This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
Turn pantry staples into a silky smooth custard using my keto custard recipe! It’s simple yet elegant and full of vanilla flavor! 2 grams net carbs.
Looking for more creamy sugar free treats? Try my keto lemon curd, keto pudding, and keto whipped cream next.
Growing up, my mom wasn’t one for making your ‘typical’ baked goods. Instead, she made more traditional desserts, like custard.
I made her recipe once, and while it was delicious, it used a lot of sugar (no wonder we loved it), so I swapped a few ingredients to bring the carbs down. Now, she’s asking for MY sugar-free custard recipe. Go figure!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- 4 ingredients. And I’m willing to bet you have most of them in your kitchen right now.
- Simple yet sophisticated. Custard is an underrated dessert that’s somehow classy and elegant, yet it’s the easiest thing to whip up.
- Versatile. I prefer my low-carb custard with berries on top, but you can layer it to make keto Boston cream pie, keto trifle, you name it!
- Easy to make ahead. Prepare it up to three days in advance and simply pull it out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients needed
- Eggs. You’ll definitely want to use room temperature eggs for this recipe so the custard bakes smoothly and evenly.
- Heavy cream. Also known as double cream or thickened cream. Like the eggs, it’s best for this to be at room temperature.
- Granulated sweetener. I tested a few different types, and allulose and monk fruit yielded the best results.
- Salt. Just a pinch to bring out the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract. For a subtle vanilla flavor.
How to make keto custard
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and grease small ramekins. Place them in a large baking dish.
Step 2- Mix. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Pour the custard mixture into the greased ramekins.
Step 3- Water bath. Pour boiling hot water into the baking dish until the ramekins are covered by about an inch.
Step 4- Bake. Bake for 30 minutes or until they’re mostly firm. Serve them warm or let them cool before placing them in the fridge.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use an electric mixer. You want the custard to be VERY smooth before baking, so if needed, use a stand mixer, hand mixer, or even a blender.
- Add the eggs last. That way, you can taste the batter and know how sweet it is (without getting sick). Just note the sweetness will be slightly diluted once the eggs are added.
- Skip the oven. If you want a thinner, more delicate custard, add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon. Then, pour it into your desired serving dish. This yields a texture similar to my keto panna cotta.
Variations
- Chocolate custard. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Extracts. Swap the vanilla for almond extract or orange extract for a totally different flavor.
- Spices. Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg for a warming, lightly spiced flavor.
- Garnish. Top the custard with fresh blueberries and raspberries or whatever fruit is in season.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep the ramekins in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
To freeze: Place individual portions of custard in freezer-friendly containers and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! To make dairy-free custard, I suggest using full-fat canned coconut cream (with the liquid drained). Just note it will have a mild coconut flavor.
The biggest difference is that custard uses eggs to thicken, while milk pudding uses starch, like corn starch, to thicken.
Traditional custard is not keto-friendly since it contains quite a bit of sugar, but with low-carb substitutions, it can be made suitable for a keto diet.
More simple yet elegant keto desserts
Easy Keto Custard Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup allulose or monk fruit sweetener
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease four 2 or 3 inch ovenproof ramekins and place them in a large baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all your ingredients, until smooth and combined. Transfer the mixture amongst the four ramekins.
- Boil a kettle or bring 2-4 cups of water to the boil. Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish until the ramekins are submerged in an inch of water.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the custard for around 30 minutes, until firm on top.
- Remove from the oven and either enjoy warm or all to cool completely. Once cooled, you can refrigerate it until chilled.
I love this! Super easy and delicious. I occasionally change it up by adding unsweetened coconut, cocoa powder, banana flavoring, or whatever strikes me.
Absolutely delicious and so satisfying 🙂 Thank you!
Amazing…so tasty
Can you add some lemon to this recipe?
So easy turned out absolutely perfect thank you. Perfect for keto ketovore or carnivore lifestyle.
I’ve made this several times and it is the ultimate joyful comfort food. I confess I only have 3 ramekins and thus eat a very satisfying amount. Delicious either hot or cold. Thank you!
So welcome, Jane!
Thank you. Smooth and creamy. Not too sweet.
I made this recipe and it’s easy and tastes great! I do have a question though, where do the 2 grams of fiber come from in the nutrition information?
This is the best custard recipe I have ever made….excellent! Comes out perfect every time!
Thank you, very much.
Looking forward to more recipes.
Regards
Elsa
Smooth and delicious! I was soooo pleasantly surprised! Even my 9-year-old loves it!
So glad to hear that!
I grew up with egg custard. Love it
Great recipe
Fast, easy, and just what you need for dessert without guilt! Keto never tasted this rich!
