Sous Vide Creme Brûlée

If you’re looking for a unique and delicious dessert, look no further than sous vide creme brulee. It’s so easy to make and can be prepared in under 15 minutes. The creamy custard is smooth and rich with an irresistible caramelized sugar crust.

“Come on honey, pick a restaurant!” Kevy begged!

It’s his thing, you know, to know the restaurant in advance. To read the menu before we go to any restaurant. To mentally savor each word on it. To chew on the thought of each dish.

That’s my husband. The one who knows what he’s eating before we’ve even arrived.

It took me a few years to figure him out, but there’s one thing he will always choose, regardless of what else is on the menu.

Crème brûlée.

EVERY.freaking.TIME.

This sous vide crème brûlée recipe is dedicated to Kevy.

Overhead view of torched creme brulee.
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Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> Are you cooking sous vide yet? If you’re new or unsure, I have a great sous vide introduction article that you’ll love.

No. 2 –> Don’t expect this to be like the classic crème brûlée recipes you’ve seen. Unlike the traditional method of creme brulee making, the sous vide method is SO easy – you can skip the bain marie, tempering eggs, and sieving and still get perfect results thanks to the precise temperature control of sous vide cooking.

No. 3 –> If you have super fine or berry sugar at home, it’s the best sugar to use on top of your creamy dessert! I find the smaller grains melt faster under the torch without having to warm up the creme brulee too much.

No. 4 –> Remove the jar lids once the jars come out of the sous vide – water is the enemy of custardy desserts – by removing the lids, you’re reducing the chances of water accumulating on the surface of the custards, ruining your hard work. If you do happen to get condensation on the top carefully blot with paper towels to remove any drips.

If you love decadent custard desserts, you should take this Mexican Flan for a spin!

Overhead view of a trio of creme brulee.

Key Ingredients

Eggs: Can’t have a creamy custard without egg yolks. Use large eggs. For these photos, I used farm fresh eggs from my backyard chickens! Custard made from pastured egg yolks will be richer in color than creme brulee made from store-bought eggs with paler yolks.

Heavy Cream: Use heavy cream or whipping cream with at least 33% milk fat. This will guarantee a rich, smooth, and stable base.

Salt: Salt is necessary for this recipe, even if you think it’s not! Salt brings out the subtle sweetness and enhances the vanilla flavor. It’s necessary, even if it’s only a pinch.

Ingredients required for sous vide creme brulee.

How To Make Sous Vide Creme Brulee

Make the custard base:

  1. In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout, combine 6 egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and the seeds of 1/4 vanilla bean or a pinch of vanilla bean paste. Whisk until completely combined.
  2. Cast the egg mixture into 4 prepared mason jars. Cast is just a fancy word meaning pour, but we’re about to make creme brulee, so let’s be fancy!
  3. Place clean snap lids on each of the jars and tighten the screw bands finger-tip tight. If you’re new to mason jar lingo, that simply means to tighten with your fingertips until you feel resistance, then back off about an eighth of a turn.

Sous vide:

  1. Place jars into the bottom of your sous vide container. Cover them with a weight.
  2. Fill the sous vide bath, I like to use hot tap water to decrease the preheating time.
  3. Heat the sous vide to 179f and cook at 179 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
  4. After an hour of cook time, carefully remove the weight and remove jars from the water bath.
  5. Remove the lid from the jars to avoid condensation gathering on the surface, and allow to cool to room temperature before drying each jar lid and replacing. Transfer jars to the fridge for up to 4 days.
  6. Immediately prior to serving, sprinkle a fine layer of super fine or granulated sugar on top of each custard, and while working quickly and moving the torch constantly in a small circular pattern, burn the sugar until it reaches a deep golden brown. Avoid getting too close to the chilled glass jar as it can cause thermal shock and damage to the jar.

How To Make Sous Vide Creme Brulee Without Mason Jars

If you don’t have mason jars handy, don’t worry! There are a couple of different ways you can make this recipe.

