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overhead pic of creme brulee

Vanilla Creme Brulee (GF) (V)

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Brulee, Caramelized, Creme, Creme Brulee, Custard, Dessert, GF, Gluten Free, Sugar, Vanilla
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Author: Chef Tony Zentgraf
Makes 5 - 6 oz servings but can be adjusted as needed depending on the size of the ramekins you are using.
The recipe is for vanilla creme brulee but the recipe can be flavored with other ingredients.
Substitute the vanilla or in addition to but follow these guidelines -
Total liquid addition - no more than 3 oz
Total puree addition - no more than 1/2 cup
Keep in mind if adding more liquid to the unbaked custard mix the end result of the baked custard will vary with more volume of the additions.
Steeping ingredients such as cinnamon stick or lavender in the cream will impart the flavors without adding extra wet ingredients to the custard mix.
Give it a try with other flavorings.
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Equipment

Recipe Multiplier

  • 20 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 6 ea Egg Yolks
  • 3 oz Granulated Sugar
  • 2 ea Vanilla Beans

Instructions

Making the Custard

  • Separate the 6 egg yolks from the whites and keep separate.
    (Reserve the whites for another use, they freeze well. Be sure to write on the container how many egg whites are in the container for future reference.)
  • Scale the sugar and hold aside in a separate bowl from the yolks.
    If egg yolks and sugar are mixed together and let sit for an extended time the eggs and sugar become hardened.
    I usually wait to mix together until I am ready to proceed.
  • Cut the vanilla beans and scrape the beans from the pods. Reference the video below to see how to remove the beans from the pods.
  • Heat the cream in a pot over medium heat. Add the vanilla beans to the cream and add the pods to the cream. This will bring out the oils in the vanilla bean pods when it heats up.
  • Once the cream and vanilla beans begin to come to a boil remove from the heat.
  • Mix the egg yolks and sugar.
  • Using a separate bowl, add a small amount of egg yolk and sugar mix.
    Begin the tempering process by adding a small amount of cream to the egg and sugar mix that was removed to the separate bowl.
    Slowly drizzle in the cream while mixing to avoid scrambling the eggs. Mix to combine.
  • Continue this process of adding more egg mix to the tempering bowl and continue to mix adding more cream slowly to continue to bring up the temperature of the tempering bowl eggs.
  • Once you have added about half of the egg mix to the tempering bowl incorporate the tempering bowl ingredients into the original egg and sugar mixture. Slowly incorporating to avoid scrambling the eggs.
  • While mixing, drizzle in the remaining cream and vanilla beans into the bowl. Remove the vanilla bean pods and discard.
  • Strain the custard mix to remove any egg that may have scrambled during the tempering process. (Use a strainer that will allow the vanilla beans to pass through)

Baking the Custard

  • Portion the custard mix into 5 ramekins. 6 ounces in each. In the video, I used 10 oz ramekins. If you use a 6-8 oz ramekin the cooking time may increase because the volume is deeper than in the 10 oz ramekins.
  • Place the ramekins in a roasting pan that will allow the water bath to come halfway up the ramekins.
  • Bake in the oven between 300°-325° for 30 minutes. Check the custard mix at 30 minutes to determine if it needs to bake longer.
  • The custard should have a uniform jiggle, the middle 1-2" should have more movement than the exterior. If there is additional baking time add extra time in 2 minute increments to avoid over baking.
  • Remove from the oven and water bath to slow the cooking process.
  • Chill in the refrigerator for 4-24 hours. The custard mix should be fully chilled before bruleeing the sugar on top.

Bruleeing the Sugar

  • Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of the baked custard.
  • Using a brulee torch, begin passing the flame over the sugar in circular motion. You can hold the ramekin and turn it as the video demonstrates. But you can leave on the counter and torch the sugar.
  • Once the sugar begins to caramelize, add a second sprinkle of sugar and repeat the torching process. You can add a third layer of sugar if you would like.
  • The caramelized sugar should ideally cover the entire surface area of the baked custard.
  • Serve with fresh berries. Enjoy!

Video