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A creamy, silky vanilla custard topped with crisp sugar crust is one of the most popular desserts at restaurants for good reason. With its silky custard base and crackly caramelized sugar topping, it’s a showstopper that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
Homemade Creme Brulee
It’s almost Valentine’s Day so I am sharing how to make a restaurant-quality creme brulee at home. You are going to WOW your special someone with this dessert. It is a silky smooth, vanilla custard topped with a sugar crust. It is the richest, creamiest, luxurious dessert!
I hear many people tell me they are intimidated by making homemade creme brulee. It is actually much easier than you would think! Just set aside the time to let the custard chill and that may be the hardest part.
I will break down all of the steps to help you be successful in the kitchen. You are going to fall in love with this creme brulee!
What is Creme Brulee?
Crème brûlée is a French dessert that translates to “burnt cream.” It features a creamy custard base topped with a layer of caramelized sugar. When you tap the sugar with a spoon, it shatters into delicious shards, contrasting beautifully with the smooth custard beneath.
Creme Brulee Ingredients:
The beauty of creme brulee is the simplicity of the ingredients. You only need heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. The sugar crust on top is the best part!
- Heavy Cream: Provides the rich, creamy texture. Avoid substitutes like milk or half-and-half for the creamiest result.
- Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
- Sugar: Sweetens the custard and is sprinkled on the top and caramelized with a kitchen torch.
- Egg Yolks: Helps to thicken the custard. Too many yolks can make the custard dense, while too few can make it runny.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
How to make the best Creme Brulee:
- Bring to a boil heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt. This is an important step as it helps to dissolve the sugar, which is imperative for a silky smooth custard. Take off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
- After the cream has steeped, stir in the remaining heavy cream. This recipe calls for only egg yolks, instead of just eggs. This creates a rich creme brulee. Add small amounts of the heavy cream to the egg yolk mixture in order to temper it. If all of the cream is added at once, it may cook the egg yolks.
- Pour into 4 or 5-ounce ramekins and place in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Heat water to a boil. Carefully pour the hot water into the baking dish to reach two-thirds up sides of the ramekins.
- Bake until the centers of the custards are barely set. It is important to set aside enough time for the creme brulees to chill at room temperature and then in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle with sugar. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar.
Creme Brulee Tips:
Room Temperature Custard for Torching: Cold custard may crack under the heat of the torch.
Strain the Custard: Ensures a silky-smooth texture.
Avoid Overbaking: The custard should jiggle slightly in the center when removed from the oven. It will set further as it cools.
Caramelize Gently: Keep the torch moving to prevent burning the sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):
1. Why is my custard grainy?
Graininess occurs if the eggs are overcooked or scrambled. Always bake in a water bath and monitor the temperature closely.
2. How can I prevent overcooking?
Use an instant-read thermometer. The custard is done when it reaches 170 – 175 degrees.
3. Can I make crème brûlée without a torch?
Yes! It does make it much easier if you use a torch but you can use the oven broiler. If you use the broiler, keep a close eye to prevent burning.
4. How do I avoid burning the sugar?
- Keep the torch moving.
- Start with less sugar if you’re unsure.
- Let the sugar bubble and turn golden without charring.
Topping Suggestions:
What toppings should I put on creme brulee? While classic crème brûlée shines with just caramelized sugar, you can elevate it with:
- Fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries)
- A dollop of whipped cream
- Salted Caramel
- A drizzle of chocolate sauce
Storage Information:
- Refrigeration: Cover and refrigerate custards (without sugar topping) for up to 3 days.
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Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 4 cups Heavy Cream (divided)
- 1 Vanilla Bean (scraped or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste)
- 3/4 cup Sugar (plus more for top)
- 9 large Egg Yolks
- pinch Salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of heavy cream, vanilla bean, extract, or paste, and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve sugar. Take off heat, cover with lid, and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Place eight 4 or 5-inch ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan. Bring some water to a boil (this will be to put around the ramekins to slowly cook them).
- After the cream has steeped, stir in remaining 2 cups of heavy cream. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks together. Slowly add small amounts of cream to the egg yolks and keep whisking. Add remaining cream and stir. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Divide mixture evenly among ramekins. Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish making sure not to get any water into the ramekins. Pour enough water into large baking dish to reach two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 33-40 minutes or until temperature reaches 175 degrees. The centers will be barely set.
- Let cool for 2 hours at room temperature. After cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
- When almost ready to serve, sprinkled chilled creme brulees with about 2 teaspoons of sugar, evenly covering the tops. Using a kitchen torch, let the heat dissolve the sugars and create an outer sugar shell. Once complete, return to refrigerator to chill for 30-40 minutes.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. I changed the egg yolks from 10 to 9, gave an option of vanilla bean paste, added more sugar, and upped the baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you want to find ideas on how to make Valentine’s Day special for kids click HERE.
Actually so easy to make at home and so yummy!!!
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Rachel! Thank you so much for making it.
Thanks for all the tips and tricks! Made it so easy!
This is truly the best recipe, thanks for sharing it! Once you take them out of the oven do you leave them in the pan with the water bath for 2 hours or take them out?
Hello, I don’t have ramekins or a torch. Could I use a baking dish and broil the custard to brown it? Would you know what size?
thanks
Broiling it would absolutely work! You could easily use a deep dish tart or regular pie dish instead of the ramekins. With the pin on Pinterest there’s a photo and review from someone who used a ten inch tart dish and it came out beautifully 🙂 I was planning on making this for Christmas and I have an 11 inch tart dish that I was going to make it in because I don’t have ramekins either.