Fool proof Creme Brûlée Recipe | Tangled with Taste (2024)

April 11, 2021 by Tangled with Taste 21 Comments

An easy recipe for the best creme brûlée you will ever try! This simple recipe is fool proof and tastes heavenly!

©Tangled with Taste by TangledwithTaste.com
This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Please see Disclosure Policy for more information.
Pin it to your “Desserts” board to SAVE it for later!
Follow Tangled with Taste on Pinterest for more great tips, ideas and recipes!
Please note this recipe was originally published in early 2018 but is being republished now for easy finding.

Best recipe for classic creme brûlée. Simple steps to creating the most delicious at home but restaurant worthy dessert!

What is Creme Brûlée?

In short, this is the best dessert ever of all time. It’s like kisses in food form. Or if kisses aren’t your thing, then it’s like a brand new dress that fits you perfectly (granted it won’t fit you perfectly if you eat too much creme brûlée. Haha!)

You will need:

How to make Creme Brûlée

For such an amazing dessert, it’s crazy how simple it is to make.

It only takes four simple and classic ingredients. That’s it! So you better be planning to make this as soon as you finish reading:

Eggs
Sugar
Creme
Vanilla (or other flavoring)

Should Creme Brûlée be served hot or cold?

People! Serve it cold!

For years I thought I didn’t like creme brûlée and it was because I had ordered it off the dessert menu at a restaurant and they brought it to me warm. It had not been given the time it needed to set up and it tasted like egg yolks. Runny Egg Yolks that were somehow gritty too, and then were topped with sugar.

Creme Brûlée can be made ahead of time and kept in refrigerator

You can make your this delightful dessert up to two days in advance without sacrificing flavor or texture. So if that’s what you need to do to insure it gets enough time to cool and set up, then do it. You will not regret it!

*However, one quick note: should you choose to make it ahead of time then be sure to cover it when refrigerating.

Do not, I repeat: DO NOT serve your fool proof and delicious creme brûlée hot, or it will taste like egg.

Recipe for Fool-Proof Creme Brûlée:

