These rich chocolate pots de crème taste like they came from a fancy French restaurant, but they're secretly easy to make in under and hour. You won't know they're dairy-free thanks to coconut milk, bittersweet chocolate, and eggs.
I'm terrible at buying gifts. Awful. I could blame the whole Bojon (no job) thing, but really I'm just selfish and lazy. If my gift to you can be a batch of cupcakes or a tart for your party, I consider that the ultimate win, since I love baking. (Shopping for gifts, not so much. Yes, it's all about me.)
My sister doesn't seem to mind. In fact, I know that a new dessert is a success when she takes a bite and says, "I want this for my birthday!" The dessert in question is always chocolate, and it's a bonus if it's boozy to boot.
These diary-free pots de crème fit the bill. They contain lots of bittersweet chocolate plus a hit of cocoa powder for big chocolate flavor. They also carry a splash of rum in both the custards and the whipped cream topping. They're like a pudding version of my dairy-free chocolate ganache made with coconut milk.
I adapted this recipe from a chocolate hazelnut pot de crème in Aran Goyoaga's Small Plates and Sweet Treats, a beautiful gluten-free cookbook from the creator of Canelle e Vanille. Aran uses coconut milk in place of cream, which makes these friendly for the lactose-intolerant. The coconut milk adds its soft flavor, and it also seems to let the other flavors come through more clearly than regular dairy, which has a muting effect. (That being said, I adore these with a big dollop of rum-spiked whipped cream; though you could try using coconut milk whipped cream in its place if you want this completely dairy-free.)
My friend Christine (who is way better at gifts than I am) gave me a bag filled with Tahitian vanilla beans and extract after I told her how much I hoard the two. I use a bean in the custard, which imparts its wild floral scent and pretty flecks of seed, and a splash of the extract in the topping.
The texture of these custards is other-worldly – silky smooth and creamy beyond belief. The coconut milk adds a nice fruitiness along with the rum, coconut sugar, and floral Tahitian vanilla. A few cacao nibs and flakes of Maldon salt add an addictive crunch.
Don't be intimidated by baking the custards – it's totally doable, and the best way to get that softly set texture. (Though you can make my stovetop pots de creme or dairy-free tahini chocolate blender pudding if you need a no-bake option.)
Baked in tiny mason jars or espresso cups, they make the perfect party dessert.
Hopefully, no one will even miss the presents.
I made a little video about these cuties, shown here as 3 larger servings in 8-ounce mason jars:
Dairy-Free Chocolate Pot de Crème with Coconut Milk
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Pots de crèmes:
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 ounce / 400 mL) (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 vanilla bean (preferably Tahitian), split lengthwise and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract)
- pinch salt
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao mass), finely chopped (85 grams)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I use Dutch-process, but natural should work, too. Ok to omit if you don't have any!)
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar (1.25 ounces / 35 grams)
- 1 tablespoon dark rum (or espresso; optional)
Optional toppings:
- coconut whipped cream (or non-dairy topping)
- chopped chocolate, cacao nibs, and/or flaky salt such as Maldon
Instructions
Make the Pots de Crème:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300ºF (150ºC). Place six (four-ounce) ramekins, canning jars, or small coffee cups in a baking pan with 2-inch high sides.
- In a medium saucepan, gently warm the coconut milk with the vanilla pod and seeds until the coconut milk is steamy-hot, swirling occasionally. Cover and let steep 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (you can rinse, dry, and save it for another use). Skip the steeping step if using vanilla paste or extract.
- Whisk in the salt, chocolate, and cocoa powder until completely smooth.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and coconut sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until smooth, then whisk in the rum.
- Transfer the custard to a measuring pitcher and carefully divide it evenly among the ramekins in their baking pan. Pour enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the jars.
- Optionally cover the pan with aluminum foil and poke some holes in the top to let steam escape. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven.
Bake
- Bake the custards until they are mostly set and wiggle like Jell-o when you give the pan a gentle shake, 30-45 minutes. They should measure 165ºF in the center.
