Creme Brulee
Silky vanilla bean custard baked gently in a water bath and finished with a thin, glassy shell of caramelized sugar.
By Marisol Vance, Founder & Head of Recipe Development
Published July 5, 2026
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Few desserts are as satisfying as the first crack of a spoon through a creme brulee's caramel top into the cool, silky custard below. The ingredient list is short, so each one matters: real vanilla bean, rich cream and plenty of egg yolks.
The method is all about gentle heat. Tempering the yolks with warm cream and baking the custards in a water bath at a low temperature keeps them smooth, never eggy or curdled.
The custards can be made up to 3 days ahead, so all that is left for serving time is a quick flourish with a kitchen torch. Add a few fresh berries on the side.
- Real vanilla bean custard
- Glassy crackable caramel top
- Custards keep three days
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange six 6-oz ramekins in a roasting pan or 9x13-inch baking dish and bring a kettle of water to a boil.
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