Let’s talk custard for a quick minute.
Custard and I go way back (remember lunchtime snack packs?), but our relationship has been kind-of touch and go. It’s one of things that rarely gets made in my kitchen.
I can’t even tell you how few times Mike has asked me what I’m making for dessert and I replied, “Oh you know, I’m just whipping up a batch of custard!” Yeah, that might have happened all of twice in ten years.
Custard is seriously underrated like that.
Let’s bring it into the limelight, and let’s celebrate the fact that there are other flavors than chocolate and vanilla, namely, Lemon Vanilla Bean Custard.
This custard is creamy, bright, and fresh, with the flavor of lemon hitting you first and then vanilla on the back of your palate. It's smooth and rich from coconut milk, and is naturally sweetened with a bit of honey. It sort-of tastes like spring.
And as a total bonus, other than the time it needs to spend in the fridge, this custard comes together in just 15 minutes…so go ahead and make some custard!
What’s your favorite flavor?
- 1 cup (240 ml) canned unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk, stirred before measuring
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin, dissolved in 3 tablespoons boiling water
- Add the coconut milk, honey, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, and sea salt to a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook until the coconut milk is melted and the mixture is warm, whisking occasionally.
- Whisk in the dissolved gelatin and continue cooking for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve; pour it into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- Add the custard to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour the custard into 4 individual bowls; serve or cover with plastic wrap and store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Katie
Is there a zero carb sweetener that you'd recommend to replace the honey? Or is this recipe best left as originally written?
faith
Katie, Hmm, good question! In this recipe, I used honey not only for sweetener, but also to help thicken the custard. But that being said, there is always more than one way to make something work! If you want to go with a zero carb sweetener, you could always add more gelatin and/or egg to get the custard thicker. If I were going to play with it, I'd start by adding 1 more teaspoon gelatin and see how that goes. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiment with the recipe!
Angela
I'm not the biggest fan of lemon stuff ever, but this sounds great as far as ingredients go, for my limited diet. Do you feel that I could eliminate the lemon and have it taste fine, or is the lemon necessary for it to taste good? Thanks!
faith
Angela, I haven't tried this recipe without the lemon, but it may be good. If you want to play with the flavors, you could try something like almond extract instead (maybe start with 1/2 teaspoon). If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!