Lemon Creme Brulee
This Lemon Creme Brulee is a rich lemon-infused custard with a crackly torched sugar top. A treat for lemon lovers, this restaurant-style dessert can be prepared in advance and even frozen to enjoy in the future!
I often wonder if anybody feels a bit deceived by the name of this blog. I worry that fellow lemon lovers arrive here, quickly look around, and wonder where all the luscious lemon desserts are.
I’ve published embarrassingly few; just a moist lemon bundt cake here or lemon poppy seed bars there. Oh, and not a dessert, but I thought my lemon margaritas were pretty creative!
But truth be told, I’m unapologetically a savory cook and eater. My love for lemons is mainly an appreciation of how their flavor can brighten and enhance almost any (savory) dish.
I’ve found that most otherwise boring and bland recipes can be saved by a touch of acidic lemon juice.
My tastebuds have come to crave acid, and now I use a splash of lemon to cut through the richness in the best gravy recipe and my salmon pasta recipe, and make a killer homemade lemon tahini salad dressing. Lemon zest is essential in my buttermilk blueberry muffins.
But a few years brack, I had lemon creme brulee at a restaurant, and that tiny little ramekin of custard with burnt sugar on top has been on my brain ever since (even more so than classic vanilla bean creme brulee or chocolate creme brulee).
It tasted like the essence of a thousand lemons, balanced by the richness of the cream and the crackle of the torched topping.
I’m re-creating it for home chefs (and people wondering where the luscious lemon desserts are) today!
What you’ll need for this easy lemon creme brulee recipe:
- heavy cream – I use heavy whipping cream for this recipe (and most creme brulee flavors), and that’s it. Some people use a combination of cream and milk, but if I’m splurging and making creme brulee, I like it extra rich.
- granulated sugar – you’ll need this for both the custard and for sprinkling on top to torch.
- egg yolks – you’ll need the yolks of 4 large eggs for lemon creme brulee. Serious Eats has a bunch of ideas for what to do with leftover egg whites.
- lemon zest – you’ll need the zest of 2 fresh lemons. Not the old ones that have been in your fridge for weeks. Get fresh ones! In fact, buy a whole bag and make a lemon filled cake and my lamb lollipops recipe, too!
- vanilla extract – this adds flavor to the custard and enhances the lemon taste. I always have it around for vanilla lemonade.
- kosher salt – just a pinch. The finished dessert won’t taste salty, but it will taste balanced.
- fresh fruit to garnish – this is optional, but I love including a few fresh berries on top when serving creme brulee.
- blowtorch – you can use a specially made kitchen blowtorch, or just one from the hardware store. I use the full size hardware store kind.
- ramekins or creme brulee dishes – you’ll need four ceramic ramekins or dishes that are oven safe and will hold at least 5 ounces of liquid for this easy lemon creme brulee recipe (use them for pumpkin creme brulee too!)
A note about ramekin size:
Size DOES matter for creme brulee ramekins. Not only will you need four 6 ounce ramekins, but you’ll need to pay attention to the shape of them and how it will relate to the baking time for this recipe.
If your ramekins are wide and shallow, your custard may bake a little faster. If your ramekins are narrow and deep, you will likely need to bake your custard longer.
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In the photos you see in this post, my ramekins are somewhere in between the two styles, and my custard took about 37 minutes to bake until it was just set (the middles still trembled slightly, while the custard was set on the outer edges).
If you use wide and shallow ramekins, start at 25 minutes and continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until your custard is just set. If using narrow and deep ramekins, start checking at 35 minutes.
It’s easy to halve this recipe to make creme brulee for two.
This recipe makes four servings of lemon creme brulee. But, if you’d prefer just two servings (perhaps for a Valentine’s Day date night at home), it’s super easy to make a half batch so you have creme brulee for two.
I’ve done the math for you for a half batch of the custard:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
And then you’ll need an additional 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for topping and torching this easy lemon creme brulee recipe.
Can you freeze creme brulee?
Or, if you want to make all 4 but can’t eat them right away, creme brulee is able to be frozen!
To freeze, complete the recipe through Step 5, but instead of transferring to the refrigerator, wrap and transfer to the freezer instead. It’s best if you put the wrapped ramekins in a freezer bag, as well.
The custards should keep about 3 months in the freezer. My coconut creme brulee also freezes great!
When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for about 4 to 6 hours, and then sprinkle the tops of the lemon creme brulee with sugar and torch just before serving.
If you love freezer friendly recipes like this easy lemon creme brulee recipe, be sure to check out my recipe for homemade pizza dough, lasagna cottage cheese and vegetable lasagna recipe.
