Easy Vegan Lemon Custard Recipe
If you close your eyes while tasting this cool and creamy custard, you’ll soon find yourself dreaming of summer sunshine and ocean waves or sprinkler splashes and picnic baskets. Either way, every spoonful is like a direct path to lemon meringue pie. We hope this childhood favorite flavor will bring you back to brighter days and happy memories.
Unlike traditional custard concoctions, our recipe is free from eggs, dairy, gelatin (take a peek at our vegan gelatin guide), and cruelty. This vegan version is just as creamy (or even creamier) with added protein from the silken tofu. You can’t go wrong with this healthy and homemade option.
We think this is, hands-down, the best lemon custard you’ll ever make! Be prepared to blend up another batch as soon as you’ve taken a single scoop…just sayin’.
Why This Vegan Lemon Custard is So Awesome
- Takes only minutes to mix together
- Fun to make with the family
- Perfect blend of tart and sweet
- Healthy dessert (or late night snack!)
- Plant-based
- Cholesterol-free
- Dairy-free
“I didn’t think I would want to eat a whole jar of custard, but it turns out I definitely did. It’s very creamy, but thick, with the most perfect sweet lemon flavor. It doesn’t feel too rich. It’s light enough but still feels like a dessert.”
– Sarah Hudson
How To Make This No-Bake Vegan Lemon Custard
We wanted to break it down into the single steps, so you’ll see how straight forward and simple this recipe is to make. While you’re waiting for the tofu to drain, feel free to listen and be inspired by the Plant-Powered People Podcast!
- Drain the silken tofu
- Zest the lemon and extract the juice
- Add the drained tofu, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar to a blender. Blend well.
- Pour into 1-2 mason jars (or whichever containers you’d like to use) and refrigerate overnight.
- Enjoy!
Star Ingredients
Although there aren’t many ingredients in this recipe, the ones that are included count as kings! Both of these plant-based foods are superstars when it comes to nutrition, taste, and versatility. If you aren’t already using them on a daily basis, it might be time to start.
Lemons
Fresh lemons are the heart of this recipe. Not only do they bring the flavor and “zing,” but they are also rich in vitamin C and fiber (from the pectin) and a good source of potassium and B6. They also include beneficial plant compounds (such as citric acid, eriocitrin, diosmin, hesperidin, and d-limonene) which are helpful to the immune system.
Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is the magic in this recipe. When blended, silken tofu creates a beautiful silky smooth pudding base that nobody would believe comes from tofu. Plus, it’s healthy! Silken tofu is lower and calories and fat than regular tofu but still very high in protein. Naturally cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and an excellent source of iron and calcium, it’s a true win for making desserts that are secretly nutritious.
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need For This Lemon Custard Filling
Don’t be intimidated by this list for how to make vegan custard. This list includes every day kitchen items that can easily be substituted for something else if you’re in a pinch. Instead of a citrus zester or microplane, you could always use the smallest grating size on a regular grater (being careful not to include the white pith part). No need for a high speed blender, either. Any blender will work for this easy lemon custard recipe.
- Colander
- Citrus zester or Microplane
- Knife
- Citrus squeezer (using a fork is fine, too)
- Blender
- One large glass or two small glasses
- Fresh slices of lemon and lemon zest (optional)
How Long Does This Homemade Lemon Custard Last?
Any leftover lemon tofu custard will last in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Simply place it in a covered container in the fridge and it should be in super shape for your next serving. If there’s a slight separation, just give it a quick blend or whisk with a fork. Not recommended for freezing.
Suggestions For Serving Up Your Easy Lemon Custard Recipe
We have endless ideas for including this delicious and healthy dessert into your day. Because lemon goes so well with so many foods, it’s no wonder we can’t stop coming up with new concoctions. Here is a list of our first-rate favs!
- Tantalizing Toppings – There’s no end to the tasty toppings that you could add to this custard. It’s totally personal preference. Try fresh fruit (kiwi, berries, orange, etc.), plant-based whipped cream, crushed sugar cookies (especially lemon flavored), and/or chopped nuts (pistachios, macadamia, peanuts, etc.). The ideas are endless!
- Make Meyer Lemon Custard – If you have Meyer lemons in season where you are, go ahead and use them! Because Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, the taste tends to be a little sweeter. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar added to this recipe if you do use these lovely lemons.
