I perfected an Easy Crème Brûlée using just four ingredients, and the impossibly crisp caramelized top comes from one unexpected pantry trick you’ll want to read about.

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I love when a dessert looks fancy but isn’t. My Easy Crème Brûlée hides a little trick that makes the caramel top snap like glass, and yet the inside stays impossibly silky.

I honestly thought this was only for chefs, until I realized using good heavy cream and fresh egg yolks changes everything. You get that head tilt moment when you flick the top with a spoon and it shatters, leaving a custard that somehow tastes richer than the sum of its parts.

I still mess up sometimes, but thats why I kept testing it. Try it once and you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

Ingredients

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Heavy cream: Rich heavy cream gives silky texture and lots of fat, not much nutrition.
Egg yolks: Egg yolks add protein vitamin D and custardy thickness, they’re kinda rich.
Granulated sugar: Sugar sweetens and caramelizes, no fiber mainly simple carbs, very sweet.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla lifts flavor with tiny calories; aromatic, cozy, makes it taste homemade.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups heavy cream (480 ml) good quality

4 large egg yolks (from 4 large eggs)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g), plus about 4 teaspoons more for the caramelized topping

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to Make this

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and place four 6-ounce ramekins in a deep roasting pan so they’re ready for a water bath.

2. Pour 2 cups heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium until it’s steaming and tiny bubbles form at the edges, don’t let it boil or it’ll scald.

3. In a bowl whisk 4 large egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until the mixture lightens in color and thickens a little, like ribboning when the whisk lifts.

4. Temper the yolks by slowly pouring about half the hot cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly so the eggs don’t cook, then stir in the rest of the cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

5. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher to catch any cooked bits or foam, this makes a silkier texture.

6. Divide the custard evenly into the ramekins, wipe any drips off the rims so they brown cleanly later.

7. Pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins to make a bain-marie, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven.

8. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, check at 25 minutes because ovens vary; the custards are done when the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly. For a precise check they should reach about 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C).

9. Remove ramekins from the water bath, cool to room temp, then refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture.

10. When ready to serve sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar over each custard (about 4 teaspoons total). Caramelize with a kitchen torch until the sugar melts and forms a crisp top. No torch? Set them on a baking sheet and broil on the top rack until browned, watching closely to avoid burning. Let the sugar harden for a minute then crack and enjoy.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven preheated to 325°F (160°C)
2. Deep roasting pan big enough to hold four 6-oz ramekins for a bain-marie
3. Four 6-ounce ramekins
4. Small saucepan to heat the cream, don’t let it boil
5. Mixing bowl to whisk the egg yolks and sugar
6. Whisk (or fork) to beat until the mixture ribbons a bit
7. Fine-mesh sieve to strain the custard for a silkier texture
8. Measuring cup or heatproof pitcher to pour the custard into ramekins
9. Instant-read thermometer to check for about 170–175°F (77–79°C)
10. Kitchen torch (or use the oven broiler and a baking sheet), plus oven mitts for safety

FAQ

Q: Can I make crème brûlée ahead of time? A: Yes. You can bake the custards a day or two ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Torch the sugar right before serving so the crackly top stays crisp.

Q: No torch. What else can I use to caramelize the sugar? A: You can use a very hot broiler but watch them like a hawk, sugar can burn fast. Another trick is to heat a metal spoon over a flame and press it onto the sugar, it works ok for one or two ramekins.

Q: Why did my custard come out grainy? A: Most times it means it got overcooked or the cream boiled. Make sure to heat the cream until it’s just steaming, temper the yolks slowly, and strain the mixture before baking. That should keep it silky.

Q: Can I use whole eggs instead of only yolks? A: You can but the texture will be firmer and less rich. The yolks give that classic creamy, custardy feel. If you must, use fewer whites and more yolks to keep it smooth.

Q: How do I prevent cracks or watery tops? A: Bake in a water bath and remove from oven when centers still wobble a little. Let them cool gradually at room temp then chill. Don’t overbake and avoid getting water splashed into the ramekins.

Q: Any easy flavor swaps or add-ins? A: Try orange or lemon zest, a splash of espresso, or a tablespoon of liqueur like Grand Marnier. Add flavors to the warm cream then strain, keep them subtle so they dont overpower the vanilla.

