How to Make Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée is a classic French dessert that consists of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hard caramelized sugar. The custard is creamy and smooth, to perfectly contrast with the crisp, sugary top! This elegant treat is simple yet indulgent, making it perfect for your next get-together.

What is Crème Brûlée?

Crème Brûlée is a french dessert that literally translates to “burnt cream”. However, it is not the cream that is burnt here. The cream is mixed with sugar, vanilla, and egg yolks to make a simple custard. Then, it is topped with sugar which is burnt to create a crispy crust that is to die for!

The combination of the sweet, creamy custard with the crunchy, bitter sugar makes this dessert extremely popular. But you don’t have to go to a restaurant in order to make creme brulee! You can make it right at home in just a few steps with this easy recipe.

Ingredients Needed

• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream, also known as heavy whipping cream, is a must. It has enough fat content to make a silky smooth custard base.
• Vanilla Bean Pod: I like to use a vanilla bean pod for a natural vanilla flavor. If you don’t have pods on hand, you can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste instead.
• Orange Peels: This is optional, but adds a depth of complexity to the flavor!
• Egg Yolks: Egg yolks are needed for a creamy custard. This is what thickens the mixture so that it holds its shape!
• Sugar: I like to use ultrafine sugar here, but you can also use regular granulated sugar. you will need sugar for the custard and for the top to create the caramelized sugar layer!

How to Make Crème Brûlée

1. Heat Cream: Heat the cream with the orange peels (if using) and vanilla bean until it almost starts to boil.

2. Cool & Preheat Oven: Remove the mix from the heat and let it cool down. Preheat the oven to 300F / 150 C.
3. Remove Peels & Release Vanilla Seeds: Remove the orange peel and vanilla pod. Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out. Add the seeds back to the cream mix. If using vanilla extract instead of the pod, add the extract at this point.
4. Whip Egg Yolks & Sugar: Use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks and sugar over medium speed until creamy and pale.

5. Combine with Cream: Slowly stir the cooled down cream mix to the egg yolk/sugar mixture. For best results, add a small amount (¼ cup to ½ cup) first, and then gradually add the rest.

6. Strain: Strain the mix (for a perfectly smooth texture), and pour it into ramekins. Cover each ramekin with foil.

7. Bake: Bake at 300 F in a water bath for 55-60 minutes for more shallow ramekins and close to 1 hour 15 minutes for the deeper ones. To make a water bath, fill a baking dish about halfway with water and place the ramekins into the baking dish.

8. Cool & Chill: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

9. Add Sugar Layer: To serve, sprinkle each ramekin with about 1 tbsp of sugar, and use a kitchen torch to melt and burn the sugar. You can also place the ramekins on a tray and put them under the broiler in a preheated oven to burn the sugar. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• Temper the egg yolks! When you are pouring a warm liquid into a mixture with raw eggs, there is always a risk of creating scrambled eggs. To avoid this, you must temper the egg yolks. Pour a little bit of the warm cream mixture (not hot), into the whipped eggs and sugar while stirring the egg mixture to ensure that it slowly warms up and turns silky smooth, instead of cooking the eggs. Once some of the warm mixture has been added, you can add the rest at a faster pace.
• Use shallow ramekins if possible! Crème brûlée is usually served in shallow ramekins so that you get the perfect ratio of custard to crispy caramelized sugar. If you only have deep ramekins, you can opt not to fill them all the way. Or, you can fill them but have a larger portion of custard in each serving.
• To create a water bath, place the ramekins on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Then, pour warm water into the baking sheet or baking dish so that the water comes about halfway up the ramekins. The water bath (bain marie) will help the custard gently cook and creates a humid environment in the oven, which is key to creating the perfect texture. If you don’t bake them in a water bath, they could end up rubbery.
• Serve with fruit! Creme brulee is honestly so delicious on its own, but you can try serving it with fresh fruit too! Or, give my raspberry creme brulee a try instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when my crème brûlée is done baking?

Creme brulee is done baking when the edges are set and the middle still has a bit of a shake, similar to jello. If you wait until the whole thing is set, it will be overdone. If you aren’t sure you can use a thermometer to check if the creme brulee has hit 170 F or 77 C.

Can I make crème brûlée ahead of time?

Definitely! Since creme brulee needs to chill in the fridge before you add the sugar topping, they can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Simply store the ramekins in the refrigerator covered in plastic wrap. When you are ready to serve, top them each off with a layer of sugar and use the torch or broiler to caramelize the sugar.

Crème Brûlée

Easy recipe for homemade crème brûlée, this classic French dessert consists of a creamy custard base topped with a layer of hard caramelized sugar.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: European, French

Keyword: Caramelized, Creamy, Custard

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients

• 3 cups heavy cream – 3 cups = 710ml
• 1 vanilla bean pod – or 2 tsp vanilla extract if you don’t have a vanilla pod
• 2-3 orange peels – optional
• 8 egg yolks
• ½ cup superfine or regular sugar – ½ cup sugar = 100 grams

For caramelizing the sugar on top:

• ~1 tbs sugar per ramekin

Instructions

• Heat the cream with the orange peels (if using) and vanilla bean over medium heat until it almost starts to boil.
  
• Remove the mix from the heat and let it cool down.
• Preheat the oven to 300F / 150C.
• Remove the orange peel and vanilla pod from the cream. Slice the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out. Add the seeds back to the cream mix. If using vanilla extract instead of the pod, add the extract at this point.
• Use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolks and sugar over medium speed until creamy and pale.
  
• Slowly stir in the cooled-down cream mix to the egg yolk/sugar mix. For best results, add a small amount (1/4 cup-1/2 cup first) and then gradually add the rest.
  
• Strain the mix (for a perfectly smooth texture), pour it into ramekins, and cover with foil.
  
• Bake at 300F in a water bath for ~55-60 minutes for the more shallow ramekins and close to 1 hour 15 minutes for the deeper ones.
  
• Cool down, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
• To serve, sprinkle each ramekin with ~1 tbs of sugar, and use a torch to melt and burn the sugar. You can also place the ramekins on a tray and put them under the broiler in a preheated oven to burn the sugar. Serve immediately.
  

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