- Remove the foil and let the custards cool slightly, remove from the pan, and let cool to room temperature. Chill the custards until set, about 3 hours (or cover and chill for up to 5 days).
- Top with your preferred toppings and enjoy!
Eileen says
I would definitely be all about eating one or two of these in lieu of a gift! :) So delicate and creamy.
Alanna says
Ha! Thanks, Eileen. :)
Sue/the view from great island says
What's not to love here? I'd like that rum whipped cream on anything! Happy New Year Alanna!
Alanna says
Thanks, Sue! I happen to have a bit leftover that I'm about to put on some Mexican hot chocolate. Happy New Year to you, too!
Lilli @ sugar and cinnamon says
I love the presentation! They look just like a photo if traditional pots de Creme I have in an old French cookbook. They sound delish!
Alanna says
Aw! Thank you, Lilli! Which book? I'd love to see that photo. :)
Todd @ HonestlyYUM says
This is my ideal dessert Alanna. Perfect in every way!
Alanna says
Thanks, Todd! It's kinda mine, too. :)
Alexandra @ Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker says
Your Pots de Crème are so gorgeous and look incredibly soft, silky, and chocolate-y. I was just perusing Cannelle et Vanille today and admiring all the lovely photographs and you made the pots de crème look so pretty too! This is going on my list of things to bake, and the rum spiked whipped cream WILL be included. :)
Alanna says
Aw! Thanks, Alexandra! Aran's recipes and photos are such an inspiration. I hope you love the pots de crème as much as we do. I have a feeling you will. ;)
RawInTheMiddle says
I want this for my birthday, too! It's in November so you have time to figure out how to ship it to DC. :-) I linked to your post on my blog at: http://www.rawinthemiddle.com/link-love-7/
Alanna says
Haha! I'll get right on that. ;) Thanks so much for the link love and the sweet note!
Kara-Kompromised Kitchen says
I love a naturally gluten free dessert, that I don't have to do and tweaking to. Looks Delicious!
Alanna says
Thanks, Kara!
Aurelia says
Ok, I'm sold. These sound wonderful! I haven't bought any vanilla pods since moving to America (I'm originally from England), so I think it's time to buy some now and this will be one of the first recipes I make with them :)
I'm following your blog now :)
Alanna says
Thanks for the sweet words, Aurelia! I consider vanilla beans to be a very necessary luxury - and they're so much more reasonable if you order them in bulk, and they keep forever in a mason jar in the cupboard. Please let me know how you like these! :)
Marisa says
I know I'm very late to this conversation. I just discovered (and made) this recipe yesterday. It was incredible. I keep kosher so I'm always looking for dairy free desserts that don't taste dairy free. This was perfect. I skipped the whipped topping and just served with fresh berries. Yum!
Alanna says
Not at all! Thank you so much for the kind note, I'm so glad you enjoyed these babies!
Andrea Dore Matza says
These were utterly delicious. I was looking for an easy GF and dairy free dessert and was delighted to find this to pair a tapas dinner party. It was such a hit, I’ve made them two more times in as many weeks for different events. I top with coconut whipped cream and, the third time, chopped some hazelnuts and threw those on top for a bit of crunch. Everyone who has had it was trying not to lick the inside of their ramekins/jars that I served them in! Thank you!
Alanna says
I'm so glad you liked this recipe! Thanks a bunch for the rating and comment!
Peter Wynn says
This tastes awesome. I substitute the sugar with xylitol since we are on keto. Thanks
Alanna says
So glad you liked them!
Viktoria says
This has become a mainstay at our Christmas Eve table.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you love the pots de creme!
Jen says
If subbing espresso powder for espresso (in lieu of rum), would you still use 1 T? Might make these today :)
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Yay and great question! I would follow the instructions on the powder to make a serving of espresso and then use 1 T of that. Please let me know how you like it!
Kathleen Gomperts says
Just wondering if I can substitute dairy milk or cream? Too much coconut seems to not agree with me.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Definitely! I would try 1 cup whole milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream. Or you could make my stovetop pot de creme which uses regular dairy. Please let me know how it goes!