Eggnog Creme Brûlée

4.91 from 10 votes

Creamy, luscious Crème Brûlée takes on a classic holiday flavor in this Eggnog Crème Brûlée version. Finish this easy recipe off with a brulee of the sugar for the perfect caramelized crack.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Chill time5

Total Time5 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: servings

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Callan Wenner

Equipment

Six, 4oz ramekins
13x9” casserole dish
Large measuring cup or bowl
Ladle
Whisk
Kitchen torch (broiler can also be used)

Ingredients

1 cup eggnog 240ml
1 cup heavy whipping cream 240ml
½ cup granulated sugar 100g
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large egg yolks room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
⅓ cup granulated sugar 67g, for brûlée

Instructions

Add the egg nog, heavy cream, sugar, salt and nutmeg to a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just starts to simmer on the edges.
½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup eggnog, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 325℉/163℃ and add the empty ramekins to a 13×9” casserole dish.
Separate 4 eggs, reserving the whites for another time.
Vigorously whisk the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl for about 1 minute. The mixture will become a bit lighter in color and slightly airy.
4 large egg yolks
Once the cream comes to a simmer, drizzle in one ladle full of cream to the egg mixture while whisking. Do the same with a second ladle, then transfer the egg mixture into the pot with the cream. Whisk immediately until combined then add the vanilla and whisk again. Ladle the mixture evenly between the ramekins.
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
Boil a small pot of water and pour it into the pan in between the ramekins. Fill the pan halfway with water and transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Take care not to slosh water into the ramekins. You could also add the pan to the oven rack, then add the water and gently push the rack in.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. The custard will still feel rather sloshy and jiggly, but will be slightly set on the edges. If using, a digital thermometer should read between 160-170℉.
Remove from the oven, and very carefully transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool using tongs and a dish towel. Keeping them in the water will cause the custard to overcook. Cool for 30 minutes, then transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight (uncovered).
When ready to serve, add a spoonful of sugar to the top of one ramekin, rotate the ramekin to spread evenly, then dump the excess sugar to the next ramekin and repeat. Use a kitchen torch to brûlée the sugar until caramelized. Then, sprinkle on a thin layer of sugar with your fingers and brûlée again. This double method creates the best crust and crack.
⅓ cup granulated sugar
Serve immediately.

Notes

Only sugar and torch the amount you plan to serve. Unsugared custards will store in the fridge for 3 days. Brûléed ramekins will store fine, but the sugar layer will become soft and syrupy.

To brûlée the sugar under a broiler, set the broiler to high and allow it to get very hot. Move an oven rack as close to the broiler as possible. Place the sugared ramekins on a cookie sheet, then broil until the sugar becomes caramelized. Watch the entire process and don’t walk away. Move and rotate ramekins, as needed, to catch the hot spots.

Nutrition