This vegan vanilla slice (or custard slice) is rather like the traditional bakery deal with however with NO dairy or eggs! It has a thick layer of creamy custard between two layers of puff pastry, and is topped with an non-compulsory icing.

Components you may want

Notes in regards to the components
Vegan-friendly custard powder. A number of mainstream custard powders are unintentionally vegan and do not include milk or egg powder! I used Foster Clarks custard powder (out there from main supermarkets) which is partially sweetened. Different vegan-friendly manufacturers embody Fowl’s and the Woolworths model.
Alternatively, you need to use corn starch (corn flour) and some different components for the custard flavour (see the FAQ later on this publish).
Vegan-friendly puff pastry. A number of manufacturers of puff pastry are additionally unintentionally vegan! Simply verify the components to verify it would not include butter or animal merchandise.
Dairy-free milk. I like to recommend selecting any wealthy and creamy milk that you simply take pleasure in consuming (for instance, soy milk or oat milk).
Spreadable vegan butter (or vegan margarine) provides richness to the custard. I examined this recipe with Nuttelex spreadable butter relatively than block butter as a result of it is extra accessible to folks in Australia and New Zealand. Any model of spreadable butter will work. Or use a vegan block butter for a firmer vanilla slice.
An entire listing of components, portions and directions are within the grey recipe card on the backside of this publish.
Getting ready the puff pastry
First, we have to bake the pastry for our vegan vanilla slice!
We do not need the pastry to puff an excessive amount of within the oven so I like to recommend baking it between two lined baking trays. The ultimate pastry must be crispy and golden.
I’ve tried baking the puff pastry simply on one baking tray and urgent it down afterwards. Nevertheless, it is messier and would not at all times flatten!

Subsequent, trim the puff pastry sheets to the dimensions of your baking pan. The simplest means is to put your baking pan on prime of your pastry. Then rating and lower your pastry alongside the sides of your pan.
Some baking pans aren’t the identical dimension on the underside and prime, so maintain this in thoughts whenever you trim your pastry.
At this stage, I like to recommend lining your baking pan and putting one sheet of puff pastry on the backside. When the custard is prepared, we have to transfer rapidly!

Make the vegan custard
The custard is simple to make and requires just a bit mixing!
Mix your custard powder, sugar and simply 1 cup of dairy-free milk to a big pot and blend till mixed. This step helps dissolve lumps in your powder and minimises any lumps in your last custard! Add the remaining milk, butter and vanilla then place your pot in your stovetop.
Then prepare dinner till the custard is easy and thick. I like to recommend regularly whisking the custard to forestall the custard from burning and turning lumpy.

When is the custard prepared?
The custard is prepared when it thickens to a thick pourable consistency. It ought to thickly coat the again of a spoon and go away little ‘ribbons’ in the event you raise the whisk. This could take about 15-25 minutes, relying in your stovetop.
In case you’re unsure, prepare dinner the custard for a couple of minutes longer!
If there are lumps in your custard, don’t be concerned. Use a stick blender to mix the custard or rapidly pour it by way of a superb sieve. I like to recommend utilizing a stick blender as a result of it is faster and the custard units rapidly.

Assembling the vanilla slice
As soon as your custard thickens, assemble your vanilla slice as rapidly as attainable.
Pour your sizzling custard into your baking pan and easy out the highest if wanted. Then press the remaining sheet of puff pastry on prime. Put aside your vegan vanilla slice within the fridge for 4 hours or in a single day.
Ornament choices
I topped my vanilla slice with a easy dusting of icing sugar. In case you use icing sugar, it is best to chop the slice after which mud it.
Another traditional ornament choices are:
- Passionfruit icing (pictured)
- Pink-coloured icing.
In case you prime your vanilla slice with icing, whenever you take away it from the pan, your vanilla slice might bend and trigger the icing to ‘crack’. To stop this, after you line your baking pan, place a sq. of cardboard on prime then assemble the vanilla slice on prime. The cardboard will help the vanilla slice whenever you take away it.
Alternatively, you may take away your vanilla slice from the baking pan THEN ice the highest.

Suggestions for reducing your vanilla slice
The simplest option to lower a vanilla slice is to make use of a sharp serrated knife and a delicate sawing movement. This can maintain the pastry intact and will not squish the custard filling!
If you would like additional neat cuts, I like to recommend utilizing a serrated knife to solely lower by way of the highest pastry layer. Then use an everyday sharp knife to chop by way of the custard layer and backside pastry layer.

Ingredient substitutions
Sure! Nevertheless, you may want so as to add a couple of different components to imitate the flavour and color of custard.
At first of cooking, I like to recommend including a pinch of turmeric (for color) and, in the event you like, black salt (for an eggy flavour). Turmeric’s color intensifies as you prepare dinner it so attempt to not add an excessive amount of. I additionally suggest rising the sugar to 1 cup (200g).
For additional richness and flavour, you may as well add soy or coconut milk powder, to style.
I do not suggest utilizing tapioca starch as it is going to make the custard slimy.
Sure, for a richer custard, substitute half of the milk with dairy-free pouring cream. It’s going to be extra much like the French vanilla slices from Australian bakeries (not a mille-feuille).
In case you do not thoughts the flavour of coconut, you may as well exchange among the milk with canned coconut milk.
Rice malt syrup and maple syrup will give the most effective flavour. Nevertheless, they’re liquid so will make a softer custard. Strive rising the custard powder to 1 ½ cups (170g). I have never examined this however I believe it is going to work.

