- French
- Dessert
- Date Night
Classic Crème Brûlée
This Classic Crème Brûlée is the perfect marriage of elegance and comfort, with its silky vanilla custard and signature crackly caramelized sugar top. Infused with real vanilla bean and rich cream, this dessert is timeless and crowd-pleasing, ideal for dinner parties, special occasions, or simply treating yourself. Baked gently in a water bath for the perfect texture, then finished with a quick torch for that satisfying brûlée crunch, each bite is a balance of creamy, sweet, and crisp. Whether it’s your first time making it or a returning favorite, this recipe delivers restaurant-quality results every time.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 2½ hr
- Total
- 2 hr 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Instructions
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Infuse the cream
In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla bean pod. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is just about to boil. Do not let it boil. Once near boiling, reduce the heat to low and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Make the custard base
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and ½ cup of white sugar until well combined and slightly pale in color. Slowly pour half of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour in the remaining cream mixture and continue whisking until fully incorporated.
Strain and fill the ramekins
Strain the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids or cooked egg bits. Place 6 ramekins, approximately 5 ounces each, into a large sheet pan or deep baking dish. Evenly divide the custard mixture among the ramekins, filling each about ¾ full.
Bake in a water bath
Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan around the ramekins, filling the pan until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer the pan to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even cooking. The custards are done when just set with a slight wobble in the center.
Cool and chill
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the cooled ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Brûlée and serve
When ready to serve, sprinkle a thin, even layer of white sugar over the surface of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar by moving the flame in small circles until a golden, glassy crust forms. Let the sugar harden for about 1 minute, then serve immediately.
Recipe by
Russell Toris
@russell-toris