Crème Brûlée is one of the classiest desserts out there - a silky, creamy custard topped with a crisp, caramelized sugar crust that's guaranteed to impress.
Many home bakers shy away from making crème brûlée because they assume it's complicated, but this elegant French dessert is surprisingly simple. With just four ingredients, it comes together quickly and easily. This great recipe walks you through each simple step to help you achieve a smooth, luscious custard and that signature crackly brûléed top, so you can serve a restaurant-quality dessert straight from your own kitchen.
Serve this fancy dessert at your next dinner party to wow your guests - only you and I will know it was deceptively easy to make (and maybe even prepared days ahead).
What is Crème Brûlée?
Crème brûlée is a classic French dessert of creamy baked custard topped with a thin layer of golden brown, caramelised sugar. It is most renowned for the stark texture contrast between the cold, rich, silky-smooth custard and the hot, crunchy, glass-like topping - it's as much about the rich flavor as it is the sensation!
Ingredients
This crème brûlée recipe uses just 4 simple ingredients.
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream or double cream to create a rich base flavor and silky-smooth texture. It must have at least 36% fat content.
- Egg Yolks - We'll only be using yolks to give the crème brûlée a lovely golden color, and a luxurious taste and texture. Save the egg whites to make pavlova or meringue cookies!
- Sugar - Granulated sugar (caster sugar) will go into the custard and make the crunchy sugar topping.
- Vanilla - High-quality vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract will make a huge difference in custard. Or use a vanilla bean pod.
See the recipe card for measurements in both grams and cups (though I always recommend using a kitchen scale).
What You'll Need
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
- Ramekins - I use 6-ounce ramekins for this recipe.
- Baking Tray - Make sure it's deep enough to create a water bath.
- Kitchen Torch - This will create the toasty caramelized topping. If you don't have a blowtorch, use your oven's broiler (grill) instead.
How to Make Crème Brûlée
This impressive dessert is super easy to make...when you know how! Read these instructions carefully, and you'll be a crème brûlée pro!
Heat the Cream
Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C (140°C fan).
Pour the heavy cream and vanilla into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until small bubbles form at the edges - don't let it boil.
Whisk Eggs + Sugar
While the cream warms, place room-temperature egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk just until combined into a smooth mixture - don't try to incorporate air.
Temper the Eggs
Gradually add a thin stream of the hot cream to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Repeat until all the cream is incorporated. This gently brings the eggs up to temperature without scrambling.
Pour into Ramekins
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug or bowl with a spout. This removes any lumps and ensures a silky-smooth custard.
Carefully pour the custard into ramekins and place them in a deep baking tray. Place the tray in the oven first, then pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake
Bake for 35-50 minutes, depending on ramekin size. The custards are done when the edges are set, but the centers still wobble slightly. Avoid overbaking - they will continue to set as they cool.
Remove ramekins from the water bath and let them cool for 10-15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Brûlée
When ready to serve, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize until golden brown.
How to Make Crème Brûlée Without a Kitchen Torch
No torch? No problem. Your oven's broiler (grill) will do a great job of caramelizing the tops of your crème brûlées.
Set the broiler on maximum heat, and once it's preheated, place the crème brûlées underneath. The key here is to watch it like a hawk! As soon as the desired color is reached (a lovely golden brown), take them out of the oven and serve straight away.
This method works wonderfully, but I would always recommend a blowtorch if you have one. With a blowtorch, you can achieve a hot, crackly, golden top with the contrast of cold custard underneath.
Storage
Cover your baked custards with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. It's best to add the caramelised sugar topping right before serving so it stays crunchy - plus it adds a bit of drama to dessert!
Dinner Party Desserts
Here are some more dessert recipes that are perfect for serving up at a dinner party:
Recipe
Crème Brûlée Recipe
Ingredients
- 480 ml (2 cups) Heavy Cream (double cream)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 66 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar (caster sugar) plus extra for topping
- 3 Large Egg Yolks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F / 160°C (140° fan).
- Heat the whipping cream and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium heat until it is scalding hot - this means there is steam rising from it and you can see tiny bubbles appearing on the surface. Don't let it boil.480 ml (2 cups) Heavy Cream, 1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and sugar, just until combined and smooth.66 g (⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar, 3 Large Egg Yolks
- Slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture while whisking - this brings up the temperature slowly so that the eggs don't scramble.
- Pass the custard into a jug or bowl with spout, through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
- Pour the custard into ramekins and place them in a baking tray to make a water bath.
- Pour hot water into the tray, being careful not to spill into the ramekins. The water should come up to about halfway up the height of the ramekins. TIP: It's much easier to do this once you have already put the tray on the rack in the oven, so you are not trying to move the tray with water in it - just work quickly so the oven door isn't open for too long!
- Bake for 35-50 minutes - this will depend on the depth of your ramekins. You'll know they are done when the edges are set, but there is still a very distinct wobble in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and let them sit in the water bath for 10 minutes, then remove from the water and let them cool to room temperature. Once cooled, put them in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
- When you are ready to serve, sprinkle an even layer of sugar all over the tops of the baked custards, make sure there is no visible custard underneath
- Use a kitchen torch to 'brulee' the sugar, caramelising it until there is no white left. Hold the torch so the tip of the flame is just dancing across the surface of the sugar and hold it in each spot for a few seconds until it starts to caramelise.
- Serve immediately after you have caramelised the sugar, part of the sensation of creme brulee is the mixture of cold custard and hot crunchy topping!
Hi, I'm Jules!
I'm a Scottish ex-bakery owner sharing my tried and true dessert recipes and expert tips to help you whip up impressive desserts at home.
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Happy Baking!