Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare ramekins

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Place four 6-ounce (180 ml) ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan with sides high enough to allow water to come about halfway up the ramekins.

Infuse cream and milk with vanilla

Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into a medium saucepan. If using a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the cream, then add the pod. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it is very hot and just starting to steam (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse. If using vanilla extract, do not add it now; add it later with the yolks.

Whisk yolks and sugar

While the cream steeps, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar (for custard), and fine sea salt together in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth, slightly pale, and the sugar begins to dissolve (about 1–2 minutes).

Temper eggs

If you used a vanilla bean, remove and discard the pod from the cream. Slowly pour about one-third of the hot cream into the yolk mixture in a thin steady stream while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Continue pouring another third, whisking, then add the remaining cream and whisk until fully incorporated. If using vanilla extract, stir 1 teaspoon into the mixture now.

Strain custard

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

Fill ramekins

Divide the strained custard evenly among the four ramekins (about 4–5 ounces / 120–150 ml each).

Prepare water bath and bake

Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to splash water into the custards. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until the custards are set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 35–45 minutes. Start checking at 30 minutes. The edges should be set and the centers will have a faint wobble.

Cool and chill

Using tongs or oven mitts, remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them on a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes, then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling firms the custard and allows flavors to meld.

Prepare sugar for brûléeing

When ready to serve, remove the chilled custards from the refrigerator and uncover. Evenly sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of superfine sugar over the top of each custard, rotating the ramekin and shaking off any excess so you have a thin, even layer of sugar.

Caramelize with kitchen torch

Using a culinary torch held about 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) above the sugar, heat the sugar in a slow circular motion until it melts, bubbles, and turns a deep amber color (about 30–60 seconds). Allow the caramel to harden for 1–2 minutes before serving. If you prefer, you can caramelize under a very hot broiler: place ramekins on a baking sheet and position them 3–4 inches from a preheated broiler; watch closely and broil 2–5 minutes until sugar melts and browns, rotating as needed to avoid burning.

Serve

Let the caramelized tops rest for a minute so they harden fully. Serve immediately with optional fresh berries and mint.

If using, arrange a few fresh berries beside each ramekin and garnish with a mint leaf. Cracking the caramel with a spoon immediately before eating gives the classic contrast of crisp top and creamy custard.