add to your vegan holiday dessert list.
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If you're looking for the perfect dessert to round out an upcoming holiday or fall meal menu, may I suggest this rich and creamy vegan pumpkin crème brûlée? It's just like my regular vegan crème brûlée but with a pumpkin spice twist.
I know a classy, fancy-looking dessert like crème brûlée may seem like it would require a lengthy list of steps and an even longer list of ingredients, but it's easier to make than you may think and all you need is eight ingredients.
So let me show you how easy it is to prepare this impressive dessert. Make yourself a homemade vegan pumpkin spice latte, read through all the steps, tips, and tricks, and then get ready to indulge in one of the most decadent vegan desserts around!
Searching for more recipes that feature pumpkin? Try these other vegan pumpkin recipes!
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Unsweetened Vegan Heavy Cream or Vegan Whipping Cream - You will need unsweetened, unflavoured vegan heavy cream (or vegan whipping cream NOT whipped cream!) which is the vegan alternative to heavy cream. Some brands refer to it as heavy cream, some call it whipping cream, they're the same thing.
I use Silk Dairy-Free Whipping Cream (if you click that link, you will see the Canadian packaging, this is what it looks like in the US). If you can't find this brand, Country Crock, Califia Farms, Violife, Flora and Elmlea (Double) are just a few other brands that make it.
If you can't find any of these brands, you can use canned full-fat coconut milk or lite coconut milk, but your dessert will have a coconut flavour. You can also use a dairy-free barista blend milk instead.
Dairy-Free Milk - Using a mix of thicker vegan heavy cream and thinner plant milk creates the perfect velvety custard texture. Any plant milk will work (almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc.); just make sure it's unsweetened and unflavoured.
Cornstarch - Since this dessert is eggless, cornstarch is used to thicken the custard, so it cannot be left out. If you want to make your pumpkin crème brûlée without cornstarch, arrowroot starch (also referred to as arrowroot flour or arrowroot powder) can be used instead.
Sugar - I use organic cane sugar in this recipe for the custard base and for caramelizing. White sugar can also be used, but make sure it's vegan. I haven't made this recipe with any other types of sugar like coconut sugar or brown sugar, a liquid sweetener, like maple syrup or agave, or any sugar alternatives.
Pumpkin Pie Spice - You can use a pre-made store-bought pumpkin pie spice or make a homemade pumpkin spice blend—check the recipe notes for details.
Vanilla Extract and Salt - Both are used to enhance and balance the flavour of the pumpkin custard.
Vegan Butter (Optional!) - Whisking in a little vegan butter at the end of the cooking time will result in a creamier custard. This is an optional ingredient so it can be omitted. If you choose to add vegan butter, either salted or unsalted will work fine.
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
1. Add the dry ingredients to a medium saucepan. Whisk them together, making sure there are no lumps before moving on to the next step. Slowly whisk in the vegan heavy cream, dairy-free milk, and the pumpkin purée.
2. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and whisk continuously until it has thickened.
NOTE: Make sure to cook it for the proper amount of time so the cornstarch fully dissolves and does its job of thickening the custard. If it's not cooked long enough the custard will end up with a strong, unpleasant cornstarch flavour.
3. If you aren't sure if it's ready, test it by dipping a spoon into the pot and running your finger through the custard on the back of the spoon, a clean line should remain. If custard runs back into the line, it's not ready. Continue cooking and test again.
4. Whisk in the vanilla, spice, and vegan butter, if using, and whisk well until everything has combined. Pour the custard into the ramekins and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
Only use ceramic ramekins or heat-safe glass dishes when making crème brûlée. The dish needs to handle high heat since it will come into contact with the flame while the sugar is being caramelized.
Once the 15 minutes have passed, place and lightly press a small piece of plastic wrap directly on top of each custard so the surface is fully covered. This will prevent a thick, rubbery layer from forming on top as they chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.
Caramelizing the Sugar
I highly recommend a kitchen torch (also referred to as a blow torch or brûlée torch) (this is the kitchen torch I own).
Since crème brûlée is meant to be served cold, a kitchen torch will caramelize the sugar evenly and quickly so the custard does not heat up.
Some recipes will advise that you can use the oven broiler to caramelize the sugar if you don't have a torch, I don't recommend this method. Each time I tested this way, the results were not consistent and resulted in the custard becoming too warm and the sugar not caramelizing properly.
If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can enjoy the pumpkin custard without the sugar topping along with vegan whipped cream, it will still be delicious!
After the chilling time has passed, remove the plastic and sprinkle a light, even layer of granulated sugar on top of each custard so the entire surface is covered to the edges. The size of your ramekin will determine how much sugar you need, I needed two teaspoons for mine.
The layer should be thin, but not so thin that you can see the custard underneath. If you use too much sugar, it will start to burn before it has fully caramelized and if you use too little, it will not caramelize and just melt into the custard.
IMPORTANT: After removing the plastic wrap, if you notice that liquid has gathered on top of the custard, gently pat the surface dry with a paper towel before sprinkling the sugar on top. If the top has excess moisture, the sugar will not caramelize.
Turn on your kitchen torch and gently move the flame in a circular motion about 1-2 inches above the sugar. Don't stay in one spot for too long or the sugar will burn. Watch as it caramelizes into the classic golden-brown crust everyone loves. Repeat with each dessert.
After caramelizing the sugar, let the ramekins rest for a few minutes before handling, the rims will be very hot. After a few minutes, serve immediately just as it is or top with sugared cranberries like I've done in the pictures.
