Gluten-Free Creme Brulee
By the Gluten Free Recipes team ·
Indulge in the classic elegance of this gluten-free creme brulee, featuring a rich, velvety custard beneath a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. Each spoonful offers a delightful contrast of smooth, creamy texture and a satisfyingly crisp, sweet topping.
At a glance: This easy desserts recipe yields 4 servings in about 32 minutes (20 min prep, 12 min cook). It uses 5 ingredients — including heavy cream, granulated sugar, egg yolks — and walks through 6 steps. Updated . Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.
Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Creme Brulee: When preparing this desserts recipe, while this recipe contains no gluten-containing ingredients, always ensure that all packaged items, such as vanilla extract, are certified gluten-free to prevent cross-contamination. Be mindful of shared kitchen equipment In a shared kitchen, avoid porous materials — wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and scratched non-stick pans can harbor gluten proteins even after washing. Prefer glass, metal, or silicone tools.
Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Creme Brulee: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, relying on dairy and eggs for its creamy texture. Ensure all extracts and any additional flavorings are certified gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 0.5 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and arrange four 6-ounce ramekins in a deep baking dish. Gently warm the heavy cream and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the cream is steaming but not boiling, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- 2
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly temper the egg yolk mixture by gradually whisking in about half of the warm cream mixture, ensuring it's well combined to prevent scrambling the eggs.
- 3
Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining warm cream. Stir in the pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Do not let it boil, as this will curdle the eggs.
- 4
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl or a large measuring cup with a spout. This step ensures a silky smooth texture by removing any potential cooked egg bits. Carefully divide the strained custard evenly among the prepared ramekins, filling each one almost to the brim.
- 5
Carefully pour hot water into the baking dish around the ramekins, creating a water bath that comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges of the custards are set but the centers still have a slight jiggle. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool completely on a wire rack for about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to fully chill and firm up.
- 6
Just before serving, sprinkle about 1-2 teaspoons of granulated sugar evenly over the surface of each chilled custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar, moving the flame continuously in a circular motion until it forms a hard, golden-brown, glassy crust. Allow the caramelized sugar to harden for about 1 minute before serving immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Tips & Notes
- Scrape a real vanilla bean pod into the batter and steep the pod in warm milk for 10 minutes for intense flavor.
- Chill cookie dough and bar batters for at least 30 minutes before baking to prevent excessive spreading.
- An oven thermometer reveals if your oven runs hot or cold — a 25°F difference significantly changes results.
Learn More
Celiac-safe recipe development and testing since 2026
Our team develops and tests every recipe to be 100% gluten-free, verifying ingredients, techniques, and cross-contamination risks. We focus on making gluten-free cooking as delicious and accessible as possible. Learn more about us.
