Five ingredients, just slightly over 100 calories per serving…this is my dream dessert.
I provide two methods for this recipe. I prefer the water bath/baking method to the stovetop method because I like the slightly denser texture – but both methods result in delicious, creamy and rich desserts. It all depends on how quickly you are seeking satisfaction! (For the baked method, instead of 2 tablespoons tapioca powder, try 1 tablespoon tapioca powder + 1 tablespoon Follow Your Heart VeganEgg powder. The texture is out of this world. Don’t be tempted to use 2 tablespoons of VeganEgg, though. The custard separates into two layers, one of which is not very appealing…)
I use Califia’s unsweetened almond and coconut milk creamer, Lily’s Sweets Baking Chocolate, and NuNaturals Cocoa Syrup in this recipe. BTW, if you don’t have a 4-ounce baking chocolate bar, this works just as well with 4-ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Lily’s Sweets is my favorite brand.
On an unrelated note (yet still all about yummy vegan food) – I spend a lot of time on YouTube, mostly queuing up content to accompany my time in the kitchen. I can learn something, yet still be doing something active. I’m an unrepentant multi-tasker! In the food realm of videos, I suggest you check out Caro Carrera‘s YouTube channel. Caro has a bunch of cooking/recipe demos that cover everything from vegan crepes to gluten-free granola to cucumber rolls. If cooking isn’t your thing, check out her one week detox plan and skin and hair care recipe. Caro is gorgeous and her videos are fresh and fun and each come in at under 5 minutes. Perfect for my “challenged” attention span!
Sugar-free Chocolate Custard (Baked)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This has a lovely creme brûlée texture that is missing in the stovetop method so it’s well-worth giving it a try. If you’re in a hurry for chocolate, make the stovetop version.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate broken into pieces
- 2 cups unsweetened vegan “creamer” (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
- 1/3 cup freshly brewed coffee (hot)
- 1 Tbsp. stevia-sweetened cocoa syrup, such as NuNaturals
- 2 Tbsp. tapioca powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325-F degrees. Place 6 (5-ounce) custard cups in a baking dish. You’ll also need hot/boiling water to add to the water bath for baking the custard.
- Place chocolate into a dry high-speed blender. Heat the creamer or non-dairy milk until very hot and pour it and the hot coffee over the chocolate in the blender. Let sit for about a few minutes.
- Add the cocoa syrup and the tapioca powder and process the mixture until chocolate is completely melted. Divide the mixture between the 6 custard cups. Pour hot/boiling water into the baking dish until water reaches about halfway up the side of the cups. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove dish from the oven and let cool slightly before placing the custard cups on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before covering cups with plastic wrap and putting custards into the refrigerator. They will firm up completely in a couple of hours.
- Serve with vegan whipped cream or fresh fruit.
Notes
- Don’t skip the coffee! It really adds depth and richness.
- You can use 4-ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips, too – such as Lily’s Sweets stevia-sweetened, vegan chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 161
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 64
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 1
Sugar-free Chocolate Custard (Stovetop)
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 130
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A quicker, easier method, this yields a more pudding-like dessert – but it has all the rich chocolatey-ness you crave!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate broken into pieces
- 2 cups unsweetened vegan “creamer” or non-dairy milk
- 1/3 cup freshly brewed coffee (hot)
- 1 Tbsp. stevia-sweetened cocoa syrup, such as NuNaturals
- 2 Tbsp. tapioca powder
Instructions
- Place chocolate into a dry high-speed blender. Heat the creamer and coffee until very hot and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for about 3 minutes.
- Add the cocoa syrup and tapioca powder to the chocolate mixture. Process until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly for about 5 minutes. The custard will noticeably thicken. When it coats a spoon, you’re good to go.
- Divide the mixture between the 6 custard cups. Let the custards cool for a bit before lightly covering and placing in the refrigerator to firm up and chill.
Notes
- Don’t skip the coffee! It adds delicious depth and richness.
- You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the bar. Try Lily’s Sweets vegan, stevia-sweetened baking chips.
- This custard will not be as dense as the baked variety, but it’s just as tasty.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 161
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 64
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 1
