📍 France

Vanilla crème brûlée

Name: Vanilla crème brûlée
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 230 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 500 ml heavy cream; 5 egg yolks; 80 g sugar for the custard; 40 g sugar for caramelizing; 1 vanilla pod

· Dessert

French baked vanilla custard topped with a thin, crisp layer of caramelized sugar.

Editorial content by WorldBites · 2026-09-23 · Contact

⏱ 230 min🍽 6 servings📊 Intermediate🏷 Disputed origin🌱 Vegetarian🌱 Gluten-free

Preparation: 15 min
Cooking: 35 min
Waiting and resting: 180 min

History

Crème brûlée appears in early French cookbooks, although its precise origin is debated and it resembles crema catalana. Cool custard beneath a freshly caramelized crust defines the dessert.

Ingredients

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Preparation

1
Heat the oven to 150 °C. Split the vanilla pod and gently heat the cream with its seeds without boiling.
2
Whisk the yolks with the custard sugar; gradually stir in the warm cream without creating foam.
3
Strain into ramekins. Place them in a roasting pan with hot water reaching halfway up their sides.
4
Bake until the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly. Cool and chill thoroughly.
5
Just before serving, spread the remaining sugar on top and caramelize it with a torch to make a thin crisp crust.