Crème Caramel Recipe: How to Make French Crème Caramel
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 18, 2024 • 2 min read
Crème caramel is an impressive French dessert that’s relatively easy to master.
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What Is Crème Caramel?
Crème caramel is a French dessert consisting of a vanilla custard topped with caramel sauce. It is made by placing a layer of caramel at the bottom of a ramekin, then topping it with custard. After cooking in a bain-marie (hot water bath), the ramekins are inverted. Crème caramel is one of several crèmes renversées (creams turned upside-down) in French cuisine.
Differences Between Flan, Crème Caramel, and Crème Brûlée
Flan and crème caramel are essentially different terms for the same dessert. Flan is associated with Spanish-speaking countries, while crème caramel is French. The recipes sometimes differ slightly; in warm climates in Central and South America and the Caribbean, sweetened condensed milk is often used instead of whole milk to prevent the custard from overcooking. Crème brûlée is a different dessert entirely, featuring a less firm custard and a hard layer of caramelized sugar on top.
French Crème Caramel Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
2 hrcook time
45 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, combine ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer, occasionally stirring until sugar dissolves.
- 3
Increase the heat to medium-high and stop stirring.
- 4
Cook caramel until light golden brown, then immediately remove from the heat.
- 5
Divide caramel between six ramekins, tilting the ramekins so that the caramel evenly coats the base of each.
- 6
Let cool at room temperature.
- 7
In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and the vanilla bean and bring to a simmer.
- 8
Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and remaining ½ cup sugar until fully incorporated.
- 9
Whisking constantly, pour about a quarter of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture.
- 10
Once incorporated, slowly add the remaining hot milk mixture, while whisking.
- 11
Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- 12
Divide the custard mixture evenly between the caramel-coated ramekins.
- 13
Prepare a bain-marie (hot water bath). Arrange the ramekins in a baking dish or roasting pan, and carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish so that it comes about ⅔ of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
- 14
Carefully transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake until custard is just set, about 30 minutes. A sharp knife inserted in the center of one of the ramekins should come back clean.
- 15
Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour.
- 16
To turn out, run a knife along the edge of the ramekins and invert the ramekins onto a serving plate.
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