Crème Brûlée is a classic French dessert that looks gorgeous and sounds like it would be hard to make. However, I have a little secret. Crème Brûlée is actually one of the easiest desserts ever! Just follow my super simple Crème Brûlée recipe and you will be enjoying a fresh, homemade dessert in to time!
Why this is the best recipe
- Perfect creamy texture – This Creme brulee has the most perfect custard-like creamy texture without being grainy. The secret behind the texture is using high-fat content heavy cream, only using the yolk part of the egg, and baking in a water bath.
- Intense and natural vanilla bean and caramel taste – I never compromise on taste! The combination of vanilla bean custard and delicious caramelized sugar top will blow your mind!
- Quick & easy to make – Making Crème brûlée at home is almost too easy not to try. Even if you are a beginner in the kitchen, you can comfortably make this recipe.
- It is an honest, detailed tutorial – While this recipe might look long, all the information I have written here, every tip and trick will help you achieve the perfect results without any issues on the way. Remember, baking is science, and every little detail written here is to help YOU!
What is Crème brûlée
Crème brûlée also known as burnt cream and similar to crema catalana, is a super popular dessert across the globe that consists of a rich custard base cream topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is often available on the restaurant´s dessert menu and is typically served chilled in an individual ramekin. The custard base is traditionally flavored with vanilla but can have other flavorings as well, eg. coffee, cinnamon, elderflower, lemon, etc.
My classic Crème brûlée recipe is naturally gluten-free, so can be the best crowd-pleaser dessert.
Ingredient notes
Heavy cream: Also known as whipping cream or double cream, has a fat content between 36% and 40%, the one I am using is 36%. High-fat content cream makes this homemade Crème brûlée super silky and creamy.
Granulated sugar: I use simple, white granulated sugar, nothing fancy. If you want to learn about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my article in here.
Egg: You will need to use the egg yolk only for making custard.
Vanilla: I prefer the traditional vanilla custard when it comes to this Creme brulee recipe! Avoid using artificial vanilla especially when vanilla is THE Queen of the flavorings like in this custard. Try this homemade vanilla extract. Alternatively, use vanilla sugar.
Demerara sugar (optional): I find demerara sugar is ideal for caramelizing the top however can be substituted with light brown sugar or even granulated sugar.
How to make the custard
Making custard is actually very similar to making pastry cream. You will need to temper the egg yolk so the mixture will slightly thicken and then get fully baked in the oven.
- Heat 2 cups heavy cream, 1-2 teaspoons vanilla, and 2.5 tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer.
- In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whisk 6 egg yolks with 2.5 tablespoons of sugar.
- As the cream mixture starts simmering, immediately pour it slowly into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
- Pour the mixture into your ramekins.
How to bake
I recommend baking the crème brûlée at a relatively low temp (302°F no fan) to avoid burning it. Baking custard is not difficult but a slightly delicate matter and similarly to cheesecakes, a water bath is required.
How do I know that my Crème brûlée is baked?
Bake until the edges are set and the centers are slightly jiggly. The time depends on the size of your ramekins. In my oven using my ramekins, it is about 45 minutes, but I suggest to start checking them at 30 minutes. It might take one or two bakes to find the ideal baking time but this dessert is so yummy that I am sure you won´t mind testing it a bit!
How to caramelize the top
The crunchy caramel layer is what makes this homemade creme brûlée recipe different from a simple vanilla custard. For the caramelizing part, you need a strong flame that burns the sugar quickly without damaging the custard so I really think you will need a Blow torch, however, I know some people used the grill function in their oven and it sort of worked.
Chill the baked custard for 4-5 hours before caramelizing. As it cools, it will completely set. Remember, Crème brûlée will only achieve its creamy, silky texture once it is set in the fridge.
For the caramelizing part you will need either demerara sugar or light brown sugar, alternatively, use granulated sugar. The quantity again depends on the size of your ramekins, I would suggest applying sugar in a thin layer but make sure the entire custard is covered with sugar. Then comes the fun part! Grab your kitchen torch and gently caramelize the sugar all over the cream.
Pop the Crème brûlée back into the fridge and let the crunchy caramel layer set quickly. Serve shortly after.
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This article was originally published as Crème Brûlée at Spatula Desserts.
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