Creme Brulee is one of my favorite easy dessert recipes. That’s right—Easy—and it requires only 5 ingredients to create this classic French dessert recipe. The creamy custard is topped with an irresistible, crunchy burnt sugar topping. This dessert will impress everyone who enjoys a cup!
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Helpful Reader Review
“Once I started making this at home, I had to quit ordering it at restaurants because I’m always disappointed. Your recipe is THE. BEST. crem brulee I’ve ever had!” – Sene ★★★★★
Creme Brulee Video
Grab a few fridge staples to make these luxurious pots of silky Creme Brulee custard. I’ll show you how I use my blow torch to create that famous crisp sugar topping.
Easy Creme Brulee Recipe
I’m here to tell you that you can make this fancy crème brûlée recipe with just 5 simple ingredients in your very own kitchen, blowtorch and all. It’s also totally approachable! My teenage son makes this on his own (with some supervision of the blowtorch). Creme Brulee is his favorite dessert, and I’m definitely not complaining!
Crème Brûlée (pronounced “krem-broo-lay”) means “burnt cream” in French. It’s a classic dessert made from a creamy custard base topped with a layer of sugar. The sugar is then caramelized or “burnt” with a kitchen torch to create a hardened, crunchy top.
Creme Brulee Ingredients
Open your fridge (and pantry) to find the 5 staple ingredients needed to make creme brulee from scratch. So easy!
- Heavy Whipping Cream has a higher fat content to set the custard properly. You can substitute it with full-fat coconut milk or cream for a dairy-free creme brulee.
- Egg yolks – help set the mixture to create a rich and thick custard. Save the egg whites for Pavlova or an Egg White Omelette.
- Sugar – I use granulated sugar for the custard and the caramelized topping
- Salt – Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor.
- Vanilla – Use Homemade Vanilla or store-bought real vanilla extract, vanilla beans cut lengthwise and de-seeded, or vanilla paste.
How to Substitute Vanilla:
If you want to use a different form of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract is equal to the seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.
If you prefer a different flavor altogether, try my Espresso Crème Brûlée, and Pumpkin Crème Brûlée, so you’ll have a favorite for every season!
How to Make Crème Brûlée
Making vanilla creme brulee from scratch is simple! Check out my tips for what to do if you don’t have a blow torch:
- Warm the cream – heat heavy cream in a saucepan until steaming, and then add vanilla extract and remove from heat.
- Add the eggs – whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a separate bowl, and then slowly pour the hot cream into the mixture while whisking.
- Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (optional, but it helps ensure the silkiest consistency). Pour into 6 (4 oz) ramekins and then place them into a casserole dish.
- Water bath – add boiling hot water to the casserole dish, and bake the creme brulee at 325˚F for 30-35 minutes (if using larger ramekins, increase the baking time). Crème brûlée is done when the centers are nearly set, with a slight wobble when you give the pan a jolt. Overbaking will result in a firm, more flan-like consistency rather than a creamy custard. Cool on a wire rack, cover, and then refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.
- Caramelize the Sugar – Just before serving, swirl up to 2 tsp sugar evenly over the custards, and then torch the top using circular motions until the sugar becomes deep amber in color.
Pro Tip:
A small, inexpensive handheld multi-purpose torch does the job. I picked up mine at Home Depot along with a can of butane. Also, a flame-thrower torch borrowed from the garage will also work fine.
Can I Make Creme Brulee Without a Torch?
True, you won’t hear that iconic “crack,” but I’ve tested other ways to make the hard caramelized topping (including under an oven broiler), but they don’t turn out consistently. Save yourself some frustration, and instead and try these toppings instead:
- Fresh Raspberries – or mixed berries with a mint leaf for color
- Citrus – orange or tangerine segments with citrus zest
- Berry Sauce – homemade Strawberry Sauce, or berry sauce from our Panna Cotta
- Caramel – drizzle your creme brulee with Caramel Sauce or Butterscotch Sauce
- Shaved bittersweet chocolate also makes an easy substitute for the crackly sugar topping.
I hope you’re inspired to whip up some quick and easy creme brulee this week! It’s easily one of my favorite desserts to make whenever I entertain, since it’s effortlessly impressive and so tasty.
Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for caramelizing
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Warm the cream – Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Pour heavy cream into a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring frequently until steaming and almost at a simmer, then add vanilla and remove from heat.
- Add the eggs – In a medium bowl, whisk together 5 egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt until blended. While whisking constantly, gradually drizzle in the hot cream. Start very slowly to avoid scrambling 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 6 (4-oz) ramekins and place in a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Water bath – Fill the baking dish with boiling water about halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake at 325˚F for 30-35 minutes, depending on your ramekin size, or until the centers are nearly set and have just a slight wiggle in the center. Carefully transfer ramekins from the water bath to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate creme brulee until fully chilled (2 hours or up to 3 days).
- Caramelize sugar** – When ready to serve, put 1 1/2 to 2 tsp sugar on each custard, swirling to spread evenly. Use a Blowtorch over the top, moving in a circular pattern until the whole surface is caramelized to a deep amber color.
Notes
Storage:
- Make Ahead: The custard can be made 3 days in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. You’ll want to wait until serving to add the sugar topping; otherwise, the humidity of the refrigerator will soften the caramelized topping.
- To Refrigerate – cool the custard in under 2 hours, cover tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn’t touch the top, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: It’s also possible to freeze creme brulee, though it may reduce the quality of the custard a bit. Prepare and bake the custard as directed, leaving off the sugar topping. Once the ramekins have cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, then top them with sugar and torch them as usual before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Single-Serving Desserts
Once you try this easy crème brûlée recipe, check out my other single-serve dessert recipes, perfect for Valentine’s Day or a special occasion.
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Apple Roses
- Chocolate Mousse
- Mini Cheesecakes
- Cream Puffs
- Strawberry Shortcakes
- Lemon Posset
- Raspberry Macarons
- Eclairs
- Chocolate Soufflé Recipe
made these last night, they were absolutely brilliant, even got a hard top😂😂😁.
thank you Natasha :):)
So glad to hear that it was a success! Thanks for sharing.
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
That’s so awesome Katie! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Would it be possible to make this dessert with stevia for a sugar free version?
Hi Jess, to be honest, I have not tested that with stevia to advise and I’m not sure how much of the recipe will need to be modified to accommodate. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
I can’t wait to try this recipe it looks sooo yummy!!!!
Thank you Stephanie, I hope you already have all of the ingredients – I love it when that happens!
Your. video on making creme brûlée and your recipe do not match. Recipe calls for 5 egg yokes, video states 3 eggs?
Hi Alice, Great question! The recipe still works with 3 whole eggs. We updated the recipe today (the original was posted in 2009 – please see note at the very bottom of the post that details this. Unfortunately, there is no way to update that in the video. It will work either way, but we have been making it with 5 yolks and loving the results more.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Looks so tasty!!
The flavor is AMAZING! I’m so excited for you to try it! We look forward to your feedback Katie!
I made this today and it was delicious! My husband loves it too! A very easy to follow recipe and my first time using a torch ( that was fun!). I made you’re beef & broccoli yesterday and it was great too. Thank you Natasha for great, easy to follow recipes!
You’re welcome, Terri! Thank you for that thoughtful & amazing review!
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!