Creme Anglaise substitute

Substitutes for Creme Anglaise with ratios

1. 2Custard Powder or Cook-and-Serve Vanilla Pudding, Thinned

   Different texture

   Use the same amount using about 1.5 times the milk the packet calls for

   Custard powder or a cooked pudding mix made deliberately loose so it pours rather than sets.

   What changes

   Best for

   crumbles, sponge puddings, trifle, fruit pies, steamed puddings

   The most convenient option and in British desserts it is arguably traditional in its own right. It is thickened with starch rather than egg yolk, which gives a slightly heavier, more coating mouthfeel and a fainter chalky note, and its yellow is brighter and more uniform than the pale ivory of a real anglaise. Flavour-wise it is simpler and more straightforwardly vanilla. Whisking one egg yolk and a spoon of butter in at the end warms it up considerably. It also holds and reheats far better than real anglaise, which is a genuine advantage.

2. 3Quick Scratch Creme Anglaise

   Close match

   Use the same amount for any recipe quantity

   Four egg yolks, a third of a cup of sugar and two cups of hot milk or half milk half cream, stirred over low heat until it thinly coats a spoon.

   What changes

   Best for

   plated desserts, fruit tarts, chocolate cake, ice cream base, floating islands, souffle

   Worth attempting because it takes about ten minutes and the only difficulty is not letting it boil. Whisk the yolks with sugar, pour in the hot milk while whisking, return it to low heat and stir constantly with a spatula until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon, around 175 to 180F. Take it off immediately and strain it. It is silkier, less sweet and far more fragrant than anything from a packet, and it is the only version that works properly as an ice cream base.

3. 4Sweetened Condensed Milk Thinned with Cream

   Taste and texture differ

   1 part condensed milk to 1.5 parts milk or cream, plus vanilla

   Condensed milk whisked with milk or cream and a good splash of vanilla extract until pourable.

   What changes

   Best for

   fruit crumbles, warm cake, poached fruit, steamed puddings, waffles

   A pantry rescue that requires no cooking and no eggs at all, and looks convincingly like custard on a plate. It is noticeably sweeter than anglaise, so cut back the sugar in whatever you are serving it with, and it has a distinct cooked-milk, slightly caramel flavour from the way condensed milk is made, which is pleasant but recognisably not fresh custard. It is also thinner and shinier and lacks the eggy body that makes anglaise feel luxurious. Add a pinch of salt to keep the sweetness in check.

4. 5Cream, Sugar and Vanilla Base (for Ice Cream)

   Taste and texture differ

   2 cups cream, 1 cup milk, ¾ cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla

   An eggless Philadelphia-style ice cream base, used where the anglaise was destined for the churn.

   What changes

   Best for

   ice cream, frozen desserts, gelato-style bases, no-cook ice cream

   The right answer specifically for ice cream, and much better than trying to churn a starch-thickened custard, which freezes into something stretchy and gummy. Without egg yolks the ice cream is whiter, cleaner and more purely dairy-tasting, letting fruit or coffee flavours come through more sharply, but it is also less rich and it freezes harder, so it needs about ten minutes on the counter before scooping. Adding a tablespoon of light corn syrup or vodka keeps it softer.

5. 6Creme Fraiche or Greek Yoghurt Loosened with Milk and Sugar

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount

   Creme fraiche or thick yoghurt whisked with milk, powdered sugar and vanilla to a pouring consistency.

   What changes

   Best for

   fruit desserts, berry crumbles, poached fruit, gingerbread, spiced cakes

   Not an imitation of anglaise, but frequently a better sauce for the dessert in front of you. It is tangy, cool and lightly acidic where anglaise is sweet, mellow and eggy, and that sourness cuts through rich or very sweet puddings in a way custard does not. It is also thicker and more opaque, so it sits in a dollop rather than flooding the plate. Do not warm it, because both creme fraiche and yoghurt will curdle and split over heat.