Mini Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place the empty ramekins in a large roasting pan or baking dish spaced evenly so hot water can circulate between them.

Warm dairy and vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and whole milk. Add the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean plus the pod (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract if using). Heat over medium until steam appears and small bubbles form around the edge but do not let it boil, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes if using a vanilla bean; remove the pod before proceeding.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the cream is steeping, whisk together the 6 egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt in a medium bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper and combine

Slowly stream about 1/2 cup of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Then gradually whisk the tempered yolks back into the remainder of the warm cream until fully combined and smooth.

Strain

Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl to remove any coagulated bits and the vanilla pod remnants. This ensures a silky texture.

Fill ramekins

Divide the strained custard evenly among the ramekins (3–4 oz mini ramekins will yield about 8–10 portions). Place the filled ramekins in the roasting pan.

Create water bath

Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the roasting pan around the ramekins until the water reaches about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This gentle, even heat prevents cracking and overcooking.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the center when gently shaken, about 25–35 minutes (time varies with ramekin size). Start checking at 20 minutes for smaller ramekins.

Cool and chill

Remove the ramekins from the water bath using tongs or oven mitts and transfer them to a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature for 30–45 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or overnight, to fully set.

Dry surface

About 10–15 minutes before torching, sprinkle a very thin, even layer of granulated sugar (use about 1 teaspoon per ramekin) over each chilled custard. If using superfine/caster sugar, it will melt more evenly. Tap gently to level the sugar and remove any loose excess so the layer is uniform.

Caramelize

Using a kitchen torch, hold the flame 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 crisp caramel top. This takes about 30–60 seconds per ramekin. If you don't have a torch, place the ramekins under a very hot broiler for 2–5 minutes, watching constantly and rotating the pan so they caramelize evenly and do not burn.

Set and serve

Let the caramelized tops sit for 1–2 minutes to harden, then serve immediately. The contrast between the crisp caramel and the creamy custard is best right after torching. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; re-torch the sugar just before serving for the freshest top.

If you plan to prepare several batches, keep baked custards refrigerated and torch just before serving. For perfectly smooth custard, always strain and avoid boiling the cream. Use superfine sugar if available for an extra-even caramel layer. Ramekin counts: recipe yields about 8 mini (3–4 oz) portions depending on exact fill volume.