Go Back
+ servings

Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée

With its thin, crisp layer of caramelized sugar and a rich, luscious lemon custard, this Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée is surprisingly simple to make.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Chilling Time3 hours
Total Time4 hours
Course: Dessert
Keyword: baked from scratch, citrus, fruit dessert, lemon
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Lemon Custard

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 medium Meyer lemons zested
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramelized Topping

  • 6 teaspoons granulated sugar

Instructions

Lemon Custard

  • Preheat oven to 325° F. In a medium saucepan, combine cream, lemon zest, and salt. Warm mixture over medium-low heat until steam just begins to rise from the surface. Remove from heat and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, whisk yolks and sugar together until well combined. Add a splash of the the cream into the egg-sugar mixture, then pour the mixture into the saucepan of cream. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.
  • Strain the warm mixture into a 1-quart heatproof measuring cup with a spout. Pouring carefully, divide the mixture between six 6-ounce ramekins.
  • Set the ramekins in a baking dish and place it in the preheated oven. Carefully add boiling water to the pan so it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, taking care not to splash water into the ramekins (if you use a 9 by 13-inch glass pan with 6-ounce ramekins, you’ll need about 4 cups boiling water).
  • Bake until centers are barely set (they should still wobble when you nudge the pan), about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and let the ramekins cool in the water bath until you can remove them without burning your fingers.
  • Transfer the ramekins, uncovered, to the refrigerator. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours. .

Caramelized Topping

  • Just before serving, top the custard in each ramekin with a teaspoon of sugar, jostling the cups to spread it in a thin, even layer (if the foam on top of the custard extends up the sides of the cups, you can scrape it off with a toothpick before adding the sugar for a tidier presentation if desired).
  • Melt the sugar with propane torch by moving the flame quickly over the sugar until it turns golden brown. It burns quickly, so watch carefully.
  • If you don’t have a torch, place ramekins on a baking pan and set them in the oven on the top rack. With the broiler on high, cook until the sugar melts and browns, about 5 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
  • Take care when serving as the ramekins will become quite hot as you caramelize the sugar.