Bright and rich, this Lemon Crème Brûlée recipe features custard steeped in lemon zest, vanilla beans, and vanilla pod and is a fresh take on the classic French recipe. A make-ahead dessert, once set sprinkle with sugar and brûlée with a torch until the sugar crackles and caramelizes to burnt perfection.
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We’re obsessed with making creme brulee. Also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, creme brulee is a French custard dessert topped with torched caramelized sugar. It’s the perfect vehicle for flavor profiles and combinations like our Coconut Creme Brulee, Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Chai Creme Brulee (as featured on Food Network Canada), or S’more Creme Brulee, found in our cookbook, Eat With Us.
Why You’ll Love This Crème Brûlée Recipe
- It's got a refined flavor: Bright yet rich with a subtle lemon flavor, this Lemon Creme Brulee is a unique dessert recipe with a sweet vanilla custard contrast to the crunchy caramelized sugar topping.
- It can be made in advance: Impress guests with this luscious dessert that can be made in advance. Before serving, remove them from the fridge and sprinkle each brulee with sugar. Torch the tops until the sugar caramelizes. Trust us, this is a dessert with a show.
- It’s a unique recipe: A twist on the classic French dessert, this Lemon Crème Brûlée, with its vanilla and lemon-infused base, is perfect for Date Night, Valentine’s Day, or anniversaries, and easy enough to make as a special dessert to celebrate or a just-because moment.
If you love lemon-infused recipes you’ll also love our One-Pot Gnocchi with Lemon Cream Sauce, Almond Lemon Curd Cake with Ricotta and Berries, or our Broccoli and Quiche with Feta and Lemon.
Ingredient List
- Heavy Cream 35%: Provides a creamy, yet slightly firm texture.
- Vanilla: Use real vanilla bean if available. Vanilla paste or vanilla extract can also be used but the flavor will be less refined.
- Salt: Fine sea salt or kosher salt.
- Egg Yolks: Use fresh eggs, large or extra-large. Save the egg whites to make our popular Crispy and Chewy Amaretti Cookies.
- Lemon: Since the zest is used, organic Lemons are preferred. If organic isn't an option ensure to wash and dry the skin well. Use the leftover lemons to make our Homemade Ricotta Cheese, Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad, or tarter sauce from our Fried Cod Sandwich.
- Sugar: White or raw granulated sugar is best.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Orange: Swap the lemon zest for orange zest. The flavor is still bright, but a little less zingy, making it a beautiful dessert for fall, especially served along Thanksgiving recipes.
- Lime: Lime zest can also be used instead of lime zest or even in addition for a bright lime dessert.
- Vanilla: Go classic and skip the lemon altogether for a delicious and simple vanilla crème brûlée.
- Dairy-Free: The heavy cream can be replaced with premium or full-fat coconut milk for a delicious dairy-free version of crème brûlée.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Lemon Crème Brûlée
1. Flavor the cream.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Heat cream, lemon zest, vanilla seeds and pod, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Lower the heat and keep at a low simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and set aside to steep for another 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare the custard.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
3. Strain the cream.
Pour the flavored cream through a sieve and into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Use a spatula to press the liquid out of all the lemon zest and vanilla pods.
4. Temper the eggs.
While continuously whisking the sweetened egg yolks, slowly pour in the cream. Ensure to scrape out all the vanilla seeds from the bowl with the cream. Continue whisking until combined.
5. Prepare to bake.
Arrange 4 ramekins in a baking dish or casserole. Pour an equal amount of the lemon crème into each ramekin, filling to about a ¼ inch from the top. Pour hot water into the pan, about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Bake in the oven and chill in the fridge.
Carefully transfer the baking dish to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the centers of the crème brulée are just cooked and jiggle when shaken.
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them in the fridge until the crème brulées are cold and set, about 2 hours.
7. Brûlèe the tops.
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar onto each crème brulée. Using a kitchen torch, glaze the sugar until the sugar is melted, caramelized, and a glassy top forms.
8. Garnish and serve.
Arrange garnish such as blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries on top and serve immediately.
Chef's Tips
Vanilla Bean: Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scrape the seeds out with the back of a pairing knife. Add both the seeds and vanilla bean pod to the cream.
