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vanilla bean creme brulee - featured image

Ultra-Creamy Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee: Easy 5-Ingredient Recipe

  • Author: Maya
  • Total Time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

A simple yet sophisticated dessert featuring an impossibly smooth custard infused with real vanilla bean seeds and topped with a crackly, caramelized sugar crust. This make-ahead friendly recipe ensures restaurant-quality results at home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
  • 2 whole vanilla beans
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or Turbinado sugar per ramekin (for topping)
  • 1 tablespoon Bourbon or Rum (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place ramekins in a large baking dish.
  2. Split vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and pods to a saucepan with heavy cream.
  3. Heat cream over medium-low heat until it reaches a bare simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 20 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt until pale yellow and slightly thickened (2-3 minutes). Add bourbon or rum if using.
  5. Remove vanilla pods from cream. Slowly temper the eggs by whisking about 1 cup of hot cream into the egg mixture, then pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with remaining cream, whisking constantly.
  6. Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a jug or bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg or vanilla husk.
  7. Pour the strained custard into ramekins, filling them about 3/4 full.
  8. Place the baking dish with ramekins in the oven. Pour hot tap water into the dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins (water bath).
  9. Bake for 35-45 minutes until edges are set but centers still jiggle slightly like Jell-O.
  10. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
  11. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  12. Right before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of brown or Turbinado sugar evenly over each custard.
  13. Use a kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar, holding the flame 2-3 inches away and moving in a circular motion until golden brown and hard.
  14. Let the sugar crust harden for 1-2 minutes before serving.

Notes

The custard can be baked up to 2 days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to torch. The sugar topping should always be added right before serving to maintain the crackly texture. Do not freeze the custard as it will become grainy. If you don’t have vanilla beans, you can use 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract added after tempering, but the flavor and appearance will differ.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: French

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ramekin
  • Calories: 320
  • Sugar: 20
  • Fat: 24
  • Saturated Fat: 14
  • Carbohydrates: 22
  • Protein: 4

Keywords: vanilla bean creme brulee, custard dessert, easy creme brulee, make-ahead dessert, gluten-free dessert, vanilla custard, sugar crust

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Find it online: https://globaltablerecipes.com/ultra-creamy-vanilla-bean-creme-brulee-easy-5-ingredient-recipe/