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Crème Brûlée Recipe

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4.9 from 62 reviews

Classic French dessert featuring a rich and creamy vanilla custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramelized sugar.

Ingredients

Custard

  • 2 cups 500 ml heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup 100 g granulated sugar (plus extra for topping)
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and arrange six ramekins in a deep baking dish to prepare for baking.
  2. Heat Cream: In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the split vanilla bean (seeds and pod) over medium-low heat until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes to infuse the vanilla flavor.
  3. Whisk Egg Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is pale in color and slightly thickened.
  4. Temper Eggs: Slowly pour the warm cream into the yolk mixture while continuously whisking to temper the eggs and prevent curdling.
  5. Strain Custard: Strain the combined custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids, then divide the smooth custard evenly among the ramekins.
  6. Prepare Water Bath: Place the baking dish with ramekins on the oven rack and carefully pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a water bath for even baking.
  7. Bake Custards: Bake the ramekins for 45 minutes until the custards are mostly set but still jiggle slightly in the center when gently shaken.
  8. Cool and Chill: Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to fully chill and set.
  9. Caramelize Sugar: Before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar on top of each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden, crackly crust. Alternatively, use the oven broiler carefully to achieve the caramelized top.
  10. Serve: Allow the caramelized sugar to cool for 1 minute until hardened. Crack the crisp sugar topping with a spoon and enjoy the creamy custard beneath.

Notes

  • Use a kitchen torch for the best caramelized sugar crust; if unavailable, the broiler method works but requires close attention to avoid burning.
  • Letting the vanilla bean steep in the cream infuses a deeper flavor compared to extract, but either works well.
  • Be careful not to overcook the custard; it should be just set with a slight jiggle in the center for the perfect texture.
  • Ramekins should be placed in a deep baking dish large enough to hold water up to halfway to ensure gentle baking in the water bath.
  • For best results, chill the custard overnight to allow flavors to meld and the texture to fully set before caramelizing sugar.

Find it online: https://hotsavors.com/creme-brulee-recipe/