Seriously—this is the BEST Creme Brulee recipe I’ve found. It’s a fancy dessert that tastes lovely and doesn’t require much effort. Your family and guests will be so impressed when you serve this classic dessert!
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I know some of you are intimidated by the thought of making creme brulee but it isn’t as hard as you think. It consists of a rich vanilla custard base with a thin crisp caramelized sugar top and is usually served in individual ramekins.
Can you believe you only need four ingredients to make this. You will only need heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. That is it!
I am always surprised just how easy this impressive dessert is to make. The hardest part is just sprinkling the sugar evenly over the top so it would caramelize evenly. If you haven’t given it a try yet, you should.
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Why This is The Best Creme Brulee Recipe
- So Easy: Your are going to LOVE how easy this recipe is. It’s just a custard that seems fancy but isn’t difficult to make.
- Classic Hit: This has been a longtime guest dish because of it’s easy preparation and wow factor. Plus it’s seriously yummy!
- Simple But Fancy: It’s always nice to have a go-to dessert recipe that will impress everyone, from kids to seasoned cooks.
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe really does use just a few basic ingredients, making it an easy dessert to pull together at the drop of a hat.
🍋 My kids absolutely love it when I surprise them with any custard-y dessert, and they especially love lemon curd served on anything!
Recipe Ingredients
- Heavy cream: This helps to make a nice and thick custard
- Granulated sugar: This is the sweetness for the custard and you’ll also use some to toast on the top.
- Vanilla bean: This adds so much rich flavor! I love splurging on a vanilla bean, but you can read in the notes how to use vanilla extract instead.
- Egg yolks: This recipe uses loads of egg yolks! Save those whites to make something like macrons or angel food cake.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Creme Brulee
- Mix the cream and sugar and let it warm on the stove. Add the vanilla bean and let it steep so all that vanilla flavor infuses into the liquid.
- Beat the egg yolks, add some of the warm cream, and then stir it all back in together.
- Pour the custard base into the ramekins on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven and add water to the pan so that the ramekins are sitting in it. Bake at 300° for about 30 minutes.
- Let cool and then stick in the fridge. When serving, add sugar on top and use a torch to cook the sugar.
Recipe FAQs
To get that highly desired creme brulee top you can do a couple of things. You can put the creme brulee on a baking sheet and set the oven to broil for a couple of minutes. Or you can use a kitchen torch to get a nice even top.
Creme brulee is typically served cold but has a warm top from heating for the toasted topping.
Creme brulee is a dessert that can be made ahead of time. However, it is best if eaten within 3 days. Add the sugar topping no sooner than 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.
The eggs are completely cooked in creme brulee. They are baked in a water bath instead of being cooked on the stove.
Creme brûlée is a French word that means “burnt cream”. Sign. Me. Up.
Expert Tips
- can be made ahead of time. However, it is best if eaten within 3 days. Add the sugar topping no sooner than 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.
- a vanilla bean imparts the deepest amount of flavor to custard, but 2 teaspoons of extract, whisked into the yolks in step 3, can be used instead. I skip the steaming step if I’m not using a vanilla bean.
- For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado sugar (sometimes sold as Sugar in the Raw), which is available at most grocery stores and gourmet food shops. Regular granulated sugar will work in a pinch, but use only 1 teaspoon per custard.
Brulee Torch Information
You’ll need a brulee torch for this recipe and while it’s a specialty kitchen gadget, I make creme brulee often enough to justify it!
I have this creme brulee torch from Amazon.
You can find them in most kitchen supplies stores and even Target. Look for one that use butane as the fuel, is refillable, and has options to adjust the flame. My kids love helping with step, and it’s very exciting for everyone!
More Simple Custard Desserts
If you’re a fan of simple custard-style desserts, then we are kindred spirits! Here are some of the other custard recipes I bet you’ll like, too.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes to Try
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The Best Creme Brulee Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream chilled
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 vanilla bean halved lengthwise
- 10 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with a dish towel.
- Arrange eight 6-ounce ramekins in the pan, making sure they don't touch.