Tangled with Taste

Yields 8 ramekins

Serves 8

Fool proof Creme Brûlée Recipe

Foolproof classic Creme Brûlée

10 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

41 minTotal Time

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

For the Custard

For on Top

Reader Interactions

Comments

Viva says
March 8, 2022 at 8:19 pm
I am going to make this recipe for wine tasting. I bought 4 OZ metal ramekins. Will the metal or the small size change the cooking time? Also I reside in the mountains of Colorado at 9000 foot altitude. Will that affect the cooking time?I look forward to making this recipe tomorrow and hope to hear from you.
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  July 8, 2022 at 1:04 pm
  Viva! I'm so sorry, I just found your message in my spam box. I hope your wine tasting went well!!!
  Reply
Juliette says
February 1, 2021 at 9:34 pm
You are funny, I had a good laugh.😆
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  February 4, 2021 at 3:32 pm
  Hahaha! Thanks! I'm a hot mess, but my food tastes great!!!
  Reply
Nat shoe says
November 14, 2020 at 9:57 pm
I made this , this morning for tonight’s dinner. And it didn’t set.... the top kind of tastes like creme bulee and underneath is very runny. Can I rescue this? Maybe cook it more? Not sure what I did wrong:(
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  November 16, 2020 at 1:13 pm
  See Also
  Ravneet Gill’s recipes for passion cake and creme fraiche loaf | The sweet spot
  It's undercooked! Sometimes if your egg yolks are small then you need one extra egg yolk or to cook for a longer time. Also, is your rack to close to the top of your oven? if the tops are cooking but the bottom is runny, then that might be the problem. You want to pull the custards from the oven when they're set around the edges, but still just a little bit wobbly towards the centers.
  Reply
Nika says
November 1, 2020 at 10:44 am
Oh How I wish I saw your recipe first. But I found it now while trying to find a reason why mine turned light brown on top (when i first took it out it was still super wiggly and seemed too runny). I had it in for 40mins. The other recipe only warned me about undercooking the custard ah. It also formed some bubbles on top while baking, is it possible that those are from whisking the eggs too much?
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  November 1, 2020 at 8:22 pm
  Bubbles on top happen pretty regularly. you can strain the custard before pouring into the ramekins and that will minimize the bubbling. I don't do that only because once you pour the sugar on and brûlée it, the bubbles aren't noticeable. Try this recipe sometime!!! You will love it :)
  Reply
  - nika says
    November 2, 2020 at 1:53 am
    It did turn out perfectly tastewise to be honest, despite it being more yellow than what i'm used to from the restaurants. I just need to figure out the torch now - I couldn't melt without burning (i did use powdered brown sugar as that is all i had left if that makes a difference). Will try your recipe next time and report back :))
    Reply
    - Tangled with Taste says
      November 11, 2020 at 11:44 pm
      Yes! It was the brown sugar. It's not gonna harden the right way. You'll definitely wanna top it with a superfine white d=sugar to get that delightful crisp but thin top. :)
      Reply
  - Oliver D Jones says
    September 21, 2021 at 12:46 pm
    Blow torch before baking will remove any surface bubbles
    Reply
    - Tangled with Taste says
      September 24, 2021 at 10:24 am
      Say what?!!! Gonna try it. Thank you for sharing!!!
      Reply
Tina Restoto says
August 27, 2020 at 9:52 am
Hi there!! Can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow. I made creme brûlée yesterday but it taste sooo eggy!! What did i do wrong? Why mine was so eggy? I am kinda afraid to try again cos i live in a small place in Indonesia where it’s not east to find heavy cream. Looking forward for your problem resolution
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  September 9, 2020 at 1:12 pm
  Hi Tina! did you use this recipe? The brûlée can taste eggy if you add the cream too quickly or if you cook the custard too long. Usually it's from overcooking. You want to remove the creme brûlée from the oven when it's starting to set up but is still slightly jiggly like Jello. It finishes setting up while cooling and in the fridge.
  Reply
  - Tina Restoto says
    September 12, 2020 at 5:44 am
    Thank you for the tips! I’am going to make it using your recipe. Will let u know if this time i’d get it right. Thank you again!😉
    Reply
Olya says
April 20, 2020 at 9:37 pm
Oh that looks delicious and also your photography is beyond beautiful!!!
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  April 21, 2020 at 12:18 am
  Thank you!!! It's my favorite ever ever ever!!!
  Reply
Sara says
May 19, 2018 at 11:05 pm
Ok, just made this recipe tonight. It is so easy! We're eating them tomorrow and I just can't wait! It really is fool proof! I always thought Creme Brûleé was too hard to make at home.
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  May 20, 2018 at 8:35 pm
  Isn't it fantastic!!! You're gonna love it! Thanks for trusting me :). You won't regret it!
  Reply
christacleveland says
May 19, 2018 at 1:05 am
oh my gosh! Hilarious!! I'm dying for you!!
Reply
- Tangled with Taste says
  May 19, 2018 at 12:40 pm
  Hahaha! Right!!! 😬😬😬
  Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Fool proof Creme Brûlée Recipe | Tangled with Taste (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of creme brulee? ›

Baking crème brûlée in a water bath, also known as a “bain-marie” in French cuisine, is a gentle and precise cooking method that helps ensure the custard cooks evenly resulting in a creamy, and velvety custard with a perfect texture. The water bath helps prevent overcooking and promotes even heating.

Which sugar best for creme brulee? ›

"You really need to use white granulated sugar," says senior food editor Chris Morocco. The small granules caramelize quickly, meaning the sugar won't get overly burnt and the pudding won't melt. Also, he points out: The white crystals provide a visual cue as you're torching it.

