Crème Brûlée may look fancy, but it’s incredibly easy to make! With a creamy custard filling and caramelized sugar topping, it’s a show-stopping dessert. Top with fresh berries for extra flair. This recipe comes from a pastry chef known for making the best Crème Brûlée!

Looking for other elegant yet effortlessly prepared desserts? Give our Cheesecake Bars, Cannoli Dip, or Tiramisu a try!

Golden creme brûlées with a crisp sugary top, garnished with fresh fruit.

Crème Brûlée

During my years working in a fine dining restaurant, I was privileged to learn how to make Crème Brûlée from a pastry chef who was renowned for crafting the best Crème Brûlée there. He generously shared his “secrets” and to my surprise, showed how truly simple it is to prepare!

This dessert is among the easiest to create, requiring just 5 ingredients and minimal hands-on preparation time. Its association with sophistication might stem from the use of ramekins and a kitchen torch. But once you have those tools, you’ll be surprised at how easily this dessert comes together. 

Also, Crème Brûlée is the ultimate make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the custard well in advance, store it in the fridge, and then add the signature caramelized sugar topping just before serving.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the process and share my top tips. Let’s get started!

Quick Tip

Here’s how to pronounce Crème Brûlée: krem broo-LAY.

Ingredients spread out for making the creme brûlée recipe, including eggs, sugar, and cream.

Ingredients in Creme Brûlée

Create the most delicious Crème Brûlée with just five simple ingredients.

  • Vanilla: You can use a vanilla bean, vanilla paste, or vanilla extract. Vanilla adds a really nice flavor.
  • Salt: Just a pinch of sea salt for flavor and to balance the sweetness.
  • Heavy Cream: This makes the custard creamy and rich.
  • Egg Yolks: The yellow part of large eggs. They make the custard thick. Use leftover whites in our Meringue Cookies recipe; they pair wonderfully with this dessert!
  • Sugar: You’ll need some sugar for sweetness and to create the caramelized top.

Quick Tip

Crème Brûlée is French for ‘burnt cream‘ due to its crispy, caramelized sugar topping on the custard. While the topping may appear browned, and even slightly blackened, take care not to burn it!

Separating egg yolks into a bowl and adding sugar, in preparation for making Crème Brûlée.Tempering the eggs with cream for this dessert.How To Make Creme Brulee

  1. Prepare Vanilla: Scrape seeds from the bean.
  2. Infuse Cream: Heat cream with the vanilla pod for flavor. Add in salt.
  3. Mix: Whisk vanilla seeds, egg yolks, and sugar. Slowly add the warm cream, stirring until smooth.
  4. Bake: Pour mixture into ramekins. Use a water bath (a larger pan with hot water) for baking. Bake until the custards are just set with a slight jiggle in the center. 
  5. Chill: Cool and refrigerate Crème Brûlées for 6-8 hours.
  6. Caramelize: Before serving, sprinkle sugar atop each custard and torch until golden.

Quick Tip

Crème Brûlée Texture: Crème Brûlée should have a thick custard-like consistency similar to thick full-fat Greek yogurt. Its taste should be velvety, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth rich.

Use a torch to caramelize the sugar on top, resulting in a golden and crisp surface.

Tips For Success

  • Ramekin Size: You can use 4-ounce, 5-ounce, or 6-ounce ramekins based on your preference. Larger ramekins will yield thicker custards and take slightly longer to bake.
  • Egg Yolks: Organic eggs with deep-colored yolks work best to give your Crème Brûlée custard a rich and vibrant color.
  • Vanilla Bean vs. Extract: Using a real vanilla bean adds both visual appeal and an incredible flavor to your custard. However, high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste are good alternatives.
  • Tempering Eggs: To avoid curdling when mixing the hot cream into the eggs, temper the eggs by adding the hot liquid slowly.
  • Superfine Sugar: For the sugar topping, use superfine sugar as it caramelizes better and forms a delicious crispy layer.
  • Water Bath: Baking the custards in a water bath ensures even cooking and prevents cracking. Be careful not to get any water into the custard cups. Read more about water baths here.
  • Chilling Time: Allow the custards to chill for at least 6-8 hours (overnight is best!) in the fridge. This step is crucial for achieving the perfect texture.

    Delicious easy creme brûlée with a caramelized top, garnished with fresh fruit.

    Crème Brûlée FAQs

    Is Creme Brûlée Hot?

    Crème Brûlée is served cool or at room temperature. The custard is chilled, and the sugar topping is caramelized just before serving, creating a warm, crispy layer. It’s not served hot.

    When Is Custard Done Baking?

    Crème Brûlée is done when the edges are set but the center slightly jiggles; it will firm up when cooled and refrigerated.

    Can You Make Crème Brûlée Without A Torch?

    To caramelize Crème Brûlée in the oven, position the rack at the top and broil on high. Place custards sprinkled with superfine sugar on a tray on the top shelf, and broil for 1-3 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.

    Finished creme brûlée with a perfectly caramelized top, spoon revealing its creamy center.

