Lemon Flan. Vegan Flan Recipe. No Bake Eggless Custard flan with caramelized Coconut sugar. Spanish Custard flan or Creme Caramel. Vegan gluten-free Soy-free Oil-free Agar-free Recipe. 1 skillet, 15 minutes.
May is apparently National Egg month. How do I know this? Because I get emails and emails about everything. Most PR people do not know anything about the blog. They use a common PR list. All those mails about steaks and eggs are headed to trash and unsubscribe. No unsubscription option and 3 strikes = blocked. It takes incredible amounts of time to go through the inbox everyday, and often the important emails get lost.
Anywho, some dishes that are entirely made of eggs are sometimes difficult to veganize to the closest texture and flavor profile. Flan is one of them. My aunt used to make amazing flan, and yesterday I was thinking of her and that flan! In this version I use cashews and water to make the base and chickpea flour and a bit of starch as thickeners. No Agar! Lemon for the tang, kala namak for the eggy flavor and a pinch of baking powder to aerate the mix while it thickens. The resulting custard is smooth, eggy, lemony and amazing. I use coconut sugar to make the caramel. Use any other sugar or choice. Or make it into a creme brulee by sprinkling sugar on the set flan and torching it to caramel. Since the custard is made on stove top, this flan does not need to be baked.
Play round with the thickening and texture that you like and the flavors. More chickpea flour will make a more solid and set flan. More starch will make it more gel like. Kala namak adds a great flavor, but isn’t necessary. Be sure to cook the mixture through because raw chickpea flour will make one bitter and odd flan :). If you use besan, the mixture might be a bit less set.
What’s an eggy dish that you struggle to make egg free?
More eggy thngs from the blog
- Egg scramble with chickpea flour
- Egg salad with Tofu
- Frittata with lentil batter
- Omelet with chickpea flour
- Flan with coconut milk and agar
- How to make Flax and Chia Seed Egg sub
Make your caramel and pour into ramekins. Move the ramekins around to spread the caramel before it sets.
Make the custard and pour into the ramekins. Let chill for an hour atleast. Then soak in hot water bath, remove from the ramekin and serve.
Recipe Card
Lemon Flan. Vegan Flan Recipe
Ingredients
Caramel:
- 1/4 cup (40 g) coconut sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tsp water
Flan custard:
- 1/4 cup (32.25 g) cashews soaked for 15 mins or longer
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour 1/2 tsp more for more set
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) starch cornstarch or arowroot (1/2 tsp more for more set)
- a pinch of baking soda
- 2 tbsp sugar or sweetener of choice
- 2 drops vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) salt
- a good pinch of kala namak Indian sulphur salt for eggy flavor or use nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- add some lemon zest for more lemony custard
Instructions
For the caramel:
- Heat all the ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. Mix continuously in the beginning until the sugar mixes in. Use powdered sugar for even caramel if needed. Once the sugar is boiling and bubbly, pour into ramekins. Move the ramekins around to spread the caramel all over the bottom quickly as the caramel will harden.
For the custard:
- Blend all the ingredients until very smooth. Depending on your blender, it might take a minute or so. Pour into a skillet and cook over medium heat. I use the same skillet in which i make the caramel. The mixture will start to thicken and lump after about 2 mins. Keep whisking every few seconds until the mixture thickens evenly. Another 2 mins or so. Cook for another 3 minutes or until the chickpea flour is cooked through. Taste carefully to check. You can also adjust sweet or tang at this point or add in some zest for zestier flan. This step total 6 to 8 mins.
- Pour this hot mixture into caramel ramekins. Tap to even out.
- Cool for 5 mins, then refrigerate for atleast an hour.
- To serve, Place ramekins in hot (just boiling) water for 15 -20 seconds, invert onto serving plate and serve. If the sugar caramel is stuck to the ramekin, place the ramekin in the hot water (or microwave for a few seconds) until the caramel is melted and pour over the flan. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Olga
Loved the recipe. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
thank YOU! Olga
Teri
Can you substitute anything for the chickpea flour?