Show Me More ›

Is it better to overcook or undercook creme brulee? ›

Undercook the creme brulee and it will still be liquid. Overcook it, and it might curdle. It's why during this step you carefully cook the egg yolks. In a creme brulee you want the entire filling to be set, smooth and firm.

Learn More ›

Why does my creme brulee taste eggy? ›

Our answer. If you have a mixture resembling sweet scrambled eggs then the eggs in the creme brulee are curdling and this happens because they become over heated. If you are making the custard in a saucepan then we suggest that you look at Nigella's Creme Brulee recipe from Kitchen.

Keep Reading ›

What not to do when making crème brûlée? ›

Making crème brûlée requires heating heavy cream to a simmer or gentle boil first. Once the heavy cream is hot enough, bakers are tempted to pour all of it at once into the egg yolks. This is the mistake we're talking about because instead of making crème brûlée, you'll be making scrambled eggs.

Discover More Details ›

What can go wrong with crème brûlée? ›

Whisking too much which will incorporate air bubbles in the custard. ...
Not using a water bath in the oven or enough water up the sides of the ramekin. ...
Overbaking, the custard should just jiggle a in the center when you remove from the oven. ...
Using granulated sugar for the brulee.

More items...

Feb 18, 2021

Is heavy cream or half and half better for creme brulee? ›

It can be made ahead and refrigerated for your next dinner party. The sugar topping should be torched just before serving. Heavy cream is the usual ingredient for creme brûlée, but full fat half-and-half is a touch lighter (half milk, half cream) and will also yield a silky creme brulee.

Discover More ›

Can I caramelized the sugar on creme brulee ahead of time? ›

After you've melted and caramelized the crème brûlée top, let it rest and harden for up to half an hour. You can do this before dinner, put them in the fridge, and then eat after you're done with your meal.

Is turbinado sugar good for creme brulee? ›

The custards, especially if baked in shallow fluted dishes, will not be deep enough to provide an accurate reading with a dial-face thermometer. For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar.

View Details ›

Can you overmix crème brûlée? ›

Overbeating crème brûlée compromises texture

What many may not be aware of, however, is that it also demands restraint — from overbeating. As MasterClass explains, beating the custard mixture requires only just enough vigor to "fully incorporate" its ingredients.

See Details ›

Should eggs be room temperature for crème brûlée? ›

Notes and Tips... Eggs - as always, best if these are at room temperature. Note that it is easier to separate eggs when they are still cold. Remember you can freeze the egg whites.

Why not use whole egg in custard? ›

Texture: Custards made with whole eggs tend to be firmer and more set due to the additional proteins in the egg whites. Custards made with only egg yolks are typically smoother and silkier, resulting in a creamier texture. Flavor: Egg yolks have a higher fat content and contain more flavor compounds than egg whites.

Get More Info ›

Should crème brûlée jiggle? ›

The custard will be quite wobbly; it should jiggle from side to side when nudged. However, it should not be liquid in the center. It will be barely set, but not liquid. The custard will firm up considerably in the refrigerator, so take it out of the oven when it has set into that very-jiggly-not-liquid consistency.

Explore More ›

Why is my crème brûlée so watery? ›

Make sure to follow the recommended baking time and temperature in your recipe. Insufficient egg yolks: The ratio of egg yolks to liquid is crucial for the custard to set properly. Using too few egg yolks can result in a runny creme brulee [2]. As a general rule, use 3 egg yolks per cup of liquid.

Find Out More ›

How to get the best crème brûlée topping? ›

Tips for the Perfect Caramelized Topping:

Cover custard completely with sugar: You want to cover the top of each custard completely with a thin layer of sugar, because any exposed custard will curdle when you torch it. The amount of sugar will depend on the width of your ramekins.

Get More Info Here ›

Why is my crème brûlée not creamy? ›

Undercooked: It's possible that you didn't bake it long enough. Crème brûlée should be set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you take it out. It will continue to set as it cools. Too much liquid: Make sure you're using the right proportion of cream to egg yolks.