How To Make Creme Brulee - Easy Recipe Using Vanilla Extract (2024)

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This amazingly easy-to-make custard dessert creme brulee is rich and creamy topped with hard caramelized sugar using your oven's broiler.

How To Make Creme Brulee - Easy Recipe Using Vanilla Extract (1)

How to make creme brulee? Making creme brulee is actually not intimidating at all. You will only need 5 ingredients - cream, egg yolks, salt, vanilla extract and sugar.

I've been intimidated by this recipe for a long time. But actually it's kind of similar to the custard dessert I grew up eating - leche flan. The process of making both of them is different but the ingredients are exactly the same.

How to Make Creme Brulee?

Though this dessert requires uncomplicated ingredients, you will need quite a bunch of equipment.

The ingredients for creme brulee:

  • 2 cups half and half cream or heavy cream
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • a pinch of salt

Some equipment you need:

  • oven
  • pot to boil water
  • saucepan to heat the cream
  • mesh strainer to sift the cream to make it smooth
  • oven-safe ramekins any size but for this recipe I used 8 oz geometrical bowls
  • slightly deep baking pan for the water bath
  • kitchen torch (optional)
How To Make Creme Brulee - Easy Recipe Using Vanilla Extract (2)

The steps on how to make creme brulee:

  • Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Boil water in a pot, you will use this later to help bake the creme brulee.

Make sure to preheat your oven at the right temperature. Using an oven thermometer is a huge help, it only costs less that 10 bucks. Otherwise, preheat your oven at least 15 minutes prior to the actual baking. You can read more here on how to preheat the oven.

  • In a saucepan, heat the cream in medium heat. Do not boil. Add a pinch of salt. Once hot remove from heat. Then add the vanilla extract. Stir. Let it warm.
  • In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light using a hand mixer. Gradually combine the warm cream to the egg mixture. Stir. Using a mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a separate bowl.
  • Place ramekins into a slightly deep baking pan. Pour and divide the mixture into the ramekins. Fill the pan with boiling water about halfway up outside of the ramekins. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle part is jiggly.
  • Let set and cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

Caramelizing the sugar crust

  • To make the sugar crust when serving, top the custards with an even thins layer of sugar. Blow fire on the top of the custard using a kitchen torch.
  • If you don't have this use your oven's broil function. Put the oven into broil. Place the custards into the topmost level rack of the oven. Broil for 5 minutes or until the sugar is caramelized.
How To Make Creme Brulee - Easy Recipe Using Vanilla Extract (3)

How to Make Creme Brulee

Delicrunch.co

This amazingly easy to make creme brulee is a rich and creamy custard dessert topped with hard caramelized sugar. Making creme brulee is actually not intimidating at all. You will only need 5 ingredients - cream, egg yolks, salt, vanilla extract and sugar.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Equipment

  • oven

  • pot

  • saucepan

  • mesh strainer

  • 2-inch deep oven-safe ramekins

  • slightly deep baking pan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups half and half or heavy cream
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g) + 4 tablespoons for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Boil water in a pot, you will use this later to help bake the creme brulee.

  • In a saucepan, heat the cream in medium heat. Do not boil. Add a pinch of salt. Once hot remove from heat. Then add the vanilla extract. Stir. Let it warm.

  • In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light using a hand mixer. Gradually combine the warm cream to the egg mixture. Stir. Using a mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a separate bowl.

  • Place ramekins into a slightly deep baking pan. Pour and divide the mixture into the ramekins. Fill the pan with boiling water about halfway up outside of the ramekins. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle part is jiggly.

  • Let set and cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

  • To make the sugar crust when serving, top the custards with an even layer of sugar. Put the oven into broil. Place the custards into the topmost level rack of the oven. Broil for 5 minutes or until the sugar is caramelized.

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How To Make Creme Brulee - Easy Recipe Using Vanilla Extract (2024)

FAQs

What is vanilla crème brûlée made of? ›

Five simple ingredients – cream, vanilla, salt, eggs and sugar – make for an exquisitely rich and elegant dessert. Most crème brûlée recipes require the use of a small propane torch to achieve the crackly sugar top, but this version offers a simpler (and safer) solution: your oven's broiler.

What is the secret to crème brûlée? ›

Bake in a water bath

This is a key step to making perfect crème brûlée – baking your custards in a water bath. A water bath is a pan of water that the ramekins are placed in to bake. A water bath provides some insulation from direct heat which allows the custards to cook gently, evenly, and prevents cracking.

