This dairy free coconut custard is a creamy, dreamy dessert that coconut lovers will go nuts for. It’s full of sweet coconut flavor and this custard can be eaten by itself or be used in place of regular pastry cream.
Dairy Free Coconut Custard
If you’re a regular reader around here (thank you if you are!), then you know that coconut is my jam. I love it so much, I’d pretty much say that it’s a coconut obsession. Today’s coconut post? Dairy free coconut custard.
You guys, this coconut custard is amazing with a capital A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. There’s enough coconut flavor to taste the coconut without being overwhelming for those who don’t love coconut as much as I do. I also added a bit of unsweetened coconut into the custard itself, which is optional, and I topped mine with some extra toasted coconut.
Told you it’s a coconut obsession.
This dairy free coconut custard is actually a precursor to a recipe I’ll be sharing with you next month – a coconut cake. It’s a cake I’m making for my birthday. Yes, I make my own birthday cake.
I actually just made it a week ago for my brother-in-law’s birthday. I was tasked with making the cake and he didn’t request a specific flavor, just “one that everyone can eat”. Which meant it had to be gluten free for Adam, lactose/dairy free for Kelsey and my mother-in-law, PLUS nut free AND chocolate free for my mother-in-law.
I thought about making my pineapple upside-down cake or my Funfetti cake but I kind of wanted to do something different. Since my grandfather-in-law and I both love coconut and it met all of the above criteria, that’s what I went with. I had my fingers crossed that Erik liked coconut too!
Spoiler – he did. And the cake was a HIT. So much so that I decided I wanted it for myself too.
Any-who, this coconut custard is a used twice in the cake which is why I wanted to post it now. It’s a really versatile recipe because you can eat the custard by itself like a pudding or you can use it in recipes as a sub for pastry cream. It’s so good you’ll want to start eating it with everything. Enjoy!
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Dairy Free Coconut Custard
Ingredients
- 1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/3 C granulated sugar
- 1/4 C tapioca flour or cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- toasted coconut for topping optional
Instructions
- Add the milk to a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium-low heat.
- While the milk is heating, add the egg yolks, sugar, and tapioca flour to a medium-sized glass bowl. Whisk together to combine (mixture will be clumpy) and set aside.
- Whisk the milk occasionally until it starts to steam - do not boil. Remove the milk from the heat and while whisking, pour a little milk (about 1/2 cup) into the egg mixture - do not stop whisking.
- Continue to simultaneously whisk and slowly pour the remaining milk into the egg mixture. When all the milk has been poured into the bowl, give the mixture a good stir and then pour it back into the saucepan.
- Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, whisking almost constantly, until it starts to get thick like pudding and bubble. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- *Place a strainer over a clean bowl and pour the custard into the strainer. Stir and push the custard through the strainer, leaving any clumps behind.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and cool to room temperature. When cool, refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
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Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
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Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
Hello Shay! This recipe looks like exactly what I need. Would you happen to have any suggestions for using this coconut custard in a steamed bun? If I want it to be stiffer so it doesn’t ooze out of the steamed buns I want to make would I just need to cook it for longer and evaporate more water off? Thanks for sharing your recipes! I really appreciate it
I haven’t tried this in a cooked/baked recipe. Sorry!
This looks amazing- thanks for sharing this recipe!
Could I substitute coconut sugar (I’m thinking yes), probably couldn’t substitute maple syrup? If yes, any suggestion on how much and if the tapioca or milk quantities would need to be adjusted?
Thanks Courtney! I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut sugar so I can’t tell you for sure. I do know that using coconut sugar will make this fairly dark. If you were thinking of maple syrup, I would suggest trying maple sugar. While it will still be a little darker, it will dissolve nicely into the custard.
I’m dreaming of using this to make breakfast or dessert parfaits- any brainstorming to share with me? I love your blog!
This would be so good layered with some fresh berries and granola!
You have changed my dairy-free life! Bonus points, I swapped the sugar for Swerve and now it’s dairy-free and keto/diabetes friendly.
I’m so happy for you Erin!
Very delicious with a great consistency, but needs a dash of salt!
This recipe is a great base for all sorts of different custard flavors. I love to infuse tea into the milk before making this.
Does it have to be coconut milk in a can. I have coconut milk in carton. Would it do?
Full fat canned coconut milk works best in this recipe.
