This delicious, creamy vegan chocolate custard is really quick and easy to make with basic ingredients and it tastes so good!
Serve it hot or cold alongside all your favourite puddings and desserts for the ultimate comfort food experience!
You can easily buy vegan custard these days, and Birds custard powder is vegan if you make it with plant milk, but home-made is just so much nicer than shop bought! It is also so quick to make that you can have it ready in far less time than it would take you to go to the shop to buy some!
This eggless vegan chocolate custard is the perfect accompaniment to all your favourite desserts and puddings when you fancy a chocolatey twist instead of vanilla. It is also delicious both hot and cold so it's great served at any time of year!
If chocolate custard isn't your thing, then I also have a recipe for classic vegan vanilla custard.
Ingredient Details:
Non-Dairy Milk: I recommend using unsweetened soy milk as it has a neutral flavour and creamy texture. If you can't use soy then a creamier milk like cashew or oat would be best.
If your milk is sweetened then you will need to reduce the sugar a little to compensate. You can always add more to taste once the custard is cooked.
Cornflour (Cornstarch): Cornflour (cornstarch) is what we use to thicken the chocolate custard in place of egg yolks.
I really don't recommend swapping it for any other kind of starch or flour, you will not get the right texture.
Sugar: I use caster or granulated sugar, but brown sugar would also work well.
Cocoa powder: You can use either natural or Dutch processed, though I prefer Dutch processed here.
Dark chocolate: Use a 60-75% dark chocolate and make sure that it is vegan!
Vanilla: Either extract or vanilla bean paste is fine.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Custard:
(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
- Step 1: Place the cornflour in a pan and whisk in a splash of the milk.
- Step 2: Whisk in the rest of the milk along with the sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla.
- Step 3: Place the pan over a medium heat and stir constantly until the custard comes up to a simmer and thickens.
- Step 4: Allow to cool for a minute or two then add the chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
Top Tips:
Don't taste the custard then put the spoon back into the custard - the enzymes from your saliva can break down the cornflour and make it runny again!
I don't recommend swapping the cornflour (cornstarch) for any other thickener. While technically arrowroot will work, it can give the custard a slimy texture.
Stir the custard constantly while it is cooking and don't cook it over too high a heat as that can make it lumpy or burn on the bottom.
The thickness and texture of the vegan chocolate custard will vary a bit depending on what milk and chocolate you use, but you can adjust the amount of milk and cornflour to suit you.
As it cools the custard will form a skin, so if you aren't serving it as soon as it is cooked then you will need to cover the surface directly with greaseproof paper or clingfilm to prevent it.
FAQ's:
If the custard isn't as thick as you would like, stir together another two teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch) with one tablespoon of cold milk.
Add this to the pan of custard, return it to the heat and stir until it has thickened.
If it still isn't thick enough then you can add more cornflour; always mix it with a little cold milk first however, if you add it straight to the pan it will form clumps.
That's an easy fix, simply stir in more vegan milk, about a tablespoon at a time, until the custard reaches the desired consistency.
This is a common problem but is easily solved. If your custard becomes lumpy, pour it into a large jug and use a stick blender to blend it until it is smooth. If you don't have a stick blender then you can briefly blend it in a regular blender instead. Bear in mind that blending the custard will cause it to become a bit runnier as blending breaks down the cornflour; so don't add any extra milk until after you have blended it.
Alternatively if you don't want to risk it becoming runnier you can use a spatula to scrape it through a fine mesh sieve.
Yes though the custard will thicken further in the fridge. Once the chocolate custard is cooked, pour it into a bowl and cover with greaseproof paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool then refrigerate for up to three days.
When you are ready to serve it, give it a really good stir and either serve it cold or reheat gently in a pan, stirring constantly. Add a splash more milk if needed.
No, this vegan chocolate custard cannot be frozen. It is set with cornstarch, and freezing cornstarch set mixtures can cause them to break down and become runny.
What To Serve With Vegan Chocolate Custard:
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Vegan Chocolate Custard
Ingredients
- 20 g (2 ½ Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)
- 500 ml (2 cups + 1 ½ Tablespoons) milk
- 20 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder
- 50 g (¼ cup) caster or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 60 g (2 oz) 60-75% dark chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the cornflour in a saucepan and add about 3 Tablespoons of the milk, stir to form a smooth paste then gradually stir in the rest of the milk.20 g (2 ½ Tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch), 500 ml (2 cups + 1 ½ Tablespoons) milk
- Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla extract. The cocoa powder may not fully combine, this is fine as it will dissolve once the mixture heats up.50 g (¼ cup) caster or granulated sugar, 20 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Place the pan over a medium heat and stir constantly until the custard comes up to a simmer and thickens.
- Remove from the heat and stir for a minute or two to cool it down slightly, then add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. If the custard is too thick, add a splash more milk.60 g (2 oz) 60-75% dark chocolate
- Either serve right away or pour into a bowl and cover with greaseproof paper or clingfilm directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, allow to cool slightly then refrigerate until cold. Stir well before serving.
Notes
If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess
jacquie
hi - i.m sorry for what is probably an ignorant question, but what is a custard? how is it used? how does it differ from a pudding? maybe it is because i grew up in the US but i'm not familiar with it.
thanks.
Hannah
Hi Jacquie, a custard is a pouring sauce served with dessert instead of cream or ice cream, usually vanilla flavoured and served hot but it may also be eaten cold - chilled custard is often a component in British trifle. Traditional custard would be thickened with egg yolks, but it is also commonly made using custard powder instead which is essentially cornstarch plus flavourings. It is similar to US pudding but usually has a runnier texture, although thicker, set custard is used in recipes such as Manchester tart: https://domesticgothess.com/blog/2026/03/22/vegan-manchester-tart/
jacquie
thanks for explaining