Crème Brûlée with Vanilla Custard
Silky vanilla bean custard topped with a shattered caramelized sugar crust—the quintessential French dessert that's elegant yet achievable at home.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 6g
Ingredients
- 2 cup Heavy cream
- ½ cup Whole milk
- 1 whole Vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 5 whole Egg yolks
- ½ cup Granulated sugar (for custard)
- 3 tbsp Granulated sugar (for topping)
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 325 °F (163 °C). Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a medium saucepan, then add the split vanilla bean and its scraped seeds. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is steaming and just beginning to show bubbles around the edges, about 5–7 minutes; do not boil.
- 2
While the cream heats, whisk together the egg yolks and 0.5 cup sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and thick, about 2–3 minutes of whisking. Add the salt and set aside.
- 3
Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling the eggs. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and vanilla bean pieces, pressing gently with a spatula.
- 4
Divide the custard evenly among four 6-oz ramekins. Arrange the ramekins in a large baking dish, then pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins (this is a water bath). Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the custards are set around the edges but still jiggle slightly in the very center when gently shaken.
- 5
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours, until completely chilled and set.
- 6
Remove the ramekins from the refrigerator 5–10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar evenly over each custard. Using a kitchen torch, hold the flame 2–3 inches above the sugar surface and move it in circular motions until the sugar melts and turns deep amber, about 1–2 minutes per ramekin.
- 7
Let the brûléed sugar cool and harden for 1–2 minutes; it will crackle and set into a hard shell. Serve immediately while the caramelized top is still crisp and the custard beneath is cold.
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