Creme Brulee France: The Secrets of a Classic French Dessert

Name: Creme Brulee
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 5 h 20 min
Ingredients: 500 ml of heavy cream (crème entière); 1 Vanilla bean; 5 egg yolks (jaune d’œuf); 40g caster sugar (sucre en poudre); 2 tsp brown sugar

Is there anything more satisfying than cracking through the caramelized sugar crust of a crème brûlée? That first tap of the spoon, the delicate snap, the creamy vanilla custard underneath, yum. It’s the kind of simple dessert that French cuisine does best.

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Crème brûlée might be a staple on bistro menus across France, but it’s a dessert with a surprisingly rich (and debated) history. From its possible origins in 17th-century France to its place on Michelin-starred menus today.

As I now live in France, and have made it my mission to try every French dish I can, you’re about to learn everything you need to know about crème brûlée; how it’s made, where to try it in France, and a recipe I tried that will help you make a restaurant-worthy version of your own.

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A creme brulee France with blueberries and raspberries sat on a wooden table

Where Did Crème Brûlée Originate?

Well, it depends on who you ask. The French, English, and Spanish all claim to be the originators of the dessert we know as crème brûlée.

Whichever one it is, I have to say out of all the French desserts I’ve tried, Creme Brulee, or Crème Brûlée if using the proper French spelling, is possibly my favourite.

It’s certainly on the menu of most French restaurants I’ve been to.

And I love it when it’s one of the options of a Café Gourmand (a selection of mini desserts usually served with an espresso).

Apparently, there is a reference to a custard dessert that had caramelized sugar on top, which was burnt with an iron, dating back to the 15th century in England.

Then, of course, we have the Spanish Crema Catalana that has been around since the Middle Ages.

However, as the name itself is French, I’m happy to give this one to France.

A ramekin with creme brulee with a spoon sat on brown material

The story goes that François Massialot discovered the dessert while visiting Perpignan.

As chef to Philippe d’Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV, François made the dessert for him on his return to Paris.

The dessert had cooled before he was able to serve it, so he tried to warm it up using a hot iron, which then burned the sugar on top. Et Voilà, the first French version of Crème Brûlée.

It appeared in François Massialot’s 1691 cookbook Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois.

How to pronounce Crème Brûlée

Unlike many words in French, this one is actually quite easy to pronounce – “krem bruh-lay.”

But how do you make the perfect French Crème Brûlée?

In total honesty, desserts and cakes are the things I find the hardest, mainly because you can’t experiment in the same way as you would with a dinner.

You have to be precise and follow the recipe, something I’m not very good at.

However, I’ve managed to add my own flair to each one and am really enjoying the process.

There is such a feeling of satisfaction to this whole thing when it actually turns out the way it should.

And I’m sharing my recipe, which actually worked, with very little stress.

What is a traditional Crème Brûlée from France?

Crème Brûlée, which translates to “burnt cream”, is such a simple dessert. It’s a delicious combination of cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, aka custard. It’s the caramelized sugar on top that really sets it apart.

And the best part is that it was actually quite easy to make, although there were a few steps that required time in between, so it’s not a quick dessert. My advice is to make it the day before you want to eat it, as you’ll want to refrigerate it overnight.

Is Creme Brulee served warm?

The best way to eat crème brûlée is to eat the top part, the caramelized sugar, warm, and the rest of the dessert at room temperature.

I added a couple of raspberries on top to finish it off.

Someone holding a kitchen blow torch on a creme brulee to caramelise the sugar

How to make Creme Brulee

Don’t be intimidated by this dessert. If, like me, you think it must be really hard because all French restaurants serve it, then forget that thought right now. It’s a lot easier than you think.

The main thing is to make sure you set aside some time and don’t rush it.

However, if you don’t have time to put it in the fridge overnight, try to allow at least 4 hours for it to set.

