Crème Caramel

Nigel Barden
Oct 2, 2025
4 min read

by Raymond Blanc from Simply Raymond Kitchen Garden (Headline Home)

Photography © Chris Terry

Ah, la crème caramel. Inexpensive and enjoyed in every home in France, every brasserie and many haute cuisine establishments. In fact, it has come to be a world-renowned classic and is certainly one of my favourite desserts. Crème caramel also has the virtue of being simple to make and can be prepared a day in advance so that the crème is beautifully set. For this recipe, I have used four ramekins with a diameter of 7–8cm. However, use your favourite ramekins or crème caramel moulds. If you would like to flavour the crème caramel, please

see Variations.

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 55–60 mins

Chill: 3 hours or overnight

Serves: 4

For the caramel

2 tablespoons water

120g caster sugar

For the crème (custard) mixture

500ml whole milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Purée (see recipe below) or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence

2 eggs (preferably organic or free-range)

3 egg yolks (preferably organic or free-range)

100g caster sugar

Method

Have four ramekins ready and begin with the caramel. Pour the water into a heavy-based saucepan and spoon in the sugar. Let the sugar dissolve in the water for a few minutes (this will prevent crystallisation). Then, place the pan over a medium heat – without stirring – until the sugar has completely dissolved and formed a pale syrup.

Continue to simmer until the syrup turns into a rich brown caramel and starts smoking. (If the caramel is light brown it will be too sweet, so it must reach a deep caramel to bring the depth of flavour.) To check the colour, spoon a little onto a white plate – this will give the best indication of the dark, rich colour.

Very carefully remove the pan from the heat and divide the caramel among the four ramekins. Tilt each ramekin slightly so that the caramel evenly coats the base of each ramekin. Leave the caramel to harden. Transfer the ramekins to a deep-sided baking tray (or roasting tin) and set aside.

To make the custardy crème, first preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/ gas 3.

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla. Over a medium heat, bring to a simmer. Strain through a sieve into a jug and set to one side.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl lightly whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar.

Slowly pour the strained hot milk over the whisked eggs and continue to whisk as you pour it in. Pour the mixture into the caramel-lined ramekins in the tray.

Create a bain-marie by carefully pouring enough freshly boiled water into the tray so that it comes two-thirds of the way up the side of the ramekins.

Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the crème caramels are just set. (If you have a kitchen thermometer, when the centre has hit 80°C (176°F) they are perfectly cooked.) A dip in the centre means that they are undercooked, but be careful as this custard mixture should be cooked until only just set, enabling it to keep that melting-snow effect in the mouth.

Remove the crème caramels from the oven and the bain-marie, leave to cool, and then transfer them to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours (or overnight).

To release each crème caramel, take a thin, sharp knife and slide it around the inside edge of the ramekin, then – hey presto! – turn upside down onto a serving plate.

Variations

The crème caramels can be flavoured with lemon verbena leaves or jasmine tea leaves.

Add 1 heaped tablespoon of the leaves at the same time as the vanilla and continue to simmer. for 3–4 minutes.

Then remove the pan from the heat and leave it to stand for 4–5 minutes to infuse before straining the milk through a fine sieve and whisking it into the bowl of eggs

and sugar.