Yep, you read that right. This is the creamy, custardy, crustless cousin of the key lime pie we all know and love. I’m not sure if this concept has been done before but I’m doing it now and as always, I’m doing it 100% plant-based.
Crème brûlée is something I thought I’d never be able to enjoy as a vegan and yet here I am, licking my ramekin clean as I write this because it’s just that good. And to think I would have missed out on it had it not been for a snowstorm that kept me from picking up ingredients for a key lime pie crust!
The original plan was to whip up a no bake key lime mousse (with the technique I use for my Double Chocolate Mousse and Pumpkin Mousse) and set it in a pie crust. After the forces of nature scrapped that idea for me, I turned to the other ingredients in my kitchen for inspiration. It was the bottle of Just Egg in my fridge that ultimately sparked the idea for a Key Lime Crème Brûlée.
Of course, a mung bean egg substitute alone is not a perfect 1:1 replacement for egg yolks. I tested this recipe a handful of times before landing on the perfect ingredients — and perfect ratio — to replicate the eggy consistency of the traditional custard base. Those ingredients are:
Just Egg,
cashew cream,
and ripe avocado, which also contributes to the faint green color of this dish.
And the flavor comes from:
fresh key lime juice,
maple syrup,
and a caramelized sugar top layer.
And that’s it! Those are all the ingredients you need. If you love key limes and custard, you’re in for an incredible treat.
Vegan Key Lime Crème Brûlée (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 3 tbsp Just Egg vegan egg substitute
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 medium key lime
- 2 tsp organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
Instructions
- To make the cashew cream, pour boiling water over cashews and soak for 10 minutes. Transfer the cashews and water into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. The consistency should resemble heavy cream; add more water or cashews to adjust thickness as necessary.
- Transfer the cashew cream to a clean saucepan and whisk in Just Egg and maple syrup. Heat the saucepan over medium low heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Continue whisking until mixture thickens (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat and set saucepan aside to cool to room temperature.
- Add the ripe avocado and juice of a lime to a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. (Save the rest of the limes for lime zest in the final step). Add the avocado lime puree into the cooled cashew cream mixture and stir to incorporate.
- Divide the mixture between two 6 oz ramekins or oven-safe custard cups. Refrigerate for at least one hour, until set.
- Once the key lime crème has set, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar to cover the top layer. Broil in the top rack of your oven for 5 minutes or until sugar has bubbled and caramelized completely. Make sure to monitor the custard closely during this step and remove from the oven immediately if you notice bubbles forming in the custard.
- Cool the ramekins before serving. The sugar will also harden as the ramekins cool. Use a lemon zester to top the crème brûlée with lime zest before serving immediately.
