Crème Brûlée
This luxurious Classic Crème Brûlée features a silky-smooth vanilla custard base topped with a crackable caramelized sugar crust. With just five ingredients and straightforward techniques, this iconic French dessert delivers an impressive restaurant-quality experience at home.
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 5 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar divided (1/4 cup for custard, 1/4 cup for topping)
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
- Pinch of salt
- Boiling water for water bath
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and arrange four 6-ounce ramekins in a deep baking dish or roasting pan. This provides the foundation for your water bath, essential for gentle cooking.
- Heat the cream and vanilla together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. If using a vanilla bean, add both the seeds and pod to the cream. Heat until small bubbles form around the edges (about 5 minutes)—don’t let it boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes if using vanilla bean.
- Whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl until the mixture lightens in color and becomes slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. The sugar should be mostly dissolved.
- Gradually temper the eggs by slowly pouring about 1/4 cup of the warm cream into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Continue adding the cream in a slow stream, whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or measuring cup with a pour spout. This removes any potential bits of cooked egg and ensures perfectly smooth custard.
- Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, filling them about 3/4 full. Place the baking dish on the oven rack, then carefully pour enough boiling water into the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the custards are set but still slightly jiggly in the center—they should wobble like gelatin when gently shaken. They will continue to set as they cool.
- Cool the custards completely at room temperature, then cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Just before serving, sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over each custard, rotating and tilting the ramekin to ensure complete coverage. Tap out any excess sugar.
- Caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch, moving it constantly over the surface until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber color. Let stand for 1-2 minutes until the sugar hardens into a crisp shell before serving.
Notes
- For the smoothest texture, strain the custard mixture twice—once after tempering and again before pouring into ramekins.
- The water bath is non-negotiable—it ensures gentle, even cooking and prevents curdling.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place the sugar-topped custards under a preheated broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- For the most dramatic “crack” experience, caramelize the sugar right before serving—the contrast between cold custard and warm, crisp topping is part of the magic.
- You can infuse the cream with other flavors like citrus zest, lavender, or coffee beans during the heating step.