Dairy-Free Crème Caramel Recipe (Cream-less & Gluten-Free!)

Crème caramel, also referred to simply as flan, is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce. It’s usually made with milk and cream, but this dairy-free crème caramel uses the fresh flavor of orange juice instead. The finish is lighter, but still decadent. And it’s a sample recipe from Kristin Caitlin Reilly’s book.

To keep that rich custard base, this dairy-free crème caramel recipe still uses eggs. If you confuse eggs with dairy, you’re not alone. See this post: Are Eggs Dairy? For an egg-free option, enjoy this Vegan Candied Apple Flan or this Vegan Crème Brûlée.

Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Crème Caramel

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian.

Dairy-Free Crème Caramel

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

This simple dessert is lighter than your average crème caramel since it doesn't use any dairy cream.

Author: Kristin Caitlin Reilly

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water

Crème Flan

5 eggs
2 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed, if possible)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
To make the caramel sauce, put the sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook without stirring until the sugar is a dark, caramel color.
Pour the caramelized sugar into a 4-cup mold or divide between 4 individual 1-cup ramekins.
To make the flan, in a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. Then add the sugar, orange juice, and vanilla, whisking until smooth.
Pour the egg mixture through a fine strainer to remove any particles.
Pour the egg mixture on top of the caramel, dividing it equally if using multiple molds.
Place the mold(s) in a large roasting pan surrounded by enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the mold(s).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove the mold(s) from the water bath, cool and place in refrigerator.
Before serving, run a knife around the inside edge of the mold(s) and invert onto a plate.

Notes

This recipe is reprinted with permissions from Not a Drop of Milk … (or Soy) by Kristin Caitlin Reilly. However, the photo shown is not from the book.