Crème brûlée, a dessert synonymous with French elegance, is surprisingly easy to create at home. This classic Creme Brulee Food is celebrated for its velvety smooth, rich custard base, perfectly contrasted by a brittle, glassy layer of caramelized sugar. Often perceived as an intricate restaurant dessert, this recipe proves that you can effortlessly whip up this sophisticated treat with just a handful of ingredients: heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Whether you’re planning an elegant dinner party or simply craving a touch of indulgence tonight, creme brulee food is an excellent make-ahead dessert that’s sure to impress.
And the best part? You don’t even need a blowtorch to achieve that iconic toffee topping!
Understanding the Magic of Creme Brulee Food
I vividly remember the first time I ventured into making creme brulee food. I was absolutely amazed by its simplicity. Like many, I had always associated this dessert, gracing the menus of upscale restaurants and boasting such an exquisite taste and presentation, with complex culinary skills.
But the truth is delightfully different! Crème brûlée is wonderfully straightforward. Forget about needing specialized kitchen tools (we’ll get to the toffee topping secrets later!). It boils down to just four simple steps:
- Infuse heavy cream with vanilla for a deep, aromatic base (a 10-minute simmer followed by an hour of steeping).
- Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth, then gently incorporate the vanilla-infused cream.
- Pour the custard mixture into ramekins, bake in a water bath until set, and then chill thoroughly.
- Just before serving, sprinkle sugar over the top and create that signature brittle crust using a blowtorch or by briefly placing it under a hot broiler.
“Wait, that’s all there is to it??” you might ask in disbelief. Yes, indeed! You almost don’t even need a recipe! 😂
(P.S. For those curious about pronunciation, Crème Brûlée is pronounced krem broo-lay. Bonus points if you can master a French accent – though I must admit, my Aussie attempt is far from perfect!)
Key Ingredients for Authentic Creme Brulee Food
Let’s break down the essential components that make up a truly exceptional creme brulee food:
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Heavy Cream – The foundation of a rich creme brulee. Heavy cream, also known as thickened cream or pure cream, is ideal. While you could use a lower-fat cream, be aware that it will compromise the signature velvety texture. The richness comes from the fat content.
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Vanilla Bean – For the most authentic and intense vanilla flavor, a real vanilla bean is unparalleled. Vanilla bean paste is a great substitute, offering the visual appeal of vanilla seeds and a robust flavor, though slightly less pure than fresh beans. Vanilla extract is also acceptable and more budget-friendly, but imitation vanilla essence should be avoided as it lacks the nuanced flavor essential for fine creme brulee food.
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Sugar – Sugar serves dual roles in this recipe. It’s incorporated into the custard for sweetness and also sprinkled on top to form the iconic, paper-thin, shatteringly crisp caramel crust. Caster sugar or superfine sugar is recommended for the topping because it melts evenly and quickly.
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Egg Yolks – Egg yolks are crucial for achieving the luxurious, velvety mouthfeel that defines creme brulee food. They also act as the setting agent for the custard, giving it the perfect creamy consistency.
Bonus Tip: Don’t discard those leftover egg whites! They are incredibly versatile. Explore a range of recipes to use leftover egg whites here, and discover a collection of delightful egg white recipes in this dedicated collection.
Mastering the Art of Homemade Creme Brulee Food: Step-by-Step
Creating creme brulee food at home is surprisingly straightforward. Follow these simple steps to achieve a restaurant-quality dessert.
- Prepare the Vanilla Bean: Begin by extracting the vanilla caviar. Slit a vanilla bean lengthwise and use the back of a small knife to scrape out the tiny seeds. These seeds are where much of the flavor resides. Refer to the recipe video for a visual guide.
- Infuse the Cream: In a saucepan, combine the vanilla seeds, the scraped vanilla bean pod, and heavy cream. Heat gently over low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and let it steep for 1 hour to fully infuse the cream with vanilla flavor. Allowing it to cool also prevents cooking the egg yolks later. It’s recommended to infuse uncovered to avoid condensation, which can dilute the cream. Remember to skim off any skin that forms on the surface of the cream before mixing it with the eggs to ensure a silky custard.
- Mix Egg Yolks and Sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until just combined and slightly pale. Be careful not to over-whisk, which can introduce air bubbles into your custard.
- Combine Cream and Egg Mixture: Remove the vanilla bean pod from the infused cream. Use a slotted spoon to skim off any skin from the surface of the cream. Gradually pour the warm vanilla cream into the egg yolk mixture, whisking gently to combine. Again, avoid excessive whisking to minimize air bubbles, although a few bubbles are perfectly acceptable.
- Prepare Ramekins: This recipe yields approximately 500ml (2 cups) of custard, suitable for four servings of 125ml (½ cup) each. Ideal ramekins are around 150ml (⅔ cup) in capacity. Restaurants sometimes use wider, shallower dishes to maximize the caramelized sugar topping – a clever idea for toffee lovers!
- Set up Water Bath: Place the filled ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Ensure the water level isn’t too high to prevent ramekins from floating.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 265°F (130°C) for 35-40 minutes. The custard is ready when it appears set around the edges but still has a slight wobble in the center when gently shaken.