  1. In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout, combine 6 egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and the seeds of 1/4 vanilla bean or a pinch of vanilla bean paste. Whisk until completely combined.
  2. Cast the custard base into a large ziplock or vacuum seal bag. If using a ziplock bag, use the water displacement method to remove any excess air from the bag by submerging the bag and holding the sealing lip above the water – seal the bag. If using a vaccum seal bag, seal it.
  3. Cook the custard at 179f for 1 hour.
  4. Immediately after removing from the water bath, snip a corner off of the bag and pour it evenly into 4 clean ramekins.
  5. Allow the custard to cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge for up to 4 days.
  6. Immediately prior to serving, sprinkle a fine layer of super fine or granulated sugar on top of each custard, and while working quickly and moving the torch constantly in a small circular pattern, burn the sugar. Avoid getting too close to the chilled glass jar as it can cause thermal shock and damage to the jar.
Creme brulee with a spoon pushed through the crunchy sugar.

Why The Weight?

Creme brulee is meant to be served in a wide, shallow dish so that you get a bite that ranges from cold custard on the bottom to warm crackling sugar on the top without being a dish that’s too rich to enjoy.

This presents a problem when you’re making creme brulee sous vide, as I haven’t yet found the perfect container, but the Ball Elite Half Pint jars are pretty close.

Ok, back on track – we’re aiming for a shallow layer of creme brulee which means we can’t fill our jars full. Jars that aren’t full have air in them, which means they float. Floating jars in sous vide is… very much bad.

To overcome this, I’ve devised a plan.

  1. Place the filled jars into your empty water bath, and place the weight on top.
  2. Fill the water bath with HOT tap water.
  3. Then start the sous vide.

This is an easy way to overcome floaty jars, and it’s pretty damn ingenious if you ask me. *buffs fingernails*

Farm fresh eggs in a ceramic holder.

Make Ahead Creme Brulee

Um… heck yeah! That’s the beauty of this recipe.

I lied, that’s only one of the beauties of this recipe.

To make this creme brulee in advance stop after you’ve replaced the lids on the completely cooled custard and leave them in the fridge until just before serving. Up to 4 days.

Once you’re ready to serve, just finish the process! Including that fun bit with the kitchen torch.

SHHH> Don’t tell anyone but I usually make a double batch when we’re having company and hide the extras in the back of the fridge for the next night when I’m ready for a late-night treat!

Batch + Storage

Batch:

This recipe makes enough for 4 mason jar portions. Just over 125 ml. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but this perfect crème brûlée is so rich and decadent, you’ll be satisfied, trust me!

Storage:

The cooked and cooled custard can be stored safely in the fridge for up to 4 days. It doesn’t keep well once it’s been topped with sugar and torched. I recommend only adding sugar and hitting it with the torch immediately before serving.

Love Sous Vide Recipes?

Check these out!

I hate to suggest things you don’t need, but there are a few items you do need for this recipe, I’ve also included substitutes you’ll probably have around the house where applicable!

Sous vide. If you don’t have a sous vide machine, allow me to recommend the Instant Pot Accu Slim Sous Vide circulator – that’s the one I use and love. It’s a great little unit at an entry-level price if you’re wanting to just dip your toes in #sousvidelife.

Water bath for your sous vide. In the past, I’ve used tall stock pots, the liner of my Instant Pot, or even my fermentation crock. Now that I know we love sous vide, I have a dedicated sous vide container, two actually, a 12-liter and an 18-liter rectangular Cambro. Any heat safe, straight sided, large container will work!

Mason jars: You’ll need a sealable container for your creme brulee goodness. Because the container is being submerged and heated, canning jars make the most sense as they are designed to let heated air out without allowing water in. I recommend these half-pint wide mouth jars.

A weight – this can be anything – literally a can of soup, or a clean rock. I used my fermentation weight because it was handy! In this recipe, the jars are not completely filled, so we need to weigh them down.

Jar lifters or silicone oven mitts. You’ll be reach into a HOT water bath to grab the jars, use a jar lifter. Your unburned hands will thank you!

