Crème Brûlée Recipe Easy, No Baking or Kitchen Torch Required
This crème brûlée recipe–easy! It doesn’t need a special baking torch for you to achieve that crispy, caramelized, sugary hard topping. In fact, it doesn’t even require baking!
Most crème brûlée recipes require baking in a bain marie in the oven. I prefer this recipe, because it’s solely made on the stove-top, which is a huge plus in the summer when I don’t want to turn on the oven.
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If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you will need to put on the broiler (grill, for UK peeps) for a short time to caramelize the sugar on top of the crème brûlée (which means “burnt cream”, in case you’ve always wondered). Do I really need to explain that it’s well worth it? Do try to use vanilla bean in this recipe as I think it really makes a big difference.
What makes this crème brûlée recipe easy is that you don’t have to mess with the baking in the bain marie. Once you’ve cooked it on the stove top, it’s ready to pour into ramekins. And because you don’t bake it, you can add delicious morsels of fruit, like raspberries, blueberries or strawberries to the bottom of the ramekins and they will keep their form! I just love it this way.
Besides the flavor and ease of this crème brûlée recipe, the other thing I love about this dessert is that you can also make it ahead of time. Once they are made, there will be nothing left to do except accept your accolades once the guests crack into this incredibly luscious and flavorful French dessert!
Crème Brûlée Recipe Easy
adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts. makes 6 servings
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- heavy whipping cream
- egg yolks
- sugar
- vanilla bean, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla powder or vanilla extract
- raspberries (substitute another fruit, or omit completely)
- sugar, white or brown, for sprinkling on top
Special equipment: ramekins (these are the ones I have) I like them because they are made in France.
In a small pot, heat cream and vanilla bean over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove vanilla bean.
In a larger pot (off the heat), whisk egg yolks and sugar until well-blended.
Slowly stir in the hot cream, while continuing to whisk. (I like OXO whisks.)
Place the pot on a burner, and cook over medium-low heat, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon well, about 15 minutes (the temperature of the custard should be about 170º to 175º F, but do not boil or it will curdle).
If not using the vanilla bean, stir in the vanilla extract at this time.
Place a few raspberries in the bottom of six ramekins.
Pour the hot custard over the raspberries; cover and refrigerate the crème brûlée until cold, at least 6 hours.
Just before ready to serve, or a few hours beforehand, sprinkle the tops of the desserts with some sugar; natural sugar (Sugar in the Raw) works best if using a torch. If you have a kitchen torch, heat the top of the custard to melt the sugar for the brûlée topping.
If not using a torch, place the ramekins on a tray under the broiler (brown sugar works best for this method), until the sugar melts and forms a crust. It will taste just as good, but isn’t quite as pretty as using the raw sugar with a torch.
Serve the crème brûlée immediately or within a few hours (keep refrigerated) so the crisp shell doesn’t get soft.
Here’s another wonderful recipe for a lemon and passion fruit meringue tart!
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Crème Brûlée with Raspberries, No Baking or Kitchen Torch Required
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split in half, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 24 raspberries for the bottom of the ramekins (substitute another fruit, or omit completely)
- 1 Tbsp sugar white or brown, as needed for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- In a small pot, heat cream and vanilla bean over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove vanilla bean.
- In a larger pot (off the heat), whisk egg yolks and sugar until well-blended.
- Slowly stir in the hot cream, while continuing to whisk.
- Place the pot on a burner, and cook over medium-low heat, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon well, about 15 minutes(the temperature of the custard should be about 170º to 175º F, but do not boil or it will curdle. If not using the vanilla bean, stir in the vanilla extract at this time.
- Place a few raspberries in the bottom of 6 ramekins. Pour the hot custard over the raspberries; cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 6 hours.
- Just before ready to serve, or a few hours beforehand, sprinkle the tops of the desserts with some sugar; natural sugar (Sugar in the Raw) works best if using a torch. If you have a kitchen torch, heat the top of the custard to melt the sugar for the brûlée topping.