Lemon Creme Brulee
Ingredients
For the Custard:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 4 large egg yolks
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Fresh berries for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F; heat large kettle of water to boiling. Place four 6-ounce ramekins (see Home Chef Tip below) in roasting pan.
- In small saucepan, heat cream and 3 tablespoons sugar over medium heat 6 to 7 minutes until cream just starts to bubble around edges of pan (do not bring to a full boil).
- Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until well combined. While whisking, use ladle to slowly add 3 ladlefuls of hot cream mixture to egg mixture. Gradually whisk remaining cream mixture into egg mixture. Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer into large liquid measuring cup.
- Divide mixture between ramekins; place roasting pan in oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water from kettle around ramekins until it comes halfway up sides of ramekins, being careful to not get water in ramekins. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until custards are just set (they should tremble slightly in the middle, but be set on outer edges).
- Use tongs to carefully transfer ramekins to cooling rack; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Then, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving.
- To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each custard. Using blowtorch, caramelize top of each custard until sugar bubbles and turns brown (this can also be done under a broiler). Top with berries, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adapted from Martha Stewart.
- Home Chef Tip: If your ramekins are wide and shallow, your custard may bake a little faster. If your ramekins are narrow and deep, you will likely need to bake your custard longer. In the photos you see in this post, my ramekins are somewhere in between the two styles, and my custard took about 37 minutes to bake until it was just set (the middles still trembled slightly, while the custard was set on the outer edges). If you use wide and shallow ramekins, start at 25 minutes and continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until your custard is just set. If using narrow and deep ramekins, start checking at 35 minutes.
Always outstanding! I make every Christmas eve.
I’m so glad to hear that, Courtney!
Wow I’m going to make this today
I hope it turned out great, Evelyn!
I’m also someone who favors savory over sweet ~ for example, I can easily pass up chocolate but will rush to the head of the line for cheese! I have a very simple recipe for creme brulee that I’ve made a number of times (just combine ingredients, pour into ramekins, and cook in a water bath, cool, then top with sugar and fire away!). Husband and I both love, love, love dishes featuring lemon, and your lemon creme brulee is bound to be a hit…….can’t wait to make it!! Thanks for sharing!
Haha yes! Give me a cheese board over dessert, almost any day. Except…when it’s a good lemon dessert. I hope this recipe is a hit for you and your husband, Sue. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I love blackberries, I love lemons. I just LOVE your crème brûlée! I couldn’t help it, I had to tweet it 🙂 Congrats on the good job!
Thanks so much for sharing, Del!
Hi, just wanted to ask where you found your double handled bowls?
Pier 1!
Dying! This is my favorite dessert and I’ve been thinking about it all day since seeing your FB post earlier. YUM!
Wow, even LEMON creme brulee? You’re a woman after my own heart 🙂
YES, YES and more YES!!! Love this twist on a classic!!
Thanks so much Sophia!
I’ve never made creme brulee nor have I ever had a lemon flavoured one. Both of these things must change. I love dessert so much that I often force myself to eat it, to the point of being in intense pain in the stomach region, because I can never say no. Fact. This looks gorgeous, Lori! The custard is so smooth ‘n satiny, and you’ve got a perfect crunchy topping of burnt sugar.
Oh Nancy, you MUST make creme brulee at least once. With your pastry skills, you’ll have no trouble at all. Plus, you know…you get to use a blowtorch. Which is definitely a big part of the allure in my book.
YUM – this dessert looks fantastic Lori! You know me too and how I love lemons. I haven’t even had dinner yet and want to skip it have this instead! I’ll have to give this one a try. Pinned!
Thanks so much, Deb. I hope you get a chance to try it!
Ooh.. I am so craving this right now! I have never even made a regular creme brulee. A new addition to my ever growing to-do list
Oh, definitely add it to your list, Cathleen. Honestly, it’s not hard to make at all!
I remember the conversation with the waiter well . . .
Me: “We usually have the beer and pretzels. But, I think we are both feeling stuffed. Probably just an espresso or a cognac.”
Waiter: “Before you do that, let me run down the dessert specials.”
You: “If you must.”
Waiter: “Tonight we have homemade sorbet trio of season fruit, lemon creme brulee . . .”
You: “Let me stop you there. Is the creme brulee awesome?”
Waiter: “It’s pretty awesome.”
Me: “Sold. We’ll split a creme brulee. And, we’ll each take an espresso.”
Is this restaurant pager friendly?
I’m not getting a sig on my beeper . . .
Lmao I can totally hear you saying all of these things, especially “let me stop you there. Is the creme brulee awesome?” You’re freaking awesome for asking the question, girl.
I’m also a savory person, but this looks like a great spring dessert; bright and lively!
Thanks so much, Mary!