Homemade Creme Brulee: Surprisingly Easy 5-Ingredient Recipe for a Classic Dessert
Imagine a dessert that’s both incredibly elegant and surprisingly simple to master. This classic creme brulee recipe, with only 5 essential ingredients, transforms everyday moments into a gourmet experience. Beneath a perfectly caramelized, crackling sugar topping lies a silky smooth, rich vanilla custard, just waiting to be shattered with the tap of a spoon. Forget the intimidation often associated with this French classic; we’re here to show you how effortlessly you can recreate this culinary masterpiece right in your own kitchen.
Why This Easy Creme Brulee Recipe Works
The allure of creme brulee lies in that delightful contrast: the satisfying crunch of caramelized sugar giving way to a luxuriously smooth, rich custard base. It’s often perceived as a dessert reserved for fine dining establishments or sophisticated dinner parties. However, this recipe breaks down the elegance into an approachable experience for any home cook. You don’t need a culinary degree to create a restaurant-quality creme brulee that will impress your guests (or simply treat yourself!).
Our method utilizes a minimal list of readily available ingredients – heavy cream, fragrant vanilla, a pinch of salt, egg yolks, and granulated sugar – to achieve maximum flavor and an irresistible texture. The key to its success is not complexity, but precision and understanding the simple science behind a perfect custard. By following our straightforward steps, you’ll produce a dessert that’s equally as impressive as it is easy to prepare. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe is designed for foolproof results, making it an instant classic in your dessert repertoire. We even find ourselves switching between this timeless classic and our espresso creme brulee when an occasion truly calls for an indulgent treat.
Simple Ingredients for Classic Creme Brulee
You’ll be amazed at how a few basic ingredients can create such a spectacular dessert. The beauty of creme brulee lies in the quality and proper preparation of each component. For precise measurements and step-by-step instructions, please refer to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Breakdown & Expert Tips
Understanding each ingredient’s role is key to mastering this delicious dessert:
- Heavy Whipping Cream: This is the heart of your rich custard. Heavy cream, with its high fat content (typically 36% or more), provides the luxurious texture and mouthfeel that creme brulee is known for. Using it at room temperature is crucial. Cold cream can lower the temperature of your mixture too quickly, potentially causing the egg yolks to seize or scramble when tempering.
- Egg Yolks: The egg yolks are responsible for both the custard’s rich flavor and its velvety consistency. They act as the primary thickener, creating that perfect, smooth set. Much like the cream, ensure your egg yolks are at room temperature. This minimizes the risk of them scrambling when the warm cream mixture is added, ensuring a cohesive and lump-free custard.
- Vanilla Bean: For an unparalleled depth of flavor, a real vanilla bean is highly recommended. The tiny black seeds and the scraped pod infuse the cream with a rich, aromatic vanilla essence that elevates the dessert. If a vanilla bean isn’t accessible, you can substitute with a good quality vanilla extract (use about 1 teaspoon for this recipe). Vanilla bean paste is another excellent alternative, offering visible specks of vanilla for a gourmet touch.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar serves a dual purpose in this recipe. Firstly, it sweetens the custard to perfection. Secondly, it’s sprinkled on top of the chilled custard and caramelized to create the signature crispy, glass-like crust. Fine granulated sugar works best for an even melt and caramelization.
- Kosher Salt: A small amount of salt is essential to balance the sweetness and enhance the overall flavor profile of the custard, preventing it from tasting one-dimensional.
How to Make Classic Creme Brulee at Home
These step-by-step photos and detailed instructions are here to guide you through the process, helping you visualize how to make this exquisite dessert. For a convenient printable version of this recipe, complete with precise measurements and instructions, you can Jump to Recipe at the bottom of this page.
- Prepare Your Oven and Ramekins: Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F (160°C). This ensures a consistent baking temperature from the start. Arrange 6 (5-ounce sized) ramekins in a 13×9 inch baking dish. This baking dish will serve as your water bath, crucial for even cooking.