Making Ahead and Storing Leftovers
Do not torch the sugar until you are ready to serve. Once the sugar has been caramelized, the dessert needs to be served right away or the sugar will soften and melt. Do not refrigerate after you have caramelized the sugar.
The pumpkin custard can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Since this dessert contains cornstarch, it cannot be frozen because the texture will change and not be pleasant after it thaws.
Tips for Success
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale (this is the kitchen scale I have) and my weight measurements when making this recipe.
- Cornstarch can be difficult to measure properly since it clumps up, so I highly recommend using a scale especially for this ingredient, if you don't have one, use the scoop and level method outlined in my article about how to measure flour the correct way. Too much or too little cornstarch will result in custard that has a cornstarch flavour or be way too thick or too thin.
- Make sure to use unsweetened, unflavoured milk and vegan heavy cream so you have complete control over the sweetness and flavour.
- Don't let it boil. The custard only requires a light simmer to thicken, boiling is an indicator that the heat is too high. It will start to bubble when it's almost done, and that is okay, just as long as it isn't bubbling for the entire cooking time because it can burn easily.
- Make sure to whisk constantly during the cooking time. This is to ensure no lumps form and that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. If lumps do form, it's very hard to get rid of them, so keep whisking! If there are lumps and whisking is not helping, run the custard through a sieve after it has finished cooking.
Tips for Success (Continued)
- Don't skip the chilling time. The custard will be thick after cooking, but it will continue to thicken when it chills until it reaches the correct consistency.
- Only use ceramic ramekins or heat-safe glass dishes for your crème brûlée. You need to use something that can handle high heat since it will come into contact with the flame while the sugar is being caramelized.
- Keep the torch moving in a circular motion when caramelizing the sugar. Keeping it in one spot for too long will burn the sugar making it bitter.
- After caramelizing the sugar, serve right away. The sugar will start to melt and will no longer be hard the longer it sits.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included a lot of tips and tricks I learned while testing this recipe, things you may not think of. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
Want more simple vegan desserts? Have a look through all of my vegan dessert recipes to pick the next one to make!
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Then you may like these other vegan holiday dessert recipes:
Vegan Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup (67g) sugar
- 3 tablespoons (24g) cornstarch (arrowroot starch can also be used, see note below)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) unsweetened vegan heavy cream or vegan whipping cream (see note below)
- ¾ cup (180ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (see note below)
- ⅓ cup (80g) unsweetened pumpkin puree (see note below)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note below)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted vegan butter (optional) (see note below)
- 8-10 teaspoons granulated sugar (for caramelizing the tops) (adjust as needed, see note below)
Instructions:
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined and no lumps remain. You may need to break up any lumps with the back of a spoon.
- Slowly whisk in the vegan heavy cream, dairy-free milk, and pumpkin puree until combined with the dry mixture. Scrape around the corners of the pot with a spoon to be sure no dry ingredients remain.
- Place pot on medium-high heat and continuously whisk until mixture has thickened. It will start to thicken around the 6 - 6 ½ minute mark but cook for a full 8 minutes. When finished, it will be thick enough to coat a spoon. (See image above)
- Remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and vegan butter, if using.
- Evenly divide the custard into five individual 4oz ceramic ramekins. Allow the ramekins to sit for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
- After the 15 minutes have passed, place plastic wrap and lightly press it directly on the surface of each custard and place them in the refrigerator. Allow them to chill and set for at least 4 hours.
- Remove from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Evenly sprinkle 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each dessert ensuring that the entire surface has been covered all the way to the edges.
- Turn your kitchen torch on and hold the flame roughly 1-2 inches above the sugar. Using a circular motion, move the flame across the entire surface of the dessert. Don't stay too long in one area or the sugar will burn, move away as the sugar bubbles and turns a golden colour. Continue until all of the sugar has melted and has completely caramelized.
- Let the desserts sit for a few minutes before handling, the rims of the ramekins will be very hot. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 2 ½ cups of custard in total. Divide into 5 ramekins for ½ cup servings or you can divide it into smaller ramekins for smaller servings.
- If you want to make your crème brûlée without cornstarch, arrowroot starch (also referred to as arrowroot flour or arrowroot powder) can be used instead.
- Use an unsweetened vegan heavy cream or vegan whipping cream that is meant to be a substitute for regular heavy cream or whipping cream. Silk, Country Crock, Califia Farms, and Violife are just a few brands that make vegan heavy cream. If you can't find any of these, you can use canned coconut milk (either light or full fat, shake it well!), but your dessert will have a coconut flavour, more if full fat is used, a little less if lite is used. You can also use an unsweetened barista blend milk but note that your crème brûlée will not be as thick and creamy.
- Any type of unsweetened non-dairy milk can be used but make sure to use unsweetened, unflavoured milk so you have full control over the sweetness and flavour.
- Use unsweetened pumpkin purée, don't use pumpkin pie filling. This will allow you to have full control over the flavour and sweetness of the dessert.
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use the following: ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- The vegan butter is optional however, adding it will result in a richer and even creamier pumpkin crème brûlée.
- If you are using a wider ramekin than the ones in the picture, you will need more sugar to cover the entire surface of the dessert before torching it. If you are using something smaller, use less.
- The custard can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Do not torch the sugar until you are ready to serve and do not refrigerate after you have caramelized the sugar.
- The nutrition info listed below is for 1 of 5 servings (each serving is ½ cup) with the recipe made as written using silk heavy whipping cream, unsweetened unflavored almond milk, and no vegan butter. Nutritional data is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here for more info on how nutrition info on this website is determined.
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