Vegan Richa Support
not in this recipe, other flours like wheat flour will be a different texture. coconut flour does not blend well.
You can use some agar powder as a thickener.
Try this https://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-caramel-flan/
Diane Bolton
Hi it looks super creamy and delicoious, I was wondering if I can eliminate the lemon completely to obtain more of a real caramel taste. Thanks for your help, truly. DIANE B.
Vegan Richa Support
you’ll be fine to omit it
Kayla
This looks amazing, can’t wait to try it! Another eggy dish that I wish I could make vegan is a “Dutch baby” pancake!!
Kayla
lol, I just realized I commented the same thing in May, how embarrassing. Still very excited about the idea of a vegan Dutch baby!!!
Aparna
Can almond be used instead of cashews? Thanks
Vegan Richa Support
Try macadamia nuts. Soak them longer so you get a smooth custard. Almond milk would work though.
Kayla
This looks so good! Do you know any vegan recipes for “Dutch baby” pancakes? I used to make them all the time but now I’m vegan and they’re sooo eggy 🙁
Richa
I don’t but I’ll add it to todo 🙂
Kayla
Thanks so much! All of your recipes that I’ve tried have been delicious, so I’d be excited to try any version you came up with 🙂
Sonya
Richa,
My guess is we are supposed to grind the soaked cashew nuts. How much water should be used to grind the 1/4 cup of cashews?
Richa
Everything gets blended for the flan together including cashews
Sonya
the texture in the picture looks great. I want to try this recipe. I am assuming the chickpea flour used is not the Indian Besan. Can you please confirm.
Richa
I used chickpea flour (white garbanzo bean) but you can also use Besan.
Also, see this post https://www.veganricha.com/2019/08/difference-between-besan-and-chickpea-flour.html
Richa
I used chickpea flour (white garbanzo bean) but you can also use Besan.
Also, see this post https://www.veganricha.com/2019/08/difference-between-besan-and-chickpea-flour.html
Patty
Hi! I’d like to make 13 servings for a party. What do you suggest to save time? Or do I need to make recipe several times? Thank you!
Richa
I would say make 3 or 4 batches (double or triple recipe) as the chickpea flour will thicken and tend to scorch with a larger batch. the caramel can be made a large batch. Just simmer until thick enough like maple syrup. Then you can pour into ramekins,and make the custard and add.
Patty
Hi! Is 1 tsp of water correct? I kept stirring but it was so dry. I added a bit more water. I’m guessing maybe 1 tbs total. It was syrupy and bubbling. Looked good. Thank you!
Angie
Hi! I’m looking foward to make this recipe. My husban and I love flan but we love the one with cheese, cheese flan or Flan de Queso. My grandmother use to make it and it was awesome. But I can’t find a vegan recipe to veganize it. Can you help me? My husband is an Omnivore and I am transitioning to a vegan/plant base diet/lifestyle. To me it is important to find the food we love in a vegan/plant base version but still rich and flavorful. Again thanks for your time!
Richa
You can add vegan cream cheese to this. about a 1/4 cup. Mix it in in the last minute of simmering. mix well to combine, then taste and adjust the flavor. Cook for another minute and then proceed to pour into caramel glazed ramekins. Hope this helps! I like kite hill brand vegan cream cheese as i find it the closest to dairy version
Nic
Thank u I have checked that recipe link there is no chickpe flout in that one so what gives that one its custard like taste ? Sorry to be a pain !!
Richa
it depends on the type of custard you are looking for. General custard is just a custard mix which is usually some starch and flavors which you mix into milk and thicken. Thats what the boston pie uses. a simple custard. Thick eggy custard which usually use egg would be similar to this mix in this flan. Just add some more dairy milk for a less thick consistency in this one.
