Easy Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard. (2024)

This easy vegan Vanilla Bean Custard can be whipped up in a few minutes, chilled and ready to enjoy in just under an hour. Simple. Subtle. Sweetly satisfying. Because sometimes the simple flavors are the best..

I remember in elementary school we went on a field trip to a local ice cream shop. They made homemade ice cream and were one of the most popular ice cream shops in all of Santa Cruz. Their tiny store had a long freezer filled with rainbow-colored flavors. Blue bubble gum, green mint chip, rich golden coffee, dark dirt brown chocolate, bright pink strawberry, purple-swirled blueberry cheesecake and muddy white and black cookies and cream. And many many more. Our little faces ogled the colorful array of creamy, freshly whipped flavors just begging us to take a taste.

The manager giving us the tour rambled on and on about the careful and intense ice cream making process, although our little ears where fuzzed over with triple scoop dreams. But then he asked us what flavor we thought was the most popular, the one most ordered in their rainbow-colored shop. Tiny voices shouted out flavors.

"Chocolate!"
"Mint Chip!"
"Cookies and Cream!"
"Pistachio!"
"Strawberry!"
"Caramel Fudge!"

And on and on until one student shouted out, "Vanilla!"

The manager's eyes glowed wide and bright as he pointed to the student.

That was it. That was the answer. Vanilla.

Vanilla bean. That white, black-specked flavor sitting in the corner on the end, looking horribly boring and bland next to all the brightly colored bins.

Some of the students jumped on board and said, "I like vanilla best too!"

But I was shocked! I couldn't believe that vanilla was the best. I never ordered vanilla. Who wants a white cone when a triple colored bonanza of flavors was possible??

But sure enough, a few of the workers on hand brought out fresh vanilla bean samples for all of us to taste. And as I tasted the simple vanilla flavor all on its own I was reminded how delicious it actually was.

Now obviously, I have lost my taste for anything dairy-infused like traditional ice cream. But vanilla bean is one flavor that forever reminds me that sometimes the simple, ordinary looking things in life are the best things of all.

This creamy, silky Vanilla Bean Mousse is made using simple ingredients: silken tofu, extra virgin coconut oil, grade B maple syrup, pink salt, cinnamon and for the vanilla bean flavor I use a Maui Vanilla Bean product I purchased online from One Lucky Duck. You could also use a whole vanilla bean pod, with the seeds scraped from the inside.

Vanilla bliss awaits you! This healthy dessert is one to try.

Easy Vegan Vanilla Bean Custard
vegan, 2 servings

3 tablespoon melted extra virgin coconut oil**
12 ounces silken tofu, room temperature
½ - 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (vanilla extract will not have the same flavor as whole bean products..)
⅓ teaspoon pink salt (or sub regular salt)
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ - ½ cup maple syrup, grade B (sweeten to taste)

Directions:

1. Add the tofu, salt, vanilla bean, cinnamon and melted coconut oil to a blander. Blend on low until smooth.
2. Add in ¼ cup of the sweetener and blend until smooth. Do a taste test and add more sweetener as desired. I added about ⅓ cup total. Blend for another 1-3 minutes on medium to whip some air into the mixture.
3. Pour mixture into a jar or directly into serving cups.
4. Place in the fridge until fully chilled, at least an hour for the richest texture. For a softer, more melted texture you can serve only slightly chilled. Sprinkle vanilla bean powder on top or garnish with leftover vanilla bean pod.

**Want the consistency a bit thicker? -> Add another 1-3 tablespoons of the melted coconut oil. This will firm up the custard quite a bit. For a softer custard, use less.

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