- Infuse the Cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the room temperature heavy cream, kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar.
- Add Vanilla Flavor: Carefully cut the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center. Using the back of a knife or a spoon, scrape out the fragrant seeds. Add both the vanilla bean pod and the scraped seeds to the saucepan with the cream mixture. This ensures maximum flavor infusion.
- Simmer and Infuse: Bring the cream mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Do not let it boil vigorously, as this can scorch the cream. Once simmering, immediately turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and allow the vanilla to infuse for 15 minutes. This steeping process deeply flavors the cream.
- Prepare the Egg Yolks: While the cream is infusing, place the room temperature egg yolks in a medium bowl. Just before the infusion time is up, whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into the egg yolks until they are pale yellow and slightly thickened. This process is called “ribboning” and helps dissolve the sugar.
- Strain the Cream Mixture: After infusion, remove the vanilla bean pod from the cream mixture and discard it. Then, strain the warm cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. This removes any potential specks or impurities, ensuring a perfectly smooth custard.
- Temper the Eggs: This is a critical step! Slowly and gradually drizzle the warm, strained cream mixture into the whisked egg yolks while continuously whisking the yolks. This process, known as tempering, slowly raises the temperature of the egg yolks, preventing them from scrambling and ensuring a smooth transition into the custard base. Do not add the cream too quickly.
- Fill Ramekins: Skim off any froth that has formed on the surface of the custard mixture. This step ensures a beautifully smooth top to your finished creme brulee. Carefully distribute the custard evenly among the prepared ramekins. The filling should reach just up to the first rim of each ramekin.
- Create a Water Bath (Bain-Marie): Boil a kettle of water (or heat water in a saucepan until boiling). Slowly and carefully pour the boiling water into the 13×9 inch baking pan, making sure the water comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Be extremely careful not to get any water into the custard itself. The water bath provides gentle, even heat, preventing the custards from curdling or cracking, resulting in a super smooth texture.
- Bake to Perfection: Carefully transfer the baking dish with the ramekins and water bath to your preheated oven. Bake for 38-40 minutes. The custards are done when they have an even, gentle jiggle across the top, resembling a firm gel, but are not sloshing around. The edges should be set, but the center will still be slightly soft.
- Cool and Chill: Remove the baking dish from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the ramekins cool in the water bath for 15 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan. Transfer the ramekins to the wire rack to cool for another 15 minutes. Once cooled, wrap each ramekin tightly in plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or ideally for 3 hours, and up to 3 days. Chilling allows the custard to fully set and develop its rich flavor.
- Caramelize and Serve: When you’re ready to serve, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take the chill off slightly. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar evenly across the top of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until it forms a beautiful, amber-colored, hard crust. Alternatively, you can use the broiler in your oven, watching carefully to prevent burning. Serve immediately and enjoy the satisfying crack!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips for Creme Brulee
No kitchen torch? No problem! You can still achieve that signature crispy topping using your oven’s broiler. Place the chilled creme brulee ramekins on a baking sheet. Position the baking sheet on the top rack of your oven, ensuring there’s enough distance from the broiler element to prevent burning. Broil for approximately 3-5 minutes, keeping a very close eye on them. The sugar will quickly bubble and caramelize into a beautiful golden-brown glaze. Remove immediately once desired color is achieved to prevent burning.
Store any cooled creme brulee covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s crucial to note that the crispy caramelized topping is best enjoyed fresh, as it will soften and lose its crunch after a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Therefore, it’s always recommended to caramelize the sugar just before serving.
Absolutely! Creme brulee is an excellent make-ahead dessert, perfect for entertaining. You can prepare and bake the custards up to 3 days in advance. Once baked and cooled, cover them individually with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, simply follow the final step: remove from the fridge, let sit for 30 minutes, sprinkle with sugar, and caramelize the topping.
