This creme brulee recipe is made with only 4 ingredients and it's the best that I've ever had! Creme brulee is a classic French dessert that is easier to make than it looks and tastes like an expensive dessert!
This recipe is freezer-friendly, make-ahead, and turns out perfect every time, it is made with rich vanilla custard and topped with a burnt sugar topping.
You don't need to go to a fancy restaurant to eat an amazing creme brulee, you can simply make it at home. With only 4 ingredients you can make a decadent creme brulee at home that tastes better than in restaurants.
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Why this recipe works
- This recipe uses super simple ingredients.
- Turns out perfect every time!
- This recipe is a make-ahead recipe, so it’s perfect to make the day before a gathering.
- Everyone’s favorite dessert. I mean, who doesn’t like creme brulee?
What is creme brulee?
Creme brulee is also known as "burnt cream", and is a classic French dessert, is a dessert made with a rich vanilla custard base and topped with a crispy layer of burnt sugar, or caramelized sugar.
Creme brulee comes in many flavors like espresso, pumpkin, cinnamon, honey, strawberry, matcha, chocolate, salted caramel, and much more.
Ingredients
You will only need 4 ingredients to make this recipe! Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Heavy cream- you will need two cups of full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. Don't replace the heavy cream with milk or half and half.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Vanilla extract- use the best quality pure vanilla extract that you can afford. there is no need to use a vanilla bean in this recipe. The flavor is still amazing.
Egg yolks- you will need two large egg yolks for this recipe. Don't throw away the egg whites, you can use them for an egg-white omelet, or for many recipes using egg whites. Make sure that your egg yolks are at room temperature.
Instructions
Step 1: Start by pouring 2 cups of heavy cream into the saucepan. Let the heavy cream warm up on medium heat stirring constantly until the cream simmers. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2: In a big mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with a whisk until well combined and silky.
Step 3: Now you will need to temper the eggs, you will need to SLOWLY pour the cream into the egg mixture MIXING CONSTANTLY! This step stops your egg yolks to turn into scrambled eggs.
Step 4: Strain your mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and transfer the mixture into pourable measuring cups.
Step 5: Fill the baking dish third-way with boiling water and place the ramekins in the baking dish carefully.
Step 6: Carefully pour the mixture into the ramekins (we divided it by 5 but you can divide it by 6 as well) and bake in a 150c (300f) preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the edges of the ramekins look done but the middle looks jiggly.
Step 7: Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Place the ramekins into the fridge and let them chill for at least 3 hours.
Step 8: Top each creme brulee with a teaspoon of granulated sugar or caster sugar. Broil with a torch moving the torch in secular motions (see video).
Expert Tips
- Let your creme brulee chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious recipe right away, but you have to let it cool and set in the ramekins. We like to let it sit in the fridge overnight.
- Make sure that your egg yolks are at room temperature.
- Don't overbake these! It's a very common mistake to overbake creme brulee. Bake them until the edges of the ramekins look done but the middle looks jiggly.
- Carmelize the sugar top only when ready to serve! These keep great for up to 3 days stored in the fridge and are a perfect, make-ahead recipe. When you are ready to serve these, top each creme brulee with a teaspoon of sugar and spread it around so it would cover the entire custard layer. Then torch and burn the sugar and create a caramelized crunchy topping. If you will caramelize these, the topping will become soggy and won't be crispy at all.
- We highly suggest straining the batter before pouring it into the ramekins. Strain your mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to ensure that your dessert will be smooth and silky without any lumps or bubbles.
- Temper the eggs! you will need to SLOWLY pour the cream into the egg mixture MIXING CONSTANTLY! This step stops your egg yolks to turn into scrambled eggs.
Faq's
These will last for up to 3 days stored in the fridge or up to a month stored in the freezer.
Some recipes use milk or half and half instead of using heavy cream. We don't recommend that.
If you are making creme brulee, make it the best way which is with heavy cream. The heavy cream will make these incredibly creamy and decadent.
No. you don't have to use a torch for this recipe, there is a common method to get a caramelized sugar topping by broiling it in the oven.
After you chilled the creme brulee, cover each one with a teaspoon of sugar, and spread it around so it will cover the entire custard topping.
Then preheat an oven to its highest temperature and place the ramekins on the top shelf of the oven. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the sugar is melted.
Notice that this method can leave patches of white sugar while other parts are caramelized. It can cause an uneven topping.
Storing
Store this dessert in the fridge (because it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. I like eating this the day after.
Freezing
It is very common to freeze creme brulee. Cover and freeze these for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight.
Make it ahead of time
Yes! this recipe is perfect for make-ahead. These will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to serve these, top each creme brulee with a teaspoon of sugar and spread it around so it would cover the entire custard layer.
Then torch and burn the sugar and create a caramelized crunchy topping. If you will caramelize these, the topping will become soggy and won't be crispy at all.
Tools
- Creme brulee ramekins set a set of 6 ramekins for creme brulee, souflee, mousses, or ice cream!
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- Kitchen torch to carmelize the sugar and make burnt sugar topping.
- Saucepan to heat the cream.
- Measuring cups for pouring (heat safe)
- 9x13 baking pan to bake the ramekins in a water bath.
- Fine mesh strainer to strain the bubbles and ensure that your custard is creamy and silky.
More classic recipes to try:
Classic cheesecake- This classic cheesecake is perfect, New York-style, smooth, extra creamy, bakes with no water bath with no cracks.
Chocolate chip cookies- These chewy chocolate chip cookies are the best cookies we’ve ever had! These chewy chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and loaded with chocolate chips.
Chocolate cake- This is the best ever chocolate cake ever. I’ve been searching for the best one bowl chocolate cake recipe for so long and found it and can’t wait to share it with you!
Fudgy brownies- These are the ultimate fudgy brownies! These fudgy brownies are made from scratch brownies are loaded with chocolate chunks, and take under an hour to make.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Creme Brulee Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 5 Egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by pouring 2 cups of heavy cream into the saucepan. Let the heavy cream warm up on medium heat stirring constantly until the cream simmers. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with a whisk until well combined and silky.
- Now you will need to temper the eggs, you will need to SLOWLY pour the cream into the egg mixture MIXING CONSTANTLY! This step stops your egg yolks to turn into scrambled eggs.
- Strain your mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and transfer the mixture into pourable measuring cups.
- Fill the baking dish third-way with boiling water and place the ramekins in the baking dish carefully.
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Place the ramekins into the fridge and let them chill for at least 3 hours.
Edita Peery says
I have made this recipe at least 40 times it's so very simple and comes out looking like I'm a professional pastry chef.