America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Slow-Cooker Crème Brûlée

By Lainey Seyler

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

2 to 3 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

5 to 7 quarts

Slow-Cooker Crème Brûlée

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream 5 large egg yolks ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch salt 4 teaspoons Demerara or turbinado sugar

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker and four 6-ounce round ramekins for this recipe. Check the temperature of the custards after 2 hours of cooking and continue to monitor until they register 185 degrees. We prefer turbinado or Demerara sugar for the sugar crust, regular granulated sugar will work.

Instructions

  1. 1. Whisk cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Divide custard evenly among four 6-ounce ramekins. Fill slow cooker with ½ inch water (about 2 cups) and set ramekins in slow cooker. Cover and cook until centers are just barely set and register 185 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.
  2. Using tongs and sturdy spatula, transfer ramekins to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. To serve, gently blot away condensation using paper towels. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar. Tilt and tap each ramekin to distribute sugar evenly, then dump out excess sugar and wipe rims of ramekins clean. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to rechill custard before serving, 30 to 45 minutes.
Slow-Cooker Crème Brûlée
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Slow-Cooker Crème Brûlée

Headshot of Lainey Seyler
By Lainey Seyler
Save

Time

2 to 3 hours on low

Yield

Serves 4

Slow cooker size

5 to 7 quarts

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons Demerara or turbinado sugar

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons Demerara or turbinado sugar

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons Demerara or turbinado sugar

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

To build our simple slow-cooker crème brûlée, we simply whisked a good amount of cream and egg yolks together with some sugar and vanilla extract. These custards cooked to creamy perfection thanks to the gentle heat of the slow cooker. Cooking the custards on low until the centers were just barely set and then chilling them also ensured a smooth, rich texture. Turbinado sugar, sprinkled over the top and caramelized with a kitchen torch, gave our crème brûlée a picture-perfect crust. 

Before You Begin

You will need an oval slow cooker and four 6-ounce round ramekins for this recipe. Check the temperature of the custards after 2 hours of cooking and continue to monitor until they register 185 degrees. We prefer turbinado or Demerara sugar for the sugar crust, regular granulated sugar will work.

Instructions

  1. 1. Whisk cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Divide custard evenly among four 6-ounce ramekins. Fill slow cooker with ½ inch water (about 2 cups) and set ramekins in slow cooker. Cover and cook until centers are just barely set and register 185 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.
  2. Using tongs and sturdy spatula, transfer ramekins to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. To serve, gently blot away condensation using paper towels. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar. Tilt and tap each ramekin to distribute sugar evenly, then dump out excess sugar and wipe rims of ramekins clean. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar. Refrigerate ramekins, uncovered, to rechill custard before serving, 30 to 45 minutes.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.