DISH RESEARCH · Dessert
Crème Brûlée
Also known as: Crème brûlée, rayon frais
A vanilla custard with a thin caramelized sugar crust.
About Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée combines a smooth custard with a caramelized sugar surface. King Arthur Test Kitchen’s classic version uses heavy cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla bean paste in individual ramekins.
Cream and yolks give the custard its rich dairy flavour, while vanilla adds fragrance. The sugar topping brings a deeper caramel note that balances the gentle sweetness beneath it.
The custard is softly set, with a thin, brittle golden crust above. Breaking the sugar surface gives way to the creamy interior, creating the dessert’s characteristic contrast in texture.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Milk, Egg.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Crème Brûlée
King Arthur Test Kitchen’s classic heavy-cream crème brûlée.
- Heavy creamBase
- Granulated sugarSweetener
- Egg yolksBinder
- Vanilla bean pasteAromaticIngredient page not linked
- WaterCooking medium
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Heavy cream: . First cream choice; half-and-half combination alternative not added.
- Granulated sugar: . Shared custard sugar and caramelized surface sugar consolidated. First granulated topping choice retained before coarse sparkling sugar.
- Egg yolks:
- Vanilla bean paste: . Named prepared paste; no exact active approved paste candidate or full recipe formula established. A product shopping link is not an own component recipe.
- Water: . Explicit external hot-water bath around the ramekins; retained as cooking medium rather than an added custard liquid.
Origins & food traditions
Crème brûlée has a place on French restaurant dessert menus; chef Alexis Gauthier also recalls it as a wedding dessert from his early catering work.
Countries
- France
- FranceCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- French
- French National CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.