Tofu Caramel Flan
YIELD: 7" flan
A no-bake Mexican flan that’s egg-free and dairy-free, yet has the same velvety smooth texture, eggy flavor, and luscious caramel sauce.
Mori-Nu Silken Tofu is the secret to making a deliciously authentic vegan custard that tastes amazingly similar to crème caramel. Blended with coconut cream, our silken tofu turns into a creamy base for ingredients like nutritional yeast which adds color and flavor, agar agar which creates firmness, and black salt (“kala namak”) which is known for imitating the flavor of eggs.
No oven required, this easy Tofu Caramel Flan recipe can be made on your stovetop and formed in ramekins or in a traditional Mexican flanera layered with a coating of thick caramel. Pour in the cooked custard, refrigerate it overnight, then impress your friends and family the next day!
A no-bake Mexican flan that’s egg-free and dairy-free, yet has the same velvety smooth texture, eggy flavor, and luscious caramel sauce.
Mori-Nu Silken Tofu is the secret to making a deliciously authentic vegan custard that tastes amazingly similar to crème caramel. Blended with coconut cream, our silken tofu turns into a creamy base for ingredients like nutritional yeast which adds color and flavor, agar agar which creates firmness, and black salt (“kala namak”) which is known for imitating the flavor of eggs.
No oven required, this easy Tofu Caramel Flan recipe can be made on your stovetop and formed in ramekins or in a traditional Mexican flanera layered with a coating of thick caramel. Pour in the cooked custard, refrigerate it overnight, then impress your friends and family the next day!
INGREDIENTS
CARAMEL
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup warm water
CUSTARD
1 package Mori-Nu Silken Tofu Soft
1 14 oz can full-fat coconut cream (not milk)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp agar agar powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp black salt
1/8 tsp ground turmeric (optional for color)
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
Strawberries
Mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small saucepan over low heat, stir sugar with a wooden spoon until liquified. Turn up heat to medium-low and let bubble. Stop stirring and carefully swirl in pan until thickened and browned and all lumps have disappeared. Do not let burn. Lower heat if necessary.
- Turn heat to low, and with a mesh splash guard covering the saucepan, carefully pour warm water into the caramel. It will bubble and splatter, so be careful. Once the bubbling has subsided, stir over low heat for about 5- 10 min until the thick caramel has dissolved into the water. Then immediately pour into flanera and swirl to cover the bottom evenly. Refrigerate while preparing custard.
- In a blender, add all custard ingredients and process until smooth with no lumps.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add custard and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then simmer for a few minutes. Turn off heat.
- Remove flanera from fridge and pour custard into flanera. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or until cool enough to put in refrigerator.
- Chill in fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, invert flanera onto a plate, letting the caramel sauce drain onto the plate. Garnish with optional strawberries and mint leaves. Serve in slices with spoonfuls of caramel sauce poured on top.
Tips
- Don't burn the caramel! Once it's burned, you cannot use it, as the flavor will be too bitter.
- Nutritional yeast is NOT the same as brewer’s yeast. This recipe only works with nutritional yeast.
- Use coconut CREAM for best results. If using coconut MILK, make sure it's full-fat (not a light version) and that it's the
kind that comes in cans, not cartons like drinking milk. The drinking milk will be too watery.
- There's more than one way to make caramel, but this method is recommended since this flan is not baked, so adding water will prevent a hard shell from forming.
- Black salt is also called kala namak. It has a sulfurous smell, which is what gives this flan a wonderfully "eggy" flavor. Be careful not to use too much, as a little bit goes a long way.
- PLANT-BASED: Mori-Nu Silken Tofu provides the plant-based protein base for this delicious flan, without any eggs or dairy!
- GLUTEN-FREE: This vegan flan recipe is also gluten-free!
PRODUCTS USED FOR THE RECIPE
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