Classic Creme Brulee Recipe - Beautiful Life and Home (2024)

Follow the step-by-step tutorial for making Classic Creme Brulee. The ultimate impressive dessert of smooth vanilla custard topped with crackling caramelized sugar.

Creme Brulee was one of those “fancy” desserts that I used to think didn’t deserve all the buzz. That was, until I had one myself. I was at a wedding reception and Creme Brulee was on the menu. I had my first Creme Brulee that day, and my life has never been the same.

O.K. That might be a bit dramatic, but it seriously was one of the best things I have ever eaten.

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What is Creme Brulee?

Creme Brulee is basically a custard (traditionally vanilla) with caramelized sugar on top that hardens into a glass-like surface. You crack the sugar topping and scoop a little of it up, along with the silky smooth custard underneath. The flavor and texture combination is just divine!

What are the Creme Brulee ingredients?

Some people wonder if Creme Brulee and flan are basically the same thing. No, they are not. They do have some similarities, but Creme Brulee just uses heavy cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and egg yolks. Flan (a traditional Mexican dessert) uses sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. I’ve also seen recipes using cream cheese and other add-ins, like orange flavor. Flan also has a sugar syrup topping, but it is soft, unlike the hardened sugar topping on Creme Brulee. (And just so you know, I consider Creme Brulee the vastly superior dessert. Sorry if I’ve offended anyone by saying so).

Is Creme Brulee difficult to make?

Creme Brulee does take some forethought and planning. It is definitely more technical than making a cake. However, it’s really not difficult, and I’m going to show you exactly how to do it! Just follow the step-by-step pictures and instructions below to make your very own homemade Classic Creme Brulee!

How long does it take to make Creme Brulee?

As mentioned before, you do need to think about how much time you have before you plan on serving this dessert. It takes about 30 minutes to mix up the custard, and another 40-45 minutes to bake. Then you need to chill the custard for at least two hours. About 30 minutes before you plan on serving it, you’ll remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature. Then just before serving, you’ll sprinkle the sugar on top and caramelize it with a kitchen torch or under your oven broiler.

How to make Creme Brulee

First, you’ll need four cups of heavy whipping cream, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

You’re going to cook the cream and vanilla in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium heat for about seven to eight minutes, stirring the whole time. Once the mixture starts to bubble around the edges, remove it from the heat and cover it for 15 minutes.

Turn on your oven to 325 degrees F.

While your cream mixture is resting, it’s time to gather your eggs and sugar. You need six eggs and 1/2 cup of sugar.

You only need the egg yolks, so separate out the whites and drop the yolks into a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add the half cup of sugar and whisk well until the mixture starts to lighten in color.

Now slowly pour your warm cream and vanilla mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking continually until everything is combined.

Place six (7-8 ounce) ramekins into a large cake pan. If they won’t all fit into one pan, you may need to use two cake pans, or a combination of a large and small cake pan.

Move your cake pans with ramekins as close to your oven as you can. Divide the custard mixture evenly between the six ramekins. If desired, you can skim any foam off the top. Now here comes the tricky part–pouring hot water into the pans.

You will need up to eight cups of hot water for a water bath. A water bath is essential for baking Creme Brulee, because it helps the custard to cook evenly. However, transferring a pan of hot water to the oven can be a little tricky. (Now do you see why I said to move your cake pans as close to the oven as you can?)

You can either heat the water in batches in your microwave, or just use really hot tap water. (The water does not need to be boiling). Now you can carefully pour the water into your cake pan(s) to come half-way up the sides of the ramekins, and then VERY CAREFULLY transfer the pans into the oven to bake. OR, you can place the pan(s) of custard into the oven, and with the oven door still open, carefully pour the water into the pans. Then close the oven and bake the custard for 40-45 minutes.

How do you know when Creme Brulee is done?

Baking Creme Brulee for just the right amount of time can be a bit of a tricky process. You want the middle to be a bit wobbly, because it will firm up as it cools. So basically, the edges will be set, but the middle will still jiggle a little when you carefully shake the pan or ramekin. (There is a great video on this recipe for Creme Brulee by Alton Brown. If you want to see the “wobble” part, go to minute 2:00.)

Once you remove the Creme Brulee from the oven, take each of the ramekins out of the pan(s) and place them on a wire rack to cool for about half an hour. To remove them from the pan (that still has water in it), I have found it helpful to slide a spatula under each ramekin and gently lift it up, and then use hot pads to grab the top of the ramekin and remove it from the pan.

Once they have rested at room temperature for about a half an hour, put them in the refrigerator to cool for at least two hours. I just put mine on a tray or in a pan and gently lay a piece of plastic wrap loosely over the top.

About 30 minutes prior to serving, remove the Creme Brulee from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature. Then sprinkle one teaspoon of sugar all around the top of each custard. (Just use regular granulated sugar).

Now take a kitchen torch and melt the sugar. Keep torching the sugar until it begins to bubble and turn brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar (although honestly, I think it tastes great when the sugar is a little burnt, too!)

Can you make Creme Brulee without a torch?

The answer is yes. Will it look as pretty? Well, from my experiment, the answer to that is a big fat “no.” I tried broiling a couple of the ramekins of Creme Brulee in my oven. The picture below shows you the difference in appearance between one that was broiled in the oven (the one in the red ramekin) compared to one that was torched (the one in the white ramekin). The one that was broiled in the oven also didn’t turn as crispy, and the rest of the custard also heated up more than desired.

So yes, it really is worth it to get a kitchen torch, just to make this 🙂 But if you happen to have access to an industrial or camping blow torch, that works, too. (That’s what I used for my Easy Baked Alaska).

If you have no choice but to broil your Creme Brulee in the oven, you must watch it very carefully! The sugar can go from “brown” to “burnt” in a matter of seconds! How long you broil it depends on whether you use your “low broil” or “high broil” temperature setting, and how hot each is for your particular oven.

Can you make Creme Brulee in advance?

Actually, it’s required! As mentioned before, you need to give this time to cook and cool. Once you bake it in the oven, you can store it in your refrigerator for up to three days before adding the sugar to the top and torching it.

There you have it! Even though this dessert does have quite a few steps, the end result is SO worth it!

This recipe adapted from Creme Brulee on Chef in Training.

Need ramekins and a kitchen torch! Here is a set of six white ramekins on Amazon.

And here is a kitchen torch that also comes with a whisk and measuring spoons!

(Note: you will probably have to buy butane separately for your kitchen torch).

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