A bain-marie, or water bath, is a crucial technique for baking delicate custards like creme brulee. It involves placing the ramekins in a larger baking dish filled with hot water. The water bath provides gentle, even heat to the custards, preventing them from baking too quickly, curdling, or cracking on the surface. It also creates a moist environment in the oven, which helps produce a silky, smooth texture.
Using room temperature heavy cream and egg yolks helps prevent the eggs from scrambling when they are tempered with the warm cream. Cold ingredients can cause a rapid temperature change, leading to a lumpy or curdled custard. Allowing your ingredients to come to room temperature ensures a smooth, homogeneous mixture, which is the foundation of a perfect creme brulee.
Serving Suggestions for Your Perfect Creme Brulee
The beauty of creme brulee often lies in its simplicity, but a few garnishes can elevate it even further. Serve your perfectly chilled creme brulee with its warm, freshly torched topping. Encourage guests to use the side of a spoon to break through the delicate caramelized sugar crust – it’s part of the experience!
For a burst of color and freshness, consider garnishing your creme brulee with an assortment of fresh berries such as plump blueberries, juicy blackberries, tart raspberries, or sweet sliced strawberries. A sprig of fresh mint can add an aromatic touch and visual appeal. Other delightful garnish ideas include a light dusting of cocoa powder, a sprinkle of finely chopped nuts (like pistachios or almonds), or elegant shaved chocolate curls. These additions complement the rich custard beautifully without overpowering its classic vanilla flavor.
More Indulgent Dessert Recipes to Try
If you loved this creme brulee recipe, you might enjoy exploring some of our other favorite decadent desserts:
- Brownie Trifle
- Individual Tiramisu
- Strawberry Shortcakes
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
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Classic Creme Brulee
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream at room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 6 egg yolks at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 6 teaspoons granulated sugar divided, for the topping
Things You’ll Need
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6 five ounce ramekins
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13×9 baking dish
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Saucepan with a lid
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Whisk
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Sieve
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Kitchen torch
Before You Begin
- Creme brulee uses only the egg yolk, which helps keep it rich and creamy. Be sure your eggs are at room temperature before beginning, otherwise, they can potentially scramble when introduced to heat.
- We love the flavor vanilla bean adds to this dessert, but you can substitute it with a teaspoon of vanilla extract if needed.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch handy, you can place the creme brulee on a baking sheet and broil it in the oven for around 5 minutes or until the top has formed a caramelized glaze – keep an eye on it!
- Store cooled leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to reserve the crunchy topping until just before serving as it will only stay crunchy for a couple of hours.
- You can make creme brulee up to 3 days in advance if you store it (without the crunchy topping) covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, simply follow step 14 – add the sugar and torch the top.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 F.
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Place 6 (5-ounce sized) ramekins in a 13 x 9 baking dish.
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Place heavy cream, kosher salt, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan.2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
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Cut vanilla bean down the center and scrape out the seeds. Add vanilla bean pod and the seeds to the saucepan.1 vanilla bean
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Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Bring only to a simmer, then turn off heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 15 minutes.
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Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. RIGHT BEFORE the infusion process is done, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into the egg yolks.6 egg yolks
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Strain cream mixture through a sieve and discard vanilla bean pods.
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Temper the eggs by slowly drizzling the warm cream into the eggs while continuously whisking.
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Scoop off any froth on top. Distribute custard evenly among the ramekins, the filling should come up to the first rim.
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Boil a kettle of water (or boil water in a saucepan). Slowly and carefully add the boiling water to the 13×9 pan, being careful not to get any water into the ramekins.
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Place in oven and bake 38-40 minutes.
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The creme brulee should have an even jiggle across the top, but should not be sloshing around.
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Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan. Remove ramekins from pan and cool them on wire rack another 15 minutes. Wrap ramekins in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.
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To serve, remove from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar across the top of the custard and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Alternatively, you can use the broiler to caramelize the sugar.6 teaspoons granulated sugar
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.