Make the best crème brulée recipe with just 5 simple ingredients and a few easy steps!
Cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar are baked into a creamy custard and then topped with a caramelized sugar topping.
A Decadent and Delicious Dessert!
- Crème brulée means ‘burnt cream’ in French, but only the sugar topping is burnt. This inside is rich and smooth from heavy cream and egg yolks, with a subtle vanilla flavor.
- A crispy, golden-brown sugar crust adds a deliciously toasty sweetness that contrasts with the creamy custard.
- So simple and easy to make with a luxurious result, this recipe is the perfect way to impress guests or just treat yourself.
What’s in Creme Brulee?
Cream: For the best flavor, go for full-fat heavy whipping cream.
Eggs: Egg yolks are what make the custard thick and creamy. Use large, room-temperature yolks and freeze the whites for meringue cookies
Sugar: Use basic white sugar, or for faster blending, use caster sugar (AKA superfine).
Vanilla: Vanilla is the key flavor maker in crème brulée. Use pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or scrape vanilla beans from a fresh vanilla pod if you have them.
Variations: Crème brulée is as easy to customize as it is to make. Add one cup of pumpkin puree (not pie filling) with some pumpkin pie spice for an elegant seasonal treat. Make a chocolate brulée by adding a tablespoon of cocoa to the recipe in Step 3 or an espresso brulée by adding a shot of cold espresso in Step 3.
Making Creme Brulée
- Prepare the custard on the stovetop and strain into ramekins. (Full recipe below.)
- Bake crème brulée in a hot water bath until just set.
- Cool in the refrigerator.
- Sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a kitchen torch or broiler.
- Allow the sugar to harden before serving.
Tips for the Best Crème Brulee Recipe
- Perfect crème brulée starts with proper prep. Have hot water ready on the stove for pouring into a baking dish in Step 8. This allows for even cooking and flat tops.
- Slowly combine the cream and egg mixture to keep the eggs from cooking. This is a crucial step and worth taking the time for.
- No kitchen torch? No problem! Simply place the sugared brulées on a baking sheet and broil them until the tops are caramelized. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn.
- Be careful not to overbake crème brulée. The centers should be slightly jiggly. Overbaking them will make them firmer like a flan and less like a custard.
- Make crème brulées up to 3 days ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Caramelize the sugar topping just before serving.
Storing Creme Brulee
Leftover crème brulee can be kept covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Sprinkle on fresh sugar and caramelize.
Baked and cooled crème brulées can be frozen without the sugar topping by wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap and then placing them in a freezer-safe container for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator, top with sugar, and caramelize per the recipe.
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Best Creme Brulee Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Into a medium saucepan on medium heat, add heavy cream and heat until it just begins to simmer. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and salt until the mixture becomes pale and thick, 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the custard mixture into a large measuring cup or bowl (to remove any cooked egg bits).
- Into 4 ramekins, divide the custard mixture evenly.
- Place the ramekins in a baking dish.
- Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the custards are just set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Remove the ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until well chilled.
- Just before serving, using the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over the top of each custard (you may not use all of the sugar).
- Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a crispy, golden-brown crust. Alternatively, you can place the ramekins under a broiler set on high for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Cool for a few minutes so the caramelized sugar can harden a bit before serving.
Notes
- Leftover creme brulee will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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