I Tried the Viral “Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée”
People often think of crème brûlée as a somewhat fussy “institutional” dessert because it’s commonly found on many restaurant menus. But social media creators have been reimagining this classic in creative ways to break away from this perception. The ideas are endless, from donuts filled with creamy custard and a crackly caramel topping to French toast showcasing the sugar-burning technique. A few weeks ago, I came across a post from @eatsbyrachel in which she was digging into a crème brûlée sweet potato with a crunchy, creamy texture (I watched the clip dozens of times because it looked so irresistible). Without much hesitation, I jumped at the opportunity to make it. Here’s how it turned out.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
How to Make Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
First, preheat the oven to 450°F. Then, wash the sweet potatoes and poke them with a fork. Next, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the sweet potatoes on top. Roast them for about 45 minutes or until tender. (If you’re short on time, microwave the sweet potatoes instead; that’ll take less than five minutes!)
Meanwhile, whisk up the pastry cream filling. In the Instagram clip, the creator does not give any specific directions on making one, so I followed our pastry cream recipe.
Once the sweet potato is finished cooking, cut it in half and gently mash the inside. Then, lather a layer of pastry cream on top of the sweet potato, followed by a generous sprinkle of granulated sugar.
Next, if you have a cooking torch on hand, caramelize the top until it turns a dark molasses brown, or pop your sweet potato into the oven for about two to four minutes and use your broil setting to achieve that crackly crust.
Before digging into your sweet potato crème brûlée, allow it to cool for about two minutes so the sugar topping can harden.
My Honest Review of the Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée Recipe
I’ve always been intimidated by making crème brûlée because it seems technical. Luckily, this recipe is surprisingly simple. The most challenging part for me was watching the sweet potato, filled with pastry cream and topped with sugar, as it caramelized under the broiler. This step can be tricky because the sugar quickly transforms into a dark caramel.
Once I overcame that teeny hurdle, digging into this sweet potato crème brûlée was so satisfying. And, to my delight, the broiler worked well! I used a spoon to hammer the caramelized sugar shell, which opened a pathway to a creamy custard filled with delicious hints of vanilla and, of course, the tender sweet potato, which was mildly sweet and nutty.
The sweet potato operates like a buttery and tender crust for the custard, and the crunchy caramelized sugar adds a crispy touch to each bite. After finishing my first sweet potato, I unabashedly topped my second one (yes, I ate two in one sitting) with a scoop of creamy vanilla gelato, which took this dessert to an even more unbelievably satisfying level. This sweet treat is a 10 out of 10, and I can’t wait to make it again and experiment with new flavors or bases (more on that in the tip section!).
5 Tips for Making Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
Swap the sweet potato for another root vegetable. You can apply the crème brûlée technique to a roasted delicata squash or pumpkin.
Kick up the flavor of the pastry cream. While this recipe recommends adding vanilla extract or vanilla beans to the pastry cream, you can enhance the taste of this custard even more by sprinkling in citrus zest, Earl Grey tea, or a splash of Grand Marnier. (Or try out our rose-cardamom version.)
Use a different type of sugar. Instead of granulated sugar, try turbinado or demerara to achieve a crackly crust with a rich caramel flavor.
Lean on your broiler. Unless you’re an experienced pastry chef (or an aspiring one), you probably don’t have a cooking torch in your kitchen. Instead, use your oven’s broil setting on the highest temperature and place your sweet potato close to the heat source to caramelize the topping.
Let the sweet potato crème brûlée cool. If you try digging into this dish as soon as it comes out of the oven, you will not only scorch your tongue, but you won’t get to experience the satisfying shatter of the caramelized topping. Let this dessert rest for at least two minutes to allow the sugar to harden before you enjoy it.
Get the recipe: Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée
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