Home > Desserts > Tuxedo Creme Brulee Tuxedo Creme Brulee February 9, 2019 | 17 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Tuxedo Crème Brûlée is a chocolatey twist on the traditional crème brûlée recipe. This dessert has a chocolate ganache bottom, creamy custard filling, and a caramelized sugar topping. Top these custards with fresh berries and chocolate curls for a delicious show-stopping dessert. Once you’ve made (and fallen in love with) a traditional crème brûlée recipe, you’ve got to try this fun variation! This post includes step-by-step photos that will show you just how easy this fancy dessert is to make. One of my mother-in-law’s favorite treats is crème brûlée. (I’ll admit they’re one of my favorite desserts as well!) So when we got to have her stay with us after Elizabeth’s arrival, I knew I had to make a few batches! She told me of a crème brûlée she’d had at a restaurant with chocolate on top (no crispy topping). The chocolate lover in me was definitely intrigued… but my favorite part of this dessert is the crunchy caramelized topping! So I decided to put the chocolate on the bottom and keep the rest the same. To say we’re hooked is an understatement! My current dilemma now: this version or plain for Valentine’s Day dessert?! But first things first… What is a Tuxedo Crème Brûlée? A Tuxedo Crème Brûlée has a base layer of chocolate ganache on the bottom and then a layer of traditional crème brûlée (which is a vanilla custard). Everything is topped with a layer of caramelized sugar (using a kitchen torch or oven broiler) How do you make a homemade Crème Brûlée? If you want to try a traditional crème brûlée, check out this crème brûlée recipe. If you’re a huge chocolate fan, you may prefer this tuxedo version to the plain one – it’s just whatever you like best! How do you make Tuxedo Crème Brûlée? Start by preparing the ramekins: I’ve tested this recipe in 4-ounce, 5-ounce, and 6-ounce ramekins — it works great in all of them, but my preference is the 5-ounce ramekins. (I like the thickness of the crème brûlées best.) Chocolate ganache: Prepare the base! It’s as easy as heating heavy cream and adding some chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth and fill the bottom of the ramekins with the chocolate. Custard filling: The egg yolks, vanilla bean seeds, and sugar are beaten together until light and creamy. You’ll temper this mixture with hot heavy cream and then pour this mixture over the chilled chocolate ganache layer. Bake the custard filling: Place the ramekins in a 9×13-inch pan and fill the surrounding space with boiling water. It’s important to cook the crèmes brûlée in this water bath! Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center slightly jiggles. Chill the crèmes brûlée: Once baked, you’ll chill the crèmes brûlée for 3-4 hours. (The hardest part of making these!) Caramelize the tops: Add some sugar to the tops of your custards and torch them with a kitchen torch. Wait a minute and then these are ready to eat! There are several things you can do to perfect your crème brûlée; here are a few tips: Tips for the perfect Tuxedo Crème Brûlée: Room temperature ingredients: Make sure you set the eggs out to come to room temperature before using, so they won’t “cook” when the hot heavy cream is added. TIP: Separate eggs and yolks while the eggs are cold (easier to separate) and let the yolks sit out until they’re at room temperature. Don’t overbeat the mixture: Once you start seeing bubbles in the mixture, you know you’re done mixing. Overmixing adds too much air to the cream– which will alter the texture. Season: Adding a touch of salt to the brûlée and ganache mixtures helps intensify the flavors. Cook the crème brûlée in a water bath: Placing the ramekins in a tray of hot water helps to cook the custard evenly and slowly without burning. Use a kitchen torch: Getting that perfect hard-sugar top is much simpler than you’d think if you have a kitchen torch. Hold the torch about 6 centimeters away and don’t stay in any spot too long to avoid melting the custard beneath. Crystalizing happens for a second after you torch it. Keep this in mind, and stop burning a second before your think the top is done. If you prefer a little bittersweetness you can burn the top of the sugar a bit more to get that bittersweet flavor. More common mistakes (and how to avoid them) here! QUICK TIP French 101: Crème brûlée is French for ‘burnt cream.’ And that’s essentially what you do when you use the torch to create that hard topping. More desserts to try next: Snickerdoodles (Reader favorite!) Carmelitas 7 Layer Bars Bread Pudding Recipe Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Tuxedo Crème Brûlée 5 from 6 votes - Review this recipe Tuxedo Crème Brûlée is a chocolatey twist on a traditional creme brulee recipe. This dessert has a chocolate ganache bottom, creamy custard filling, and a caramelized sugar topping SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Tuxedo Crème Brûlée 5 from 6 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Tuxedo Crème Brûlée is a chocolatey twist on a traditional creme brulee recipe. This dessert has a chocolate ganache bottom, creamy custard filling, and a caramelized sugar topping Course Dessert Cuisine American, French Keyword tuxedo creme brulee Prep Time 25 minutes minutes Cook Time 30 minutes minutes Chilling Time 3 hours hours Total Time 3 hours hours 55 minutes minutes Servings 6 5-ounce ramekins Chelsea Lords Calories 633kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsChocolate Ganache Layer▢ 6 ounces chocolate, milk, dark, or semi-sweet (whatever you prefer!)▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream▢ 1/8 teaspoon kosher saltTop Layer▢ 1 full vanilla bean I like Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans (You can use 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)▢ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt▢ 2 cups heavy cream▢ 5 large egg yolks must be at room temperature ▢ 3/4 cup superfine white sugar divided▢ 6 cups water▢ Optional: fresh berries for servingUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsFor the chocolate ganache:Coarsely chop the chocolate. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the cream and bring to a just before a boil (don't boil). Reduce the heat to the lowest temperature. Add the chocolate and salt and whisk to combine until the chocolate has melted and the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Remove from heat.Divide the chocolate ganache evenly among all 6 ramekins so they are filled a little less than ¼ of the way full. Place the ramekins in the freezer and freeze for one hour.For the custard layer: Start by splitting the vanilla bean down the center. Scrape out all the seeds and place in a large bowl. Take the vanilla bean pod and place it in a small pot with sea salt and heavy cream.Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat the heavy cream mixture just until the cream is simmering. Do not boil! Remove from the stovetop and set aside to slightly cool. Remove the vanilla bean pod (If using vanilla extract, stir it in here).In the bowl with the vanilla bean seeds, add the egg yolks (I like to save the whites in a container for omelets during the week!) and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat until the mixture is light, about 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, place 6 cups of water in a large pot and heat to boiling.Add about 1/4 of the cream mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Then pour the (now-tempered) egg + sugar mixture into the remaining heavy cream mixture. Stir until combined. Remove the chocolate-filled ramekins from the freezer and place them in a metal 9x13 baking pan. Pour the prepared mixture evenly into the ramekins. (You should use up all the mixture between the 6 dishes.) Fill the baking pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until centers are barely set (very slight jiggle). Cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Alternatively, these can be refrigerated 4-5 days before use.When ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup superfine sugar on top of the custards. I find it helpful to use a little more sugar than needed to swirl the dish around and make sure the top is evenly coated with sugar (then just pour the extra sugar onto the next ramekin). Use a kitchen torch to heat the tops until the sugar melts and browns (or even slightly blackens) a bit. Top with fresh berries and enjoy immediately.Alternatively, if you want to use your oven, move the oven rack to the top position and heat the oven to a high broil. Once the oven is heated, add the custards topped with superfine sugar to a tray. Place the tray on that top shelf and watch carefully as they broil. It only takes 1-3 minutes, so watch closely to avoid burned crèmes brûlée. Nutrition FactsCalories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 1674IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I’ve done this prep for this Easter, test tasted it……. the creme is delicious but the chocolate is hard! Could it be 7oz of chocolate is too much or is 35% whipping cream too thick? Reply
Oh shoot! I think it might be slightly too much chocolate; an extra ounce could contribute to the harder layer. I wonder if it will soften a bit sitting out before torching the tops? Reply
Hi Chelsea, your recipe seems delicious, so I was thinking of giving it a go. However, all the measurements are in cups. Is there any way you could tell me what they are in grams / ml? Thanks, Christine Reply
I’m (slowly) working through adding grams to all my recipes; sorry I don’t have it on this one yet! Reply
This is a fantastic recipe. Always a huge hit. However, it has several steps, so read the recipe several times before beginning, and plan the timing carefully. Best to make a day ahead or start early in the morning if serving that day. I usually separate the eggs and leave the yolks to come to room temp while making and chilling the ganache. The hardest part of the recipe is getting the water around the ramekins and the pan (I use big turkey roasting pan because it has nice handles) into the oven and out of it without splashing water into the custard. Take the custards out of the fridge about 10 minutes before torching the sugar so the chocolate isn’t too hard when serving. Reply
I made this (a day ahead) for my family and it was big hit! The hardest part was knowing when it was done. How jiggly is done? But I got it right and was very pleased with the results. This recipe is a keeper. Reply
Hi! I have a quick question. Can you tell me the width of your 5oz ramekins? There are many different sizes of the 5oz., it ranges from 3.25″-4.8″ inches wide. I want to get the right ones so the measurements fit it correctly. Any feedback would be great, thank you! Reply
Perfection. Absolute perfection! I used deeper 8oz ramekins so it took about 40-45 minutes to set in the oven. Thank you for this recipe I will use time and time again! Reply
This sounds delicious! I plan to make this the day before serving but I am worried that the ganache layer will be hard. Any recommendations? Reply
I’ve never had a problem with it being too hard following the recipe as written. If you’re worried you can let them sit at room temperature for a little before torching Reply
