French · Dessert · All year
Crème Brûlée
4.8 · community
20m
Prep
40m
Cook
Med
Level
460
Energy
Vanilla custard under a sheet of cracked caramel glass. The spoon-tap through the sugar crust is the whole reason tableside desserts exist.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
4 shallow ramekins
Roasting tin
Kitchen torch (or broiler)
Prep checklist
Eggs — yolks only
Sugar — plus 4 tbsp for the crust
Vanilla Extract — or a split vanilla bean
4 steps
Method
1
Warm the cream with vanilla to a bare simmer. Whisk yolks and sugar, then temper the hot cream in slowly.
Why this works
Slow pouring and constant whisking is what separates custard from sweet scrambled eggs.
2
Strain into ramekins, set in a water bath, and bake at 150°C until set at the edges with a trembling center, 30–35 minutes.
33 min — timer available in cooking mode
3
Chill at least 4 hours.
240 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
Just before serving: an even layer of sugar on each, torched (or broiled) to dark amber glass. Let it harden 2 minutes, then hand over the spoon.
2 min — timer available in cooking mode
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Covered at cool room temperature 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5.
Freezing
Most baked desserts freeze well for 2 months, tightly wrapped.
Reheating
Most baked desserts revive in a 150°C oven for 5–8 minutes. Custards and mousses are served cold — never reheat.
Make ahead
Almost every dessert here is better made a day ahead — flavors settle and textures set. Add crisp toppings just before serving.
Wine pairing
A small glass of something sweeter than the dessert itself.
Beer pairing
An imperial stout alongside chocolate is a genuinely great pairing; otherwise coffee.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Softly whipped cream
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
Fresh berries
Garnish
Powdered sugar
Chocolate shavings
A few flakes of sea salt
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
5
Salty
1
Sour
1
Bitter
1
Umami
0
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
460
kcal
6g
protein
32g
carbs
35g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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