Creme Brulee Recipe

Preheat and prepare ramekins

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins in a baking dish large enough to hold them with some space between.

Heat cream and milk with vanilla: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, and the split vanilla bean with scraped seeds (or add vanilla extract later if using). Warm over medium heat just until steam appears and small bubbles form around the edge — do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 10–15 minutes to infuse vanilla flavor. If using vanilla extract, warm cream without it and stir it in after cooling slightly.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar: While cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar (for custard), and fine sea salt in a large bowl until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1–2 minutes.

Temper eggs: Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Continue adding the cream in a slow steady stream (about 3–4 additions) until roughly three-quarters of the cream is incorporated. This prevents curdling.

Combine and strain: Pour the tempered yolk-cream mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining cream, stirring gently to combine. Reheat very gently if needed to bring custard to about 170–175°F (75–80°C); do not boil. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and vanilla pod pieces.

Fill ramekins and set up water bath: Divide the strained custard evenly among the ramekins (about 4–5 ounces / 120–150 ml each). Place the filled ramekins in the prepared baking dish. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a bain-marie.

Bake: Carefully transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven. Bake until the custards are set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 30–40 minutes (check at 30 minutes). A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a slight custard clinging.

Cool and chill: Remove ramekins from the water bath and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days to fully set.

Bring custards to room temperature before torching: Remove chilled custards from refrigerator 10–15 minutes before caramelizing to take the chill off; this helps the sugar melt evenly.

Evenly sprinkle sugar: Sprinkle about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (from the topping portion) evenly over the surface of each chilled custard so there is a thin, even layer. Gently shake or tap the ramekin to level the sugar and remove excess.

Caramelize with a torch: Using a kitchen blowtorch, hold the flame about 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) above the sugar and move it in a slow circular motion until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns a deep amber color, about 1–2 minutes per ramekin. Allow the caramel to harden for 1–2 minutes.

Alternative broiler method: If you do not have a torch, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and set under a preheated high broiler on the top rack. Broil 3–6 inches from the flame for 2–5 minutes, watching constantly, until the sugar melts and caramelizes. Remove immediately and let harden.

Add berries: Just before serving, top each caramelized custard with a small handful (about 2–3 tablespoons) of seasonal mixed berries, arranging them attractively so they do not sit directly on the hot caramel for long (to preserve the crisp sugar).

Garnish with mint: Add a small mint leaf or two to each ramekin if desired for color and aroma.

Serve: Serve immediately after garnishing so guests experience the contrast of cold, creamy custard and warm, crisp caramel.