Can you skip vanilla extract in a recipe? ›

If you don't have any on hand, you can almost always omit the vanilla without impacting the final texture of your baked goods; although the rich flavor extract—or any form of vanilla—brings will certainly be altered. Just remember one thing: flavor comes first.

Does crème brûlée taste like vanilla? ›

Creme brulee tastes like a richer, creamier, silkier version of your favorite vanilla custard or pudding. However, the burnt sugar topping adds texture, crunch, and flavor. The burnt sugar topping tastes like bitter caramel hard candy. It contrasts wonderfully with the creamy base.

How much vanilla extract is equal to a vanilla pod? ›

Remember that 1 vanilla pod is the equivalent to 1 teaspoon of Heilala Pure Vanilla Extract or Pure Vanilla Paste. Use the seeds in any recipe that calls for vanilla essence, paste, extract or flavor.

Can you use milk instead of cream for crème brûlée? ›

A lighter version of the classic French dinner party dessert, this vanilla crème brûlée recipe from Raymond Blanc uses milk instead of traditional double cream.

What not to do when making creme brulee? ›

Avoid These Common Mistakes and Make a Flawless Crème Brûlée
  1. Using the Wrong Size Ramekin. Crème brûlée is traditionally baked in a wide, shallow ramekin. ...
  2. Using Whole Eggs. The pudding portion of crème brûlée should be trembling and tender, but still rich and creamy. ...
  3. Getting Water in the Pudding. ...
  4. Torching the Wrong Sugar.
Jan 20, 2016

What can go wrong with creme brulee? ›

  • 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.
Feb 18, 2021

What sugar is best for creme brulee? ›

For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too, but use only 1 scant teaspoon on each ramekin or 1 teaspoon on each shallow fluted dish.

How to use vanilla extract? ›

Vanilla extract is a staple item when baking. The extract balances out flavors, especially when baking cookies, puddings, cakes, and custards. The extract is also great in drinks like coffee or hot chocolate. A little dash of the extract goes a long way in flavoring.

Can I use imitation vanilla extract instead? ›

If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, you can swap in 2 teaspoons of imitation vanilla or vanilla flavoring to get a similar flavor. So, no matter what extract you haveon hand, it should be easy to get that warm, vanilla flavor you love in your baked and non–baked treats!

What are the rules for vanilla extract? ›

The standard requires that the total flavoring principles be extracted from the vanilla beans using an aqueous ethyl alcohol solution containing at least 35% alcohol and that the final extract be composed of the vanilla constituents suspended in aqueous ethyl alcoholy. u 21 CFR §169.3(b) and (c).

Why does my crème brûlée taste bitter? ›

Be cautious not to over-caramelize, as this can result in a bitter taste. Careful torching requires attention to detail and patience. It's a crucial step in creating the signature crunchy caramelized top that contrasts beautifully with the creamy custard beneath a delightful balance of textures and flavors.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and caramel brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée and crème caramel are two different types of custard desserts. Crème brûlée is made with a rich custard base that is topped with a layer of hard caramel. Crème caramel is made with a caramelized sugar syrup that is poured over a layer of custard.

What flavor is Starbucks crème brûlée? ›

Our medium roast meets the rich, custardy flavors of vanilla and the caramel complexity of burnt sugar. We invite you to enjoy this deliciously sippable take on classic crème brûlée. From velvety and rich vanilla to nutty and toasty hazelnut, Starbucks® Flavored Coffees are perfect for everyday enjoyment.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and vanilla custard? ›

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

Where did vanilla crème brûlée come from? ›

Just like with most renowned desserts, everyone claims they were the “first” to create the classic crème brûlée. France, Spain, and England all claim it originated there. There was a similar burned-sugar dessert back in 15th century England, and Spain has its own version that dates all the way back to medieval times.

What does crème brûlée taste like? ›

What does crème brûlée taste like? Creme brûlée is a rich, creamy dessert that has a slightly sweet and tangy flavor. The caramel topping adds a slight burnt sugar flavor and crunch to the dessert.

What's the difference between caramel and brûlée? ›

Both are rich, delicate, vanilla-scented custards, but the former is topped with a hard, crackly caramel lid, while the latter is coated in a liquid caramel sauce that forms during baking (the caramel actually starts on the bottom, but becomes the top when inverted, like a flan).

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