Chocolate Pots De Crème (No Eggs or Dairy!)

dairy-free chocolate pots de creme served in glass jars with a spoon.

Chocolate Pots De Crème (No Eggs or Dairy!)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: vegan

Keyword: Chocolate Pots De Creme

Prep Time: 15

Chill time:: 4

Total Time: 4 15

Servings:

Calories: 306kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This Chocolate Pots de Crème recipe is the dessert I make when I have guests to impress. It reminds me of a cross between chocolate mousse and fudge, and what makes this version special is that it's made without refined sugar, dairy, or eggs. (But don't worry, it still tastes amazing— just read the glowing reviews below if you don't believe me!)

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Ingredients

½ cup unsalted cashews
½ cup milk of choice (warm, if possible)
¼ cup melted coconut oil
⅓ cup cacao powder
⅓ cup maple syrup (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Optional Step: Cover the cashews with 3 inches of water and let them soak for 2 to 4 hours. This will help them soften, making blending easier. (That said, I usually skip this step because I don't plan ahead.) Drain the soaked cashews before moving to the next step.
In a high-speed blender, add the cashews, milk of choice, melted coconut oil, cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Secure the lid and blend until the cashews are pulverized, about 60 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed to ensure everything is mixed evenly. Note: Using warm milk or water will help this blend easier. Adding cold milk to coconut oil will immediately thicken the mixture.
Taste the mixture to make sure you're happy with the flavor. Sometimes I add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup for more sweetness. If the mixture looks too thick (especially if you skipped soaking the cashews), add 2 tablespoons of warm water and blend again.
Pour the mixture into 4 small dishes (each serving is roughly ½ cup), then place them in the fridge to chill until set, about 4 hours, or overnight.
Serve chilled, with coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, and/or shaved chocolate on the top, if desired. You can make this dish up to 3 days in advance, but I recommend keeping the tops covered if you're going to make them more than 24 hours in advance. (That way the tops won't absorb any other flavors from your fridge.)

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings, assuming you divide the whole batch evenly between 4 serving dishes. This is automatically calculated from an online ingredient database, so it's an estimate, not a guarantee.

Milk Note: I used soy milk in the photos, but plain water will work, too! Use warm liquid when possible to make the blending process much easier. Coconut oil will thicken immediately when it comes into contact with cold liquid, which makes the mixture thick in the blender.

Coconut Oil Swap: If you're allergic to coconut, butter would most likely work as a substitute for the coconut oil. (But the recipe would no longer be dairy-free or vegan.) As far as I know, no other liquid oil will yield the same results, but solid vegan butter substitutes should work.

Nut Substitutions: Other nuts *might* be able to replace cashews, but the result may not be as creamy. I used soaked hazelnuts in a different batch, and the result was much more fibrous than this creamy cashew version. (Do not recommend!) Be sure to soak harder nuts, like almonds, for at least 8 hours to make blending easier.

Blender Note: I used this Beast Blender (affiliate link) in the photos for this recipe. You can also use a Vitamix with a narrow base, like the 5200. I don't recommend using a blender with a wide base, as you might need a larger quantity of ingredient to keep it moving. (You may need to double the recipe in that case.)

Nutrition