Rich and creamy with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust, vanilla bean crème brûlée is a classic dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. With just four simple ingredients, my blender method simplifies the process for foolproof results. These easy little crème brûlées are the perfect indulgence to end a holiday dinner. Just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, and you can make them ahead.
It was catering dinner parties that lead me to develop a blender method to make mini vanilla bean creme brûlée. Using the blender makes it easier and faster to make from a few to dozens. My recipe makes 12-13 two-ounce creme brulees. The mini size allows guests to satisfy their sweet tooth with a few sweet bites without overdoing following a big meal. No dessert guilt!
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- A restaurant dessert made at home.
- Easy recipe and method.
- A classic and indulgent dessert.
For another classic French dessert, make gluten-free crepes! They are easy and fun to make.
Recipe Ingredients
- Heavy cream: Be sure to buy heavy whipping cream, not regular whipping cream.
- Eggs: You only need the yolks to make the custard.
- Sugar: Superfine sugar or regular granulated sugar for the creme brulee custard and turbinado or demerara sugar for top to brulee (or burn).
- Vanilla: Vanilla bean paste is easier to use than messing with vanilla beans.
Chef's tip: Heavy whipping cream vs. whipping cream: what's the difference? Heavy whipping cream is richer, containing no less than 36% butterfat. On the other hand, whipping cream (no 'heavy' on the label) has a slightly lower fat content, 30–36%. Some dairies or creameries make their heavy whipping cream up to 40%, which is extra rich.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you can't get vanilla bean paste, use vanilla extract.
- For caramelizing the top for serving, you can also use regular granulated sugar or superfine sugar.
For another delicious French-inspired dessert, try the etheral sauce called Sabayon, made with Champagne and served with berries.
Chef's tip on vanilla: For vanilla, I prefer vanilla bean paste to extract because it is more concentrated and more heat resistant than extract. My favorite vanilla is Tahitian Gold. It provides bold, rich vanilla flavor and you get beautiful vanilla bean flecks in your custard. If you love vanilla (and I do), check them out.
How to Make Creme Brûlée (blender method)
Make the custard
Add all of the ingredients to the blender and blend on the lowest speed for one minute, long enough for the sugar to dissolve. Do not blend on high speed as you will aerate the liquid custard, develop unwanted bubbles and the texture will not be right.
After blending, allow it to stand for a few minutes to allow bubbles to subside. After filling the ramekins, you can pop any large bubbles with a toothpick, but don't worry too much. Small bubbles are covered with the coarse sugar and burned with a blow torch before serving, hiding imperfections.
Set Up a Water Bath
A water bath is when something is baked in hot water. This method insures gentle even cooking for sensitive things like custards, which is what creme brulee is. Here is how to set up a water bath:
- Using a large casserole with a flat bottom or a roasting pan with a flat bottom, place a folded kitchen towel or paper towels in the bottom in a flat layer.
- Place the ramekins inside, not too close. Give them some space for the hot water to circulate around them.
- When the liquid custard is ready, carefully pour it into the ramekins, distributing it equally.
- Pour boiling hot water from a tea kettle slowly, carefully into the pan avoiding splashing any into the ramekins.
Bake the Creme Brulee
When ready and the oven is pre-heated, carefully lift the pan and place into the oven without sloshing water into the ramekins and ruining your creme brulee before it bakes.
Bake the creme brulee until the custards are almost totally set but barely jiggly in the middle. Remove the pan carefully from the oven. Remove the ramekins to a wire cooling rack. What I do to is wrap rubber bands around the ends of tongs to grip the ramekins and carefully lift them out or use silicone tipped tongs.
Allow creme brulee to completely cool, then refrigerate. They will set totally as they chill.
Chef's tip if making ahead: Place the cool ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, then cover the pan for refrigerating. I place a layer of paper towels over the ramekins before wrapping them in plastic so if any condensation collects inside the plastic it won't drip into the custards.
Tips and Tools For Success
- Separate your eggs while they are cold. Cold eggs separate easier than warm.
- Two-ounce or two and a half ounce white ramekins are available at cooking stores and online. Sizes vary, so you may get 13 versus 12.
- Bake in a large flat-bottomed baking pan such as a roasting pan so the ramekins sit totally flat.
- Place a dish cloth in the bottom of the pan to stabilize them. I cut up an old dish towel.
- Skip the slow mini blow torches and buy a blow torch top and butane can. Faster, more efficient and cheaper.
For another tasty creme brulee version, try this orange breme brulee with ginger. And for another classic dessert try this cheesecake (pressure cooker).
Serving and Storage
Time to Torch
To serve vanilla bean creme brulee, sprinkle the top with sugar and shake the ramekins gently to spread the sugar evenly across the top. You need a light layer, not a heavy one.
Light up your torch and adjust the flame to soft versus pinpoint. Position the torch near the sugar and watch carefully until you understand how long it takes for each one to caramelize. Get a nice golden brown color but not black.
Make Ahead
Vanilla bean creme brulee can be made ahead and will keep for up to 3 days if stored tightly covered. The caramelized top is best freshly made. Once burned, the sugar will start to "weep" and get watery if you try to hold it. Burn (or brulee) sugar just before serving. It's easy, fun, and you're guests will love the show!
