Quick Creme Brulee Recipe – with or without a torch!
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You can make this creme brulee recipe for your family or a party and really surprise your guests! They’ll think you spent loads of time on it because it looks so fancy and tastes heavenly.
You’ll be surprised at how fast and easy it is to make and can be made even 2 to 3 days in advance, which makes it a great party desert.
Watch How To Make Creme Brulee Recipe:
Ingredients for Creme Brulee:
2 cups heavy cream
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar (plus extra for caramelizing)
3/4 tsp real vanilla extract
Mixed berry Sauce Ingredients (Optional):
4 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries keep their form best)
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
What you will need:
-Ovenproof ramekins or custard cups
-A handheld torch. Your husband (or wife) may have one in the garage. We purchased this one at a hardware store. You can also use a heat gun or caramelize the sugar right under a broiler. It doesn’t have to be specifically for creme brulee.
If you don’t have a torch, you can make the berry sauce as a topping, which tastes great and you can make it ahead!
How to make Creme Brûlée:
Pre-heat the oven to 300°F
1. Heat heavy cream, in a sauce pan, almost to a simmer, stirring frequently.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until blended.
3. Slowly/gradually stir in the hot cream and vanilla. Start very slow or you may scramble your eggs.
4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a pouring lip. Discard anything left in the sieve. Divide the mixture into 8 (4 oz) cups and place in a large baking dish.
5. Fill the baking dish with boiling water about halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake at 300˚F for 35 minutes. Once out of the oven, remove from hot water bath, let cool to room temp then cover and refrigerate creme brulee until fully cooled.
To caramelize the top:
1. Put 1 to 2 tsp sugar on each custard, swirl to spread evenly. Torch the top – moving in a circular pattern until the whole surface is caramelized to a deep amber color.
Note: if you are making the creme brûlées in advance, make this sugar topping before serving them. The sugar topping can liquify if you refrigerate it for very long.
Optional Berry Sauce Instructions (If you don’t want to torch the top):
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cornstarch and lemon juice. As soon as it starts to thicken, add berries and cook until lightly bubbly. Don’t boil. Let cool to room temp and spread on top of the creme brûlée just before serving. You can make this sauce ahead of time and serve the next day as well.
Quick Creme Brûlée Recipe - with or without a torch!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Creme Brulee:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar plus extra for caramelizing
- 3/4 tsp real vanilla extract
Mixed berry Sauce Ingredients (optional):
- 4 cups frozen mixed berries blueberries keep their form best
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp sugar
What you will need:
- 8 4 oz Ovenproof ramekins or custard cups
- A handheld torch or use the berry sauce option below
Instructions
How to make Creme Brulee: Pre-heat the oven to 300°F
-
Heat heavy cream, in a sauce pan, almost to a simmer, stirring frequently.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until blended.
-
Slowly/gradually stir in the hot cream and vanilla. Start very slow or you may scramble your eggs.
-
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a pouring lip. Discard anything left in the sieve. Divide the mixture into 8 (4 oz) cups and place in a large baking dish.
-
Fill the baking dish with boiling water about halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake at 300˚F for 35 minutes. Once out of the oven, remove from hot water bath, let cool to room temp then cover and refrigerate creme brulee until fully cooled.
To caramelize the top:
-
Put 1 to 2 tsp sugar on each custard, swirl to spread evenly. Torch the top - moving in a circular pattern until the whole surface is caramelized to a deep amber color.
Optional Berry Sauce Instructions (If you don't want to torch the top):
-
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cornstarch and lemon juice. As soon as it starts to thicken, add berries and cook until lightly bubbly. Don’t boil. Let cool to room temp and spread on top of the creme brûlée just before serving. You can make this sauce ahead of time and serve the next day as well.
Recipe Notes
if you are making the creme brûlées in advance, make this sugar topping before serving them. The sugar topping can liquify if you refrigerate it for very long.
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
*We use our hand-held torch to make the topping.
*We used our 4 oz ramekins to bake brûlées.
*The OXO strainer/sifter is totally multi-purpose!
*So handy to have a giant 2 Qt measuring cup
natashaskitchen
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Typically it’s using the whole egg (whites and yolk) that make the dessert eggy. Using only yolks works best, don’t you think?
Hi Mary, Most of the recipes I’ve seen have just egg yolks, but I tested it both ways and loved using the whole egg; less waste and the texture was so smooth and creamy. I’ve made it countless times!
