French Crème Brûlée
French crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts. Silky smooth vanilla custard topped with caramelized sugar and served with fresh berries. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, this classic dessert can be made ahead of time for easy entertaining.
Get ready to dive into the most delicious and decadent French crème brûlée you’ve ever had. This beloved dessert consists of a rich custard, flavored with vanilla bean and a thin layer of crackly caramel on top. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, a romantic dinner at home or any special occasion, big or small.
Much like these Mini Basque Cheesecakes and Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, creme brûlée needs to be cooked inside a water bath to ensure even cooking.
What Is Crème Brûlée?
Creme Brûlée, also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, is a baked custard that has a crackly sugar crust on top. Traditionally flavored with vanilla bean, this classic dessert is made with heavy cream, eggs, sugar and salt.
What Does Creme Brûlée Taste Like?
Crème brûlée tastes like a richer, creamier version of vanilla pudding. The caramel topping adds a slightly burnt sugar flavor and crunch to the dessert.
Why You’ll Love This French Crème Brûlée
- Creamy texture- The crème brûlée cooks in a water bath at a low temperature which allows it to cook evenly and creates the most richest, smoothest custard.
- Sugar topping- A thin layer of turbinado sugar is caramelized with a blow torch which gives you a crackly texture, along with a “burnt” flavor that pairs perfectly with the vanilla custard.
- Easy to make- Although creme brûlée gets a bad wrap of being a complicated dessert, this baked custard couldn’t be any easier. Made with simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions that any home cook can master.
- Make in advance- One of my favorite parts about creme brûlée is that it can be made 2-3 days ahead of time.
Ingredient Notes For Classic Burnt Cream
Here are some notes on the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Eggs- I use just the egg yolks in this recipe. Reserve the egg whites for another use.
- Cream- Make sure the label says heavy whipping cream.
- Sugar- I use white granulated sugar to sweeten the custard and turbinado (also known as raw sugar) to caramelize the tops of the creme brûlée.
- Vanilla- I use 1 vanilla bean (seeds and pod). Discard the pod once you have infused the heavy cream.
- Salt- Just a touch adds the perfect balance.
- Fruit- I like to serve fresh berries with my creme brûlée.
Ingredient Note Substitutions
- Vanilla- If you can’t get your hands on vanilla beans, feel free to use 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste.
- Turbinado sugar- This coarse sugar gives the topping a nice crackly texture. You can substitute white granulated sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
- Fruit- Creme brûlée tastes great with fresh raspberries, but is also good on its own.
Step By Step Instructions – Baked Custard
STEP 1: Prepare. Preheat oven to 300℉. Then, place ramekins into a large roasting pan.
STEP 2: Infuse cream. In a medium saucepan, add heavy cream. Using a pairing knife, slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds, along with the pod to the cream.
Bring mixture to a simmer. Then, remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
STEP 3: Separate eggs. Gently crack your eggs and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks into a medium size bowl. Reserve the egg whites for another use. Then, whisk in granulated sugar and salt into egg yolks.
STEP 4: Temper the eggs. Remove vanilla pod from warm cream. Then, slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
STEP 5: Strain. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard any solids left inside the strainer. Transfer custard to a liquid measuring cup.
STEP 6: Fill. Pour the custard into the ramekins, dividing the mixture evenly.
STEP 7: Bake. Place the roasting pan with ramekins on center oven rack. Carefully, pour hot water into baking dish. Fill 2/3 of the way up the ramekins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custards are just barely set.
STEP 8: Chill. Remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Then, place inside the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
STEP 9: Finish. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 1/2 tsp of turbinado sugar. Use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar until deeply golden but not burnt. Top with fresh berries and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
Once you pour the custard into the ramekins, you will notice a lot of air bubbles on the surface. To get rid of them, use a kitchen torch to blow away the bubbles before you bake them in the oven.
When it comes to what type of sugar to use on top of the custards, I prefer turbinado. It gives you the perfect layer of crispy caramelized sugar.
Make sure to completely cover the top of the custard with a thin layer of sugar. Any area that is exposed will curdle when you torch it. Deep ramekins will require 1 tsp of sugar, while shallow ramekins will require 1 1/2 -2 tsp of sugar.
Do not overcook the crème brûlée. The depth of the ramekins will determine how long it takes for the custards to bake. When using shallow ramekins, bake for 25-30 minutes. For more deeper and taller ramekins, bake for 45-50 minutes. The custard should slightly jiggly but not be liquidly.
Flavor Varieties
While vanilla is the most traditional flavor, there are so many different flavors you can infuse your custard with. Here are some ideas.
- Coffee- Use 2 tsp of instant espresso for the perfect java flavor.
- Fresh lemon- Zest 1 lemon in place of the vanilla bean and add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to help elevate the flavor.
- Lavender- Steep 2 tsp of dried culinary lavender into the heated cream for a soft, floral flavor.
- Matcha- Add 1 tbsp of matcha powder for a lovely Japanese twist.
FAQ
A perfect crème brûlée is served warm at the top of the custard (where it is torched) and cold beneath the caramelized sugar. Be sure to chill your custard for a minimum of 4 hours before torching. Chilling the custard will ensure a silky smooth, creamy texture.
If you do not own a kitchen torch, then you can caramelize the sugar under the broiler. Make sure the custard is completely chilled (4 hours or overnight). I think it’s a great idea to invest in a torch for desserts like this. You can find them on Amazon or your local hardware store.
A custard base that remains runny could mean that more baking time is needed. If your crème brûlée still looks liquidly, give it a couple more minutes and then check again. You will know when it’s ready once the edges are firm but still jiggles slightly in the center.
No, I do not recommend this. Once you caramelize the tops, the sugar will begin to draw moisture from the custard and become soft and liquid. I suggest torching the tops right before you are ready to serve so that the sugar remains perfectly crisp.
Special Tools
- Whisk
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Ramekins (preferably wide and shallow)
- Roasting pan
- Kitchen blow torch
Storing
You can bake these French crème brûlée and store them inside the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Once torched, they are best enjoyed right away since the topping will become less crisp and liquify overtime.
More Tempting Dessert Recipes To Try
Try These Valentine’s Day Recipes Too!
- Almond Cupcakes with German Buttercream
- White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies
- Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
- Creamy Honey Cheesecake
- Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
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French Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 8 Egg yolks
- 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 cups Heavy whipping cream
- 1 Vanilla bean, sliced in half, beans scraped
- Turbinado sugar, for topping
- Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉. Then, place ramekins into a large roasting pan.
- In a medium saucepan, add heavy cream. Using a pairing knife, slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds, along with the pod to the cream. Bring mixture to a simmer. Then, remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Gently crack your eggs and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks into a medium size bowl. Reserve the egg whites for another use. Then, whisk in granulated sugar and salt into egg yolks.
- Remove vanilla pod from warm cream. Then, slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
- Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard any solids left inside the strainer. Transfer custard to a liquid measuring cup.
- Pour the custard into the ramekins, dividing the mixture evenly.
- Place the roasting pan with ramekins on center oven rack. Carefully, pour hot water into baking dish. Fill 2/3 of the way up the ramekins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custards are just barely set.
- Remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 2 hours. Then, place inside the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 1/2 tsp of turbinado sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar until deeply golden but not burnt. Top with fresh berries and serve immediately.
Notes
- Baking times will vary depending on what size ramekin you use. When using shallow ramekins, bake for 25-30 minutes. For more deeper and taller ramekins, bake for 45-50 minutes. The custard should slightly jiggly but not be liquidly.
Perfect
Thank you!