Creme Brûlée Recipe
A French classic, the Best Vanilla Creme Brûlée recipe is a simple dessert you can make at home from scratch. Rich, creamy and decadent.
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $8
Equipment
- 1 kitchen torch
- 6 Ramekins
- roasting pan
- Instant Read Thermometer
- whisk
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 vanilla beans split lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 10 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar plus more as needed. granulated sugar can be used here but may increase cooking time
- fresh berries optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- In a large saucepan, whisk together the cream, vanilla and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat (cream will begin to steam) then remove from the heat and cool to for 10-15 minutes.
- Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla beans and stir into the cream. Rinse the empty beans and reserve for another use.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining granulated sugar until pale and frothy. While whisking, ladle 1/4 cup of the cream mixture into the eggs until combined. Slowly add another 1/4 cup of the cream to the egg mixture to combine. (This step tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when you mix them into the cream.)
- Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the cream mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Arrange 6 6-ounce ramekins on a deep baking sheet or roasting pan. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve before filling ramekins. Divide the cream mixture evenly among the ramekins and set ramekins in a roasting pan.
- Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the ramekins (BE SURE NOT to splash any water into the ramekins, POUR SLOWLY.)
- Bake the custard at 300°F for 45-50 minutes until edges set and the center gently jiggles (internal temperature will be 175°F on an instant read thermometer).
- Cool the custards to room temperature then chill 4–6 hours (or overnight). Brûlée with about 1 teaspoon sugar per ramekin just before serving.
- Before serving, sprinkle the custard with the superfine sugar and melt the sugar with a kitchen torch until caramelized. Alternatively, you can melt the sugar by placing the custard under the broiler until caramelized.
- Top with fruit, if desired. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Don’t boil the cream. Temper the mixture slowly. Whisk gently to minimize bubbles. Use superfine sugar for the most even, shatter-crisp top.
- Custards can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator wrapped lightly with plastic wrap. Store covered in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. For the crispest topping, brûlée immediately before serving.
- Be mindful of the size of your custard cups. I used 6 6-ounce ramekins with a baking time of approximately 50 minutes until they set up. If you go with a larger ramekin they will take longer to cook. So, if your custard is about 1 inch deep, baking time will be approximately 30 minutes, 2 inches deep and you’re looking at about approximately 50-60 minutes of baking time. Low and slow is the only way to go. The shallower your dishes, the better.
- Freezing is not recommended because it may alter the smooth custard texture.
- Crème brûlée is served chilled and does not need to be reheated.
- If the custard is still liquid in the center, continue baking in 5-minute increments; remove it while the center still gently wobbles.
Nutrition
Calories: 723kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 503mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 184mg | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 2765IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 1mg