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This luxuriously creamy, decadent Vanilla Creme Brulee recipe is sure to wow your friends and family- and learning how easy it is will wow you, too! With only four simple ingredients, it's a breeze to make this restaurant-worthy treat!
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Creme Brulee Recipe
There's nothing quite as rich or luxurious as creme brulee. With lusciously creamy custard, gentle sweetness, and an irresistible crunchy layer of caramelized sugar on top, few desserts look quite as decadent set out on a table!
If you've ever had it yourself, you wouldn't believe how easy it is to make. Using only 4 super-simple ingredients in just a few easy steps, you'll be shocking your family and yourself with these perfect custard desserts. Just be careful- once you make them, it's hard to stop!
Cooking for a crowd? This is the perfect recipe for making in bulk! Bake a whole bunch of little ramekins at once so everyone in attendance will have their dessert. Set out a few bowls of fresh berries and whipped cream for a dress-your-own creme brulee bar!
Homemade Creme Brulee Ingredients
- Heavy cream
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Berries, optional
Note: Some recipes use fresh vanilla beans, but I find it easier to use vanilla extract. If you want to use fresh vanilla, let the vanilla bean cook in the cream as it heats.
How to Make Creme Brulee
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. While it's heating, put a small saucepan over medium heat and heat the cream until it's hot, but not boiling. Watch for small bubbles around the sides of the pan, or for it to read 180-185°F on a thermometer.
- While the cream heats, combine the egg yolks, half the sugar, and the vanilla extract in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until well combined.
- Once the cream is scalded, gradually mix in the egg mixture while whisking rapidly. Then remove from the heat, and keep whisking until completely smooth.
- Evenly distribute into small (7-8 ounce) ramekins, and place them on a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it's about half way up the sides of the ramekins to create the water bath.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the custard is no longer liquid in the center. Remove, and allow to cool before refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
- After cooling, remove from the fridge and sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Using a kitchen torch or your oven broiler, heat the sugar until the sugar is melted and caramelized. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Creme Brulee Recipe Tips
- Be sure to serve this dessert right after melting the sugar. If you wait too long, the crisp coating can start to get soggy and melt back into the custard.
- Use high-quality eggs! This makes a huge difference with custard. Free-range or local eggs will completely transform this dish!
- Using wide, shallow ramekins tends to result in a more evenly cooked custard, and has more room for the delicious sugar coating!
- Make sure to scald the cream, not boil it. Using a meat thermometer can make keeping track of the temperature easy.
- If you're worried about the eggs not being completely mixed in, pour the custard through a mesh strainer before adding it to the ramekins.
- Letting the eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the cream can make it less likely for them to cook too quickly.
Vanilla Creme Brulee FAQs
The secret to creme brulee is that because it's so simple, each step should be followed carefully, and use high-quality ingredients such as farm-fresh eggs. Make sure not to overcook the cream, and add the eggs slowly so they don't get chunky. And make sure to serve it right away! Left out, the crust on the creme brulee gets soft and soggy.
Most of creme brulee is just a simple custard made from heavy cream, egg yolks, and sugar! A touch of vanilla is added for flavor, but the true cherry on top comes in the form of a delicious crust of melted, caramelized sugar.
Creme brulee can be made in all sorts of shallow, wide dishes, but ramekins are the easiest as they're already serving size! Make sure not to use metal, as the material will heat up too much and burn the sides of the pudding. Small glass or ceramic oven-safe dishes work best.
Easy Dessert Recipes
- Banana Pudding Brownies
- Cheesecake Popsicles
- Strawberry Dump Cake
- Carlota de Limon
- Puff Pastry Apple Tarts
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Vanilla Creme Brulee
Equipment
- 4 ramekins 7-8 oz
- Kitchen torch optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- 4 Egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ⅔ cups Sugar - divided
- Berries - optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. While it's heating, put a small saucepan over medium heat and heat the cream until it's hot, but not boiling. Watch for small bubbles around the sides of the pan, or for it to read 180-185°F on a thermometer.2 cups Heavy cream
- While the cream heats, combine the egg yolks, half the sugar, and the vanilla in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk until well combined.4 Egg yolks,1 teaspoon Vanilla,⅔ cups Sugar
- Once the cream is scalded, gradually mix in the egg yolk mixture while whisking rapidly. Then remove from the heat, and keep whisking until completely smooth.
- Evenly distribute into small (7-8 ounce) ramekins, and place them on a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it's about half way up the sides of the ramekins.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the custard is no longer liquid in the center. Remove, and allow to cool before refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
- Sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Using a kitchen torch or your oven broiler, heat the sugar until the sugar is melted and caramelized. Serve immediately with fresh berries on top if using, and enjoy!⅔ cups Sugar,Berries
Notes
- Be sure to serve this dessert right after melting the sugar. If you wait too long, the crisp coating can start to get soggy and melt back into the custard.
- Use high quality eggs! This makes a huge difference with custard. Free range or local eggs will completely transform this dish!
- Using wide, shallow ramekins tends to result in a more evenly cooked custard, and has more room for the delicious sugar coating!
- Make sure to scald the cream, not boil it. Using a meat thermometer can make keeping track of the temperature easy.
- If you're worried about the eggs not being completely mixed in, pour the custard through a mesh strainer before adding it to the ramekins.
- Letting the eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the cream can make it less likely for them to cook too quickly.
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