- Combine 2 cups of the cream, the granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the pan with the pod. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Off the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 2 cups cream.
- Place the yolks in a large bowl and slowly whisk in 1 cup of the cream mixture until smooth. Whisk in the remaining cream mixture until thoroughly combined. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher. Pour the custard evenly into the ramekins.
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil
- Place the pan in the oven and carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to reach two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the centers of the custards are just barely set and are no longer sloshy, 30 to 35 minutes (25 to 30 minutes for shallow fluted dishes) and up to an hour for deeper dishes, just make sure the middles don't slosh when you gently move the pan).
- Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours.
- Just before serving, uncover the ramekins and gently blot the tops dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1-2 teaspoons turbinado sugar, then shake the ramekin to spread the sugar in an even layer. Pour out any excess sugar and wipe away from the inside rim of the ramekin. Ignite a torch and caramelize the sugar. Refrigerate the ramekins, uncovered, to rechill the custards, 30 to 45 minutes (but no longer). Serve.
- e sure to burn the sugar topping on the creme brulee just before serving. If done too far in advance (more than a half hour or so), the caramelized sugar topping will soften and eventually turn to liquid caramel. For a real show, do it in front of your guests and don't worry about chilling a second time.
- After sprinkling the sugar over the surface of the custard, tilt and tap the ramekin to distribute the sugar in a thin, even layer
- To caramelize the sugar, sweep the flame from the perimeter of the custard toward the middle, keeping the flame about 2 inches above the ramekin. The sugar is properly caramelized when bubbling and deep golden brown.
Notes
- A vanilla bean imparts the deepest amount of flavor to custard, but 2 teaspoons of extract, whisked into the yolks in step 3, can be used instead. I skip the steaming step if I’m not using a vanilla bean.
- For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado sugar (sometimes sold as Sugar in the Raw), which is available at most grocery stores and gourmet food shops. Regular granulated sugar will work in a pinch, but use only 1 teaspoon per custard.
- If using shallow ramekins, which normally hold 4 to 5 ounces, you may find that you have enough custard base for an extra one or two custards.
- I make this recipe for birthdays and our anniversary because it’s easy but feels so fancy!
Lisa McB
I’ve wanted to do a Viking class too… You really enjoyed? There is zip in the way of cooking classes, supplies, ingredients, etc., near me.
Becky
How fun. I love cooking with friends. I am a sucker for creme brulee!
I'm so incredibly sad I was out of town for that viking school cooking night. Looks like it was so much fun.
Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite
Your crème brûlée is perfect and that cooking school experience sounds fun. I would have wanted the best looking tart also!
Sophie
Oooh what I love the French classics like this one!
Your Crème brûlée is looking grand & ooh so tasty too!
fab food, Barbara!
Bunnee
Barbara –
One of my son's friends had problems with creme brulee, so I shared your recipe with her. I know the next time it will turn out great!
naomi
This looks fabulous! Creme brulee is one of my favorite desserts to make and enjoy-can't wait to try your recipe
Juliana
Barbara, I love creme brulee…yours look so pretty. So much fun at cooking school 🙂
Julie
Your creme brulee is lovely 🙂 I've get to get a kitchen torch and give it a try myself someday 🙂
Foodessa
Barbara…my very first question at any fine restaurant…even before ordering my meal is: How fabulous is your crème brulée? I just can't help myself for seeking out the very best.
Oh, how I envy you for enjoying this fabulous cooking course. Looking mighty with that torch ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Heavenly Housewife
What a fun opportunity to get to go to the cooking school!
Creme brulee looks fab daaaaahling, its a favourite of my hubby's.
*kisses* HH
Chow and Chatter
wow love food finery and the cooking school looks like so much fun adore creme brulee how cool
Sanjeeta kk
Lovely recipe, great clicks. Good to be here. Best wishes.
Josh
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Chef Bee
I love this dish but haven't made it before. I'll try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Plan B
Laura @ Let's Get Homey, Homies!
Yum. I love creme brulee, definitely the dessert I order when I go out to eat. I have a little creme brulee kit that my mother in law gave me, but I've never used it. I'll have to dust it off.