Chocolate Creme Brulee
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for details.
This 5-ingredient Chocolate Creme Brulee has a smooth, creamy, chocolate custard hidden beneath crackling caramelized sugar topping! It is the perfect dessert for a date night, Valentine’s Day, or any night you want something chocolatey.
If you still haven’t decided what to make for Valentine’s Day, this Chocolate Creme Brulee is what you have been waiting for. I mean, nothing quite screams romance like a chocolate dessert that’s lit on fire.
This dessert looks fancy, but it is one of the easiest to make with minimal ingredients. Soft, creamy, velvety chocolate underneath a crunchy caramelized sugar crust.
Every spoonful is like a dream. The chocolate flavor is just amazing and that crunchy sugar is such a lovely contrast and so much fun to crack.
What Is Creme Brulee?
Creme brulee is a French dessert that is composed of creamy baked custard and topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is normally served slightly chilled; the heat from the caramelizing process tends to warm the top of the custard while leaving the center cool.
Ingredients You Need
- Egg yolks. They thicken the custard and add richness.
- White sugar. You can use granulated sugar or castor sugar. Don’t forget the additional sugar for the caramelized topping.
- Vanilla. Use vanilla beans for the best vanilla flavor or you can use vanilla bean paste or extract.
- Heavy cream. Use full-fat heavy cream for creamy custard. If you prefer lighter custard, you can substitute some heavy cream with whole milk.
- Dark chocolate. If you use milk chocolate, they will be too sweet. Use high-quality dark chocolate with 50-70% cocoa content. Trust me! It will make all the difference.
Tempering the Eggs
When adding the hot cream mixture to the yolks, you need to slowly bring the egg mixture up to the temperature of the cream to prevent the eggs from curdling. This is called tempering. To do this, slowly drizzle the hot cream into the egg mixture while constantly whisking.
Baking Using a Bain-Marie Method
Custard can overcook easily. To ensure the custard cooks slowly and evenly, use a bain-marie or hot water bath. This technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards, cheesecakes, and flans without breaking or curdling them. To do this, place the filled ramekins in a small baking pan. Next, fill the pan with boiling water and bake.
When Is Custard Done Baking?
The custard is done baking when it has set but it still wobbles or jiggles when you tap the side of the ramekin. When you lightly touch the center of one of the custards, it should spring back just a bit and leave the surface of your finger clean. The color should be even without brown spots.
When baked correctly, creme brulee is supposed to be a soft custard with a texture like Greek yogurt. You should not be able to cut through it like cake! When you scoop some from the ramekin, the walls of the custard remaining in the ramekin should barely be holding upright, but shouldn’t run everywhere either. It should melt in your mouth like a rich, velvety cream. It shouldn’t even have the texture of soft jelly!
Bruleeing the Top
Once the custard has been baked and chilled, it is time to brulee the top. Sprinkle the top of the custard with sugar and tap the sides of the ramekins to spread the sugar evenly. Remove the excess sugar. If there is too much sugar, it will start to burn before it melts evenly. Use a blow torch to melt the sugar into a solid caramel layer.
How to Brulee the Top Without a Torch?
Traditionally, the custard is cooled and then covered in a sprinkling of sugar before it’s torched. A torch is handy in giving the creme brulee that burnt topping without really heating the rest of the previously chilled custard.
If you don’t have a blow torch, you can brulee in the oven using the broiler. Watch them carefully! Otherwise, they will burn very quickly. Let them cool before serving.
You can also brulee the top using a large metal spoon. Heat the spoon over the flame of your stovetop. it’s hot, then carefully press it against the sugar-topped custard. The heat will caramelize the sugar!
Make Ahead
The custard can be made 3 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated, however, you’ll want to wait until serving to add the sugar topping. Creme brulee is best served within 20 minutes after you have bruleed the sugar topping. If you wait longer, you risk the sugar absorbing moisture and the caramelized top softening.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Easy Blueberry Yogurt Cake
- Pandan Creme Brulee
- Simple Almond Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Sfogliatine Glassate (Glazed Puff Pastry)
- Baileys Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) granulated/castor sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
- 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2.5 oz (70 gr) dark chocolate, chopped
Topping
- 2-3 tbsp granulated/castor sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F/150°C.
- Add egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla paste to a medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Add heavy cream to the pan. Heat on low heat while stirring constantly until the mixture begins to simmer. Do not boil. Remove from the heat. Add chocolate and mix until well incorporated.
- While whisking constantly, drizzle the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture slowly to avoid curdling.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a pouring lip.
- Divide the mixture into 5 3-inch/7.5 cm diameter ramekins and place them on a baking pan. Skim off the foam and pop any air bubbles. Pour the boiling water into the baking pan, being careful not to let any water splash into the ramekins.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the custard is set but there is still a slight wobble. The depth of the ramekins will determine how long it takes for the custards to bake. Remove ramekins from the water.
- Leave to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- When ready to serve, put 1 1/2 to 2 tsp sugar on each custard. Tap the side of the ramekins to spread the sugar evenly. Torch the top using a blow torch, moving in a circular pattern until the whole surface is caramelized to a deep amber color. You can also put it in a broiler to achieve the same result.
A super easy recipe to make! The custard was like mousse chocolate, creamy and super chocolaty. The caramelized sugar topping added a nice crunchy and flavor.