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Crème caramel

Caramel sauce is being poured over a round flan on a dark speckled plate. The scene conveys a tempting dessert preparation.

By Tom · Updated

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  • About 50 min
  • Takes a bit of care

Learn how to make classic French crème caramel - silky smooth, rich in flavour, and easier than you think. This timeless custard dessert is topped with a glossy layer of deep amber caramel and melts in your mouth with every spoonful. Whether you're new to baking or want to master a restaurant-quality dessert, this recipe has you covered.

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The recipe

Crème caramel

Learn how to make classic French crème caramel - silky smooth, rich in flavour, and easier than you think.

  • 10 min prep
  • 40 min cooking
  • Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Quantities
Measurements

Ingredients

(6 Servings)

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1

    Caramel: Heat 150g of sugar (150 g) in dry saucepan on medium heat. Swirl until deep amber in colour. Immediately divide among six lightly greased 6‑oz ramekins; tilt to coat bottoms.

  2. Step 2

    Custard: Heat milk (480 ml), cream, and vanilla bean paste (2 tsp) until steaming but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk eggs, yolks (3 yolks), 65g of sugar (150 g), salt until just combined. Temper with some of the hot milk and whisk, then whisk in the remaining warm milk. Strain.

  3. Step 3

    Fill & Bake: Pour the custard into ramekins until 3/4 full. Place in deep oven-proof tray and add hot water halfway up sides. Bake at 150 °C (300 °F) for 35 - 40 min until centres jiggle slightly.

  4. Step 4

    Chill: Cool, then refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours but ideally overnight.

  5. Step 5

    Serve: Run knife around edge, invert onto plate, let caramel flow. Enjoy cold.

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More vegetarian puddings and bakes

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Questions people ask

How long does crème caramel take?

About 50 min from start to finish, of which 10 min is prep and 40 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How much does this make?

The original recipe did not state a yield, so nothing has been invented for it. The scale control on the recipe card multiplies the quantities instead, which is the honest version of the same thing.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegetarian?

Yes, as written. If you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, the one to check is the cheese: several hard cheeses are made with animal rennet.