This is a classic baked vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar crust — six ramekins, about an hour of active work, and a result that looks far more impressive than the effort involved. The custards bake hands-off and chill overnight, which makes this one of the better desserts to make ahead when you’re feeding a group. Five ingredients, no special skills required beyond patience.
Ingredient notes
- Heavy cream: Use cream with at least 36% fat. Half-and-half will give you a looser, less rich custard that doesn’t set as cleanly.
- Vanilla bean vs. extract: A whole vanilla bean gives you visible specks and a slightly deeper flavor, but 1 tsp of good vanilla extract works fine. Skip imitation vanilla — it turns bitter when heated.
- Egg yolks: Five yolks for six servings is correct. More yolks make the custard firmer and more stable, which is actually helpful if you’re making a double batch. Reserve the whites for meringue or freeze them.
- Sugar for the crust: Regular granulated sugar works, but superfine (caster) sugar melts more evenly under the torch and is less likely to leave burnt patches. Worth buying a small bag if you’re making this for guests.
Before you start
The two things that actually determine whether this works are temperature control and the water bath. When you add warm cream to the egg yolks, go slowly — a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly. Rush it and you’ll scramble the eggs before the custard ever hits the oven. The water bath matters just as much: it keeps the oven heat gentle and even, so the custard sets without cracking or turning rubbery around the edges. Use boiling water, not tap water, so the baking time stays accurate. If you’re doubling the recipe, use two baking dishes rather than crowding one — the ramekins need water halfway up their sides to cook properly.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the straining step: Even if your cream looks smooth, strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve before pouring into ramekins. This catches any cooked egg bits and gives you a cleaner texture.
- Overbaking: The custards should still wobble in the center like set Jell-O when you pull them — not liquid, but not firm. They firm up more as they chill. If the edges are puffed or cracked, they’ve gone too far.
- Torching too much sugar at once: A thick layer of sugar looks like more crust, but it takes longer to caramelize and often burns on top before it melts underneath. A thin, even layer — just enough to cover the surface — gives you a better crack.
- Torching warm custard: The custard must be fully chilled before you torch it. A warm custard will melt and lose its set under the heat of the torch. Chill overnight if you’re serving to guests — skip the garnish, it’s not worth the extra dish.
- Uneven ramekin fill: If some ramekins are fuller than others, they’ll need different baking times. Pour from a jug and try to keep the levels consistent so everything comes out of the oven at the same time.
Classic Crème Brûlée
Equipment
- 6 oz (180ml) ceramic ramekins (set of 6)
- Deep baking dish or roasting pan (large enough to hold 6 ramekins)
- Medium saucepan
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Kitchen torch
- Mixing bowl (large)
- Kettle or pot for boiling water
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream 480ml, preferably organic
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g, plus extra for caramelizing
- 5 large egg yolks reserve whites for another use
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F / 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Place a folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a deep baking dish or roasting pan large enough to hold 6 ramekins — the towel prevents them sliding and insulates the bases.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of heavy cream with the seeds scraped from one vanilla bean. Heat gently over medium-low heat just until bubbles form around the edges—do not boil. Remove from heat and let it infuse for 10 minutes.2 cups heavy cream, 1 whole vanilla bean
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup (100g) sugar and 5 egg yolks until the mixture is pale, thick, and falls in ribbons from the whisk — about 2 minutes. Slowly pour the warm vanilla cream into the yolk mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. If the cream is too hot to touch comfortably, let it cool for a few minutes first — it should be warm, not scalding.2 cups heavy cream, 1 whole vanilla bean, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 5 large egg yolks
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a pouring jug to eliminate any potential curdled bits or vanilla bean residues. Stir in salt.1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Evenly distribute the custard mixture among the 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins into the prepared baking dish. Pour boiling water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes. The custards are done when the edges are set but the centre still wobbles like jelly when you gently shake the dish — it will firm up as it chills. If the centre looks liquid, bake in 5-minute increments. Remove ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then cover loosely with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
- Just before serving, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of granulated or caster sugar in a thin, even layer over each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2–3 inches (5–7cm) from the surface and move the flame in slow, continuous circles until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep amber. Let the crust harden for 60–90 seconds before serving.1/2 cup granulated sugar
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make crème brûlée without a kitchen torch?
You can use your oven’s broiler, but the results are less reliable. Place the chilled, sugared ramekins under a very hot broiler for 2–4 minutes, watching constantly — the sugar can go from golden to burnt in seconds, and the broiler also heats the custard underneath, which softens it.
How far ahead can I make these?
The baked custards keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered loosely with plastic wrap. Don’t add the sugar and torch them until right before serving — a pre-torched crust absorbs moisture in the fridge and turns sticky instead of crisp.
Can I double or triple this recipe for a dinner party?
Yes, and it scales up cleanly — just multiply all ingredients by the same amount. The main adjustment is oven space: use multiple baking dishes so every ramekin sits in its own water bath with room around it, and check for doneness by the wobble test rather than strictly by time, since fuller ovens can run slightly slower.
If you liked this one
- French chocolate mousse
- silky dark chocolate mousse
- classic vanilla rice pudding
- pavlova with fresh berries
