Easy Crème Brûlée

Easy Crème Brûlée features a smooth and silky vanilla custard, along with a caramelized, crisp topping. With just five ingredients, this is a simple, yet impressive dessert that everyone will love!

If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, then you may remember this Pumpkin Crème Brûlée from a few years ago. I make it every fall and the hubster and I l-o-v-e it.

So, it only seemed natural to add the classic crème brûlée recipe to the list. Not only is the dessert incredibly simple (seriously, it may seem like it’s time consuming, but it’s not), but it ready in less than an hour.

This easy crème brûlée recipe is also perfect for a make-ahead dessert. You can prepare this in advance and then caramelize the topping right before serving.

And did I mention this vanilla crème brûlée is just five ingredients? Yep, that’s all it takes for this elegant dessert.

Ingredients in Easy Crème Brûlée:

• Egg yolks
• Granulated sugar
• Heavy whipping cream
• Salt
• Pure vanilla extract

How to Make Easy Crème Brûlée:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for the water bath that will be used to bake the custard.
• In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture is a pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and salt over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Then whisk a small amount of cream into egg mixture to temper eggs.
• Whisk continuously while adding small amounts of the rest of cream into eggs.
• Place ramekins in a baking pan and add boiling water to pan to fill halfway up the sides of ramekins. This will help the custard set evenly.
• Pour mixture into each ramekin, filling almost to the top.
• Bake 25-35 minutes, or until edges are just set and center is jiggly. Keep a close eye on the oven at the 25-minute mark, as you don’t want to overbake (you’ll end up with a dense, eggy-type mixture). 
• Remove from oven and let cool completely to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight. 
• When ready to serve, sprinkle tops of each ramekin with granulated or superfine sugar. Spread the sugar around by picking up each ramekin and distributing it by swirling dish around. You want a very fine layer of sugar. You should almost be able to see the custard through sugar.
• If using a kitchen torch, heat the sugar until it is caramelized. Serve immediately. If broiling custards, place ramekins on a baking sheet and broil about 5-6 inches from heat for 4-7 minutes, or until sugars are caramelized. Be sure to rotate pan frequently while broiling so sugars don’t burn. Serve immediately.

What Does Crème Brûlée Mean?

The French words means a rich custard topped with caramelized sugar.

What Kind of Sugar Do You Put on Top?

While granulated sugar works well, I like to use superfine sugar when I have it in my pantry. Superfine sugar is finer than regular sugar, which means it has tiny crystals and will caramelize quickly. Granulated sugar takes slightly longer to caramelize.

How Do You Caramelize This Dessert?

The easiest way to get that crisp, caramelized topping is by using a kitchen torch. However, you can easily caramelize the tops using your oven broiler if you don’t have a kitchen torch. 

To caramelize the crème brûlée, sprinkle the top with a small amount of granulated sugar (or superfine sugar, if desired) and then swirl the dish with your hands to coat the brulee in an even layer. You don’t need a lot of sugar, just a thin layer provides the right amount of sweetness (and will take less time to caramelize). Once the sugar is evenly distributed, use the kitchen torch to lightly blast the suface. Don’t stay in one area too long, otherwise you will burn the top.

How to Make Crème Brûlée Without a Torch:

To make the brûlée without a torch, use your oven broiler. Place ramekins on a baking sheet broil 5-6 inches from top. Rotate the pan, if desired, and watch closely. The custard will go from slightly browned to burned very quickly. Tip: it takes longer, but I like to broil each ramekin, one at a time, so that I can make sure it is evenly browned.

Why is the Custard Eggy?

If you don’t temper the egg mixture properly when adding the hot cream, it will scramble the eggs.

Tips for Making the Best Homemade Crème Brûlée:

• Chose a ramekin that isn’t too big. I like to use shallow ramekins so the custard cooks more evenly (and quicker) than a deep ramekin would.
• Be sure to temper the egg yolks when adding the hot cream. Add a little cream at a time, whisking continuously. This will prevent the eggs from becoming scrambled. 
• Use a water bath. This creates a humid environment in your oven, which will help the texture remain smooth and silky. If you don’t use a water bath, the oven may make the texture slightly more rubbery. 
• Be careful not to overbake. The edges should just be set, with the center still slightly jiggly. I like to keep an eye on the oven around the 25 minute mark and go from there. The internal temperature should reach 170°F.

Looking for More Easy Dessert Recipes? I’ve Got You Covered!

• Easy One Bowl Brownies
• Cherry Pie Bars
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
• Blueberry Yogurt Cake
• Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake