Vegan Brown Butter Vanilla Crème Brûlée

Jul 15, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Medium

Vegan Brown Butter Vanilla Crème Brûlée in a ramekin with a caramelized sugar crust

Vegan brown butter crème brûlée flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An intermediate recipe: 25 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus chilling; serves 6. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 25 min

Cook 10 min

Chill 4 hr

Total 4 hr 35 min

Servings 6

Diet Vegan

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)full-fat coconut cream
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
3.0 tbsp (24.0 g)cornstarch
1.0 pinchfine sea salt

Topping

6.0 tbsp (75.0 g)granulated sugar, for the crust
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
3.0 tbsp (42.0 g)browned vegan butter, cooled

Make it at home

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Instructions

Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the coconut cream until completely smooth.
Warm the remaining coconut cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it steams, then remove from the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes.
Brown the butter: melt it in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling, until it turns golden and smells nutty, then let it cool slightly, and whisk it into the warm cream.
Return the pan to medium heat, whisk in the slurry, and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Strain into six ramekins and let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until set.
Just before serving, sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize it with a kitchen torch until it melts into a deep amber, glassy crust.

Tips

Brown the butter in a light-colored pan so you can see the color change; it turns from golden to burnt in seconds.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make crème brûlée?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hr chill. The recipe makes 6 servings.

How should I store crème brûlée?

Refrigerate the baked custards, covered, for up to 3 days. Add and torch the sugar topping just before serving so it stays crisp.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

What makes this recipe vegan?

It uses plant-based swaps for every animal ingredient: full-fat coconut cream, cornstarch, browned vegan butter, cooled. Check that your plant butter and other packaged ingredients are certified vegan.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 6 servings this recipe makes.

436 Calories / serving

32.0g Fat

38.0g Carbs

2.6g Protein

30.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (6 servings): ~2616 cal · 192g fat · 228g carbs · 16g protein · 184g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 436 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 82 min·4.8 mi·~9600 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 59 min·3.0 mi·~5900 steps
Moderate cycling 44 min·8.8 mi
Swimming laps 61 min
Jogging 43 min·3.6 mi·~6900 steps
Stair climbing 40 min·~3600 steps
Dancing 71 min
Bodyweight circuit training 44 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 101 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.