I have always been a custard lover, but never so much as the days after getting my wisdom teeth removed. I lived on a diet of mashed potatoes and custard (and I’d happily do so again). While I love store bought custard, there aren’t too many lactose free varieties that taste the way I want with the ingredients I want. Enter: this easy lactose free custard recipe.
Lactose free custard recipe
This easy lactose free custard uses a simple mix of ingredients for a delicious result. You can make it as sweet as you prefer and as rich as you prefer. You can adjust the thickness according to your preferences and even use it as an ice cream base.
Lactose free milk and cream form the dairy base of the custard. The dairy is heated through, then half of it is slowly poured into the whisked egg yolks (or whole eggs) sugar and corn starch. Once the dairy has been whisked in, the mixture is returned to the pot to thicken. Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract finish everything off, and that’s it! Thick, delicious lactose free custard that nobody will know is lactose free.
Lactose free milk and cream
I always think it is worth mentioning that lactose free is not dairy free. Lactose free dairy is any regular dairy that has had a lactase enzyme added to remove most of the lactose content.
There are many people (myself included) who cannot digest lactose in large quantities. Their issue is not with with the dairy itself, but with the lactose content in the dairy. When the lactose is removed, they can consume dairy without symptoms (or without severe symptoms).
Dairy allergy is an allergy to dairy in it’s entirety – not just the lactose component. People with a dairy allergy cannot consume any dairy, whether or not a lactose enzyme has been added.
So, this recipe is for people who mal-absorb lactose, not for people with a dairy allergy. I intend to work on a dairy free custard soon, so stay tuned for that.
Another note, while we’re here: lactose free dairy tastes sweeter than regular dairy. This is a result of the lactose conversion. So, you will likely need a little less sugar than you normally add to custard, if you generally make it with regular dairy.
Options for your lactose free dairy
I live in Australia where lactose free cream and milk are available at the major supermarkets. I am conscious, though, that not everybody has easy access to lactose free products.
So, you have options. If lactose free dairy products are available where you live, you can use these for the quickest option.
If they are not available, however, you can make your own! Lactose free dairy is made with adding lactase enzyme to the dairy product. Over a period of 24-48 hours, the enzyme breaks down most of the lactase into two simple sugars – galactose and sucrose. This is why lactose free dairy tends to be sweeter than regular dairy.
I couldn’t find lactose drops in the pharmacies so I bought some Intoleran. Wherever you buy your drops, their website should specify how many drops of lactase to add for different sorts of dairy. Generally it is more for thicker dairy (like cream) and less for thinner dairy (milk).
To use drops for this recipe, I would recommend combining the milk and cream in a glass container and adding the lactase in directly. I would recommend 15 drops for this mixture if you are using Intoleran. Return the dairy to the fridge for 24-48 hours (the longer it sits, the less lactose it will contain) before proceeding with the recipe.
Customising your lactose free custard
There are a number of ways to customise this custard according to your preferences. Firstly, you can use the lesser amount of sugar for a very mildly sweet custard or the higher amount for a sweeter custard. If you have a particularly sweet tooth, you can add more. I wanted this custard to be sweet without being over the top, but that might be too little for some people’s tastes.
Next, you can either experiment with adding a little less cornstarch for a thinner custard, or you can cook the custard more briefly to achieve the same result. I have also found that the egg yolk version is much thinner and more pourable than the whole egg version. The whole egg version is more pudding like in texture, whereas the yolk custard has a more pourable consistency. Another thing I found is that the egg yolk version tends to thin overnight in the fridge, while the whole egg version thickens in the fridge.
You can experiment with different volumes of milk and cream or omit the milk altogether for a light and lower fat custard. Personally, I find that the cream gives custard that traditional custard flavour, so I’d recommend using light cream if you’re after a lower fat but still traditional tasting custard.
If you cannot have cornstarch, I recommend potato starch as the next best option. Cornstarch reigns supreme for custard making, but potato starch works in a pinch. I recommend sieving it as it is quite a clumpy starch. Keep in mind that potato starch should be snow white in colour and squeaky to the touch. If it has neither of these qualities, it is likely potato flour (not starch) and thus not suitable for this recipe.
Ingredient notes for your lactose free custard
- I have not tested any sugar alternatives here and don’t intend to. There are many websites that cater to sugar alternatives and you are best to consult the experts on the topic.
- As discussed, potato starch is my recommendation for a cornstarch free custard. I have only tested this recipe with potato starch and the 50/50 split of cream and milk.
- I have not tested tapioca flour or any other starches in this recipe. Tapioca is generally not my favourite cornstarch replacement as it tends to be quite gloopy. You’re welcome to try, but I can’t guarantee the results.
- This custard uses eggs for flavour and colour. There is no egg substitute at the moment, but I do have a recipe for vegan creme patisserie in Intolerance Friendly Kitchen.
