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

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

A twist on a cllassic French egg custard dessert that is super easy to make.

4.7 from 46 votes

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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

US Customary - Metric

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

Serving: 1 ramekin | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1332IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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Author: Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts

Course Desserts

Cuisine French

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