PERFECT Crème Brûlée That You’ll Fall In Love With (+VIDEO)

Did you know you can make perfect crème brûlée at home by following the simple steps? Crème brûlée might seem a bit intimidating to make but it is actually quite easy. I'm spilling all the pro tips to make a top-notch creme brulee.

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The creaminess, rich aroma of vanilla beans, and a perfectly thin layer of caramel will give you the most luxurious time you deserve!

My family fell in love with this crème brûlée. Every time I make this, we can't stop making sounds like "hmmm......", or "umm umm" as we eat them😁.

Although there is no such thing as "perfect" in all aspects, this one might be an exception.

If you made crème brûlée before, you may have encountered problems such as:

The baked filling was too loose.
The baked filling got lots of air holes.

I'm sharing all the troubleshooting so that you can make it successful at home!

Besides the troubleshooting, you'll learn essential baking tips such as:

Tips to bake them to get the best result
How to caramelize the sugar to create the most beautiful crunchiness
How to store them properly ... and so on.

Jump to:

📌 What does "Crème Brûlée" means?
📌 What's in Crème Brûlée?
📌 How To Make Crème Brûlée
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
📌 VIDEO: Crème Brûlée
📌 Printable Recipe
Crème Brûlée

📌 What does "Crème Brûlée" means?

Crème means "cream" and brûlée means "burnt" in French.

It is made with a rich & creamy baked custard filling topped with a thin layer of "burnt sugar", caramel. The creaminess & crunchiness, and the gentle sweetness & bitterness... the contrast is incredible. It is one of the most beloved classic desserts worldwide.

📌 What's in Crème Brûlée?

The 5 Ingredients:

Cream

Heavy cream
- It is essential for creme brulee to create a rich & smooth texture.
Milk
- Use whole milk so that the filling sets better. It also gives a richer flavor.
Vanilla beans
- I like Madagascar vanilla beans. It has such an exotic, sweet bourbon smell and flavor that goes so well with creme brulee.
- I highly recommend using vanilla beans instead of vanilla extract if you can get them because it'll taste more incredible with it
Granulated sugar
- The sweetness matches perfectly with the bitterness of caramelized sugar on top.
Egg yolks
- For creme brulee, yolks are so essential because it creates such a rich flavor and firm enough yet melty texture.

Caramel on top

Granulated sugar
- You can create caramelization most easily.

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📌 How To Make Crème Brûlée

The simple 6 steps

In a pot, add heavy cream, milk, vanilla beans (with a pod), and about half of the sugar. Heat them at medium heat until it starts simmering gently. Remove from the heat, cover the top with a lid, and wait for about 10 minutes to infuse the vanilla flavor.
In a bowl, mix the yolks and the rest of the sugar.
Combine 1 & 2. First, add about ⅓ of the liquids and mix until it looks even. Add the rest as you mix. Mix with a spatula in the end and see if the filling is even.
Pour into ramekins. Strain it with a fine sieve and pour it into ramekins equally. One batch is enough for 4-5 5” | 12 cm ramekins. Warm bubbles on the surface with a torch gently to pop them.
Bake! Pour hot water up to about a little over ½ to ⅔ of the height of ramekins and bake at 300F | 149C until the filling jiggles a little bit like a pudding or jello. After they cooled enough, move them to the fridge and chill them completely. I recommend chilling for more than a few hours
- for about 25 minutes (24 mins with my oven) with 5 ramekins
- for about 30 minutes (28 minutes with my oven) with 4 ramekins.
- Start checking from a bit earlier just in case and adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven, thickness and amount, etc.
Burn sugar on top with a torch to create a thin layer of caramel. Spread the sugar flat evenly and burn it with a torch. Wait for at least a few minutes before eating. Do not let it sit for too long so that the caramel does not start sweating.

📌 Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store crème brûlée?

After they cool down enough, move them to the fridge to let them cool completely. If you don't eat them right away or within that day, wrap them tightly and store them in the fridge. *Caramelize the sugar on top right before you serve so that the caramel does not start getting wet.

What is the shelf life of crème brûlée?

Store them in a fridge for up to four days. Maybe five days but since it contains a lot of yolks inside, I would say four days. But ultimately, I highly recommend enjoying them within that day or the next day for the best taste and flavor.

Why did I get a lot of air holes in the baked filling?

One of the biggest causes is that the heat was too strong in the oven. The filling starts bubbling gently when it is really strong and the bubbles remain as the air holes after the filling is set. Try reducing the temperature and see if it solves the problem.
Baking them with hot water and laying a cloth under the ramekins also helps to deliver the heat more gently which leads to a more silky, smoother creme brulee.

Why is my baked filling too loose?

The most common cause of this is that it was simply not baked long enough. (& yolks did not set enough) Always check the firmness just like I shared in this post. It should giggle just a little bit like a pudding or jello.
Adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven, thickness and amount, etc.

📌 VIDEO: Crème Brûlée

Watch the video to learn how to make crème brûlée visually and get a deeper understanding of all the processes!

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📌 Printable Recipe

💬 I appreciate it if you can leave a review here if you tried this recipe and loved it! I always love to hear how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.