Creamy creme brulee
Table of Contents
Creamy and Delicious Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée is a classic and timeless French dessert that has captured the hearts and taste buds of food lovers around the world. Made with cream, sugar, and eggs, it charms with its silky, smooth texture and its thin, crispy caramel layer on top, the detail that makes all the difference.
This egg-based custard is gently baked in a bain-marie until perfectly set, becoming irresistibly tender and creamy. Once fully chilled, it’s sprinkled with brown sugar and caramelized using a kitchen torch or under the oven broiler to create that golden, crispy crust everyone loves.
Like Caribbean coconut flan or Spanish crema catalana, crème brûlée is one of those desserts that are simple, affordable, and quick to make, yet absolutely divine. It’s the perfect dessert to end a meal with friends.
VANILLA CRÈME BRÛLÉE
Details on ingredients
To make a good crème brûlée, you only need ingredients that are likely already in your fridge.
Fresh eggs: you’ll only need the yolks. Egg whites can be used later to make macarons, a cake, or floating islands. They also freeze very well.
Whole milk : You can use only cream, but I prefer a 50/50 mix of milk and cream.
heavy cream : It must be full-fat, as this is what gives the dessert its creamy texture.
Sugar: Adjust according to your taste.
Vanilla: I recommend using a vanilla bean for an intense vanilla flavor, but you can use vanilla extract or replace some sugar with vanilla sugar. The crème brûlée will be just as good.
Brown Sugar: I use fine brown sugar, which you can replace with granulated sugar. If you have coarse brown sugar, sift it through a fine strainer. When the sugar is fine, it caramelizes faster under the heat of the blowtorch.
Crème Brûlée Success Tips
This recipe is very easy to make, but there are a few key points to keep in mind.
Do not whisk the egg yolks and sugar vigorously, as this will create foam. If you do, your crème brûlée will develop a foamy layer on top once baked. It’s not a disaster, but if you want a perfectly smooth surface, this step is important.
Once you’ve mixed the milk and cream with the eggs and sugar, let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes to allow the foam to rise to the top. Gently remove it with a spoon.
After the crème brûlée has been baked and cooled, sprinkle sugar evenly over the top and caramelize it with a blowtorch. Once the caramel layer has hardened, sprinkle another thin layer of sugar and torch again. Enjoy immediately while the caramel is perfectly crisp.
Recipe on video
Preparation steps
Find the detailed recipe card with ingredients below, which you can print.
Place the milk, cream, vanilla seeds, and the vanilla pod in a saucepan.
Heat gently on the stove, then cover with plastic wrap to keep the vanilla aroma in the milk and cream.
Remove from the heat just before boiling and let infuse for about 20 minutes.
Mix the egg yolks with the sugar without whisking to avoid creating foam.
Strain the milk and cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove the vanilla pod. Press the pod to extract all the remaining seeds.
Pour the mixture over the egg yolks and sugar, and stir gently without whisking. It’s very important to avoid making it foamy.
Strain the mixture again to remove any foam that may have formed.
Use a spoon to remove any bubbles that have risen to the surface.
Pour hot water into a baking dish so that the water reaches just below halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Place the ramekins in the water bath and fill them with the custard mixture.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 125°C (257°F), or for 50 minutes at 145°C (293°F) if you’re in a hurry.
The custards should be set, slightly wobbly in the center if you gently shake the ramekin.
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool slightly before refrigerating.
Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on each custard and caramelize with a blowtorch.
Sprinkle a second layer of brown sugar and caramelize again. Adding two layers of brown sugar ensures a uniform, crispy caramel topping.
Burning the cream with a blowtorch
You’ll love this creme brulee, so delicious and easy to make.
Easy Vanilla Crème Brûlée Recipe
EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
- 5 egg yolks
- 250 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 85 g sugar
- 1 or 2 vanilla pods
For caramelizing:
- Brown sugar or granulated sugar
- A blowtorch is preferred but if you don't have one, place the custards in the freezer for 15 minutes, then put them under the oven broiler set to 200°C ( 392°F)(just the top).
PREPARATION
- Place the milk, cream, vanilla seeds, and the vanilla pod in a saucepan.
- Heat gently on the stove, then cover with plastic wrap to keep the vanilla aroma in the milk and cream.
- Remove from the heat just before boiling and let infuse for about 20 minutes.
- Mix the egg yolks with the sugar without whisking to avoid creating foam.
- Strain the milk and cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove the vanilla pod. Press the pod to extract all the remaining seeds.
- Pour the mixture over the egg yolks and sugar, and stir gently without whisking. It’s very important to avoid making it foamy.
- Strain the mixture again to remove any foam that may have formed.
- Use a spoon to remove any bubbles that have risen to the surface.
- Pour hot water into a baking dish so that the water reaches just below halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Place the ramekins in the water bath and fill them with the custard mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 125°C (257°F), or for 50 minutes at 145°C (293°F) if you’re in a hurry.
- The custards should be set, slightly wobbly in the center if you gently shake the ramekin.
- Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool slightly before refrigerating.
- Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on each custard and caramelize with a blowtorch.
- Sprinkle a second layer of brown sugar and caramelize again. Adding two layers of brown sugar ensures a uniform, crunchy caramel topping.
- You'll love this creme brulee, so delicious and easy to make.
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