Hi would making a caramel sauce ahead make any difference?
Hi Fariha, I’m not sure I understand your question. This recipe doesn’t call for caramel sauce. If you are making the creme brûlées in advance, make this sugar topping before serving them. The sugar topping can liquify if you refrigerate it for very long.
I made this recipe a few days ago and while creamy, the egg taste for me was overwhelming. My husband thought it was fine. He likes eggs and I don’t so I may have been more sensitive to the taste. I did use pastured eggs which may have made a difference.
Hello. The recipe looks delicious. I have 4 0z ramekins but the are the shorter oval ones so are spread out more. Do you have any idea how much I should shorten the baking time? I’m hoping I can get water 1/2 way up easily because it is not much room but they are supposedly Creme Brulee ramekins so I assume it will work. If the recipe turns out, we are doing 40 for a party. Do you know if I could double or triple (or quadruple lol) the recipe without any issues or would it be better to just do one batch at a time? Ty for the recipe
Hi Shelby! I haven’t tested that in the shorter ramekins, I think that should work but I can’t advise on bake time without experimenting. If you test that out I’d love to know how you liked that!
Can I use only 2 extra large eggs??
Hi Dee, it’s kind of tough to guess on this one without testing it myself to be sure it would set up properly. The egg is what makes the creme brûlée set. The recipe calls for 3 large eggs and the extra large are not that much more different in size. I would recommend getting it as close to 3 as possible. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I’m going to give this recipe a try after a different one didn’t quite work, to save me any more drama, do you know why they might rise up and then sink creating a well that is hard to torch? do I need to prepare the sides so they sink evenly should they not be rising up so much in the first place/
Hi Stacey, I honestly haven’t had that happen, did you make any alterations to the recipe?
Love these old videos you seem sure much more natural and comfortable good job👍
Thank you for your feedback, Rose!
Hi Natasha, I have made this several times and got to say this is the easiest recipe i found online ane extremely delicious!
My favorite part is caramelizing the sugar on top using my butane torch.
Thanks for sharing. you are amazing.
Jane @ NewportButane.com
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
It tasted very eggy almost like if the egg was fried
Hi Joey, I haven’t had that experience but I am always happy to help troubleshoot. Was anything changed in the recipe (ingredients or process?)
Hi, Natasha, I loved the recipe… never had better, nor here neither in Paris.
I added a little more sugar in it on my second time cause we are like ants here, lol. But texture was perfect and taste too. And above all, easy to make. Thanks for sharing
My pleasure Bella! That’s quite the compliment, I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hello,
Have you tried to put the cooled brulee in a spoon for individual serving ? Then brulee the top ?
HI Helene, I haven’t tried but it sounds like an interesting idea! If you try it and it works well, I hope you post a picture in our private Facebook group! 🙂
Hello, I tried this today and it had a really eggs taste I followed the recipe, any tips? How long does it have to be in the fridge before we put sugar on it and torch it?
Hi Ina, I haven’t had that experience but I suppose if you were very sensitive to the flavor of eggs, a substantial portion of this recipe is eggs so you would be able to sense them. I like for them to be at least at room temperature before torching the sugar onto the top. If it is chilled (cool to the touch), the surface is less likely to heat up too much while the sugar is being caramelized.
I owe you an apology! I’ve remade this 2 more times. One time I even used vanilla paste. Both times I used a torch and they were amazing! It must have been user error! This is my new go to recipe!
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Hey! This looks great. Can I make half the amount? (For 4 ramekins) If so, what would you change?
I noticed you say 8 ramekins but only do 6 in the photos…
Thanks!
Hi Johnny, sorry for the confusion of the older photos. We didn’t have enough space in our largest pyrex dish so we put the other 2 in a loaf pan and baked the pans side by side.
Hi Johnny, sorry to chime in. You should make 8, don’t make half the amount. I assure you will eat 2. Yes, they are that good. I made it 3 times within a week. You won’t regret.
This is an ok recipe. For me, the taste has a strong egg taste. I prefer more vanilla taste.
Hi Ebony, this doesn’t normally have a distinct eggy taste especially since it uses the whole egg and not just the egg yolks as many creme brûlées do. Did you change anything in the recipe?
I watched your video and then followed the written instructions. I didn’t make any changes to your recipe. I did however used my broiler to brûlée my sugar on top, maybe that’s the problem?!
