Introduction: Creme Brûlée

About: Hello and Welcome to In the Kitchen With Matt. I am your host Matt Taylor. My goal for the show is to teach you how to cook really good food at home for cheap. Eating out everyday can get expensive, but it doe…

Time to get fancy. In this Instructable, I will show you how to make creme brulee from scratch. This easy homemade creme brulee recipe is so tasty and one of my favorite desserts. I even eat it for breakfast, haha. It is also perfect for Valentine's Day or any other special occasion. If I can do it, you can do it. Let's get started!

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Follow the easy steps below or watch the video tutorial or do both!

Step 1: Ingredients and Tools

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (237ml)
  • 1 cup of whole milk (237ml) (or use 2 cups of cream)
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
  • 1/8th tsp of salt, or just a pinch
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar
  • Sugar to melt on top

Tools:

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Step 2: Heat the Milk and Cream

Combine the milk, cream, salt, and vanilla extract in a pot. Heat on medium-low heat until just shy of a boil. Right around 200 F/93C. There will be tiny bubbles around the edges and the surface in the middle will be moving but not quite bubbling. Stir occasionally while it is heating up. It will take 7 to 10 minutes for this part.

NOTE: Lots of people substitute the milk for more cream, which is a very common thing to do. I like the end result that the combo of both milk and cream gives me.

TIP: To use a vanilla bean, slice it down the middle and scrape the vanilla seeds and place those in the milk/cream mixture along with the pod and heat.

Once it heats up, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 3: Separate Those Eggs

Now remove the yolks from the egg whites. I just shuffle the yolk in between two halves of the shell and allow the egg white to fall into a bowl. Place the yolks in a medium bowl.

NOTE: Save those egg whites and make an omelet, angel food cake, meringue cookies, etc. Any recipe that requires egg whites.

Add the sugar to the egg yolks and gently stir with a wooden spoon, until it gets creamy and pale yellow, about a minute or two. Don't use a whisk, it is too easy to make the mixture foamy, and we don't really want that.

Step 4: Add That Milk/cream

Now pour a little bit of the warm cream/milk through a strainer into the egg yolk mixture. The strainer catches things like vanilla seeds and other stuff. If you don't use the vanilla bean, it isn't necessary, but I still like to do it.

Stir that into the egg yolk mixture. This is tempering the egg yolks. If you pour hot cream all at once, you might inadvertently cook the egg yolks.

Then pour in a little more, at this point it will be about a third of the mixture that has been mixed in. Once that is done, you can pour the rest in and gently stir until well-combined.

Your custard base is ready!

Step 5: Fill Those Ramekins

Pour the custard base into a liquid measuring cup or something that has a spout. It just makes it easier to pour it into the ramekins.

Then fill up your ramekins to the line. I always pour it through the strainer again when I do this. It ensures a super smooth and creamy creme brulee.

I like to use the standard 6 oz ramekins, but you can use 4 oz ones as well. Or the classic shallow wider ramekins.

Step 6: Water Bath and Non Water Bath

Preheat the oven to 210F/98 C

Fill up a 13x9-inch baking pan with about an inch deep of really hot water, or about 4 cups worth. Place the ramekins inside.

The water bath is known as a bain-marie. It helps the thicker ramekins bake evenly, and the moisture in the oven keeps them from cracking.

However, if you use the wide shallow ramekins, you can do the dry method, meaning no water bath.

Step 7: Bake and Chill

Now it is time to bake that custard. If using the water bath, bake for 60 minutes. Then turn the heat up to 300F/148C for 15 to 20 minutes. Bake just until there is a slight wobble in the middle. It is very easy to tell. Just use an oven mitt and gently shake the pan.

NOTE: If using the shallow ramekins, you can forgo the water bath, just bake them dry and it will only take 45 to 55 minutes.

Some recipes call for 325F for 45 to 60 minutes when using the water bath. I kind of like the first option I mentioned better, bake for a longer time and at a lower heat. It produces a better texture for the custard in my opinion.

Once they have baked and have a slight wobble in the middle. Remove them from the oven. Let them sit in the water bath for a few minutes, then remove them and allow them to cool to room temperature, for 30 to 45 minutes.

Then chill in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or even overnight. Don't rush this. :)

Step 8: Sugar and Fire!

Now for the fun part! Well, it is all fun, but this is the best part, melting that sugar with a kitchen torch! haha.

Take a tsp of sugar and tap the spoon with your index finger to allow a little sugar to fall off and onto the top of the custard. Move the spoon around tapping it, so it drops the sugar evenly on the top.

Now use your butane kitchen torch and hold it about 2 to 3 inches from the top of the custard. Move the torch in small circles gently melting the sugar. Don't stay in one spot too long. The sugar with eventually caramelize. If you hold it too long it will burn and get bitter. It should be a nice golden amber color. Don't fret if you actually burn it, though. It takes a little practice.

Once done allow it to cool for about 2 minutes, so the top can harden.

NOTE: You can try using the oven broiler, it doesn't work that well, but it is an option.

Once the melted sugar hardens, you should be able to lightly tap the top of it, and hear that pleasant sound. Then dive in with your spoon and crack through it. Oh yeah, so yummy!!

I hope you enjoyed learning how to make creme brulee at home. :)

*Print the full recipe here if you want.

Step 9: Video Tutorial

Now watch those steps in action with this video tutorial.