Baked Vanilla Custard with Caramel (Crème caramel)
Crème caramel Say it: krem ka-rah-MELL
Crème caramel is the classic French dessert of a silky, softly set vanilla custard baked over a thin layer of dark caramel. It appears on family tables and bistro menus across France, especially for Sunday lunches and celebrations, and is served chilled. When unmolded, the pale custard slips free and the caramel loosens into a glossy amber sauce. The texture should be delicate but sliceable, never rubbery, with a clean bittersweet edge from the caramel. It is simple pantry cooking, yet it feels quietly elegant.
Baked Vanilla Custard with Caramel (Crème caramel)
Crème caramel
Pronounced krem ka-rah-MELL
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the caramel
For the custard
For baking
Method
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Arrange six 6-ounce (175 ml) ramekins in a roasting pan large enough to hold them without touching.
Combine the 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir just until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and boil, swirling the pan occasionally, until the syrup is deep amber and smells faintly of caramel, 8-10 minutes. Immediately divide among the ramekins and swirl to coat the bases; set aside.
Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge; do not let it boil.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth but not frothy.
While whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture; whisk until smooth.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug, skimming off any foam.
Pour the custard over the set caramel in the ramekins, filling almost to the rims. Set the roasting pan in the oven and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake until the custards are set at the edges but the centers still wobble like jelly when the pan is gently nudged, 35-45 minutes; a thin knife inserted 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edge should come out clean.
Lift the ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin, invert onto a small plate, and give a firm shake; lift the ramekin so the caramel pools around the custard. Serve chilled.
Regional variants
Some French cooks add a splash of dark rum or a little orange zest to the custard; elsewhere the same dessert is called flan, and a deeper dish gives a sliceable flan-style result.
Cook's notes
- Do not stir the caramel once it boils; swirling the pan keeps it from crystallizing.
- Strain the custard for the smoothest, most delicate set.
- Bake just until the center wobbles; overbaking makes the custard rubbery.
Serve with
Serve chilled on its own, with the caramel spooned over, and perhaps a small coffee.
Make ahead and storage
Bake and chill up to 2 days ahead; keep covered in the ramekins and unmold just before serving.
