What is Chocolate Creme Brulee?
Creamy, luscious chocolate underneath a crunchy caramelized sugar crust is the best way to describe chocolate creme brulee. It is probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever baked. If you still haven’t decided what to make for Valentine’s Day, this dessert is what you’ve been waiting for.And so easy, too! There’s only 4 ingredients here, so it’s really important for the chocolate that you use to be great quality. Your sweetheart is worth it, I promise. We all know and love my regular creme brulee for two, but this recipe takes it up a notch with the addition of melted chocolate. You can’t go wrong with that! Chocolate can be tricky to melt perfectly, so read on for precise instructions with step by step photos. If you’re one of those people that thinks creme brulee only belongs on a dessert menu in a fancy restaurant, let me convince you this is one of the easiest desserts to make at home! The actual custard is made in advanced and chilled until you’re ready. Plus, before you serve it, you get to act fancy and torch it with a small butane torch. I linked my favorite one here. The only way you can mess this recipe up is by torching the sugar crust too far in advance before serving, because it softens as it sits. So, please, only torch right before you are about to serve, and you will have an incredible luscious chocolate pudding with a crisp sugar crust on top!
Ingredients
Egg Yolks. We need the yolks from 3 eggs for this recipe. Separate the eggs using this tool, and save the egg whites for another recipe, like my banana sheet cake. Heavy Cream. True heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, also called double cream. It contains at least 35-40% fat. Do not substitute. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour to bring up the temperature. If it’s cold straight from the fridge, sometimes the chocolate can seize. Granulated Sugar. We need sugar for the custard and additional sugar for sprinkling on top to torch. Chocolate. I recommend bittersweet chocolate chopped from a bar to bring out a lovely balanced sweet chocolate taste. You can use semisweet or dark chocolate instead, but try not to use milk chocolate–it would be too sweet here. I highly recommend a chopped high-quality chocolate bar over chocolate chips anytime chocolate is the star of the recipe, like it is here for this chocolate creme brulee.
How to Make Chocolate Creme Brulee
These chocolate creme brûlées with their beautiful caramelized sugar crust are so delicious because the custard stays cold underneath the warm, crisp sugar topping. It reminds me of my chocolate cobbler, where the brownie mixture bakes but the inside stays soft. It’s two desserts in one, and I love it! Garnish with fresh or frozen blackberries, finely shaved chocolate and a sage leaf, if desired! Also consider my creme brulee French toast!
How to caramelize creme brulee:
The fastest way to caramelize the sugar on top of creme brulee is to use a small butane kitchen torch. Be sure to keep an extra can of butane around, because it always runs out just when you need it! If you don’t have a torch, you can place the ramekins on a sheet pan, and place them on the highest rack in the oven. Crank your broiler to HIGH, and keep a close eye on the sugar as it melts and caramelizes. It takes just a few minutes. With this method, the custard underneath gets slightly warm, so I really recommend the torch so that you get the experience that is cold, creamy custard with warm crisp crust.
Can you use white chocolate for this creme brulee?
Personally, I adore white chocolate, and I’m so glad you asked! Yes, you can use it here! If you love white chocolate, don’t miss my white chocolate chip cookies.
Egg Yolks: Just the yolks from 3 eggs for this recipe. Heavy Cream: Let sit at room temperature for about an hour to take the chill off before using. Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, also called double cream. It contains at least 35-40% fat. Do not substitute.Granulated Sugar: Dividie use: some for the custard and additional sugar for sprinkling on top to caramelize.Chocolate: Use chocolate chopped from a bar for the highest quality. You can use semisweet or dark chocolate instead, but avoid milk chocolate–it would be too sweet.
