Crème Brûlée

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Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert with a rich vanilla custard and a crackly caramelized sugar crust. It’s surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients!

Spoon in a partially-eaten creme brulee.

Julia Child famously said, “I think every woman should have a blowtorch.” While we don’t know exactly which recipe she was referring to, it certainly applies to one of the most iconic French desserts: crème brûlée. This luscious dessert features a creamy vanilla custard topped with a shatteringly crisp layer of caramelized sugar—its name even translates to “burnt cream.” Though it often shows up on the menus of fancy restaurants, it’s simple to make at home.

If you don’t have a blowtorch, no worries—a broiler will do the job (though, I’ll admit, using a blowtorch is pretty fun!). You’ll need four 8-ounce custard dishes or ramekins and a large roasting pan. Much like cheesecake and flan, crème brûlée needs to be cooked in a water bath to ensure it cooks gently and evenly.

What You’ll Need To Make Crème Brûlée

crème brûlée ingredients

  • Heavy cream: The rich, creamy base for the custard, providing a smooth and velvety texture.
  • Vanilla: The primary flavor in crème brûlée. Traditionally, a whole vanilla bean is steeped in the cream, but vanilla bean paste or extract can be used as substitutes.
  • Large Egg yolks: Thicken the custard as they cook, creating the luxurious, creamy consistency typical of crème brûlée. Save the leftover egg whites for another recipe—use them for egg white bites, pavlova, coconut macaroons, macarons, vanilla cake, or coconut cake.
  • Sugar: Sweetens the custard and creates the signature crunchy topping when caramelized with a kitchen torch or broiled.
  • Salt: Enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness and deepening the richness of the custard.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a saucepan, simmer the cream, then remove from heat. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to the cream to steep for 15 minutes. If using vanilla paste or extract, add it after heating.

vanilla bean and cream in pot

Bring a kettle of water to a boil (you’ll need the boiling water to create a water bath for cooking the custards evenly in the oven). In a large bowl, combine the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt.

egg yolks, sugar, and salt in bowl

Whisk until well combined and slightly pale, about 1 minute.

whisked egg and sugar mixture

Over a medium bowl, strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of the vanilla bean pod (skip this step if using vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract).

straining the cream

Gradually pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

gradually whisking in the cream

Transfer the custard mixture to a bowl with a pour spout or a large measuring cup.

crème brûlée custard mixture in measuring cup

Place four ramekins in a roasting pan. Pour the custard into the ramekins, then add hot water to the pan until it reaches halfway up their sides.

crème brûlée custards in water bath

Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the centers are just set.

baked crème brûlée

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the custards to a cooling rack. Refrigerate for several hours or up to 3 days. Before serving, sprinkle each custard with sugar and caramelize with a blowtorch until golden.

blow torching the sugar

Alternatively, place the custard dishes on a baking sheet and broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat source for a few minutes, or until the sugar melts and browns. Let sit for at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.

Video Tutorial

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Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert with a rich vanilla custard and a crackly caramelized sugar crust. It’s surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients!

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour, plus at least 2 hours to chill

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract)
  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar, plus more for topping
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer, then immediately remove from the heat. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; add both the seeds and the pod to the cream and let sit for 15 minutes. (Alternatively, add the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.)
  3. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs yolks, sugar, and salt until well combined and slightly pale, about 1 minute.
  5. Over a medium bowl, strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of the vanilla bean pod (skip this step if using vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract). Discard the bean pod. Gradually pour the warm cream into the egg mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly. Transfer the mixture to a bowl with a pour spout or a large measuring cup.
  6. Place 4 (8-ounce) custard dishes or ramekins into a large roasting pan. Pour the custard mixture into the dishes or ramekins. Pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the custard dishes/ramekins. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the centers are just set. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and, using tongs or a wide spatula, remove the custards from the roasting pan. Refrigerate for least 2 hours and up to 3 days (cover them with plastic wrap if making more than a few hours ahead).
  7. Before serving, sprinkle each custard with 1½ to 2 teaspoons sugar, depending on the size of the custard dish. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until it is deeply golden but not burnt. Alternatively, place the custard dishes on a baking sheet and broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat source for a few minutes, or until the sugar melts and browns (keep a close eye to make sure they don't burn). Let sit for at least 5 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.
  8. Make-Ahead Instructions: The custards be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Follow the recipe through the baking and chilling steps. Once the custards are fully cooled, cover each ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, remove the custards from the fridge. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and caramelize just before serving to get that perfect crackly finish.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 588
  • Fat: 50 g
  • Saturated fat: 29 g
  • Carbohydrates: 33 g
  • Sugar: 32 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 6 g
  • Sodium: 281 mg
  • Cholesterol: 382 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • Is it possible to make a pumpkin crème brulée? How would I change your recipe? Many thanks for any help.

    • — MRS on November 25, 2024
    • Reply
    • I think the recipe would require to many tweaks to convert this to a pumpkin crème brûlée. I think your best bet is to look for a recipe specifically for one. Sorry!

    • Thank you for your time & reply. I will look around for a recipe. Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family.

      • — MRS on November 25, 2024
      • Reply
  • Thank you for your great recipes! I have bought 2 of your books and they are wonderful as well. How would I make a lemon or lime version of this creme brulee?

    • — Henry on September 29, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Henry, thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! You could add lemon or lime flavor to this by adding about a teaspoon of zest to the simmering cream. I’d love to hear what you think if you try it!

  • Hi Jen! If I wanted to make lavender crème brûlée, what type of culinary lavender would you use and in what quantity? Thanks in advance!

    • — Jill on September 1, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Jill, I would add 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried English culinary lavender to the cream with the vanilla. After steeping, strain out the lavender to avoid any gritty texture and proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed. Hope that helps!

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