Looking for a classic recipe to impress your guests? Or you just absolutely love the extra rich and creamy custard of crème brûlée and can’t wait to hear that special crack when you first hit the hardened caramelized sugar topping with your spoon?

Making this super smooth and extra creamy dessert is actually not that hard and is excellent to make ahead for a party or holiday dinner. You can easily make crème brûlée the day before, torch it right before serving, and decorate it with some fresh fruit.

All you really need is some heavy cream, a little bit of milk, sugar, egg yolks and Vanilla beans along with some ramekins, a butane kitchen blowtorch and time. This is not a recipe to rush, and it’s best made ahead of time. Other than that, all you need to know is that the secret lies in a water bath to cook the custard evenly and gently to avoid it from curdling into scrambled eggs.

Don’t be intimidated to make this delicious silky and creamy dessert at home and share it with your loved ones as the beautiful highlight of your next dinner party!

TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT CRÈME BRÛLÉE

Use a kitchen scale if you can, to weigh your ingredients rather than measuring them in cups. This will ensure accurate ingredients and will result in a great dessert.

I recommend using vanilla beans or pure vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for this recipe.

You can make the crème brûlée ahead of time, keep it covered in the fridge for 2-3 days and torch it right before serving.

Don’t skip the water bath! Cooking the custard base in a water bath ensures evenly and gentle setting without overcooking and curdling.

If there is some moisture from condensation on your crème brûlée after cooling it in the fridge, blot it off with some paper towel to assure a nice crispy topping.

Add a small amount of sugar on top of the cool crème brûlée and shake it a bit to spread it into an evenly thin layer. Too much sugar won’t melt properly.

Hold the torch 2-3 inches away from the custard, moving it constantly in small circles to get an evenly caramelized sugar topping.

Add sugar and torch it one crème brûlée at a time and serve immediately!

INGREDIENTS

Whipping cream - make sure to use 35% cream for a rich and silky crème brûlée base.

Milk - adding a bit of whole milk makes the custard lighter and super silky.

Sugar - use granulated sugar for the custard base and either granulated or raw sugar for the caramelized topping.

Vanilla beans - Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans (Grade A) will give you the classic vanilla custard flavour. You can also use Tahitian beans for a more fruity/ floral note or pure vanilla bean paste.

The full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED

small pot
fine mesh strainer
medium sized bowl
pitcher/ Pyrex
whisk
ramekins
ovenproof dish big enough to hold ramekins for water bath
butane kitchen torch

INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP

Combine the cream, milk and sugar in a small pot.

With a sharp knife cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the paste and seeds with the back of the knife and add everything to the cream mixture.

Simmer and stir for 10-15 minutes on low heat, remove from heat, cover and let the cream mixture steep for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours to infuse it with the flavour of the Vanilla beans.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and set your ramekins into the ovenproof dish.

Gently reheat the infused cream and bring to a simmer to temper the egg yolks.

Boil a kettle with water.

Separate your eggs and whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl until smooth.

Add in the cream mixture in a small stream, constantly stirring to temper the egg yolks. Never add the eggs into the hot cream!

Set a fine mesh strainer on the small pot or a pitcher/ Pyrex and strain out the vanilla pod from your custard base.

Pour the custard into the ramekins, dividing it equally between them, and filling them almost to the top.

Set your ovenproof dish with the ramekins into the oven and carefully pour the boiled water into the dish until it comes up halfway on the side of the ramekins.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. The sides of the crème brûlée should be set and the centre should still be jiggly when you give it a gentle shake. If you are unsure, you can use a thermometer which should read 170°F (77°C) in the middle of the custard.

Let the custard cool on a wire rack, before you cover it with clip wrap and let it cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Take the crème brûlée out of the fridge, uncover and add a small amount of sugar (approx. 1tsp) on top. Gently shake it a bit to spread it into an evenly thin layer. Too much sugar won’t melt properly. I recommend doing one at a time.

Hold the torch 2-3 inches away from the custard, moving it constantly in small circles to get an evenly caramelized sugar topping.

Serve your crème brûlée immediately and enjoy!