This vegan ube leche flan is the most decadent dessert you will ever have. It's a modern take on the classic leche flan that Filipinos all know and love. It's rich, silky, and has the most beautiful purple hue—almost too pretty to eat!
Leche flan is a Filipino dessert similar to crème caramel. It's rich and creamy and has the perfect amount of sweetness. It's a silky custard with a layer of caramel on top. My favorite ways to eat it are on top of halo-halo or with a cake, like my ube leche flan cake. I love both ube and leche flan; they are among my favorite Filipino desserts. So, I combined my love for them into one luxurious dessert.
✨Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe is easy to make and will take less than 30 minutes.
- This recipe combines delicious ube flavor and leche flan in one dessert!
- This vegan ube leche flan will make for the ultimate Filipino party treat!
✏️Ingredient Notes
- Full-fat coconut milk - Full-fat coconut milk is needed for this recipe to give the flan its richness, replacing eggs.
- Coconut condensed milk - This ingredient not only adds to the creaminess of the recipe but also adds sweetness and that slightly milky flavor without all the excess moisture. It's also a key ingredient in making regular leche flan! My favorite brand to use is Nature's Charm.
- Silken tofu - One secret to making this recipe is silken tofu, which turns into a creamy base for this flan.
- Ube extract – Adds a boost of ube flavor to this leche flan recipe!
- Ube halaya (ube jam) - Ube halaya will be the main ube flavor for this recipe. I make mine from scratch, but you can find vegan-friendly ones in-store. However, they are not as common.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch is a great egg replacement for this recipe. Its thickening properties, combined with the rest of the ingredients, help replace the use of eggs in a traditional leche flan.
- Soy milk - Soy milk has a great neutral flavor and creamy consistency, which makes it best for making homemade vegan leche flan.
- Agar-agar powder – This is the most essential ingredient for this recipe. Agar has gelling properties that provide stability. It's what holds the flan together. Without it, it turns into a custard/pudding consistency.
- Llanera - While this is not an ingredient, it's the traditional mold used to make Filipino leche flan. It's different because you can directly caramelize the sugar on an open flame rather than using a separate pan.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📝Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't have a traditional llanera, you can make it in a 6-inch cake pan. See the recipe card for more details.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
🍴How to Make Vegan Ube Leche Flan
Top Tip: Use a food scale to weigh out the ingredients. That way, you'll only need one or two bowls, and you won't have to wash a bunch of measuring cups!
Step 1: Pour 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar into a llanera and place over a stovetop flame on medium heat
Step 2: Using tongs, move the llanera consistently over the flame until the sugar melts and covers the pan's bottom once you achieve a dark amber-colored caramel. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool completely. You'll know when your caramel is cooled when you hear and see the caramel cracking in the llanera.
Step 3: In a high-speed blender, blend the coconut milk, soy milk, silken tofu, ube extract, ube halaya, cornstarch, and agar-agar powder until completely smooth.
Step 4: Transfer the ube flan mixture to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it starts to thicken, but do not let it come to a boil.
Step 5: Evenly divide the mixture into two llaneras or one 6-inch cake pan. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it to the fridge to set for about 1-2 hours.
Step 6: Run a knife around the edges to release the leche flan, and carefully flip the llanera over a serving plate.
⭐Expert Baking Tips
- Keep a close eye on it as you make the caramel. Whether in the llanera or a saucepan, you must be on top of it. Once it starts to change in color, it can quickly burn. Once you see the dark amber color, remove the llanera or the saucepan from the flame and set it to cool or pour it into the mold.
💭Common Questions
This vegan ube leche flan doesn't taste very sweet at all, regardless of the amount of sugar. I would not recommend reducing the amount of coconut condensed milk used. Otherwise, the measurements will be off, and I can't guarantee that the texture or outcome will be the same if you do.
Unfortunately, this recipe requires the fat and richness of coconut milk to achieve the creaminess of the flan. If you find an alternative that works, please let me know!
Just like the coconut milk, these ingredients are needed to achieve the ultimate texture for this flan. I would not recommend substituting them.
I bought mine from my local Filipino stores, but if you can't find a llanera, you can always use a 6-inch cake pan.
🍮How to Serve
It's best to eat vegan leche flan when it's cold. So, you can serve as an after-meal dessert or even a midday snack.
🥣Storage & Reheating
- It's best to eat vegan ube leche flan right away. But if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing vegan leche flan.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and comment below! Tag @flouredframe on Instagram & Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Ube Leche Flan
Equipment
- 2 medium-sized llanera (6.5" L x 4.5" W x 1.5" H) or one 6-inch cake pan
- Measuring spoons
- High-speed blender
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 240 grams Soymilk
- 240 grams Full-fat coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
- 130 grams Silken tofu
- 180 grams Vegan sweetened condensed milk
- 100 grams Ube halaya
- 1-2 teaspoons Ube extract
- 15 grams Cornstarch
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Agar-agar powder (not flakes)
Instructions
Caramel for llanera
- Pour 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar into a llanera and place over a stovetop flame on medium heat.
- Using tongs, move the llanera consistently over the flame until the sugar melts and covers the pan's bottom once you achieve a dark amber-colored caramel. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool completely. You'll know when your caramel is cooled when you hear and see the caramel cracking in the llanera.
Caramel for cake pan
- Set your cake pan next to you, and add four tablespoons of sugar to a light-colored skillet or saute pan. Spread the sugar in an even layer and place over medium heat.
- Once the sugar starts to melt, use a heat-proof silicone spatula to stir to combine any unmelted sugar. Cook the caramel, stirring occasionally, until it turns a dark amber color. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
- Immediately remove from the heat, and, taking extra care, pour the hot caramel into the cake pan. You may need to swirl the pan to cover the bottom evenly. Set aside and allow the caramel to cool. Your caramel will be thoroughly cooled when you hear and see it cracking.
Ube Leche Flan
- In a high-speed blender, blend the coconut milk, soy milk, silken tofu, vegan sweetened condensed milk, ube extract, ube halaya, cornstarch, and agar-agar powder until completely smooth.
- Transfer the ube flan mixture to a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly until it starts to thicken, but do not let it come to a boil.
- Evenly divide the mixture into two llaneras or one 6-inch cake pan. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it to the fridge to set for about 1-2 hours.
- Run a knife around the edges to release the leche flan, and carefully flip the llanera over a serving plate.
Notes
- Eat vegan ube leche flan right away for the best-tasting experience, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Where can I find a llanera? I bought mine from my local Filipino stores, but if you can't find a llanera, you can always use a 6-inch cake pan.
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