Prevent clumps: If you get clumps of yolk after whisking the hot cream into the eggs, pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any bits of egg so you maintain a smooth texture for the dessert.
Water bath: We recommend placing the baking dish into the oven before pouring the hot water for the water bath. This makes the dish lighter and easier to maneuver so you don't get burned.
Brûlèe tips: Hold the torch about 3 to 4 inches from the sugar, and maintain a constant, slow, side-to-side or circular motion. If you don't have a torch, you can brûlée the sugar by placing the ramekins on the top rack of a cold oven, turning on to broil for 6-10 minutes, and turning occasionally with tongs, until the sugar is melted and brûléed.
Storage and Freezing
Make ahead: crème brûlée can be made days in advance, which makes it a wonderful dish to serve for dinner parties. Simply cover the ramekins until ready to serve, then top with the sugar and brûlée when ready to serve.
Leftovers: leftover crème brûlée can be stored in the fridge, however, the sugar coating will turn to liquid. The result is still delicious and enjoyable but you will not be able to re-brûlée the tops.
Freezing: crème brûlée that has not been brûléed can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 6 or more hours than dust with sugar and torch as in the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
We prefer wide 5oz ramekins as they provide lots of surface area for that glassy sugar topping, though you can use any size ramekin you have on hand. For this recipe, we used 8oz mini-cocottes filled about three-quarters full.
A water bath provides moisture in the oven resulting in an even cook, and prevents curdling or cracking of the surface of the crème brûlée.
Yes, if you remove the crème brûlée from the oven and they are firm and don’t jiggle when tapped, then they are overbaked. They are still edible, but the texture will be off. If the centers rise then the eggs have cooked and are likely beyond saving.
Crème brûlée that hasn’t been covered with sugar or torched can last up to 3 days in the fridge. If you have already brûléed the top you can still save it, however, its crisp sugar topping will become soft and cannot be re-torched.
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Recipe Card
Lemon Crème Brûlée
Equipment
- Kitchen torch Rösle is the brand we use in the recipe
- 4 Ramekins Le Creuset Mini Cocottes were used in the recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 vanilla bean seeds and pod
- Pinch salt
- 5 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup sugar + additional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Heat cream, lemon zest, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Lower heat and steep for about 5 minutes, until the cream becomes fragrant from the lemon.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Strain the cream to remove the lemon and vanilla pod, then gradually pour it into the eggs, while gently whisking, until combined.
- Arrange 4 ramekins in a baking dish. Pour an equal amount of the lemon crème into each ramekin, filling to about a ¼ inch from the top. Pour hot water into the pan, about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Carefully transfer the baking dish to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the centers of the crème brulée are just cooked and jiggle when shaken.
- Remove the ramekins from the water bath and place them in the fridge until the crème brulées are cold and set, about 2 hours.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar onto each crème brulée. Using a kitchen torch, glaze the sugar until the sugar is melted, caramelized, and a glassy top forms.
- Garnish with blueberries and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
- Vanilla Bean: Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scrape the seeds out with the back of a pairing knife. Add both the seeds and vanilla bean pod to the cream.
- Prevent clumps: If you get clumps of yolk after whisking the hot cream into the eggs, pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any bits of egg so you maintain a smooth texture for the dessert.
- Water bath: We recommend placing the baking dish into the oven before pouring the hot water for the water bath. This makes the dish lighter and easier to maneuver so you don't get burned.
- Brûlèe tips: Hold the torch about 3 to 4 inches from the sugar, and maintain a constant, slow, side-to-side or circular motion. If you don't have a torch, you can brûlée the sugar by placing the ramekins on the top rack of a cold oven, turning on to broil for 6-10 minutes, and turning occasionally with tongs, until the sugar is melted and brûléed.
- Make ahead: crème brûlée can be made days in advance, which makes it a wonderful dish to serve for dinner parties. Simply cover the ramekins until ready to serve, then top with the sugar and brûlée when ready to serve.
- Leftovers: leftover crème brûlée can be stored in the fridge, however, the sugar coating will turn to liquid. The result is still delicious and enjoyable but you will not be able to re-brûlée the tops.
- Freezing: crème brûlée that has not been brûléed can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for 6 or more hours than dust with sugar and torch as in the recipe.
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