Classic Crème Brulee Recipe

Preheat and prepare ramekins

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Arrange six 4- to 6-ounce (120–180 ml) ramekins in a deep roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold them without touching.

Infuse cream

Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife into the cream; add the scraped pod as well. Warm the cream over medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15–20 minutes to extract vanilla flavor.

Mix yolks and sugar

While the cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and a pinch of fine sea salt in a medium bowl until the mixture lightens slightly and the sugar begins to dissolve. Do not incorporate a lot of air.

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream and, if desired, rinse it, dry and set aside for another use (sugar or extract). Slowly pour about one-third of the warm cream into the yolk mixture in a thin stream while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Continue adding the remaining cream slowly while whisking until fully combined.

Strain

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or large measuring cup to remove any cooked egg bits and vanilla pod fragments, ensuring a silky texture.

Fill ramekins and prepare water bath

Divide the strained custard evenly among the ramekins. Place the filled ramekins in the roasting pan. Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins to create a bain-marie.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight jiggle when gently shaken, about 30–40 minutes (timing depends on ramekin size and oven). Rotate the pan once halfway through for even baking.

Cool and chill

Using tongs or oven mitts, carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them on a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or up to 3 days. Chilling ensures proper texture for caramelizing the tops.

Prepare sugar for torching

When ready to serve, remove the chilled custards from the refrigerator and dry the tops thoroughly with a paper towel. Evenly sprinkle about 1 teaspoon granulated sugar over each custard. For a very even crust, you may use the wet-sugar method: dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar with 2 teaspoons cold water, brush a thin, even layer over the surface, then let it set for 30–60 seconds before torching. (If using wet method, reduce sprinkled sugar to 1/2–3/4 teaspoon.)

Caramelize sugar

Use a kitchen blowtorch to melt and caramelize the sugar: hold the torch 2–3 inches from the surface and move it in a slow circular motion until the sugar melts, bubbles, and forms an amber-brown, glassy surface (15–45 seconds per ramekin). If you don't have a torch, place ramekins under a preheated broiler on the top rack for 2–4 minutes, watching very closely and rotating as needed so the sugar caramelizes without burning. Let the caramel harden for 1–2 minutes.

Serve

Serve immediately once the sugar crust has cooled and hardened slightly. Optionally garnish with a few fresh berries or a small mint leaf per ramekin.