The 330-Year-Old French Dessert Recipe Thats Surprisingly Easy to Make
Crème brûlée is probably one of the first desserts to pop into your head when you think about French desserts. And there’s a good reason it’s so popular: Hiding underneath a crunchy browned sugar top is a rich, creamy, vanilla-flecked custard that’s velvety smooth. The best part of crème brûlée is that it’s served individually, meaning that everyone gets to thwack their spoon against the sugar shell to shatter it, arguably the most fun aspect of this iconic French dessert.
Crème brûlée might sound fancy and seem difficult to make, but it’s actually easier than making chocolate-dipped eclairs or a tarte tatin since the process is mostly hands-off. All you have to do is pour a 4-ingredient custard, whisked together by hand, into ramekins, and then bake in a water bath. Chill the custards down, then sprinkle sugar on the surface and caramelize it with the broiler or a kitchen torch. It truly is that easy! Here’s the play-by-play on how to make picture-perfect crème brûlées.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s fancy, but easy. The oven does most of the hard work after you whisk together an easy custard made of just 4 ingredients (plus salt). Individual serving dishes make this the perfect sweet-creamy ending to a dinner party.
Fun to make and eat! Those who love to play with fire will get their chance to use a kitchen torch to brown the top. Then everyone gets to crack through the sugar shell, which is a super satisfying and fun thing to do.
Key Ingredients in Crème Brûlée
Cream: You’ll need a quart of heavy cream. Even though half of it gets heated up, start with chilled cream because the rest of it helps to cool the custard down quickly.
Egg yolks: Nine large egg yolks give richness and help the custard set up. Here are some easy recipes to use up the egg whites.
Granulated sugar: Use white sugar to both sweeten the crème brûlées and to make the crunchy sugar top.
Vanilla: This recipe is very vanilla-forward, so use the best quality you can. Use a vanilla bean pod or vanilla bean paste for the truest vanilla flavor.
How to Make Crème Brûlée
Flavor the cream. Bring sugar, a scraped vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste, and half of the cream to a simmer. Cover and let the flavors steep together for 10 minutes.
Make the custard. Add the remaining cream to the vanilla base to cool it down, then whisk it into the egg yolks. Strain into a measuring cup or something with a spout.
Bake the custards in a hot water bath. Divide the custard among 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or crème brûlée dishes that are set in a towel-lined baking dish. Add enough hot water to go halfway up the sides of the ramekins (this is also known as a bain marie), then bake until the custards are just set in the middle. When you gently shake a ramekin, the custard should still wobble but not be liquidy in the center.
Chill the custards. Let the custards cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
Brûlée the tops and chill again. Blot excess moisture off the custards, then top with an even layer of sugar. Broil or use a kitchen torch to melt and brown the sugar on top. Place the crème brûlées back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the custards can chill again and provide a nice cool contrast to the crunchy sugar top.
Helpful Swaps
It won’t be as intense in flavor, but you can substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean. Add it in with the egg yolks in Step 4.
You can substitute turbinado sugar for the granulated sugar that’s sprinkled on top, but note that turbinado has a richer flavor and the sugar top will be a bit thicker and less shatteringly crisp.
For a smaller serving size, the crème brûlées can be made in 4-ounce ramekins or crème brûlée dishes; you will need 10 to 11. Check on the custards 20 minutes into the bake time.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
The custards can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. It’s best to caramelize the sugar on only the crème brûlées that you plan to eat in a sitting.
After caramelizing the sugar on top of the crème brûlées, they can be refrigerated for up to 1 hour before serving. Don’t wait longer, or the sugar top will lose its crunch.
What to Serve with Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée Recipe
It’s the ultimate classic French dessert.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients
For the custard:
1 vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
4 cups (1 quart) cold heavy cream, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
9 large egg yolks
For serving:
Up to 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Berries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Make the custard:
If using vanilla bean, cut 1 in half lengthwise with a paring knife. Scrape the sticky seeds out with the non-sharp side of the knife. Place the seeds and vanilla pod in a small saucepan. (If using vanilla bean paste, place 1 tablespoon in the saucepan.)
Add 2 cups of the heavy cream, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 300ºF. Line the bottom of a roasting pan or large baking dish with a small kitchen towel (fold as needed so it lies completely flat). Set 8 (6-ounce) ramekins or crème brûlée dishes on the towel, making sure they are not touching each other. (You may need to bake in 2 rounds.) Bring about 8 cups water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan, then turn off the heat.
Stir the remaining 2 cups cold heavy cream into the cream-sugar mixture. Place 9 large egg yolks in a large bowl. While whisking the yolks constantly, slowly pour in the cream mixture and whisk until smooth.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher with a spout; discard the contents of the strainer. Divide the mixture among the ramekins.
Pull the oven rack out about halfway and place the roasting pan on it. Carefully and slowly pour enough of the hot water into the roasting pan (do not let any water splash into the ramekins) so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Make sure the towel is completely soaked. Slowly push the oven rack back in.
Bake until the center of each crème brûlée is just barely set, it should jiggle but not be liquidy, 45 to 50 minutes for ramekins, or 30 to 40 minutes for crème brûlée dishes. (If baking in rounds, make sure to refill the roasting pan with hot water as needed.)
Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Transfer the ramekins on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
Caramelize the top:
(If using a broiler, heat before doing this step.) At least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving, gently blot the top of each crème brûlée with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, or each crème brûlée dish with 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar. Gently tap the ramekins to cover the surface evenly with the sugar, then tap out the excess sugar.
Option 1: Torch. Using a culinary torch, torch the sugar until it is melted and light golden-brown.
Option 2: Broiler. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Broil on an oven rack positioned closest to the broiler element until the sugar is melted and light golden-brown, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Check on them often: Move them around as needed so they brown evenly, and remove any that brown more quickly than the others.
Refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour before serving so that the custard chills down again (do not chill longer or the sugar crust will soften). Serve with berries if desired.
Recipe Notes
Vanilla extract: 1 tablespoon vanilla extract can be substituted for the vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste. Do not heat with the cream and sugar, but whisk into the egg yolks in Step 4 instead.
Make ahead: The custards can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
Storage: Leftover crème brûlée can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days, but the sugar crust will soften.
Further Reading
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