Crème Brûlée
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 1 hour 
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes 
Servings 4Ingredients
- 500 ml Double cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 5 egg yolk
- 100 gr caster sugar plus extra for caramelizing
Equipment
Instructions
1. Prepare the vanilla cream
- Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. In a saucepan, combine the double cream, vanilla seeds, and pod. Gently heat the mixture until it just starts to simmer, then remove from heat and let infuse for 15 minutes to absorb the vanilla flavour.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until the mixture becomes pale and smooth but not frothy.
3. Combine the cream and egg mixture
- Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a spatula to avoid cooking the eggs. Mix until fully combined.
4. Strain the custard (optional)
- For an extra smooth texture, strain the custard through a fine sieve into another bowl to remove any cooked bits of egg or vanilla pod residue.
5. Pour and bake
- Divide the custard evenly into the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a baking dish and add hot water to the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a water bath. Bake in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for about 50–60 minutes, until the custard is just set but still slightly wobbly in the centre.
6. Cool and chill
- Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to fully set.
7. Caramelize the sugar topping
- Before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of caster sugar over the surface of each custard. Using a kitchen blow torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it bubbles and turns a golden brown crust. If you don’t have a torch, place ramekins under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes watching closely to avoid burning.
Notes
- For the smoothest custard, avoid whisking air into the eggs and cream mixture.
- Use a spatula gently to combine.
- Let the cream infuse properly with the vanilla to get that trademark aromatic flavour.
- The top sugar should be thin so it cracks perfectly when you tap it with the spoon.
About this recipe
Can you believe that something this heavenly only uses four ingredients? This crème brûlée recipe is simply irresistible. Yes, you can buy it everywhere in French supermarkets, but making your own is so much more satisfying, and you probably already have everything you need in the kitchen. So it’s also a great recipe to pull together when guests arrive unexpectedly and you want to impress without any stress.
Where crème brûlée comes from
The earliest known crème brûlée recipe appears in François Massialot‘s 1691 cookbook, Cuisinier royal et bourgeois. Massialot was the cook for Philippe d’Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV, and the story that gets told most is that after a very long dinner, the custard meant to be served to the young Philippe had gone cold. Massialot heated a fire shovel until it was red hot and passed it over the sugar on top to warm it quickly, and the caramelised crust that resulted was the happy accident that became one of the most famous desserts in French cooking. Massialot is also credited with inventing crème pâtissière and chocolate cream, so it was quite a productive career!
Worth knowing though: the original 1691 recipe used cinnamon and lemon zest, not vanilla, which was still an extremely rare and expensive ingredient at the time. The version with pure vanilla custard that we think of as the classic today is actually a more modern interpretation. Crème brûlée was actually quite uncommon in French cookbooks through most of the 19th and 20th centuries, and only became extremely popular in the 1980s, when it was described as a symbol of that decade’s self-indulgence and became the darling of the restaurant boom.
Cooking creme brulee dessert
The custard in a proper creme brulee dessert is egg yolks, cream, sugar, and vanilla. The yolks set the custard, the cream provides the richness. and the vanilla gives depth and fragrance. Get the ratio right and you get something silky, barely set, and trembling when you move the ramekins. Get it wrong and you get scrambled eggs in cream..! So be careful there.
Then, there’s the perfect temperature. Therefore, the water bath is non-negotiable when cooking creme brulee. The water surrounds the ramekins with gentle, moist heat that never goes above boiling, which protects the eggs from the direct heat that would curdle them. Without it the edges overcook before the centre has set, and you lose that silky texture that makes this so delicious and decadent.
The custard is done when it wobbles as one single unit when you gently shake the ramekin. If the centre ripples separately from the edges it needs more time. If it doesn’t move at all, it’s overcooked. A unified wobble is what you’re looking for.
The caramel
For the crackling top, you need a thin, even layer of caster sugar, torched until uniformly amber. The most common mistake is too much sugar, which gives you a thick layer that’s too sweet and takes too long to caramelise. It also burns at the edges before the centre has set. A light, even dusting is enough, really, don’t get tempted. Tapping the ramekins to distribute it helps making a perfect even layer, before you torch it with a kitchen torch.
Variations worth trying
The classic vanilla version is the one I recommend you to make first. Once you have the technique down though, the variations are endless. You can steep some coffee in the cream before heating. Or infuse it with lavender or orange zest. A small amount of good dark chocolate melted into the hot cream works well too. These are all different desserts and outcomes, but they follow the same method, and they are all delish.
How to eat crème brûlée dessert
The best way to enjoy this dessert is cold from the fridge, with a warm caramel crust torched right before serving. That contrast makes this cream brulée, so don’t torch the sugar too far in advance or you’ll lose the magic.
It doesn’t need anything alongside it. The crème brûlée is complete as it is and doesn’t need any help. A small glass of Sauternes or a late harvest white wine if you want something to drink with it, but honestly I enjoy mine with a simple black coffee and the vanilla-coffee combination is gold!
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
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