5-Ingredient Vanilla Crème Brûlée

This amazingly easy-to-make custard dessert vanilla Crème Brûlée is rich, creamy, and delicious! Topped with hard caramelized sugar using your oven's broiler. No need for butane torch. To make, you will need 5 ingredients - cream, egg yolks, salt, vanilla extract and sugar.

I've been intimidated by this recipe for a long time. But actually it's kind of similar to the custard dessert I grew up eating in the Philippines- leche flan. The process of making both of them is different but the ingredients are exactly the same.

Why You will love this

• delicious dessert
• easy to make
• few and pantry-friendly ingredients (5 ingredients only!)

Ingredients

Though this dessert requires uncomplicated ingredients, you will need quite a bunch of equipment.

• 2 cups half and half cream or heavy cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 ½ vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• a pinch of salt

EQUIPMENT

• oven
• pot to boil water
• saucepan to heat the cream
• mesh strainer to sift the cream to make it smooth
• oven-safe ramekins any size but for this recipe I used 8 oz geometrical bowls
• slightly deep baking pan for the water bath
• kitchen torch (optional)

Steps

• Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Boil water in a pot, you will use this later to help bake the creme brulee.

Make sure to preheat your oven at the right temperature. Using an oven thermometer is a huge help, it only costs less that 10 bucks. Otherwise, preheat your oven at least 15 minutes prior to the actual baking. You can read more here on how to preheat the oven.

• In a saucepan, heat the cream in medium heat. Do not boil. Add a pinch of salt. Once hot remove from heat. Then add the vanilla extract. Stir. Let it warm.

• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light using a hand mixer. Gradually combine the warm cream to the egg mixture. Stir. Using a mesh strainer, strain the mixture into a separate bowl.

• Place ramekins into a slightly deep baking pan. Pour and divide the mixture into the ramekins. Fill the pan with boiling water about halfway up outside of the ramekins. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle part is jiggly.

• Let set and cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

Caramelizing the sugar crust

• To make the sugar crust when serving, top the custards with an even thins layer of sugar. Blow fire on the top of the custard using a kitchen torch.
• If you don't have this use your oven's broil function. Put the oven into broil. Place the custards into the topmost level rack of the oven. Broil for 5 minutes or until the sugar is caramelized.

📝Recipe Card

While you are here, freely browse my other dessert recipes:

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe. Soft and Chewy.

The Best Low Carb Banana Bread Recipe (Keto-Friendly)

Super Easy Red White and Blue Cupcakes!