Classic Crème Brûlée
Published: November 17, 2024 / Updated: April 20, 2026
Crème brûlée is one of my all time favorite desserts. It's incredibly easy to make and absolutely delicious. If you're looking for a quick dessert this weekend, give this recipe a try! It's perfect for gatherings and any occasion.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
💛 Classic, elegant dessert - It feels fancy and impressive, but it’s actually simple to make at home.
💛 Smooth and creamy texture - The custard is rich, silky and melts in your mouth.
💛 Simple ingredients - Made with just a few basic ingredients you probably already have.
💛 Make ahead friendly - You can prepare it in advance and caramelize the sugar right before serving.
💛 Perfect for special occasions - Great for dinner parties, holidays or whenever you want something a bit more elevated.
💛 Balanced sweetness - Not overly sweet.
💛 Impressive but easy - It looks like a restaurant dessert, but the process is very straightforward.
Tips and Tricks
→ Prepare the Crème Brûlée a day prior - Crème Brûlée is one of those desserts that tastes better after chilling in the fridge overnight. Just a tip: always caramelize the sugar topping right before serving. If you brûlée the top in advance, the caramelized layer will soften in the fridge and lose its signature crack.
→ Serve it cold! - This delicious dessert is best served cold.
→ Use a water bath when baking - Using a water bath for Crème Brûlée is important because it ensures even and gentle cooking. The water helps regulate the temperature, preventing the custard from overheating and curdling, which could lead to a grainy texture.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
Egg yolks: Egg yolks are the base for the custard, providing richness and smoothness.
Heavy cream: It’s the main liquid component and creates a smooth texture. The fat content in heavy cream (usually around 32%) helps prevent the custard from becoming too thin or curdled.
Vanilla: Vanilla is the primary flavoring. You can use whole vanilla pod, vanilla bean paste or ground vanilla bean powder.
Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is used twice: first to sweeten the custard base and then for the topping.
Step by step instructions with photos
1. First, you’re going to preheat your oven to 160°C.
2. In a medium saucepan, pour the heavy cream. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and the pod to the cream, setting the seeds aside. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3. While the cream is heating, in a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, the vanilla bean seeds and granulated sugar together until pale in color and fluffy.
4. Once the cream is hot, slowly pour a small amount into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
5. To ensure a smooth custard, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl.
6. Place the ramekins into a large oven safe dish, then pour the custard into them.
7. Fill the baking dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake in the preheated oven between 25-35 minutes.
8. Once ready, remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool at room temperature for about an hour. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
9. Before serving, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on top of each chilled custard. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden, crispy layer.
Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- 600g heavy cream (32% fat content)
- 65g granulated sugar
- For vanilla you can use one of these options (whichever you have on hand): 1 vanilla bean pod scraped out/ 1 tsp ground vanilla beans/ 1 tsp vanilla bean paste/ 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, you’re going to preheat your oven to 160C.
- In a medium saucepan, pour the heavy cream. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add both the seeds and the pod to the cream. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You can also use ground vanilla, like I did; or vanilla extract, though this will give a lighter vanilla flavor.
- While the cream is heating, in a bowl whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar together until pale in color and fluffy.
- Slowly pour a small amount of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly.
- To ensure a smooth custard, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl.
- Place 6 ramekins into a large oven safe dish, then pour the custard into them.
- Fill the baking dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake in the preheated oven between 25-35 minutes. (Because my oven is really strong, they were ready in 25 minutes, but I got a few feedbacks saying that is not enough time, so I recommend keeping an eye on your Crème Brûlée and let them bake longer if needed. Also, my oven was preheating for 20 minutes!)
- Once ready, remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool at room temperature for about an hour. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
- Before serving, sprinkle an even layer of granulated sugar on top of each chilled custard. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden, crispy layer.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
430Fat
40 gSat. Fat
24 gCarbs
14 gFiber
0 gNet Carbs
14 gSugar
14 gProtein
5 gSodium
34 mgCholesterol
275 mg