Just took them out of the oven. Bout burned my tongue because I couldn’t wait for them to cool. I did use no calorie powdered sugar instead of granular sugar. Absolutely delicious!!!!!
Absolutely delicious!!!
Hi . How substitute the heavy cream? I am dairy intolerant.
Plant based double cream
Can confirm that this does work. I make them frequently and use granulated lakanto on the top, throw under the broiler for a few minutes and voilà 👌🏻
Hi! These look delicious! Do you think adding some sort of sugar to the top and broiling briefly to create a crème brûlée type dessert would work with this as the base? Thanks!!
Hi Arman, can this be used as an accompaniment to a chocolate pudding? Is the consistency pourable?
Thanks 🙂
It is when at room temp. If it’s too thick, use a hand mixer to thin it out 🙂
Oh my I cannot even wait for it to be completely baked because just looking through the oven I have to taste and it did not disappoint! The trick with the baking pan with water is awesome as well! Also maybe one minute on broil at the end gets the top golden brown!! BEST RECIPE EVER!!!
I made this tonight and I couldn’t wait for it to cool! I had to have one right away. It was so good! It reminded me of the way my mom made it why when I was a kid!
I have made several of your recipes and you haven’t let me down yet!!!
Thank you!!!!
This recipe is amazing. It satisfies the sweet tooth and it’s super easy to make. I honestly hold this recipe as my husbands secret to success on his weight loss journey. Every night is custard night. Rather than nutmeg I mixed monk fruit sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top. Keeps us away from higher carb sweets.
This custard is absolutely delicious and so very easy to make! My mom made outstanding egg custard pies my whole life and this egg custard definitely rivals hers
(minus the crust…lol)!
Yummm! So delicious! Thanks so much, Arman, for your easy, outstanding keto egg custard recipe. I’ve used more complicated custard recipes before, but I’ll be using yours for future custards.
Let me apologize big time. The item I entered when logging the recipe was wrong so it gave me an outrageous number. All fixed!! Sorry about that and thank you for your quick response. You saved me a heart attack!😇
The best keto custard Ive ever tasted.
As wonderful and easy as this is, I just plugged the recipe into my Carb Manager App to add to my daily log later, and it gives me 26g of CARBS per serving (I devised this recipe into 5 ramekins). So… where are you getting 2 net grams of carbs??? The heavy cream has a ton of carbs! What am I missing here? 😣
Bettina, heavy cream has virtually no carbs.
Where does the fiber come from? None of the ingredients have fiber in them…
Can I make this dairy free? Would it be same proportion of coconut cream?
Nope!
Love this recipe! Make it often in a large glass bowl. Could I make it chocolate?
Sure, try and add cocoa powder and see
Looks fab but when I enter ingredients in MFP my cream is doubling your kcal amount – what cream do you use please?
Double cream, Wolco brand.
I made this the other day and it was so easy and tasty! 😋 I’m going to try making a coconut version next. Thank you!
Is there a way to make this butterscotch flavored? My husband is very fond of butterscotch pie.
You could try adding butterscotch extract.
Easy and delicious!
Great to hear that, Suzanne!
Totally yummy! Exactly what I needed to use up extra eggs & half n half (recipe divergence- added extra egg yolk due to not using heavy cream). Served warm with a small pat of salted butter.
I made this the other day. It was delicious. I plan on making it again soon.
Thanks for the feedback, Rachel!
Is it possible to make these in a glass pan instead of making separate ramekins? I don’t have any but I would love to make this recipe. Thank you!
of course! Just keep an eye on the baking time, it will likely be longer.
Would 10% cream work?
I’m not sure what that is, I’m afraid- Is it full fat cream? It should be okay, but a little less thick.
Shouldn’t it be 8 or 6 cm? 8” is the size if a victoria sandwich cake!
Apologies- that is correct! Updating it now!
I DETEST so-called “recipes” that list ingredients without revealing the proportions. I have cooked many years and have created my own recipes. But, when looking for new ideas, I would like to know how many eggs you used, how much heavy cream you used, etc. I need no videos and very brief instructions. But the proportions are necessary! Without them, this is an idea, not a recipe!
Hi Margo- did you try scrolling down the page to the full recipe card which contains all the details?
Love ❤️
Recipe calls for 8″ ramekins. Is that correct?
Apologies- it is 8cm- so around 2-3 inches.
I never thought I could ever make anything that would ever go into a ramekin. I had them but thought, “please…I cannot use these things” so I kept them tucked away back in the cupboard. This was so easy to make and I never had custard made from scratch so this was just perfect all around. Flavor is just right; texture is so smooth and creamy. Gave some to my father who is LOVING all the desserts I am getting from this website since he is diabetic and needs to lose weight without losing his sweet tooth. Used monk fruit for sweetener. How do I get those things sticking out of the custard that you have in your pics????