Hi Ebony, I don’t think a broiler would have that unless it was left under the broiler for way too long. Have you had brûlée before? When comparing this to some of the restaurants I have enjoyed it in, this version is less “eggy” than others I have tried.
I used a torch to burn the sugar on top. It took a long time to get the desire result, but totally worth it. My understanding is if you use the broiler, the custard has to be very cold (let it sits in the fridge for few hours), and the broiler has to be very hot (quick burn) so the heat will not melt the custard.
Thank you for sharing that great tip!! 🙂
Yes, I’ve had it before. I absolutely love it, that’s why I was so excited with your recipe!! I’m going to make it again, it’s such an quick, inexpensive and easy recipe. Thanks so much for your quick replies!!
My pleasure Ebony! I’m glad you love it!
Hi Natasha, this recipe calls for 3 eggs. Am I using egg whites as well? Some recipes suggest egg yorks only. I am confused.
Hi Cecilia, I make mine with the whole egg 🙂
Hi Natasha. I made this 3 times over the holiday. They turned out perfect every time. Everyone loved them.
I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for the amazing review! 🙂
If I make the berry sauce the day before and put it in the fridge will it be too thick to spread on the creme brulee the next day? Btw made the recipe last week and it was delicious.. I did read that castor sugar caramelizes alot easier than regular sugar so I might give that a try the second time around 🤔
Hi Lidiya, The sauce will still be ok the next day to top the creme brûlées. 🙂
Awesome thanks! Hope you have a great thanksgiving!
Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving also! 🙂
Why do u add the water before baking them??
Hi Inna, the water in the pan helps the creme brûlées to cook up and set evenly without being overcooked at the edges.
I’m curious if you refrigerate for a day then take it out (cold) put sugar on top, fire it up then……how long can it sit on the counter waiting to be dessert? I’m sure it would be ok for an hour or so but what about possibly 4-5 hours head. Thank you for all your brulee recipes.
Hi Lexy, I do refrigerate overnight and then remove from the fridge, add sugar and fire up the top until it caramelizes. You can make the sugar topping 1 to 4 hours ahead and let it sit at room temperature 🙂
Hi there! Can I refrigerate for 4 hours instead of over night? Or is that too little time?
Hi Pamela, we have always let them set over night, 4 hours may be enough time depending on the thickness.
Ok i cooked them a little closer to an hour bec the last time, it came out liquidy. Last night, they came out great only after 2 hours in the fridge!🤣
That’s so great Pamela!
Has to be by far the simplest, quickest and best creme brûlée recipe!!
Awesome, I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing Danny!
Thank u so much for amazing recipies! I made today by ur recipies – stuffed peppers, marinated peppers, banana bread and want to make cream brûlée tonight. Can u believe 4 of ur recipies in one day? 🙂
I see on this video u Cooked on flat top stove. How do u clean it? I mean I don’t have any tough stains- when I do I use soda and water and I have special cleaner to make it shine. But from time to time I get little things Idk how to say it but it’s kinda like a stain but it’s not lol
Just tell me plz how do u clean urs clean? I keep mine clean all the time but little things bug me when I get them
Hi Alina, I’m completely impressed!! thank you for sharing that with me! As far as the stove cleaner, we used one from Walmart (we haven’t used it for 1 1/2 years since we have been living with my parents while building a house), but it was a good one – I just can’t remember the name of it. I believe it was in a black bottle – maybe the brand started with a “w”? Maybe?
Ok- thank u so much for a quick response.
I will b looking now at Walmart 🙂
I’m glad to hear that you guys building a house:) because I knew that u live with parents for a while. Good luck 🙂
My pleasure Alina! Thank you! 🙂
Hello !??
I can learn from it from your formula.
That’s very wonderful
Hello there! I’m happy to hear that! 🙂
hi natasha, is it possible to divide this recipe in half? would i use 1 egg?
Hi Lana, it’s kind of tough to guess on this one without testing it myself to be sure it would set up properly. The egg is what makes the creme brûlée set. I would probably start my test with 2 small eggs or 1 extra large egg. Sorry I can’t give you more precise instructions.
Thank you for this recipe Natasha we all loved our crème brulees 🙂
You’re welcome Toni! I’m glad to hear everyone enjoys it!
Hi Natasha,
Can I use foil ramekins? Thank you!
I have not tried that, but I think it could work. If you test it out, let me know how it works out.
