Crème Brûlée is one of my favorite desserts. It may sound intimidating, but it’s simple to make, and with these clear instructions you can enjoy a luxurious, creamy dessert at home.
If you haven’t tried this luscious, silky custard topped with a crisp caramel crust, you’re missing out. Crème brûlée is pure bliss — rich and delicate at once. I love creamy desserts, and this recipe is no exception. While it may sound complicated, it’s actually very approachable. You don’t even need a torch to achieve the caramelized top if you prefer to broil.
What ingredients are used in crème brûlée
- Heavy cream
- Whole or 2% milk
- Granulated white sugar
- Egg yolks
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean
Special tools you need
- Deep baking dish or pan
- Five tall 4 oz (≈120 ml) ramekins
- Kitchen torch (optional)
- Fine mesh sieve
How to make crème brûlée
This recipe uses five basic ingredients. I include a bit of milk to slightly cut the richness of the cream, which makes the custard balanced and family-friendly.
Begin by separating the egg yolks from the whites. The whites aren’t needed for this recipe but can be saved for omelets, meringues, or pavlova. Place the yolks in a medium bowl and chill the whites if you plan to use them later.
Prepare the baking dish and cream
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Choose a deep baking dish that will hold the ramekins and enough water to create a bain-marie without spilling. In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and milk and warm over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam and bubble along the edges. Stir frequently so the cream doesn’t scorch. Once heated, remove from the heat and set aside while you prepare the custard.
Make the custard
In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and slightly thickened—about 4–6 minutes by hand or faster with an electric mixer. Stir in the vanilla extract. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the cream, and add the bean pod to the saucepan while warming; remove the pod before combining with the eggs.
Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg-sugar mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly. This tempers the yolks and prevents them from cooking. When all the cream is incorporated, strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove any cooked bits or vanilla pod pieces. This yields a silky smooth custard.
Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full. Arrange the ramekins in the deep baking dish. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins—avoid splashing water into the custards.
Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until the centers are mostly set but still have a slight wobble. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool on a wire rack. Once cooled to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (longer is fine).
Torch or broil: both work well
Right before serving, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar evenly over each custard. You can caramelize the sugar with a torch or by broiling:
Using a torch
A kitchen torch produces a crisp, glassy caramel top in seconds while leaving the custard cold underneath. Hold the flame about 4 inches above the surface and move it in a circular motion until the sugar melts and browns. Allow a minute for the caramel to harden before serving.
Using the broiler
If you don’t have a torch, place the sugared ramekins on the top oven rack and broil for 5–10 minutes until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Watch closely to avoid burning and be aware the custard may warm slightly.
Serve within 20 minutes of caramelizing the sugar for the best contrast between the cold, creamy custard and the crisp caramel crust. After about 20–30 minutes the sugar will start to soften.
Crème Brûlée
Equipment
- Five 4 oz ramekins
- Deep baking dish or pan
- Torch (optional)
Ingredients
For the custard
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
- 1 1/2 cup (300 ml) heavy cream (35%)
- 1/2 cup (100 ml) whole or 2% milk
For the top crust
- 5 tsp granulated sugar (1 tsp per ramekin)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange ramekins in a deep baking dish and set aside.
- Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until it begins to steam and bubble at the edges. Remove from heat.
- Whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and pale (about 4–6 minutes). Stir in vanilla.
- Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper the yolks. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve.
- Pour the custard into ramekins, filling each about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in the baking dish.
- Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the ramekins, taking care not to splash into them.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes until mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center.
- Remove ramekins from the water bath and cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Torch method
- Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar evenly over each chilled custard. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar, keeping the flame about 4 inches away and moving in a circular motion.
Broil method
- Place sugared ramekins on the top oven rack and broil 5–10 minutes until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Watch closely to prevent burning.
- Serve within 20 minutes for the best contrast of cool custard and crisp caramel.
Notes
Heavy cream: For an even richer crème brûlée, omit the milk and use 2 cups of heavy cream instead.
Ramekins: I used small ramekins about 3.5 inches in diameter and nearly 2 inches deep. You can use larger dishes but fill only up to 3/4 full and leave a 1/2 inch gap at the top to prevent overflow.
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