Authentic French Crème Brûlée with Caramelized Sugar

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A timeless French dessert featuring velvety vanilla custard topped with a perfectly cracked sugar crust, made with traditional techniques. This French-inspired recipe, ready in about 75 minutes, layers Heavy cream, Vanilla bean, Egg yolks into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 410 calories and feeds 4, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 30 min Cook: 45 min Serves 4 French cuisine 410 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C) and place 4 ramekins in a baking dish; fill the dish with hot water halfway up the ramekins.
  2. Step 2: In a saucepan, heat 2 cups heavy cream with the split vanilla bean over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until steaming and fragrant, then remove vanilla bean and let cool.
  3. Step 3: Whisk 6 large egg yolks with 3/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and thickened for 3 minutes, then slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking constantly.
  4. Step 4: Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding any lumps, and divide evenly among the ramekins.
  5. Step 5: Bake in the water bath for 35-40 minutes until edges are set but centers still jiggle slightly; cool completely, then refrigerate for 4 hours.
  6. Step 6: Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tbsp granulated sugar over each ramekin; use a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar until golden brown and bubbling, or place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until cracked.

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