I’m pretty sure this is the easiest recipe of creme brulee on the planet! I love that, it feels like cheating cause it still taste amazing😊
Anna, thank you for another great review and I totally agree with you 😬.
hi, i have a ton of 8oz ramekins…. just wondering will that mean i have to increase the baking time? is it better to divide the batter only half way of the 8 oz ramekins thus making it into 8 individual brûlée? or should i just go with filling it to the top into 4 of 8oz ramekins instead. i notice you use 8 of 4 oz. wondering what to do and about bake time? if you can help me out, maybe?hope this wasn’t confusing
Hi Liz, I can’t give you an exact baking time without testing it myself in full 8 oz ramekins, so I can really only recommend filling the 8 oz ramekins halfway and baking them as directed. It would definitely take longer if you fill 8 oz ramekins all the way and you will probably need a deep roasting pan to add enough water for the larger ramekins to bake properly.
Superb recipe, and not too difficult to make. Unfortunately I had no heavy cream so took a chance and use light cream. All was well: the Crème Brûlée was perfect. Thanks!
Yessss!! I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Thank you , I never made creme brûlée before. This was easy and it came out
Exactly way it looks . The taste
On spot 👍👍👌👌
Thanks for sharing
Renee
Thank you! 🙂 I’m so happy you liked it 🙂
Hello, I’m just wondering if I can substitute anything for the evaporated milk? btw I love your recipes and one has yet to fail me!
Hi Amy, I’m so glad you like my recipes! 🙂 I really haven’t tested evaporated milk in this recipe so I’m not sure if it would work. Sorry I can’t be more help.
Hi, if I make it in the 9×11 dish, do I still need to bake it in the water bath? And what temperature/time would it be for a dish that size? Thanks.
Hi Anna, Yes, for even cooking you would still want to use the water bath method. Bake for the same temp and time. Oh wait, did you mean pouring the entire amount in a 9×11 dish? If so, I haven’t really tested it that way so I can’t say for sure how it would bake or give you specific timings.
I was wondering how would it turn out if i would pour the entire thing in a 9×11 dish? i dat have separate little bowls like you did so i want to put it in a big dish so there would be enough for everyone at the party.
I haven’t tried that but I think that would work to put them into a 9×11 dish. If you test it that way, let me know how you like it! It may take a little longer bake for the center to set in a larger pan.
Also I don’t have a torch and we don’t have Berries this time of the year.. So how do I get the crunchy top of the brûlée ?
I think it works best with a torch but I have heard of it being done under a broiler.
Hi Natasha , I just have two ramekins was wondering how do adjust the amount of ingredients used and the baking time ?
Hi Fatima, it depends on the size of your ramekins. It would be difficult to scale this recipe down to just 2 servings without having really unusual measurements. The easiest way to scale it down would be to make 1/3 of the recipe (i.e. 2/3 cup heavy cream, 1 egg, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar and a small splash of vanilla), then scale down the topping accordingly. You could also make the full recipe to fill 2 ramekins and pour the rest in a pie dish or other oven-safe serving dish.
Have you made it a day or two ahead of time and did it actually taste good? As good?
Hi Karen, yes you can make this several days ahead of time and it will still be great. I love the make-ahead option because it’s great for parties. Keep them covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator and make the sugar topping just before serving. If you caramelize the sugar and then refrigerate it, the sugar will turn to liquid in the fridge – this is why I do the topping just before serving :). Enjoy!
Hi Natasha!
I was wondering if it’s ok if I use just regular liquid vanilla extract?
Hi Victoria, yes, absolutely! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I have tried this recipe before and I loved it. I do have a question though, what is the proper consistency of creme should be when you take it out of oven? Last time the middle was really wobbly so I added time in oven. It was still good just wondering if the wobbly portion gets more stiff once it cools off.
Hi Lily, The centers of the creme brulee’s should barely move when you wiggle the pan. The slightly wobbly portion does set when it’s chilled in the refrigerator.
Great recipe, easy to follow and love the video, but I totally forgot the vanilla. I’m devastated, is it going to taste terrible??
I don’t think it will taste terrible. It’s not exactly the same but it will still be enjoyable 🙂
Hi Natasha!
For a 2.5oz ramekin, do I proportional shorten the time in the oven?
Thank you very much!
Marta, bake creme brûlée for 25-30 minutes 😁.
Hi Natasha I loved the recipe and I wanna try it out but can I use fresh whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
I haven’t tested it with anything except heavy cream, so I’m not sure how it will turn out with the lower fat content. I think it would work, but without testing it, I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
How long do I leave them out to get the room temperature before I put them in the fridge?