    Créme Brûleé tools

     Créme Brûleé does require a few specialty tools, and below are exactly what I use:

    What To Serve With Créme Brûleé

    Crème Brûlée is a decadent dessert on its own, but you can elevate it even more by pairing it with one or a couple of the following:

    4.93 from 57 votes

    The Best Crème Brûlée

    Crème Brûlée may look fancy, but it's incredibly easy to make! With a creamy custard filling and caramelized sugar topping, it's a show-stopping dessert. Top with fresh berries for extra flair. This recipe comes from a pastry chef known for making the best Crème Brûlée!
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Chilling Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 50 minutes
    Servings: 5 5-ounce ramekins (6 4-ounce ramekins, 4 6-ounce ramekins)

    Equipment

    • Ramekins & Kitchen Torch (Note 1)

    Ingredients 
     

    • 1 full vanilla bean (or 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 5 large egg yolks, must be at room temperature (Note 2)
    • 3/4 cup white sugar, divided (superfine sugar if you have it!)
    • 6 cups water
    • Optional: fresh berries for serving

    Instructions 

    • PREP: Preheat oven to 325°F.
    • VANILLA: If using a vanilla bean, slice it open and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds in a large bowl. Place the empty pod in a pot, combined with salt and heavy cream.
    • CREAM: Heat the cream mixture on the stove until it simmers, without boiling. (Low heat for about 10 mins.) Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pod. Stir in vanilla extract or paste if you're using those instead.
    • EGG YOLKS: Meanwhile, in your bowl with vanilla seeds, add egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk (by hand) until combined. Simultaneously, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.
    • TEMPER EGGS: Do not whisk too briskly or you'll end up with a custard that rises and falls or lots of bubbles on the surface. While whisking at a slow and steady pace, gradually pour in 1/4 of the warmed cream mixture into the egg and sugar blend. Mix until combined, then continue to add the remaining cream mixture, while whisking consistently.
    • ADD TO RAMEKINS: Position ramekins in a 9×13-inch pan. Pour the custard mixture into the ramekins, filling almost to the top. Carefully (using a glass liquid measuring cup) scoop boiling water from pot to the pan until it's halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
    • BAKE: Carefully transfer to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the custards are set (with a slight jiggle in the center when you gently shake). Remove from water bath and allow to cool at room temperature and then chill in fridge for 6-8 hours (or up to 4-5 days).
    • TORCH TOPS: When ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the custards. Swirl the sugar for even coverage, tipping excess into the next ramekin. Caramelize the sugar using a kitchen torch until it's golden or slightly charred. Garnish with fresh berries and serve immediately.
    • ALTERNATIVE CARAMELIZATION (NO TORCH): Ensure brûlées are chilled for at least 24 hours. Adjust oven rack to topmost and set to high broil. Broil sugar-topped custards for 1-3 minutes, watching very closely. Then refrigerate for 10-20 minutes to re-firm custard.

    Video

    Recipe Notes

    Note 1: Tools: Here are the ramekins I use and love. This is our favorite kitchen torch.
    Note 2: Eggs: For quick room temperature eggs, immerse un-cracked eggs in warm water for 3-5 minutes. Alternatively, separate cold eggs and allow the yolks to reach room temperature in a bowl.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 315mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 90mg | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1645IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

     

    Meet Chelsea


    Hi there! I’m Chelsea–the recipe developer, photographer, writer, and taste tester behind Chelsea’s Messy Apron (although my little ones help me out quite a bit with the taste testing part!). I LOVE getting creative in the kitchen and then posting my creations here for you to enjoy.

    Thanks again for stopping by!

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    4.93 from 57 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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    136 Comments

    1. JOanne Martin says:

      Hi Chelsea, First and foremost I love your recipes. Chelsea, if I wanted to add grand marnier for that extra orange flavour, would you recommend and if so how much?

    2. Marie says:

      I f this is creme brûlée for you, you ve been in Europe!!!

    3. Janis says:

      5 stars
      This was so good! Better than any restaurants cream brûlée that I have had, this will be my go to recipe for sure.

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        Awe yay!! Made my day to hear that 🙂 Thanks Janis!

    4. Binny Foland says:

      5 stars
      My very favorite dessert and one that I make frequently. Gives that sense of a little taste of sweet without being over filling

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        So glad to hear that, thank you!

    5. Stephanie Rice says:

      I’m getting ready to make the recipe for the first time and I’m so excited but I’m bummed because I could only find 9 oz ramekins at the store. Any suggestions for using such a big ramekin? More cooking time maybe?

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        I’d watch bake time carefully! I’ve never tried creme brulee in that big of a ramekin so I’m not sure how it will do; sorry!

        1. Stephanie Rice says:

          I had to bake for about 10 min more but it came out great!

          1. Chelsea Lords says:

            So happy it worked out well!! 🙂

    6. Kayla says:

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! First time making creme brûlée, and this recipe was so easy to follow, and has so much flavor! Thank you!!

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed this recipe 🙂

    7. Julie says:

      5 stars
      Your recipe was the first crème brûlée recipe I ever tried, and it was SO EASY. I couldn’t believe I mastered this dessert in one try, and now I make it all the time. I’ve used vanilla pods, and also extract when I ran out. I whisk everything by hand, but that’s just personal preference. The key is all about the “temp” – use room temperature eggs, don’t boil the cream, and be sure to temper when adding it to the eggs. I add a little less than your recipe states at a time, whisking constantly, and it turns out great every time! Thanks for the details in this – it really helps!

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        So thrilled to hear you’ve loved and been successful with this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂

    8. Missy says:

      Terrible video. I don’t know about other people however I don’t want to watch you I want to see what you are doing. Please close ups of your techniques.

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        Sorry you didn’t find it helpful

    9. Laura Bonthond says:

      5 stars
      This recipe is amazing! My husband used his bbq torch and it’s perfect! My son ask if we can make this for breakfast! Lol 😂

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        LOL! So glad it was a hit 🙂

    10. Mike says:

      Miss Chelsea, my wife and I had a mocha/chocolate flavor creme brulee once. Do you have any modifications to achieve this flavor with your recipe?

      Great recipe btw! Voted the best by my Family. I have tried at least 2 others and it was unanimously agreed that yours was best!

      1. Chelsea Lords says:

        Oooh that sounds delicious! I’ll add it to my list to experiment 🙂 So glad this was enjoyed I’m thrilled to hear it was the best 🙂