Crème brûlée
The earliest known recipe for crème brûlée appears in François Massialot's 1691 cookbook, Nouvelle Instruction pour les Coupeurs de Fruits. The recipe, called "burnt cream," calls for eggs, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Massialot was the chef to Louis XIV, and his cookbook was very popular in its day.
The dish became known as crème brûlée in the 18th century. It was a popular dessert in France and England, and was often served at important events such as banquets and balls.
Crème brûlée recipes began appearing in American cookbooks in the early 19th century. The first known recipe was published in an 1805 cookbook called The Virginia Housewife. The recipe was very similar to the French version, but called for the addition of lemon zest.
Advice
When making crème brûlée, it is important to use a good quality vanilla extract and cream for the best flavor. Always bake the custard slowly and evenly, and be sure to chill it thoroughly before adding the sugar topping. When adding the sugar topping, make sure to spread it evenly and use a kitchen torch to evenly caramelize the sugar. If the sugar does not caramelize properly, it can affect the texture and flavor of the finished crème brûlée. Lastly, be sure to enjoy your crème brûlée within a few hours of baking, as it will not taste as fresh the next day.
Jump to: Ingredient Breakdown Insights
Recipes
Eggnog Crème Brûlée
- milk
- bourbon
- sugar
- salt
- heavy cream
- nutmeg
- egg yolk
Crème Brûlée
- vanilla bean
- salt
- heavy cream
- sugar
- egg yolk
Sugar Cookie Chocolate Crème Brûlée.
- vanilla extract
- egg
- vanilla bean
- coffee liquor
- sugar
- heavy cream
- egg yolk
- bittersweet chocolate
- sugar cooky
Crème Brûlée (French Vanilla Custard)
- vanilla pod
- cream heavy cream
- sugar
- egg yolk
Snickerdoodle Crème Brûlée
- salt
- vanilla extract
- sugar
- heavy cream
- sugar
- cinnamon
- egg yolk
Crème brûlée
- estratto di vaniglia
- fragole
- latte
- panna fresca
- al caramello
- al cioccolato
- tuorli
- zucchero
- zucchero di canna
Easy Classic Crème Brûlée
- sugar
- sugar
- heavy cream
- vanilla extract
- egg yolk
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
- salt
- cinnamon
- heavy cream
- milk
- pumpkin puree
- sugar
- allspice
- ginger
- nutmeg
- light brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- egg yolk
- sugar
Espresso Crème Brûlée
- vanilla extract
- cinnamon
- sugar
- heavy cream
- espresso
- sugar
- egg yolk
Classic French Lavender Crème Brûlée
- lavender
- heavy cream
- half
- vanilla extract
- sugar
- egg yolk
Amaretto Crème Brûlée
- sugar
- almond extract
- heavy cream
- amaretto liqueur
- egg yolk
- mint
Easy Crème Brûlée
- sugar
- vanilla bean
- sanding sugar
- heavy cream
- egg yolk
Keto Crème Brûlée
- vanilla extract
- heavy cream
- water
- egg yolk
- sweetener
Fava Bean Crème Brûlée
- brown sugar
- caper berry
- olive oil
- pepper
- salt
- vinegar
- milk
- fava bean
- egg
- fava bean
Orange & Rosemary Crème Brûlée
- orange zest
- salt
- rosemary
- sugar
- heavy cream
- duck egg
Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
- milk
- vanilla bean
- brown sugar
- heavy cream
- sugar
- egg yolk
- salt
Butterscotch Crème Brûlée with Pink Peppercorn Whipped Cream and White Chocolate Sea Salt Popcorn
- smoked salt
- heavy cream
- sugar
- coconut oil
- pink peppercorn
- espresso
- vanilla bean paste
- white chocolate chip
- popcorn
- egg yolk
- water
Gjetost Crème Brûlée
- light brown sugar
- salt
- heavy cream
- milk
- vanilla extract
- cornstarch
- sugar
- red currant compote
- butter
- gjetost
Crème Brûlée
- sugar
- turbinado sugar
- qt heavy cream
- vanilla bean
- egg yolk
Crème Brûlée
- salt
- vanilla bean
- heavy cream
- egg yolk
- sugar
Crème Brûlée with Shortbread and Cherry Compote
- sugar
- caramel sauce
- cream
- shortcrust pastry
- sugar cherry compote
- salt
- complete
- egg white
- vanilla pod
- cream
- wholewheat flour
- muscovado sugar
- confectioners sugar
- egg yolk
- rice starch
- sugar
- beet sugar
- milk
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- butter
Ingredient Breakdown
Insights
Correlated with Higher Ratings
- heavy cream
- egg yolk
Common Ingredients
- egg yolk 62%
- heavy cream 62%
- sugar 62%
Rarey Ingredients
- salt 33%
- vanilla extract 33%