- If not using a torch, place the ramekins on a tray under the broiler (brown sugar works best for this method), until the sugar melts and forms a crust. It will taste just as good, but isn't quite as pretty as using the raw sugar with a torch.
- Serve immediately or within a few hours (keep refrigerated) so the crisp shell doesn't turn soggy.
Notes
- Add some berries to the bottom of the ramekins for an extra special treat.
Nutrition
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Thanks for the recipe- its delightful! I make all kinds of flavors, although it completely slipped my head to simply add berries to the bottom- Duh? Lol! How beautiful with seasonal fruits. I read the recipe and noticed there was no YIELD. How many 4oz ramekin servings does this make in your experience? Thinking about tripling it for some real party fun! Thank you!
Oh goodness, this is so strange. I can see that I’ve added yield 6 in the back end, but it’s not showing on the recipe card, Jamie. In the recipe it does say to use 6 ramekins, though. I will have to get help on fixing this, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. Glad you like it and yes, fruit in the bottom is a nice surprise! :)
Hi! I am looking forward to try this! However I have some questions…..I wanted to marinate some strawberries in Cointreau and slicing them before putting them in the dishes….my concern is whether or not they would set correctly with that added liquid in the fruit. Second, I’m needing to make about 45, and my only source to chill/set them will be in ice chests! So i’m hoping to find mini foil ramekins, have them and metal baking sheets on ice to get as cold as possible, then place the strawberries in cup then pour custard and cross my fingers they will all set in no more than 2-3 hours! Any suggestions? Thank you in advance!
So I attempted this tonight, however I didn’t marinate the strawberries or use the ice chests like I will have to on Friday….I used min little tin cup cake pans, it’s been over 2 hours now. I added fresh rosemary to the cream to mess around with it and while it is good I think it is over powering! Also my texture is not setting as much like a true firm creme brûlée, yes it’s only been 2 hours but I hoped that after 2 hours in the smaller containers it would be sufficient time for them to set. So is this the typical texture with this method, an I being impatient or do you feel I did something wrong? Thank you :)
Hi Carrie, I’m so sorry for my delayed responses, but I’m in the UK and traveling all over the place. :) Two hours really isn’t very long, but that said, if you like a gelatinous type of harder brûlée, this is not the recipe for you. This one is more creamy and not stiff, but it will set nicely and should be set after completely cooled. I’d guess you’re being more impatient, but honestly hard to say without seeing the dessert in person :) Let me know how it turned out!
Hi Carrie, I honestly don’t know what would happen with the liquid from the macerated strawberries, but I would hesitate to do it this way when making 45. Can you do a test with a small number of desserts? Also not sure about the ice chest situation! Good luck!
Technical terms: it’s baked in a “water bath” in the oven. Not a “Bain Marie inside the oven.” Water baths are where the cake pan/ramekin are place inside the water and baked. They’re meant to keep your custards/cheesecakes/pavé/etc from cracking. Bain Marie is where you heat water in a pot and place a bowl on top of the pot to let the steam heat whatever is inside without direct contact to the heat. Completely different techniques.
Hi Lorae, I think there are many different ways of dissecting this subject and to be completely technical, a Bain Marie is a special pot. If you do a quick search, you’ll find many different ways of using the Bain Marie and water bath terms. Wikipedia uses the terms interchangeably and The Kitchn uses the Bain Marie term in the same manner as I did.
Actually, Lorae, a bain marie is not a technique. It’s a piece of equipment. “Bain Marie is where you heat water in a pot and place a bowl on top of the pot to let the steam heat whatever is inside without direct contact to the heat.” In reference to the quote I’ve attached from your response, you’re speaking of a double boiler which is also not a technique. If you’re going to correct someone, please be knowledgeable yourself.
Thanks,
Chef
Hi Franchesca, I appreciate your comment! As I am not a trained cook, let alone anywhere near a chef, I don’t have much standing when it comes to giving advice to readers like Lorae. :) Merci!