Classic Crème Brûlée Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6-ounce ramekins in a large baking dish or roasting pan with enough room between them to pour water later.

Infuse cream

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife. In a medium saucepan combine the heavy cream, scraped seeds and the empty pod. Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes to infuse.

Mix yolks and sugar

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

Temper eggs

Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the warm cream into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Then gradually whisk in the remaining warm cream until fully combined.

Strain custard

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

Fill ramekins

Divide the strained custard evenly among the six ramekins (about 3/4 full). Place the baking dish with the filled ramekins on the oven rack.

Bain-marie and bake

Carefully pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a bain-marie. Bake at 325°F (160°C) until the custards are set at the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 30–40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes for doneness.

Cool and chill

Remove ramekins from the water bath and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours or overnight for best texture.

Prepare sugar

When ready to serve, remove the chilled custards from the refrigerator and uncover. Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar over the surface of each custard, tilting the ramekin to distribute if needed. For an even 1-to-1 caramel layer you may use 1 tablespoon of sugar per ramekin—this recipe uses 1 tsp for a thinner shell; adjust to preference.

Caramelize sugar

Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar by moving the flame continuously about 2–3 inches away from the surface until the sugar bubbles and turns a deep amber color (about 1–2 minutes). If you don't have a torch, place the ramekins under a very hot broiler on a baking sheet for 2–4 minutes, watching constantly to avoid burning.

Set and serve

Let the caramelized sugar cool and harden for 1–2 minutes to form a crisp shell. Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be refrigerated (uncovered) for up to 24 hours; the caramel may soften with time.

If using the broiler method, place the ramekins close to the broiler element and watch continuously — rotate as needed to caramelize evenly. For a perfectly smooth custard, ensure you strain the custard before filling ramekins and avoid boiling the cream during infusion.