- Lovely Lemon Pie – Create the most luscious lemon meringue-less pie by pouring this custard into a pre-baked, vegan pie crust before refrigerating. Cover gently and let sit overnight in the fridge (for up to 3 days) until set completely. Garnish with candied lemon peel, coconut whipped cream, and/or fresh raspberries.
- Delightful Desserts Any Time of Day – In addition to the pie variation above, you can use this vegan custard for making lemon custard tarts or lemon custard cupcakes. For the tarts, fill fully baked tart shells of your choosing with vegan custard and then add your favorite toppings. Refrigerate overnight (or longer) before serving. To create tasty cupcakes with a surprise inside, make a batch of cupcakes and let cool completely. Then, cut the top off of the cupcake, scoop out a little cake and add a couple of teaspoons of custard (depending on the size of your cupcakes). Add the top back on, frost as usual, and place back into the fridge until ready to serve.
More Luscious Vegan Lemon Recipes to Try
- A mouthwatering morning choices might include this luscious Lemon Smoothie or Perfect Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes. Serve both for extra sunshine-y smiles!
- Freshly sweet spring recipes like our Vegan Easter Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting and Strawberry Mint Lemonade are not only colorful and delicious, but also fan favorites!
- For hardcore lemon-lovers, this elegant Lemon Olive Oil Cake or these crisp and crunchy Lemon Pistachio Quinoa Cookies will get you dozens of compliments as after-dinner desserts.
- Also, if you’re loving creamy, luscious desserts, you have to give this vegan chocolate mousse recipe a try!
Recipe FAQs
The most popular type of custard recipe usually includes milk and eggs in the ingredients, as well as the occasional addition of gelatin or cheese (in savory custards). Our vegan custard recipe is free of eggs, dairy, milk, and gelatin. We wouldn’t even think about adding cheese to this one!
In both vegan and non-vegan recipes, custard seems to have a little less calories and fat than ice cream. Custard tends to have more protein than ice cream, as well. In our vegan version, the silken tofu contributes about 20-25 grams of protein per package, depending on the brand. That’s pretty great!
Our plant-based custard recipe uses only a few basic ingredients such as silken tofu, sugar, and lemons. The best thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the sweetness level (by adding more or less sugar) and also the tartness (reduce or increase the lemon juice and zest).
Thank you to our recipe testers, Ruth Havertz and Sarah Hudson!
Vegan Lemon Custard
Ingredients
- 16 ounce container silken tofu
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Drain the Tofu:Place the colander inside of a large bowl. Add the silken tofu and carefully arrange a heavy bowl on top of the tofu to add as a weight. You just want the bowl big enough to cover most of the tofu and just heavy enough to slowly squeeze out the extra water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Add the drained tofu, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the finished custard into one 16 oz or two small glasses or mason jars. Cover and place in the refrigerator to set for at least 8 hours.
- Remove from fridge. The contents should be thickened into the perfect custard consistency. Add toppings of choice.
Notes
- Dried Vs. Fresh – Using fresh lemon juice and freshly grated zest is the key to making this vegan custard so delicious. You could use bottled lemon juice and dried zest, but it won’t have quite the same tart and tangy flavor.
- Dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free
Nutrition
This easy dairy-free lemon custard recipe was developed and written by Gina House and edited by Michelle Cehn. This vegan lemon curd content is copyright of World of Vegan, all rights reserved. Photos by J.J. Steele. Please note that this article may include affiliate links when available and shopping through these links supports World of Vegan.
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this is very helpful blog for every vegan Sneaker lovers
The Vegan tapioca recipe is delicious, thank you! Very happy to have discovered your site!
Aww, yay! I’m so glad you found World of Vegan too, hopefully many more recipes can come to life in your kitchen! Thanks for leaving a comment, we love hearing from our readers 🙂
This looks delicious! Need to try it NOW 🙂
I hope you’ll try it! I have such a hard time not eating the entire thing myself! Plus, it’s so easy to make, as long as you don’t mind waiting until the next day to dive in. It’s so much better after a night in the fridge 🙂
Looks so good!!!
I love that this is a no bake dessert! Perfect for busy week nights when I want something sweet.
Creamy and refreshing! Perfect!
This lemon custard turned out so delicious! Love it!
So light and refreshing! Love this delicious custard!
This was one of my favorite recipes to create this year. The sweet and tart flavor is balanced and just super yummy. Hope you love it as much as I do!
The lemon flavor and creaminess of this custard is perfection! Will be making this often 🙂