Smooth and Creamy Gluten-Free, Eggless Fruit Custard
Looking to dress up fresh seasonal fruits for a get-together? This gluten-free, egg-free rich and delicious fruit custard can serve as the perfect base. Made with 2% organic milk, custard powder, a beautiful blend of aromatic cardamom and vanilla, it is a simple, easy and delightful dessert!
What is custard powder made of?
Custard powder consists thickening and flavoring agents. While majority of custard powders use corn starch as the thickening agents, some may also contain maize starch. In this recipe I’ve used Gluten-Free and Egg-Free Bird’s Vanilla flavored Custard Powder . Contrary to common belief, the base ingredients of custard powder do not include gluten but based on your gluten intolerance level make sure the packaging does not call out “Processed in a facility that processes wheat“. Also check the packaging to ensure it does not have a long list of stabilizers, and artificial flavors.
What can I use instead of Custard Powder?
You can substitute custard powder with gluten-free cornstarch or cornflour, in a 1:1 ratio. Add the flavor of your choice. Some custard powders use milk powder to enhance creaminess. If you have milk powder available, add 1 tsp to the mix.
Birds’ custard powder does not consist of milk powder and since I used 2% milk, I added half and half to dissolve the custard powder for a smooth and rich consistency. You can add some food coloring to get the desired look.
Is custard made of cream?
The thick creamy texture of custard is due to a thickening agent. Some custard recipes use egg yolks for the rich and creamy consistency. In this recipe, I used an eggless custard powder which uses maize starch as the thickening agent with 2% milk.
What kind of milk to use for custard?
In this recipe I’ve used 2% Organic milk, and for mixing the custard powder I used half and half. This combination gave a deliciously rich and smooth texture. If you don’t have half and half, feel free to use whole milk for the whole recipe.
How to make eggless, gluten-free fruit custard?
What ingredients do i need to make eggless, gluten-free Fruit Custard?
This simple custard recipe just uses 4 base ingredients with toppings of your choice:
Custard Powder: The star ingredient in this recipe! I’ve used Bird’s Custard Powder that is gluten-free and eggless. Check the label on your custard powder to ensure it is gluten-free and egg-free. I recommend going for a brand that doesn’t use a myriad of artificial flavors and stabilizers.
Milk: Milk forms the base of this creamy treat. I’ve used 2% organic milk with some half and half to mix the custard powder. For a vegan option, substitute the milk with almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk.
Sugar: I’ve used granulated white sugar since I love the yellow color, if you do n’t have a preference on the color of the custard, you can also use brown sugar.
Flavor: I used ground cardamom and vanilla for flavoring. If you’re not a fan of cardamom you can skip it and just have it vanilla flavored. I would highly recommend trying cardamom flavor as it blends very well with the fresh fruits that are added for the topping. I also like using saffron/ lemon rind/ orange rind.
Toppings: I’ve used a combination of bananas, apples, oranges, pomegranates, crushed pistachios, almonds, and cashews.
Step by Step process to make Eggless Fruit Custard
Custard Mix:
- In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons of Bird’s custard powder. Mix about 2-3 tablespoons of half and half into the bowl and stir until it dissolves completely. Continue adding the rest of the half and half (1/3 cup in total) into the mix in small quantities, mixing thoroughly. Ensure that the mixture is smooth. Pic#1 & 2
- Add in 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and stir thoroughly to make a smooth paste. Pic#3
Milk Base:
- In a heavy bottomed pan, add about 3-4 tbsp of water (to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom). Add 2% milk into the pan and bring to almost a boil on medium-high heat. Pic#4
- Reduce the heat, and gradually add the custard powder mix in small batches. Take care not to add all of the custard mix at once as it may result in lumps. Keep stirring continuously. Pic#5
- Heat the mixture on medium-low heat and in 4-5 minutes the mixtures turns thicker. Pic#6
- Turn off heat and stir thoroughly to ensure the mix is smooth. Add cardamom powder or a flavor of your choice. Pic#7
- Immediately cover the pan. After 20-25 minutes, keep the custard in the refrigerator. The custard will thicken further.
Topping:
- Take seasonal fruits of your choice and chop them into small pieces. I love the combination of apples, bananas, oranges and pomegranates. Pics 8,9,10
- You can also add crushed/ chopped nuts for a crunchy twist. I’ve used a combination of pistachios, cashews and almonds. Pic#10.
- In your serving container, add a layer of fruits pour your rich and creamy custard over them, garnish with chopped nuts and pomegranate and indulge in this goodness!
Smooth and Creamy Fruit Custard Recipe! Gluten-free, Eggless
Ingredients
Custard
- 2 tbsp Custard powder Gluten-free
- ⅓ cup Half and half
- 2¼ cup 2% Milk Organic
- 2-3 tbsp White granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Freshly Ground Cardamom
Topping
- 1 Apple
- 1 Banana
- 1 Orange
- 2 tbsp Pomegranate
Instructions
- In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons of Bird's custard powder and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar. Mix about 2-3 tablespoons of half and half into the bowl and stir until it dissolves completely. Continue adding the rest of the half and half (1/3 cup in total) into the mix in small quantities, mixing thoroughly. Ensure that the mixture is smooth.
- In a heavy bottomed pan, add about 3-4 tbsp of water (to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom). Add 2% milk into the pan and bring to almost a boil on medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat, and gradually add the custard powder mix in small batches into the milk. Take care not to add all of the custard mix at once as it may result in lumps. Keep stirring continuously.
- Heat this mixture on medium-low heat and in 3-4 minutes the mixtures turns thicker.
- Turn off heat and stir thoroughly to ensure the mix is smooth. Add cardamom powder or a flavor of your choice.
- Immediately cover the pan to avoid a thick layer from forming on top of the custard. After 20-25 minutes once the custard cools, keep it in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hrs to chill. The custard will thicken further.
Topping & Serving
- Take seasonal fruits of your choice and chop them into small pieces. I have used apples, bananas, oranges and pomegranates.
- You may also add sliced/ crushed pistachios, cashews and almonds. In your serving container, add a layer of fruits, and pour the rich and creamy custard over them, garnish with chopped nuts and pomegranate and indulge in this goodness!