Hi Shana, just until they get to room temperature and then you can refrigerate them. They will be ok at room temp for several hours but you can put them away just as soon as they are no longer warm.
Wow it looks amazing! My mom was looking for this recipe for a long time! We will try it right know! thanks so much 😀
You are welcome Rebekah, I hope you’ll love it :).
I have made this several times and got to say this is so easy and delicious! Can not be any easier to make. Thank you Natasha for the recipie and video:) you are amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I was so excited when I developed this recipe because it was so easy to make my favorite dessert! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I just took mine out of the oven and was trying to figure out why mine were golden on top/around the edges and yours weren’t and then realized that I preheated my oven to 350 instead of 300. Do you think I ruined my crème brulee?
It will still taste fine :). They might be a little overcooked, but still creamy and yummy.
Dear Natasha
Oh My! I am tickled pink I found your site. I think both you and your Mom are truly “Angels” to share your beautiful and delicious European recipes. I am a senior, have cooked for years for my family and loved every minute of it, so did they!
God Bless you, and your family as you await your beautiful daughter. Every Mother should have at least one.
I think you are wonderful and wish you all the very best
Thank you so much for your sweet and wonderful comment. I’m so happy and thankful to be having a girl. I always told myself that I’d be happy with all boys but I am truly so excited to have a daughter as well. God bless you Anne!
I would like to make this for a big party and don’t have enough ramekins. How could I make it in a platter? Would I still need to bake it in water and for how long?
I haven’t baked it that way so I can’t give you an exact baking time. It depends on if you are doubling the recipe and how big your baking dish is (i.e. how thick will the final product be). You will want to bake it until it’s nearly set in the center when you give it a little jolt. If you want to be safe, bake until there is no jiggle in the center. 🙂
I would like to try this recipe out looks yummy! But 8 ramekins is too much for just me and my husband. I’d like to divide the recipe in half. How much eggs would I need to use, 1-2?
I’d probably use 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk and cut everything else in half. Enjoy! 🙂
I’ve made the whole recipie for only my hubby and I and that last us for two day! I’m thinking of doubling recipie next time. It’s super delicious;) make the whole recipie you won’t regret it!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks Mila 🙂
Another way to get the crispy sugar on the top is if you put the oven on broil and get the cream brûlée as close at possible for a few second until it turns brown, but be carful the sugar can easily burn hope this help
Thank you so much for sharing that tip!! 🙂
Hi Natasha, what is the difference in using whole eggs and just egg yolks?
Most of the recipes I’ve seen have just egg yolks, but I tested it both ways and loved using the whole egg; less waste and the texture was so smooth and creamy. I’ve made it countless times!
Thank you, I tried this recipe and it tasted great!!!! I’m going to make for the 4th of July also,
Awesome! Happy 4th!!
Natasha, how long do I cool the creme brûlée for? Around?
oooh good question. I’d give it at a bare minimum 1 hour and 2 for good measure 🙂
Out of 6 only 2 set fully, the rest set a bit but still had very soft centers.
Definitely add more time if you’re filling 6 instead of 8. They should have little to no jiggle in the center when they are fully baked and they set more in the fridge as they cool.
Thank you!! It was my first time making them so I didn’t know what to expect and how they should look, I guess it’s just common sense, lol.. Thank you again, I will defiantly not make the same mistake. :))
if i want to make this creme burlee in a platter like this one :http://www1.bloomingdales.com/shop/product/apilco-by-deshoulieres-creme-brulee-dish-6?ID=514853&cm_mmc=Google_PLA-_-main-_-21882504424-_-mkwid_21882504424&gclid=CKS4gaatrbQCFSTZQgodRmkA6w how long would oven time be?
Bake at 325°F for about 30 to 40 minutes or until almost set but still a bit soft in the center. Custard should tremble a bit when the ramekin is shaken gently. It will firm up more as it cools. Hope this helps.
Where do you get the ramekins?
TJMaxx
How big is the cup!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are reffering to serving ramekins, they are 1/2 cup each. Hope this helps.
Hi Natasha, Can i ask u the measurement ? 1 cup is how many ml ? Thanks!
1 cup = 240 ml 🙂
thanks for reply natasha 🙂
This is awesome – I will probably come back to try and make this. I don’t have a torch – to this day I was not sure I was daring enough to try it – but I think I might finally get one. Hubby doesn’t have one.