Creme Brulee

A rich vanilla custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Crème brûlée is one of the great simple desserts: four ingredients, two textures and one very satisfying crack. Under the thin, brittle caramel crust is a smooth, rich vanilla custard that is almost like a pudding. It tastes like a restaurant dessert, but there is nothing in it that a home cook can’t manage.

There are only three things that need your care. The first is tempering: pouring the hot cream slowly into the yolks while whisking, so they don’t scramble. The second is the water bath, which cooks the custard gently and evenly. The third is the torching, which has to be quick and even.

It serves four, takes about 55 minutes, and needs several hours of chilling before you caramelize it. Make it the day before, and the torch takes a minute just before serving.

Read this first

1. Add the hot cream to the yolks slowly, whisking, so they don’t scramble.
2. Bake in a water bath, with hot water halfway up the ramekins.
3. Caramelize the sugar just before serving, so the crust stays crisp.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 40 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups Heavy cream
• 5 Egg yolks
• 1/2 cup + extra for topping Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Look for: A deep dish with ramekins sitting steady, and a kettle of hot water ready.
2. Heat cream with the vanilla extract until nearly boiling. Whisk yolks and sugar together in a separate bowl. Look for: Cream with tiny bubbles at the edges, and a pale yellow, smooth yolk mixture.
3. Slowly temper the heated cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Look for: A smooth, pale gold custard, with no bits of cooked egg, and a surface free of bubbles.
4. Pour into ramekins, bake in a water bath for 40 minutes. Look for: Set edges, a gently wobbling center that moves as a unit, and a very pale surface.
5. Chill until set. Sprinkle sugar on top and caramelize with a torch. Look for: A cold, firm custard and a thin layer of dark amber, glassy sugar.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 580
• Fat: 49g
• Saturated Fat: 30g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 29g
• Protein: 6g
• Sodium: 60mg
• Cholesterol: 380mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate the baked custards, covered and before torching, for up to 3 days; torch the sugar topping just before serving so it stays crisp.
• Water Bath: The water bath insulates the ramekins so the custard sets gently and evenly, without curdling or turning grainy.
• Torch Just Before Serving: The caramelized sugar shell softens within an hour or so, so torch it as close to serving time as possible for the best crack.

Cook It With Me

Heat the oven

Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C). Place four 6 oz ramekins in a deep baking dish. Boil a kettle of water for the water bath.

Heat the cream and whisk the yolks

In a saucepan, heat the 2 cups of cream with the 1 teaspoon of vanilla until it is nearly boiling, with small bubbles at the edges. In a separate bowl, whisk the 5 egg yolks with the 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth and pale.

Temper

Pour a small splash of the hot cream into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then slowly add the rest in a thin stream, still whisking. This warms the eggs gradually, so they don’t scramble. Strain the custard through a fine sieve to remove any lumps, and skim off any bubbles.

Bake in a water bath

Pour the custard into the ramekins. Pour hot water into the baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custards are set around the edges but still wobble slightly in the center.

Chill and caramelize

Lift the ramekins out of the water and cool them to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize it with a kitchen torch, until it is deep amber.

The Ingredients, One by One

Heavy cream

Two cups. The high fat content gives a rich, silky custard. Don’t substitute milk.

Egg yolks

Five yolks make a very rich, dense custard. Save the whites for meringues or an omelet.

Sugar

A half cup for the custard, plus extra for the topping. Fine granulated sugar melts evenly under the torch.

Vanilla extract

A teaspoon. For a more luxurious flavor, scrape a vanilla bean into the cream.

The Technique Behind It

Why temper the eggs

Adding hot cream to yolks all at once cooks them into scrambled egg. Adding it slowly raises their temperature gradually.

Why a water bath

Water never gets hotter than boiling, so it heats the custard gently and evenly. Without it, the edges overcook and the center stays raw, and the custard can curdle.

Why caramelize at the last moment

The sugar crust absorbs moisture from the custard and turns soft. Torching just before serving keeps it crisp.

How Do You Know the Custards Are Done?

Custards firm up as they cool, so take them out when the center is still slightly wobbly.

Check	What you see	Notes
Edges	Set and no longer liquid	Gently shake the pan.
Center	A slight wobble, like set gelatin	Larger jiggle means more time.
Temperature	About 170 F in the center	A thermometer is reliable.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Adding the cream too fast The eggs scramble.
• Skipping the water bath The custard overcooks.
• Overbaking The custard turns firm and grainy.
• Too much sugar on top The crust is thick and hard to crack.
• Torching too early The crust turns soft.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Custard is scrambled	Hot cream added too fast	Strain it. Add cream slowly next time.
Custard has bubbles	Whisked too vigorously	Skim them off before baking.
Custard is runny	Underbaked	Bake longer, and chill overnight.
Sugar won’t caramelize	Too thin a layer or a weak torch	Add more sugar and hold the torch closer.
Top is burnt	Torch too close	Move it back and keep it moving.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Heavy cream	Rich custard	No substitute.
Vanilla extract	Flavor	A vanilla bean gives a deeper flavor.
Sugar for topping	The crust	Turbinado sugar makes a thicker crust.
Torch	Caramelizing	The broiler works, as close as possible, but watch it.
Flavoring	Variation	Add espresso or orange zest.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: Bake the custards up to 2 days ahead.
• Fridge: Covered, for 3 days.
• Serving: Caramelize just before serving.
• Freezer: Not recommended.

What to Serve With It

Serve with fresh berries on the side, or a crisp cookie. Let the sugar crust set for a minute, then crack it with a spoon.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.