Crème Caramel Recipe
Classic French dessert Crème Caramel features a smooth custard base topped with a delicate caramel sauce. This elegant treat involves melting sugar into a rich caramel, whisking eggs with milk and vanilla for a creamy custard, and baking the mixture in water baths to achieve a silky texture. Perfect for a sophisticated yet simple dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes plus chilling time
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
For the Caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For the Custard
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt Sugar: In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt half of the sugar (1/2 cup) while stirring occasionally and swirling the pan to evenly brown the sugar. Remove from heat when it turns into a medium amber brown syrup.
- Pour Caramel: Immediately pour the hot caramel equally into 8 buttered ramekins, swirling each ramekin to coat the bottoms evenly with the caramel.
- Whisk Custard: In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar until the mixture lightens in color. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Fill Ramekins: Pour the custard mixture evenly into the caramel-lined ramekins, filling them almost to the top.
- Bake: Place the filled ramekins into a large baking pan. Add hot water to the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, creating a water bath. Bake in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 60 minutes or until the custards are set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Chill and Serve: Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edges of the custards, then invert each ramekin onto a plate, letting the caramel sauce drip over the custard.
Notes
- Be careful when handling hot caramel as it can cause severe burns.
- Use fresh whole milk for the creamiest texture.
- The water bath helps cook the custard gently and evenly, preventing curdling.
- Chilling the dessert overnight allows the flavors to develop and the texture to set properly.
- Ramekins should be buttered or lightly greased to ensure easy unmolding.
Keywords: Crème Caramel, caramel custard, French dessert, baked custard, caramel sauce
Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/creme-caramel-recipe/
