This recipe of a creamy Vanilla Custard is one of the easiest dessert sauces that you make. Learn how to make this simple and easy version of homemade Crème Anglaise without using eggs or artificial custard powder.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 · 1 medium bowl
  • Category: Desserts, Sweets
  • Cuisine: World

Ingredients

  • 3 cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup cornstarch (or cornflour)
  • 8 tablespoons sugar (or add as required)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or ½ of a vanilla bean, scraped or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence)

Method

Preparation

  1. In a heavy saucepan take the milk.
  2. Add cornstarch and sugar.
  3. Next add vanilla extract or vanilla bean, scraped.

Making Vanilla Custard

  1. Mix everything and keep the pan on stovetop on a low to medium-low heat.
  2. Stir so that all the sugar dissolves. Use a wired whisk for ease of use and best results.
  3. Simmer on a low to medium-low heat.
  4. When milk gets hot, then stir often so that the custard mixture does not stick to bottom of pan and forms lumps.
  5. Continue to stir till the custard sauce starts to thicken gradually.
  6. Do remember to cook on a low to medium-low heat. So do not rush. You don’t want a lumpy custard or a browned or blackened custard.
  7. The sauce will thicken. continue to simmer and stir continuously till the sauce thickens more.
  8. Take the sauce in a spoon and it should coat the back side of the spoon.
  9. Turn the heat off and cover the pan with cotton kitchen towel or napkin. Placing a cotton kitchen towel prevents from forming the layer of skin on top.
  10. Let the custard sauce cool at room temperature. Later you can keep in fridge. Do note that on cooling the sauce will thicken more.
  11. You can use this custard sauce or egg-free crème anglaise to make desserts like fruit custard, bread & butter pudding, baked custard, trifle etc.

Storage

  1. After the custard sauce cools down to room temperature, refrigerate it. It keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.
  2. Note that the sauce will thicken more after refrigeration.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.