House-made Creme Brulee Recipe

Prep oven and ramekins

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6–8 oz ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan with enough room to pour water around them.

Infuse cream

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a medium saucepan; add the pod. Combine heavy cream and whole milk with the vanilla seeds and pod. Warm over medium heat until just below simmering (small bubbles forming at the edge), about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse. If using vanilla extract, add it after heating and removing from heat.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks, 3/4 cup granulated sugar (for custard), and a pinch of fine sea salt in a medium bowl until mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes. Do not whip in a lot of air.

Temper and combine

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Continue gradually adding the remaining warm cream in a thin steady stream, whisking until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Strain

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any cooked bits or vanilla pod remnants. This yields a silky custard.

Portion into ramekins

Divide the strained custard evenly among the ramekins (about 4–5 ounces each). Place ramekins back into the baking dish, spaced evenly.

Bake in bain-marie

Carefully pour hot (but not boiling) water into the baking dish around the ramekins until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins (use approximately 3–4 cups of boiling water). Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until the edges are set but the center still slightly jiggles when nudged, about 30–40 minutes depending on oven and ramekin size. Start checking at 25 minutes.

Cool and chill

Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully lift out the ramekins. Let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack for 30–45 minutes. Refrigerate uncovered (or loosely covered) for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to fully set and develop flavor.

Prepare sugar

When ready to serve, remove the chilled custards from the refrigerator. Sprinkle an even, thin layer of the 3/4 cup granulated sugar over the surface of each custard — about 1 to 2 tablespoons per ramekin to create a roughly 1/8-inch layer. Tilt and tap to level the sugar if needed.

Caramelize sugar

Using a kitchen torch, hold the flame about 2–3 inches from the sugar and move it in a slow, circular motion until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns a deep amber color, forming a glassy hard shell. This should take about 1–2 minutes per ramekin. If using a broiler, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil on high 3–6 inches from the broiler element; watch closely and rotate as needed until sugar caramelizes and dark amber spots appear (this is quicker and can burn easily).

Set and serve

Let the caramelized sugar cool undisturbed for 1–2 minutes to harden. Optionally, add a light garnish (a few berries or mint). Serve immediately so the top stays crisp. Leftover brûlée will soften over time; for best texture eat within a few hours of torching.

Safety notes: When pouring hot water into the baking dish, pour slowly to avoid splashing into the custards. Use oven mitts when removing the bain-marie from the oven. If the top caramel bubbles and drips onto the custard edge, use the back of a spoon to gently spread while still warm if desired.