Achieving the Perfect Crème Brûlée Texture
The hallmark of exceptional creme brulee food is its texture. It should be a delicate, soft custard, akin to thick Greek yogurt. It’s not meant to be firm like cake. When you scoop into it, the remaining custard in the ramekin should just barely hold its shape, not be runny or overly firm. The texture should be melt-in-your-mouth velvety smooth, not even as firm as soft jelly.
Creating the Signature Crisp Toffee Topping
The brittle toffee crust is what elevates creme brulee food from a simple custard to a decadent dessert experience. A blowtorch is the quickest way to achieve this. Simply sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over the chilled custard and torch it for 6-10 seconds until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a golden brown. The sugar will harden quickly as it cools, forming the crisp topping.
If you don’t own a blowtorch, your oven’s broiler works perfectly well. For broiler method, ensure the creme brulee is thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight. Preheat your broiler to high. Place the sugar-topped ramekins under the broiler for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, watching closely until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Due to the broiler taking slightly longer than a torch, the custard surface beneath the caramel might warm slightly. To firm it up again, refrigerate the brûlée for at least 20 minutes, or up to an hour, before serving.
That satisfying crack as your spoon breaks through the toffee layer to reveal the smooth custard underneath… *faint*. Pure dessert heaven in a ramekin!
Serving Suggestions for Creme Brulee Food
Crème brûlée food is an elegant finale to any meal. It’s particularly fitting as the grand finale to a French-inspired menu. Here are some classic French dishes that pair wonderfully with creme brulee:
[
Béarnaise Sauce – the ultimate steak sauce
](https://www.recipetineats.com/bearnaise-sauce/)
[
Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)
](https://www.recipetineats.com/beef-bourguignon-beef-burgundy/)
[
Killer Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
](https://www.recipetineats.com/lemon-butter-sauce-fish/)
[
Coq au Vin
](https://www.recipetineats.com/coq-au-vin/)
[
French Onion Soup
](https://www.recipetineats.com/french-onion-soup/)
[
French Bistro Salad
](https://www.recipetineats.com/french-bistro-salad/)
[
Explore More French Recipes
](https://www.recipetineats.com/category/french-recipes/)
For even more French culinary inspiration, head to our French recipe collection!
Bon appétit! – Nagi x
Watch the Recipe Tutorial
Want to see it in action? Watch our step-by-step video guide for making perfect creme brulee food.
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Crème Brûlée (French Vanilla Custard) – Recipe Card
Author: Nagi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Rating: 5 stars from 35 votes
Servings: 4
Print Recipe
Description: Classic French Crème Brûlée recipe with a silky smooth rich custard and crunchy caramel top. Surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream (US) / pure cream (Aus) (Note 1)
- 1 vanilla bean OR 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (Note 2)
- 5 egg yolks (Note 3 for leftover whites)
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Toffee Topping
- 2 tsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Instructions
- Vanilla bean: Split vanilla pod and scrape seeds. Place into saucepan with cream and pod.
- Infuse cream: Simmer cream, vanilla seeds and pod for 10 mins. Stand 1 hour to infuse. Remove pod, skim skin.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 265°F (130°C). Place 4 ramekins in a baking pan.
- Boil water: Boil kettle of water.
- Whisk yolks & sugar: Whisk yolks and sugar until just combined.
- Add cream: Pour cream into eggs, gently stir. Divide into ramekins.
- Water bath: Pour boiling water into pan halfway up ramekins.
- Bake: Bake 35-40 mins, until set but slightly wobbly.
- Chill: Cool, then refrigerate min 6 hrs (preferably overnight).
Toffee Topping
- Blow torch: Sprinkle 1/2 tsp sugar over each. Torch until caramelized. Serve immediately.
- Grill/Broiler: Refrigerate crème brûlée overnight first. Preheat broiler to high. Broil 1 min until sugar caramelized. Refrigerate 20-60 mins to reset custard, then serve.
Recipe Notes
- Cream: Use heavy cream (US) or pure cream (Aus). Thickened cream works, but pure cream is more refined. Light cream lacks richness.
- Vanilla: Vanilla bean is authentic, vanilla bean paste is good too. Visible vanilla seeds enhance experience.
- Leftover egg whites: See recipes here and collection here.
- Source: Adapted from Manu Fiedel’s French Kitchen cookbook.
- Nutrition: Indulge – it’s worth it! 🙂
Nutrition Information
Serving: 173g | Calories: 599cal (30%) | Carbohydrates: 29.3g (10%) | Protein: 6g (12%) | Fat: 52.6g (81%) | Saturated Fat: 31.2g (195%) | Cholesterol: 436mg (145%) | Sodium: 58mg (3%) | Potassium: 118mg (3%) | Sugar: 25.3g (28%) | Vitamin A: 2150IU (43%) | Vitamin C: 0.8mg (1%) | Calcium: 110mg (11%) | Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
Keywords: creme brulee, french custard, french dessert, vanilla custard
Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @recipe_tin.
Originally published September 2016. Updated with new photos and video. Recipe unchanged.
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