Red culinary torch with blue flame next to its packaging box labeled 'Kollea Culinary Torch', including a silicone brush and two nozzles, on a white background.

The main tool I needed, which I didn’t already have, was a small kitchen blowtorch. It wasn’t expensive and was easily found with a quick search on Amazon. Although I later found one in my local Leclerc supermarket.

Alternatively, you can put it under a really hot grill for 45-60 seconds.

If you go this way, you’ll want to put it back in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving, as the custard warms up under the grill, unlike with a blowtorch.

Two ramekins with creme brulee topped with blueberries

Another thing worth noting is to opt for vanilla bean rather than paste or essence, as it makes a significant difference in the taste.

And finally, you’ll need four ramekins to cook and serve your dessert in. Don’t worry too much about having those shallow dishes you see in recipes. I used standard ramekins and filled them just over halfway.

You should have about 500ml of the mixture to pour in. To avoid a mess, I poured everything into a milk jug and then transferred it to the ramekins.

The perfect crème brûlée should be similar to a nice thick yoghurt. It shouldn’t be like cutting a cake, but it shouldn’t be runny either.

FAQS: The Origin of Creme Brulee

Is crème brûlée from France?

Yes, crème brûlée is indeed from France. It is a famous French dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel, traditionally created by torching a layer of sugar on top.

Is there crème brûlée in Paris?

Yes, crème brûlée is commonly available in Paris. It can be found on the dessert menus of many restaurants and patisseries across the city, showcasing its popularity and traditional roots in French cuisine.

Is crema catalana the same as crème brûlée?

No, crema catalana is not the same as crème brûlée. While both desserts have a custard base and a caramelized sugar topping, crème brûlée originates from France and is typically flavored with vanilla, setting it apart from the cinnamon-flavored crème brûlée.

What is the difference between French and Spanish crème brûlée?

The primary difference between French crème brûlée and Spanish crème brûlée, known as crema catalana, lies in their flavoring and preparation. French crème brûlée is flavoured with vanilla, and its sugar topping is caramelized using a blowtorch or broiler. In contrast, crema catalana is flavoured with cinnamon and citrus zest, and its sugar is traditionally caramelized under a hot iron.

Creme Brulee

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Chill Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

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Ingredients

500 ml of heavy cream (crème entière)
1 Vanilla bean
5 egg yolks (jaune d’œuf)
40g caster sugar (sucre en poudre)
2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

<ol><li>Preheat oven to 130°C/265°F (120°C fan).</li><li>Split your vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the beans with a small knife. Put both the beans and the empty pod into a saucepan and add the cream. Simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes.</li><li>Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit with the lid on for about an hour to allow the vanilla bean to really infuse into the cream.</li><li>Boil a kettle of water and put four ramekins into a tray. Something similar to what you’d roast potatoes in but not too big.</li><li>Separate your egg yolks and put them into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add your sugar and mix them together. Don’t whip into a frenzy otherwise, you’ll get foam. Gently does it.</li><li>Pour your mixture equally into the four ramekin dishes. Then pour the boiling water into the pan so it comes up no more than halfway on the sides of the ramekins. We don’t want them to float, we just want them to sit in the water. This step is called a water bath – quite fitting really.</li><li>Bake for between 45-60 minutes. If you’re using milk and cream combination like I did, it will be nearer to 55 minutes. The key is to give them the tap test. Gently tap one of the ramekins and if it has a slight wobble to it then it’s done. That’s the tap test.</li><li>Remove the ramekins from the water bath as we don’t want them to continue cooking. Leave them to cool and then refrigerate overnight.</li><li>When you’re ready to serve remove them from the fridge and bring them to room temperature.</li><li>Sprinkle ½ a teaspoon of brown sugar on top of each ramekin and grab your blow torch. 45-60 seconds should do it. Once caramelised it’s ready to serve. As a garnish try a couple of blueberries, two or three raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.</li></ol>

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 441Total Fat: 33gCarbohydrates: 32g