Vanilla Crème Brûlée
Updated Nov. 13, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2cups heavy or light cream (or half-and-half)
- 1vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛teaspoon salt
- 5egg yolks
- ½cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
503 calories; 41 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 122 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt; cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)
- Step 2
In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the vanilla cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Step 3
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.
- Step 4
When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer.
- Step 5
Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within 2 hours.
Private Notes
Comments
Another way to brown is the sugar is to use a metal spoon, heat it up for a minute on the stove and lightly touch the sugar. Do it gently and a couple of times and it gets brown and crispy!
Suggestion: Warm everything up first. Set the eggs and cream out so they warm up to room temperature. Fill the baking dish with hot tap water and use that to warm up your ramekins while you assemble the mixture. Then, once the oven's preheated and the water's boiling in a pot on the stove, remove the ramekins from the baking dish and toss the warm water, fill the ramekins with the mixture, pour the boiling water and put it in the oven.
I absolutely love this recipe and often just make it for 2 :) Here are the measurements for the recipe divided by 2.5 to get to 2 egg yolks: 3/4 cups of heavy cream 1 teaspoon of vanilla (I keep it at 1 for the flavor) 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup of sugar Enjoy!
This recipe is delicous! I used both organic white sugar on half of these and superfine sugar on the other half, but we used a torch to brown them, and we couldn't tell any significant difference in either one. Everyone loved this recipe, and I'll definitely be making it again!
I messed this recipe up every which way (I swear I read it before starting). I put everything in the saucepan and heated it up while frantically mixing after I realized my mistake. I forgot the vanilla and mixed it in when the custard was already in the ramekins. I put lukewarm water in the pan around the ramekins. Still came out perfect even though I had to cook them a little longer. 10/10.
No straining??