Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare water bath

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place a large roasting pan or baking dish in the oven to warm. This will be used for a hot water bath (bain-marie) to ensure even gentle cooking.

Infuse cream

Pour the heavy cream into a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream, then add the pod as well. Heat the cream over medium heat until it is hot and just beginning to steam and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse vanilla.

Mix yolks and sugar

While the cream is steeping, whisk the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (custard sugar), and the salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and slightly pale. Do not incorporate much air — whisk gently.

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream and discard (or rinse, dry and use in sugar). Slowly add 1/3 of the hot cream to the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Once combined, slowly whisk in the remaining cream until fully incorporated.

Strain custard

Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any cooked bits of egg or vanilla pod fragments. This yields an ultra-smooth custard.

Fill ramekins

Place the warmed roasting pan on the counter. Arrange six 6-oz ramekins in the pan. Divide the strained custard evenly among the 6 ramekins (about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup per ramekin depending on exact size), leaving a small gap at the top.

Add hot water

Carefully pour hot (near-boiling) water into the roasting pan around the ramekins until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Be careful to avoid splashing water into the custards.

Bake

Transfer the roasting pan with ramekins to the preheated oven. Bake at 325°F (160°C) until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 35–40 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes as oven times vary. The edges should be set and the center should jiggle slightly when gently shaken.

Cool and chill

Using tongs or oven mitts, carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them on a wire rack. Let them cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is essential to fully set the custard and for a proper crack of the sugar crust.

Prepare topping

When ready to serve, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (this helps the caramelize evenly). Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar over the surface of each chilled custard. Tilt the ramekin slightly and tap to distribute the sugar in a thin, even layer; gently shake off any excess sugar so the layer is not too thick (approximately 1/2 tbsp per ramekin).

Caramelize sugar

Using a small kitchen blowtorch held about 2–3 inches from the sugar surface, apply even circular motions to melt and caramelize the sugar until it turns a deep amber color and forms a glassy hard top, about 1–2 minutes per ramekin. If using a broiler, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil on high with the oven rack 4–6 inches from the element; watch constantly and rotate the tray so sugar caramelizes evenly — this takes 2–5 minutes depending on broiler intensity.

Set and serve

Let the caramelized sugar cool and harden for 1–3 minutes before serving so it sets to a crisp shell. Serve immediately. Any leftover crème brûlée can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours after caramelizing (note: the crisp top will soften over time).