Nic
Is the custard custardy tasting I wang a vegan custard that’s like custard ! Any tips ? 😊
Richa
this is flan tasting flan 🙂 chickpea flour adds the eggy flavor. try the custard from this pudding https://www.veganricha.com/2017/01/vegan-boston-cream-pie-pudding.html
Erika
Do you think it might be possible to sub some sweet rice flour for part or all of the chickpea flour? I have a large amount of rice flour left over from a vegan clafoutis recipe I baked and it reminds me of a flan texture. Thank you for answering our (sometimes peripheral) baking questions.
Richa
Yes it should work. it might be softer than with all chickpea flour. so probably handle more delicately
Megan
Is there any particular need to serve immediately? I am wondering if I refrigerate , wwill they hold 2-3 days in the fridge??
Richa
no you can keep it refrigerated for upto 3 days.
JOSIE LEJEUNE
Made this today – fantastic! Such a nice creamy texture. A definate do again recipe. However, next time I think I’ll leave out the lemon & add more vanilla to make it more like a cream caramel. Thanks for another great recipe Richa!
Richa
Awesome! yes this is a lemony flan, so there is lot of lemon. You can omit or use just a bit for flavor and more vanilla for the regular flan.
Joe Zich
In this post not using agar seems to be a big benefit, though in past recipes it’s been included. What are your thoughts on agar and do you use it anymore.
P.S. I love your recipes and every one I’ve made has come out tasting and looking amazing
Richa
Agar is not readily available in all grocery stores and currently there is also a shortage. So I decided to have an option without using it.
Cassie
Chickpea flour must be a vegan’s pixie dust! It can do EVERYTHING!
Wild Nettle
Your food looks delicious, as well as the whole blog 🙂
Diane
I’m so excited to try this. I LOVE flan and lemon and haven’t had any for years!!
Jaycen
These are amazing looking! I cannot wait to try it! Flan is one of those recipes I do miss, and it has been so many years since I’ve had one!
The one recipe I’ve had trouble veganizing is a good breakfast casserole. I’ve had great success using Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Egg to make the custard (as far as making a dish that sets and holds it’s shape when it is baked), but the texture seemed a bit more gel-like than creamy. I’ve used besan for frittatas, but not a whole casserole… Any tips are ALWAYS appreciated!
Richa
Yes, i find the same texture issue with follow your heart eggs. It might work in combination with chickpea flour or tofu in the casserole. Have you tried my lentil frittata? The batter sets well and holds everything in it.
Jaycen
I have not, but I just looked up your recipe and I will be trying it this week! I LOVE anything with lentils, and I feel better using a whole food product than something like the VeganEgg that is more processed. Thank you of the suggestion!!
Eugenia
What a great recip! Thank’s for shari g i’ gona do it today!
Eugenia
diana @ veggienextdoor
What a wonderful idea to add lemon to flan!! Mmm!
Richa
it tastes somewhat like lemon cheesecake! so good!
Maria
In a traditional flan you add lemon to cut a little the egg flavor so it is not overpowering. I love she added lemon. In the Caribbean we make flan of different flavors. Try mango, guava, pumpkin…
Valerie
Dear Richa, What other flours can I use instead of the chick pea flour. Valerie
Richa
none. other flours like wheat flour will be a different texture. coconut flour does not blend well.
You can use some agar powder as a thickener.
Try this https://www.peta.org/living/food/vegan-caramel-flan/
Jill
Hi silly newbie question- when you mention starch, I am not sure what type of starch to use- is it gluten free?
Thanks!
Richa
Cornstarch or arrowroot or tapioca. all are gluten-free.
Liz Ardell
A No Bake flan!?! I was going to try veganizing a flan recipe that is made in a pressure cooker.
Richa
You can bake it for a few minutes before letting it cool, so the caramel infuses the custard a bit. 🙂
Valerie
Dear Richa Can I use other nuts, such as almonds and other flours ( coconut ), and what starch do you use. Also can I omit the Kala namak. Thanking you for your help. Valerie.
Richa
Try macadamia nuts. Soak them longer so you get a smooth custard. Cornstarch or arrowroot or tapioca. Yes you can omit kala namak.