3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée Recipe

It's easy to associate crème brûlée with fancy dinners out and detailed methods in the kitchen that seem too complicated to recreate. After all, the French name, the delicate custard, and the seemingly complex hard sugar layer all lend it an air of elegance. But when you get down to it, the components of crème brûlée — sugar, cream, vanilla, and egg — aren't super unique. It's when they come together just so that the magic happens — even at home, right in your own kitchen. 

We have an even simpler version of the classic French-American treat that uses only — wait for it — three ingredients to make the elegant dessert you've most likely only ordered at a posh restaurant. Popularized by TikTok earlier in the coronavirus pandemic, this combination relies on one secret ingredient for a final product that's every bit as rich and silky as the ones you've had. As if by magic, it takes the place of the bulk of the creme. What's up to you, however, is the execution. Don't be intimidated, because we believe in you!

Using ice cream as an ingredient for a baked dessert might seem counterintuitive, but it's exactly what's needed to make the ultimate creamy custard for this crème brûlée recipe. After all, ice cream is essentially cream, milk, and sugar, often with a stabilizer or thickener to give it extra oomph. Simply melt the ice cream for about a minute, whisk it together if it's not totally melted, and let it cool down to room temperature.

To ensure the gentle, even heat that gives these bite-sized custards their signature texture, these instructions call for a bain marie — aka a water bath. The ramekins are bathed in water while they bake, but only enough so that no water gets in. All you need is a baking pan big enough to hold the ramekins and deep enough for water to be halfway up the ramekins. Heat the water to a boil or near-boil before placing the pan with the ramekins on your oven shelf. Then, to avoid having to carry a pan full of boiling water to the oven, pour the water in slowly until it's halfway up the ramekins, and close up the oven.

Now for the fun part: the crunchy sugar lid that is the signature of the crème brûlée we know and love. All you need is a teaspoon or less of white granulated sugar on each to create an even layer of sugar on top. To create an even layer, just turn the ramekin gently, spreading the sugar out over the top. This even layer is important: crème brûlée actually means "burnt cream," but we don't actually want to burn the sugar on top. Evenly distributing the sugar minimizes the chances of a char.