Making ice cream with your lactose free custard
I didn’t realise that Americans call some sorts of ice cream custard. This is something I only discovered when researching different styles of custard for this recipe. The idea intrigued me, so I decided to try using my Ninja Creami to make leftover lactose free custard into ice cream.
I have to say, it worked extremely well. The ice cream was smooth and delicious and had a soft serve sort of flavour that I really enjoyed.
If you are also using a Ninja Creami (specifically an NC300 with 470ml size tubs) I have some tips. Firstly, this recipe makes a tiny bit much custard for a single batch. The recipe is intended to be a pourable custard first and foremost, not an ice cream recipe. You’ll get a few spoonfuls to eat after you fill the tub.
Secondly, I recommend using 60g sugar. The 30g sugar version was only subtly sweet which is not what people look for in an ice cream. Personally, I preferred the whole egg version for ice cream.
Gluten free dessert recipes to serve with your custard
- Gluten free fruit crumble
- Low FODMAP, gluten free ‘apple’ pie
- Grain free self saucing chocolate pudding
- Low FODMAP, fruit free Christmas pudding
- Gluten free sticky date pudding
Lactose free custard
Ingredients
- 30 g cornstarch (see notes)
- 30-60 g caster sugar (see notes)
- 4 extra large egg yolks or 2 whole eggs
- 250 ml lactose free thickened cream (see notes)
- 250 ml lactose free full fat milk (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the cornstarch and caster sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Ensuring the cornstarch is completely whisked into the sugar will ensure you don’t have lumps of cornstarch in your custard. This is particularly important with the whole egg custard, as the cornstarch doesn’t dissolve into the egg whites the way it does with egg yolks.
- Whisk in 4 egg yolks or 2 whole eggs. The egg yolk version is thinner, pourable and has a slightly more golden hue. The whole egg version is thicker and has more of a thinner but spoonable pudding consistency.
- Place a tea towel on the bench, get out your whisk and set aside a medium/large pouring or measuring jug.
- Place the cream and milk in a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat. Heat the mixture, whisking intermittently, until it is hot to the touch but not boiling or simmering.
- Turn the heat off and ladle half of the hot dairy mixture into your pouring jug.
- Place the bowl of egg mix on the tea towel (to stop it moving) and whisk the mixture as you very slowly drizzle in the hot dairy mixture.
- Continue drizzling and whisking until you have used all the dairy. Tempering the eggs like this brings up them to a warm temperature gradually so that they don’t split and you get a lovely smooth custard.
- Decant the mixture back into the empty pouring jug. Return to the stove and repeat the process – drizzle your egg and dairy mixture into your saucepan with the remaining dairy as you whisk. Once all of your mixture is back in the saucepan, turn the heat to low-medium.
- Continue to whisk and cook for about 5-10 minutes. The length of time will depend on the eggs you use – egg yolk custard takes longer to thicken and whole egg custard is quicker. Make sure to get the corners of your pot, as custard can settle and overcook.
- In this time, the mixture should thicken and coat the back of a spoon easily. If you're making the whole egg version, the custard should thicken to a point where the whisk leaves tracks in the surface. If you're making the egg yolk version, it will be more of a liquid consistency but should still feel tangibly thickened under the whisk.
- Continue to cook on a low heat until your custard thickens. It does continue to cook and thicken as it cools, so If in doubt, take it off the heat. You don’t want to overcook the eggs and curdle your custard.
- Cover your custard with a film of cling wrap once it has finished cooking. This will prevent it from forming a skin. If your custard does form a skin, you can simply whisk it in (although you might get a few little lumps). You can sieve the custard to remove the lumps if you want to.
Notes
- I have found the best substitute for cornstarch to be potato starch.
- The colour of your custard depends on the colour of your egg yolks. Egg yolks with a deep orange hue will create a brighter custard colour.
- 30g of caster sugar creates a subtly sweet custard which is perfect for me. I know that tastes for sweetness differ globally, which is why the range for sugar is there.
- Keep in mind that lactose free dairy tastes sweeter than regular dairy. This is because the converted lactose tastes sweet.
- If you are using this recipe to make Ninja Creami ice cream, I recommend the 60g sugar option.
- Egg yolks create a thinner, more pourable custard. Whole eggs create a thicker, more spoonable and pudding like custard.
- Whole egg custard thickens more quickly than egg yolk custard. If you are new to making custard, I recommend whole egg custard. The visual cues are easier to spot and the thickening is a lot more tangible.
- I have a dairy free custard recipe here.
- If you are looking for a tart filling, I recommend using the crème patissiere in my cookbook Intolerance-Friendly Kitchen. It is designed for that purpose and there is a vegan version as well.
- Lactose free thickened cream and milk are available at supermarkets around Australia. If you are not based in Australia, use my recipe for homemade lactose free cream here (obviously don’t whip it – stop at step 2) and my lactose free milk recipe here.
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