Hi, This looks good! I have not tasted it yet :-). Can you have the custard warm after cooking? What is the purpose of putting in the fridge for two hours?
You can if that’s how you prefer it! In the states, we eat it chilled. It will be a bit thicker after chilling but that’s the only difference.
So so good!! I used maple syrup instead of granulated sugar and it was perfect. No straining needed. I had some warm I liked it so much. Thanks again <3
Can blended fruit be added? It still needs to be thick as a filling for cake. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but I’d be worried that blended fruit would add too much moisture to the custard and cause it to separate or get watery. I would try folding in diced fruit over adding fruit purées.
If I was to adapt this to make a baby custard could it be frozen, since there’s no dairy? 🙂
Can’t wait to try this lovely looking Coconut Pudding !!! But one question… shouldn’t the Coconut Milk be 13.5 oz and not 113.5 oz ???? Thanks, Angie 😁 forgive me if I’m wrong 🤗
Hi Angie! It’s listed as 1 13.5 oz can. Sorry the space there isn’t clear enough!
Thank you! This is beautiful, made with a can of coconut cream and coconut sugar. The result a delicious, thick caramel coloured vanilla custard enjoyed by kids and adults.
Desma, I took your suggestion and used coconut creme and turbinado sugar and it was so lovely.
Amazing recipe. Will add less sugar next time as too sweet. Did not need to strain, smooth all the way.
Thanks for the feedback Andrea 🙂
I am making this for my daughter’s birthday cake for this evening. Can you really substitute a 1/4 cup of tapioca flour for a 1/4 cup of cornstarch? It sounds like a lot of cornstarch???
You can sub tapioca flour. I’ve found this recipe sets best with that amount because I also use it as a cake filling. Feel free to halve it if you want a much thinner consistency.
Hey this recipe looks amazing! My son is dairy free and I am making his first birthday cake so this should do well. Can I ask how long does the cooked custard keep in the fridge? Thanks x
Hi Gemma, it keeps up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing it!
I hope that you enjoy them when you do make them! Let me know how it comes out 🙂
Do you pour the entire contents of the can in? So the coconut cream AND the coconut water?
@Jill, I shake up my can really well before opening it. to mix the cream and water together.
Yes, pour the entire can. Pour everything including the cream and water in! Thanks for asking!
OMG, I just made this and sampled some warm, just out of the pot. It’s orgasmically delicious! Rich, sweet, and a lovely just-right consistency! Who knew coconut milk could be used this way? The recipe is so easy and makes up very quickly, too. I didn’t even need to strain it at the end. The rest of the batch is going to a dear friend who is undergoing chemo and is lactose-intolerant. Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Carolina! So glad you enjoyed it!
Do you mean 13.5 Oz or 113.5 of coconut mike? I’m guessing it’s 13.5.
Yes, one 13.5 oz. can. Sorry the space between the 1 and 13 doesn’t show up well!
Hi, I’m going to try this recipe today as mum has made a lovely apple crumble. I’d like to know how long it would keep in the fridge and if it can be frozen?
Hi Louise, this will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it though. Enjoy!
Ok so I’ve tried making this twice and keep running into a consistency of a goo like substance… I feel like I’m just not doing something right. Any tips?
I can attest. Once you return the mixture to the pot, keep whisking over the heat. It takes a few minutes, but you’ll feel it thicken as you whisk. And whisking continuously is the key to avoiding lumps.
Hi Katie, it sounds like you maybe didn’t cook it long enough. It will get thicker once refrigerated too.
Is there anything I can use instead of the eggs so I can make it vegan?
You can make it like a quick pudding and leave out the eggs and thicken with just the tapioca or cornstarch. Mix the starch with cold coconut milk to make the slurry and whisk that into the hot coconut milk. It just won’t be as creamy/silky but will still taste good.
I just made this and it is already fantastic. (Its cooling now but i licked the whisk) really really good.
Did you try it with a granulated sugar substitute??
Hi! Can you substitute tapioca with arrowroot and the granulated sugar with coconut sugar?
Thanks!
Arrowroot should work but you may not need as much. I’ve only made it with tapioca or cornstarch though. I would not suggest using coconut sugar, it will make the custard very dark. You maybe could try maple sugar though.
Made this last week for my father because he loves anything coconut. It was very delicious!
So glad you loved it as much as I do!