Easy Crème Brûlée Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Heavy cream (2 cups): Full‑fat coconut milk, use 1:1 — dairy free, gives a light coconut note and a slightly looser set; or make a quick substitute per cup: 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, use 1:1, works surprisingly well.
Egg yolks (4): Use 4 whole large eggs 1:1, custard will be firmer and less silky so check doneness a bit earlier; for vegan try 1 cup pureed silken tofu blended very smooth with 1 tsp cornstarch, texture will be different.
Granulated sugar (1/2 cup + for topping): Caster or superfine sugar 1:1 for faster dissolve and a smoother custard; light brown sugar 1:1 for deeper caramel notes but darker color; avoid powdered sugar unless you want a gummy texture.
Pure vanilla extract (1 tsp): Scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean equals about 1 tsp extract and gives a richer aroma; vanilla paste 1:1 works too; 1/4 tsp almond extract can be used for a different flavor profile.

Pro Tips

1) Heat the cream just to steaming, dont let it boil or youll taste cooked dairy. If you have a candy or instant read thermometer aim for about 175 to 180 F so you release the vanilla but dont scald the cream.

2) Tempering is where people mess up, so pour the hot cream in very slowly while whisking and then strain the whole mix through a fine sieve. Straining catches any tiny cooked egg bits and makes the texture silky, trust me its worth the extra second.

3) Use very hot water for the water bath so the oven doesnt have to work harder and the custards bake evenly, and tuck a kitchen towel under the roasting pan when you lift it so you dont splash water into the ramekins. If your oven runs hot check early, you want a slight wobble not a firm center.

4) For the caramel top use superfine or caster sugar if you can, it melts and browns more evenly. If you dont have a torch broil on the top rack but chill the custards briefly first so the heat only hits the sugar not the custard, then let the sugar set a minute before cracking it.

Easy Crème Brûlée Recipe

Recipe by Bob Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I perfected an Easy Crème Brûlée using just four ingredients, and the impossibly crisp caramelized top comes from one unexpected pantry trick you’ll want to read about.

Servings

servings

Calories

585

kcal

Equipment: 1. Oven preheated to 325°F (160°C)
2. Deep roasting pan big enough to hold four 6-oz ramekins for a bain-marie
3. Four 6-ounce ramekins
4. Small saucepan to heat the cream, don’t let it boil
5. Mixing bowl to whisk the egg yolks and sugar
6. Whisk (or fork) to beat until the mixture ribbons a bit
7. Fine-mesh sieve to strain the custard for a silkier texture
8. Measuring cup or heatproof pitcher to pour the custard into ramekins
9. Instant-read thermometer to check for about 170–175°F (77–79°C)
10. Kitchen torch (or use the oven broiler and a baking sheet), plus oven mitts for safety

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream (480 ml) good quality
4 large egg yolks (from 4 large eggs)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g), plus about 4 teaspoons more for the caramelized topping
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and place four 6-ounce ramekins in a deep roasting pan so they're ready for a water bath.
Pour 2 cups heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium until it's steaming and tiny bubbles form at the edges, don't let it boil or it'll scald.
In a bowl whisk 4 large egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until the mixture lightens in color and thickens a little, like ribboning when the whisk lifts.
Temper the yolks by slowly pouring about half the hot cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly so the eggs don't cook, then stir in the rest of the cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup or pitcher to catch any cooked bits or foam, this makes a silkier texture.
Divide the custard evenly into the ramekins, wipe any drips off the rims so they brown cleanly later.
Pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins to make a bain-marie, then carefully transfer the pan to the oven.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, check at 25 minutes because ovens vary; the custards are done when the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly. For a precise check they should reach about 170 to 175°F (77 to 79°C).
Remove ramekins from the water bath, cool to room temp, then refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture.
When ready to serve sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar over each custard (about 4 teaspoons total). Caramelize with a kitchen torch until the sugar melts and forms a crisp top. No torch? Set them on a baking sheet and broil on the top rack until browned, watching closely to avoid burning. Let the sugar harden for a minute then crack and enjoy.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.