6-Ingredient Coffee Crème Brûlée
This coffee crème brûlée is a total dream. With intense coffee flavor and a pop of vanilla bean, it's an easy, make-ahead dessert for a crowd. With just six ingredients, this recipe is a lovely way to end a dinner party!
Ingredients
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream (480 milliliters)
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder (9 grams)
- 9 Tablespoons superfine sugar (108 grams)
Equipment
- 6 shallow ramekins
- Cooking torch (optional)
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 300°F. Start boiling a large kettle (or pot) of water.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Gently simmer the cream for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat. Set aside.
- Next, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- While whisking vigorously, drizzle about a 1/2 cup of the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Once tempered, slowly whisk in the remaining cream, just until the custard is combined.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve and into a bowl or liquid measuring cup to remove any lumps. Gently stir in the vanilla bean paste (or extract) and instant espresso powder until it's dissolved.
- Evenly divide the custard between six ramekins. Place the ramekins on a deep baking sheet. Place the pan on the center rack of the pre-heated oven and immediately pour the boiling water on the baking sheet around the ramekins to create a water bath. Avoid pouring any water in the actual crème brûlée! The water should come about halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake, checking for doneness around 25-30 minutes. If it's not done, continue baking it in 3-5 minute increments until it's thoroughly cooked. The crème brûlée is done when it's set but still a bit jiggly. Do not let the custard boil or brown!
- When they are finished baking, remove the crème brûlées from the oven by sliding a large spatula under each ramekin. Place the ramekins on a wire rack and let them cool at room-temperature for about 1 hour. Then, cover the ramekins with beeswax wrap or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 more hour (or up to 3 days) to chill.
- Right before serving, sprinkle each custard with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the superfine sugar. Using a torch, caramelize the sugar until it's evenly melted and caramelized. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to replace the instant espresso powder with instant coffee instead. Pick a high-quality instant coffee/espresso for the best flavor.
Don't skip on straining the custard! No matter how hard you try, sometimes the eggs will scramble just a little when you're tempering the eggs. Straining double ensures that the custard is super smooth.
The custard may have little bubbles in it. It's totally not a big deal and will not affect the taste or texture. But if you don't want them, you can always spoon the bubbles off before baking or tap the ramekins to pop them. Also, make sure not to over-mix the custard which will add more bubbles!
This recipe is super easy to double for a crowd. You may just need to bake the crème brûlée in batches.
Make sure to chill the crème brûlée for long enough. They need to chill for at least 2 hours for the right texture.
If you don't want to buy superfine sugar, regular granulated sugar will work as well. It will just take longer to caramelize.
In a pinch, you can also caramelize the sugar under a broiler in the oven. Place the oven rack as close to the top of your oven as possible and broil for 5-10 minutes, occasionally rotating the pan, until the sugar is evenly melted and browned.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 3.9g, Fat: 33.1g, Saturated Fat: 19.6g, Cholesterol: 284mg, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 76mg, Sugar: 22.5g, Calcium: 70mg
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