Celebrations are in full swing this time of year, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to toast the festivities than this vegan champagne custard. A popular sparkling beverage meets a creamy dairy-free dessert in this recipe, created by my good friend, Hannah Kaminsky. As the author of Vegan Desserts, Vegan a La Mode, and Easy as Vegan Pie, Hannah knows her way around desserts, and is always looking for new and creative ways to whip them up.
Though it requires just a bit of advanced thought (2 hours of chilling), this vegan champagne custard is a very simple dessert that can actually be thrown together on the very same night. As for the taste, Hannah describes it as “Creamy and redolent with rich vanilla essence. The champagne flavor is delicate but absolutely detectable.”
Never able to leave well enough alone, Hannah dresses up the vegan champagne custard base with a small dollop of unsweetened, whipped coconut cream (yes, it is dairy-free!), and a handful of crunchy chocolate pearls to mimic the bubbles that would be in the drink. The crunchy chocolate offers a fantastic contrast to the sweet pudding base, which should not be missed. If those crunchy pearls aren’t available, you can substitute crispy cocoa rice cereal or even sweet cacao nibs.
Special Diet Notes & Options: Vegan Champagne Custard
This recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, vegan and vegetarian.
For soy-free vegan champagne custard, pureed full fat coconut milk / cream can be substituted for the tofu. You will need about 1 14-ounce can. Keep in mind that this may give the overall flavor a little bit of a coconut vibe.
- 1 12-ounce package extra-firm silken tofu
- 10.5 ounces vegan white chocolate, store-bought or homemade
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine (such as Earth Balance)
- ¾ cup champagne, divided
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
- Pinch salt
- Coconut cream, skimmed from the top of a 14-ounce can of coconut milk and whipped for 5 to 8 minutes
- Crunchy dairy-free chocolate pearls or crispy cocoa rice cereal
- Thoroughly drain your container of tofu, and place it in a food processor or blender. Puree, periodically scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth and lump-free.
- Place the white chocolate (finely chopped if using bars) in a microwave-safe dish along with the margarine and ⅓ cup of the champagne. Microwave on high for 1 – 2 minutes, checking at 30 minute intervals and stirring thoroughly until melted. Commercial white chocolate chips are notoriously difficult to melt smoothly, so they may need a good bit of coaxing; After two minutes, let the mixture rest for 5 minutes, stir vigorously, and begin the cycle again. Don’t panic when it turns a translucent, yellow-ish color, as this is normal and it will re-solidify in a more off-white hue.
- Once entirely melted and smooth, add in the remaining champagne, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Reserve the spent vanilla pod for another purpose, such as making vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. Mix well but gently to combine, to prevent the champagne from foaming up.
- Transfer the white chocolate mixture to your food processor or blender with the tofu. Blend to combine, and once fully incorporated.
- Divide the mixture between four champagne flutes and chill for at least two hours before serving. Top with the whipped coconut cream and chocolate pearls of cocoa rice cereal if desired. Cheers!