Recipe FAQs
To make creme brulee requires heavy cream also called heavy whipping cream. Do not buy regular whipping cream as the fat content is lovwer and you need high fat content for custards. In the US heavy whipping cream, is a minimum of 36% butterfat and some brands go as high as 40%. Do not try whole milk or half and half.
Using a water bath to bake creme brulee insures that the custard cooks gently and evenly. Yes, a water bath is a must and it's easy to set up with a large flat bottom roasting pan or casserole dish. Place a kitchen towel in the bottom to prevent the ramekins from sliding around.
You'll gets best results with a torch, yes, and they are an inexpensive tool available online. Don't get the mini torches at cooking stores. They are slow and pricey. Buy a butane can and a torch top, it's what I use as do many chef's. Some recipes tell you to pop them under the broiler but you have to be careful not to burn them. You have less control. My recommendation is get an inexpensive torch.
More Decadent Dessert Recipes
From rich chocolate to creamy mousses, cookies, and cakes, find the perfect dessert for the occasion by checking out the dessert recipes index page.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vanilla Creme Brulee
Equipment
- 12-13 2-ounce porcelain ramekins
- a large flat bottom roasting pan
- blow torch (see post)
- funnel
Ingredients
Mini Vanilla Bean Creme Brûlée
- 3 cups heavy cream not whipping cream
- 9 extra large egg yolks reserve whites for other use
- 7 tablespoons natural sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 6 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar for top
Instructions
- Prepare your baking pan. Set up a large flat bottomed roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold 12-13 ramekins without crowding. Place a dishtowel in the bottom of the pan. Arrange ramekins so they do not crowd and so they sit totally flat. Start a kettle of water to boil. Pre-heat an oven to 325°F with the rack in the center.
- Make the custard. Place the yolks, cream and vanilla in a blender. Blend on lowest speed for one minute. Allow blender container to stand for a 1-2 minutes for most bubbles to dissipate. Slowly pour the custard into the ramekins filling them to the very top. Pop large bubbles with a toothpick if desired.
- Bake the custards. Using a funnel so you do not splash water into the ramekins, slowly pour boiling water into the pan to come half way up the sides of the ramekins. With a steady hand, carefully move the pan to the oven. Bake creme custards for approximately 37 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven as ovens vary. Bake until a digital thermometer reads 175°F and the center of the custards is almost set with just a tiny bit of jiggle.
- Cool the custards. Remove pan from oven and remove the ramekins to a wire cooling rack. Allow custards to cool completely then cover and refrigerate to completely chill and set, 4 hours or overnight.
- To serve. Ready a blow torch. Add approximately 1 ½ teaspoons of coarse sugar to the top of a custard, tilting and tapping to cover. Pour excess on the next custard and repeat until all custards are topped with sugar. Burn with a blow torch until deep golden brown. Allow to cool, then serve. Berries on the side are nice.
Notes
- You can fold a dishtowel or cut up an old one to the size of the pan, just be sure the ramekins sit completely flat.
- To easily move hot ramekins to the cooling rack, use silicone-tipped tongs or steel tongs wound with rubber bands for stability.
- For blow torch suggestions, see post.
Nutrition
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Steph fielss says
Hi and thanks for the recipe. Should I spray the ramekins? With nonstick spray? Thanks!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Steph. Good question. No need to spray them!
James Boardman says
Nice recipe!!
Two things: I don't get the dish towel in the pan, there is no need.
Fill the pan with water with its resting on the oven rack so you don't have to carry it with water.
Sally Cameron says
Hi James. The dish towel stabilizes the ramekins, and I do recommend it but you can do whatever you prefer. I think of it like insurance. Same thing with the hot water. Either on the stove top and lift it down carefully or while on an oven rack...just be sure when you push the rack it not to splash water into the ramekins. And thanks for the compliment 😉
Rich says
I agree with you. I've never heard of a dish towel in the pan. I do the same with the water also. They comes out perfect every time.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Rich, I've used the dish towel trick forever. It gives stability so the ramekins don't slide around and slosh water into the custard. You're right, water baths are great for even gentle baking. Another thing you could use is a silpat mat.
Abby says
If I choose to use vanilla extract in place of paste, will this alter how the creme turns out?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Abby, the extract should work fine.
Merlinda says
Why the dish towel in pan? How much difference between turbinado and regular sugar for tops?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Merlinda, the dish towel stabilizes the ramekins so they do not slide and slosh in the pan, either when you put the pan in the oven or remove them after baking. Hope that makes sense. On the sugar, either is fine. Turbinado has slightly finer crystals and is usually less sticky. Demerara has a pale gold color and it is slightly sticky. They are produced by different methods. Turbinado is spun with turbines. Really interesting if you're a food geek;). There is a good description of sugars here https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-muscovado-145157
Madonna - MakeMineLemon says
Next week I am making an angel food cake for a birthday. I have been trying to decide what to make with the yolks. Thanks for providing an answer. 🙂
(Maybe I should ask for a blowtorch for Christmas.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Madonna. Oh my favorite cake! My mom used to bake me an angel food every year for my birthday (with fresh orange frosting). Those days are long gone. Since we rarely eat cake, I have not bothered to create a GF angle food cake recipe but I am sure with today's great alternative flours recipes are out there. And yes! Get a real torch for Christmas. They are not that much!