Completely different flavours
This traditional dessert is ideal as it’s! Nevertheless, if you would like one thing totally different, you may:
Make a vegan chocolate vanilla slice. Cut back the custard powder to 1 cup (115g), add ¼ cup (25g) cocoa powder and 100g chopped dairy-free chocolate to the custard.
Make a lemon custard slice. Change ¼ cup (65g) milk with ¼ cup (65g) of recent lemon juice, or to style. Or take a look at my vegan lemon blueberry bars!
You may also use the custard to make a custard tart! Alternatively, take a look at my vegan custard tart and vegan egg tarts (Hong Kong type).
Extra bakery-style vegan desserts
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Vegan Vanilla Slice
This vegan vanilla slice (or custard slice) is rather like the traditional bakery deal with however with NO dairy or eggs! It has a thick layer of creamy custard between two layers of puff pastry, and is topped with an non-compulsory icing.
Servings: 16 small squares
Components
To brighten (see observe 4 for icing choices)
Directions
Put together the pastry:
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Line 1 massive baking trays with baking paper (parchment paper). Place the 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry on the trays and permit to thaw. In case you can solely match one sheet of pastry in your baking tray, bake them after one another.
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Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) if utilizing a convection oven. Or preheat to 180°C (350°F) if utilizing a fan-forced oven.
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Place one other sheet of baking paper on prime of the pastry and one other baking tray on prime. Bake the pastry for round 20 minutes or till golden and baked by way of.
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Enable the pastry to utterly quiet down.
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Use a pointy serrated knife to trim the pastry to slot in your baking pan. I used a 23 cm (9-inch) baking pan. Alternatively, you could use a smaller baking pan corresponding to an 8-inch (20cm). The custard layer of your slice will simply be thicker!
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Line your sq. baking pan with baking paper with some overhanging. Place one of many trimmed pastry sheets on the underside of your baking pan. Put aside.
Put together the custard and meeting:
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Add the custard powder and sugar to a big pot and blend till mixed. Add round 1 cup of milk and whisk till easy and there are not any lumps. Add the remaining milk, the spreadable butter and vanilla.
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Place the pot over medium-high warmth and prepare dinner the custard for 15-25 minutes whereas whisking consistently. When the custard has thickened, prepare dinner it for an additional 3 minutes. The custard is prepared when it thickly coats the again of a spoon and, in the event you raise your whisk, the custard ought to fall into thick ‘ribbons’.
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In case your custard has any lumps in it, rapidly mix it with a stick blender or pressure it by way of a steel sieve. This can quickly make the custard runny, which is okay (it is going to thicken once more later).
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Shortly pour the custard into your baking pan on prime of the pastry. If wanted, easy the floor. Place the remaining pastry sq. on the highest.
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Cowl and chill the vanilla slice within the fridge for 4 hours or ideally in a single day.
Reducing the vanilla slice:
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Take away the vanilla slice from the baking pan.
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Use a pointy serrated knife and a delicate ‘forwards and backwards’ sawing movement to chop the vanilla slice into squares or rectangles. Mud the vanilla slice generously with icing sugar.
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Take pleasure in instantly! Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. The pastry will naturally soften over time. In case you dusted your slice with icing sugar, it is going to dissolve in a single day so I like to recommend dusting it once more.
Notes
- Many manufacturers of frozen puff pastry are unintentionally vegan as they include vegetable shortening as an alternative of butter. Nevertheless, double-check the components of your pastry before you purchase it.
- Equally, many manufacturers of custard powder are unintentionally vegan. I used Foster Clarks custard powder however Fowl’s and the Woolworths model additionally has a vegan-friendly custard powder. Double-check the components to verify it would not include milk or egg solids. Alternatively, you need to use the identical quantity in cornstarch / corn flour. I like to recommend including a pinch of turmeric for color. Take a look at the weblog publish for extra particulars.
- I examined this recipe with Nuttelex Buttery as it’s totally accessible in Australia. Nevertheless, you need to use any spreadable vegan butter or a vegan block butter (for a barely firmer custard).
- For passionfruit icing, mix 2 cups (300g) icing sugar, 3 tablespoons (45g) passionfruit pulp and ¼ cup (60g) melted vegan spreadable butter. For a traditional pink icing, use the identical components however dairy-free milk as an alternative of passionfruit pulp and add a couple of drops of pink or pink meals colouring. Add extra sugar for a thicker icing or extra liquid for a runnier icing. When the vanilla slice has set, take away it from the baking pan then ice the highest. Chill it for an additional half-hour then lower and serve.
Diet
Serving: 1 slice with solely icing sugar | Energy: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 8g | Ldl cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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