Creme Brulee is a fancy dessert that tastes lovely and doesn’t require much effort. Your guest will be so impressed when you serve this classic dessert.
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.
Easy Creme Brulee
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.
I make this recipe for birthdays and our anniversary because it’s easy but feels so fancy.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream: this helps to make a nice and thick custard
- Granulated sugar: the sweetness for the custard and you’ll use some to toast on the top
- 1 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 meringue cookies.
How to Make Creme Brulee
- Your are going to LOVE how easy this recipe is.
- Just mix up your cream and sugar and let it warm on the stove. Throw in that vanilla bean and let it steep so all that vanilla flavor infuses into the liquid.
- Beat up your egg yolks and add some of the warm cream and then stir it all back intogether.
- Place this custard base in your 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.
- Let cool and then stick in the fridge.
- When you want to serve, add sugar on top, use a torch to cook the sugar, and serve. SO much fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Creme brulee is a dessert that can be made ahead of time. However, it is best if eaten within 3 days. Just save doing the sugar topping until no more 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.
Why is it called creme brulee?
Creme brûlée is a French word that means “burnt cream”. Sign. Me. Up.
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, it’s very exciting for everyone.
More custard desserts
If you’ve tried this creme brule recipe or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.
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
- Not surprisingly, 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.
Nutrition
I hope you try your hand at making Easy Creme Brulee with its delicious custard and cartelized sugar top. It is surprisingly simple and is sure to impress your friends.
Cakelaw
OMG – this creme brulee looks and sounds amazing! Cooking classes are fun – hope yours was the best looking tart.
JG
I've never made creme brulee. Yours looks really good!
The Citrus Cream Cheese Rolls (pictured on right sidebar) also are so tempting, I saved the recipe. Thanks!
Memória
¡¡Bárbara!! Felicidades. Tu crème brûlée se ve perfecto. You're so lucky to have had the opportunity to go to Viking Cooking School!! ¡Qué envidia tengo! Me alegro de que te hayas divertido. Tus fotos y presentación son estupendas.
Lisa
Ba-rb, creme brulee is my downfall. If I see it or make it, I can usually eat every ramekin. I tried a passion fruit creme brulle a few months ago that was out of this world. Now I would love to try you and your pal's beautiful honey version. Looks and sounds decadent. Also, great hearing about your cooking school class. What fun!
pigpigscorner
I just want to dig in!
Jamie
I am so jealous that you and Tiffany can just pop over to each other's house and bake together! And gorgeous crème brulée!! I have never made them and we love them just as much. I think I'll go out and buy that torch and finally make them. And cooking class? Fun! I may sign up for one on the basis of your photo!
SweetsSuccessBaking
Wish I were closer to the Viking Cooking School. The creme brulee looks great. The torches scare me a bit though.
Barbara@VinoLuci.com
I love creme brulee and actually just had some for dessert last night. So simple and elegant. But I need one of those torches. I have a small hand held torch for cooking. Works but can take forever. I'm off to do my best Tim the Toolman Taylor impersonation at Home Depot!
Deeba PAB
Oh these look FAB GF, just lovely! Also L♥ve your expression in the picture with the torch.
If I had a torch, I would come visit you Barbara. {I need a torch…sigh! Need feet too!!}
Cristie
Tiff is such a sweetie! Her creme brulee is so delicious, what a great oppertunity to have a private lesson from her (and her lovely daughter! The Viking School must have been wonderful. I keep reading about it when I get emails and such and wonder what it would be like, can't wait to hear all about it 🙂
Jamie
I have always wanted to make creme brulee at home. It really does look simple to make. I need to buy one those torches…another gadget on my wish list. And the cooking school classes look like so much fun!
Cookin' Canuck
This creme brulee looks fabulous- gorgeous crust. It looks as though you had a ball at the Viking cooking school. It's always fun to cook with a group of food lovers.
Reeni
I always wanted to make creme brulee for my Mom, who loves it. These look scrumptious Barbara! And I bet the class was fun too.
Cyndy
Love creme brulee and this one sounds wonderful. That is one big torch! Sounds like you had a great time in class.
Maria
It was so fun seeing you at the Viking class! Glad you had fun. The creme brulee looks perfect!
tspegar
i just love you! thanks for the kind words and for the fun brulee making morning! it was a great time and my daughter loves you too 🙂 your brulee looks fantastic! enjoy the torch for a while 😉
Mags
I love creme brulee but rarely make it. Seems like it's something I save for ordering at a restaurant because it's so special! Yours looks delicious.
SLCFoodie
I must have missed you with the blow torch that night! That's a great photo!!
Faith
Your creme brulee is gorgeous! And I bet it was even more fun getting to make it with someone else!
megan
I love cream brulee and what fun to get together with Tiffany to make it. And the cooking class sounds like a good time as well.
I cant believe 60 something days till SF. I never lost that 20 ppounds that I was sure would just melt off by now. At least with that link you sent me, we'll know where to feed my foodie figure. 🙂 Thank you!
Crean Brulee bookmarked and post stumbled!