A blow torch or oven broiler. Creme brulee isn’t creme brulee without the crunchy, crackly caramelized sugar topping. That comes from FIYYAAAH. or the broiler. I prefer the butane torch as it heats the sugar without heating the custard.

If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!

📖 Printable Recipe

Overhead view of torched creme brulee.

Sous Vide Creme Brulee

Allyson Letal
Sous vide creme brulee is a modern twist on a classic dessert. The result is a rich and creamy dessert that has a perfectly smooth texture. The flavors of the custard are intensified by the sous vide cooking process, making this recipe truly irresistible. If you are looking for an impressive (and sneakily easy) dessert to impress your guests, look no further than sous vide creme brulee.
4.34 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Sous Vide
Cuisine French
Servings 4
Calories 485 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream 33 – 35%
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • ¼ vanilla bean 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or a pinch of vanilla bean paste (optional, but recommended)
  • 4 tablespoon extra fine sugar

Instructions
 

Make the custard base:

  • In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout, combine 6 egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and the seeds of 1/4 vanilla bean or a pinch of vanilla bean paste. Whisk until completely combined.

Sous Vide In Mason Jars

  • Cast the egg mixture into 4 prepared mason jars.
  • Place clean snap lids on each of the jars and tighten the screw bands finger-tip tight.
  • Place jars into the bottom of your sous vide container. Cover them with a weight.
  • Fill the sous vide bath, I like to use hot tap water to decrease the preheating time.
  • Heat the sous vide to 179f and cook at 179 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
  • After an hour of cook time, carefully remove the weight and remove jars from the water bath.
  • Remove the lid from the jars to avoid condensation gathering on the surface, and allow them to cool to room temperature before drying each jar lid and replacing it. Transfer jars to the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Immediately prior to serving, sprinkle a fine layer of super fine or granulated sugar on top of each custard, and while working quickly and moving the torch constantly in a small circular pattern, burn the sugar until it reaches a deep golden brown. Avoid getting too close to the chilled glass jar as it can cause thermal shock and damage to the jar.

Sous Vide Without Mason Jars

  • In a large bowl or large measuring cup with a spout, combine 6 egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and the seeds of 1/4 vanilla bean or a pinch of vanilla bean paste. Whisk until completely combined.
  • Cast the custard base into a large ziplock or vacuum-seal bag. If using a ziplock bag, use the water displacement method to remove any excess air from the bag by submerging the bag and holding the sealing lip above the water – seal the bag. If using a vacuum seal bag, seal it.
  • Cook the custard at 179f for 1 hour.
  • Immediately after removing from the water bath, snip a corner off of the bag and pour it evenly into 4 clean ramekins.
  • Allow the custard to cool to room temperature before transferring it to the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Immediately prior to serving, sprinkle a fine layer of super fine or granulated sugar on top of each custard, and while working quickly and moving the torch constantly in a small circular pattern, burn the sugar until it reaches a deep golden brown.

Notes

Batch:

This recipe makes enough for 4 mason jar portions. Just over 125 ml. It doesn't seem like a lot, but this perfect crème brûlée is so rich and decadent, you'll be satisfied, trust me!

Storage:

The cooked and cooled custard can be stored safely in the fridge for up to 4 days. It doesn't keep well once it's been topped with sugar and torched. I recommend only adding sugar and hitting it with the torch immediately before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 7gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 392mgSodium: 37mgPotassium: 115mgSugar: 27gVitamin A: 1701IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 1mg
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3 Comments

  1. Perfection! Thank you for this fantastic recipe! Big sous vide user here, but never made a single dessert. The tips to weigh down jars, add water, then start circulator were spot on.
    I did find that my jars and custard were still a bit warm even after 5 hours in the frig, so maybe it’s optimum (for me) to chill overnight before creating sugar top.

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for this fantastic recipe! Big sous vide user here, but never made a single dessert. The tips to weigh down jars, add water, then start circulator were spot on.
    I did find that my jars and custard were still a bit warm even after 5 hours in the frig, so maybe it’s optimum (for me) to chill overnight before creating sugar top.