French · Dessert

Classic French Crème Brûlée

Vanilla custard under a thin, glassy layer of deeply caramelized sugar.

Total Time4 hr 10 min
Servings4
Cooking MethodOven
Cooking difficulty
Four French crème brûlée ramekins with caramelized sugar tops and one cracked crust
Serving photo is illustrative. This ingredient list makes 4 servings, about 150 g each.
From the Recipe Editor

About This Dish

A low water-bath bake keeps the custard smooth, while thorough chilling creates the contrast beneath the warm brittle crust.

Take It Offline

Keep this recipe in your kitchen

Your first beautifully formatted offline recipe is free. Choose a print-ready PDF or a high-resolution JPEG card.

Stages

  1. Custard25 min
  2. Water-Bath Bake45 min
  3. Chill and Caramelize3 hr

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1

    Warm the cream with the split vanilla bean until steaming, then cover and infuse for 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Whisk the yolks with 50 g of sugar and the salt without incorporating excessive air.

  3. 3

    Temper the yolks with the warm cream, strain, and divide among four 150 ml ramekins.

  4. 4

    Bake in a hot water bath at 150 °C for 35–45 minutes until the centers still wobble slightly.

  5. 5

    Chill for at least 3 hours, sprinkle with the remaining sugar, and caramelize just before serving.

Share This Recipe

Want to share this recipe with family or friends?

Copy a ready-to-send message or a safe HTML link for your website, blog, email, or chat.

From Your Kitchen

How popular is Classic French Crème Brûlée?

Choose the score that best reflects how much you enjoyed this dish. Your vote will become part of the community average.

Choose a popularity score

Your email is encrypted and retained only to prevent duplicate ratings for this recipe and to send one thank-you message.