Lemon Creme Brulee
This bright, creamy Lemon Creme Brulee is the perfect make-ahead dessert to serve to your friends and family. It works great for any season. Whether you need a cool, refreshing treat in summer or the perfect finish to a holiday dinner, we’ve got you covered.
“Always outstanding! I make every Christmas eve.”
—Courtney
Lemon Crème Brûlée Is Your New Favorite Reason To Use A Blowtorch
There’s something about cracking through the caramelized sugar top of a crème brûlée that feels wildly satisfying. It is like a dessert you definitely had to work for (but secretly didn’t). When you add lemon zest to the mix? Now we’re talking sunshine-meets-fancy-dinner-party vibes.
This lemon crème brûlée is rich, silky, and subtly citrusy with just the right amount of “wow” factor. No need to wait for a restaurant reservation! You’ve got this.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Easy Lemon Creme Brulee
- Lemon and vanilla are a classic duo that make this dessert feel both fresh and luxurious.
- The caramelized sugar top gives you that irresistible glassy crack with every spoonful. It never gets old.
- This recipe is make-ahead friendly, so you can prep it in advance and just brûlée when ready to serve.
- This looks fancy enough for a dinner party, and it’s surprisingly simple to pull off with a bit of whisking and a steady hand.
Creme Brulee With Lemon Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- heavy cream – this forms the rich, silky base of the custard. We use heavy whipping cream for this recipe, and that’s it. Some people use a combination of cream and milk, but if we’re splurging and making creme brulee, we like it extra rich.
- granulated sugar – used in both the custard and the caramelized topping for this citrus creme brulee.
- egg yolks – essential for a smooth, custardy texture. You’ll need the yolks of 4 large eggs for lemon creme brulee. Serious Eats has many ideas for what to do with leftover egg whites.
- lemon zest – just a pinch. The finished dessert won’t taste salty, but it will taste balanced.
- vanilla extract – just a touch for warmth and depth.
- kosher salt – enhances all the other flavors in this lemon brulee recipe.
- fresh berries – totally optional, but lovely for garnish and a pop of color.
- blowtorch – you can use a specially made kitchen blowtorch, or just one from the hardware store. We 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.
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.
In the photos you see in this post, our ramekins are somewhere in between the two styles, and our 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.
How To Make Lemon Creme Brulee
- PREP. Preheat your oven and bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place ramekins in a roasting pan.
- HEAT THE CREAM. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and some of the sugar over medium heat. Warm it until it just starts to bubble around the edges — no full boil here.
- WHISK THE YOLKS. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, and the remaining sugar until smooth.
- TEMPER. Slowly whisk a few ladlefuls of the hot cream into the egg mixture. Then gradually whisk in the rest. Strain everything through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup.
- POUR AND BAKE. Divide the mixture among your ramekins. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custards are just set — a little jiggle in the center is perfect.
- COOL AND CHILL. Use tongs to move the ramekins to a cooling rack. Let them sit at room temp for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- BRULEE. Right before serving, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the tops until golden and bubbly (or pop them under a broiler if you must). Garnish with berries if you’re feeling extra.
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
Homemade Lemon Creme Brulee Home Chef Tips
- You want to get an EVEN layer of sugar across the surface of each custard. We sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar across the custard, and then we kind of tilt and shake and shimmy the ramekin until it’s even more evened out.
- When torching, it’s important to remember to keep the torch moving constantly so none of the areas burn.
- We find it easiest to brown the sugar of the citrus creme brulee in stages. First, we torch the entire surface of the sugar until it is light golden brown. Then, we go back and keep torching until everything is medium golden brown. And then again until it’s all dark golden brown.
- As soon as you start to smell any sugar burning, stop torching immediately. Dark brown sugar is delicious, but burnt sugar is just bitter.
Lemon Creme Brulee FAQ
How Do You Store Lemon Creme Brûlée?
If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Can You Freeze Lemon Creme Brulee?
Or, if you want to make all 4 but can’t eat them right away, creme brulee lemon 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 for about 3 months in the freezer.
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.
Can This Be Made 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.
We’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.
More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
Lemon Creme Brulee Recipe
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.
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 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!