White Chocolate Creme Brulee

February 9, 2023
Creamy custard infused with white chocolate and that signature crackly-sugar top beautifully come together to create this amazing White Chocolate Creme Brulee. It's wonderfully rich, creamy, and delicious. -- And the perfect dessert for anytime you want something extra-special.

Spoon Breaking Through Brulee Topping of White Chocolate Creme Brulee Image

When it comes to creamy custard desserts, it doesn't get much better than classic creme brulee. With its silky smooth custard and signature crackly-sugar top, there's a whole lot to love. -- And there's just something so satisfying about breaking through that crackly top to get to the creamy custard below.

Creme brulee's custard is a perfect canvas for different flavor variations, making it a truly versatile dessert. One variation we especially love is this White Chocolate Creme Brulee.

To make it, you simply mix melted white chocolate into the creme brulee's whipping cream and egg yolk custard base before it's baked. Then you just bake up the custards as usual. -- It's as simple as that.

Wonderfully infused with white chocolate and topped with that signature crackly-sugar top, White Chocolate Creme Brulee is the perfect dessert for anytime you want something extra-special.

But hey, it's easy enough to make for just anytime, too.

White Chocolate Creme Brulee is the perfect dessert for anytime you want something extra-special.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

  • Actually pretty easy to make - Creme brulee is much easier to make than people think. And with adding white chocolate to it to make White Chocolate Creme Brulee? -- Still easier than people think!
  • Fabulous flavor - White chocolate delivers up fabulous flavor in every creme brulee bite.
  • Creamy custard - The hallmark of creme brulee is its silky smooth, creamy custard. And this one's beautifully creamy, indeed.
  • Crackly top - Who doesn't just love creme brulee's signature crackly-sugar top? There's just something satisfying about breaking through it to get to the creamy white chocolate custard below.
  • A special, yet pretty easy, dessert - White Chocolate Creme Brulee is certainly one delicious dessert worthy of being viewed as extra-special. Yet believe it or not, it's actually pretty easy to make for anytime, too.

White Ramekin of White Chocolate Creme Brulee Topped with Raspberries Image

White Chocolate Creme Brulee Ingredients:

Creme brulee is often regarded as a "fancy" dessert, but it's actually made with pretty simple ingredients. To whip up a few ramekins of White Chocolate Creme Brulee, you'll need:

  • Butter - A touch of butter is used to grease the ramekins in which the creme brulee is baked, making it easier to scoop out all the creamy white chocolate deliciousness.

  • Egg yolks - Yolks form the base of the creme brulee custard, creating its silky, creamy texture. The eggs' whites are not used in this recipe at all, so discard or save them for another use.

  • Whipping cream - Combines with the egg yolks to create the foundation of the creme brulee custard. The fat content of whipping cream is needed to create creme brulee's characteristic creamy texture, so do not substitute a different dairy product.

  • White chocolate - Brings the white chocolate flavor to the creme brulee. Choose a good-quality white chocolate, such as Ghirardelli or Lindt, for the best flavor and result. Baker's brand white chocolate works just fine, as well.

  • Vanilla extract - Flavors the custard, as well. Choose pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation, for the best result.

  • Granulated sugar - Sweetens the creme brulee custard, as well as forms the creme brulee's signature crackly top.

White Chocolate Creme Brulee Ingredients Image

How to Make White Chocolate Creme Brulee:

Creme brulee is way easier to make than most people think. It just takes some whisking of ingredients and gentle baking to achieve wonderfully delicious creme brulee results. In the case of White Chocolate Creme Brulee, there's just the added step of chopping and then melting some white chocolate.

To get White Chocolate Creme Brulee started, first generously butter the insides of 6 individual ramekins.

Then line the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish with a paper towel and place the ramekins on top of it. The paper towel keeps the ramekins from sliding around in the baking dish once the water bath (that's needed to gently bake the white chocolate creme brulee) is added.

Ramekins Set in Baking Dish Image

Chop some white chocolate into fairly uniform-sized pieces. (Even chopping helps it melt more easily.)

Then place the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler (or heatproof bowl set over simmering water), and stir it constantly until it's fully melted and smooth. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and set it aside while you prepare the rest of the creme brulee custard mixture.

Chopped White Chocolate Image

In a mixing bowl, whisk some egg yolks until they're slightly thickened. Then add some granulated sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved into the egg yolks and the mixture is pale-ish yellow. 

Add in whipping cream, vanilla extract, and the melted white chocolate, whisking until everything is well combined.

Pouring Melted White Chocolate into Creme Brulee Mixture Image

Divide the white chocolate mixture evenly between the 6 prepared ramekins and set the baking dish with the filled ramekins in the oven. Create a water bath by carefully pouring warm water (hot from the faucet) into the pan until it reaches halfway up the ramekins.

The water bath is a necessary component for baking the white chocolate creme brulee slowly and gently to create its creamy texture, so do not skip it. Without the water bath insulating the ramekins, the creme brulee custard cooks too quickly and either curdles or becomes too firm, rather than creamy.

Pouring Water into Baking Dish to Create a Water Bath Image

Bake the creme brulee uncovered until the custard is set around the edges but still just barely jiggly in the center, which takes just about an hour. Keep in mind that deeper ramekins may require a longer baking time.

Once the white chocolate creme brulee is baked and chilled, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar over the top of each custard to create the base for the brulee'd sugar topping.

Sprinkling Sugar to Make Brulee Topping Image

Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar. (Or, if you don't have a kitchen torch, melt the brulee sugar topping under the broiler. Watch the creme brulees closely, and move the ramekins around under the broiler heat, as needed, to evenly brulee the tops.)

Then rechill the custards for a few minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Creme Brulee in White Ramekin Image

Wonderfully infused with white chocolate and topped with that signature crackly-sugar top, White Chocolate Creme Brulee is the perfect dessert for anytime you want something extra-special.

But hey, it's easy enough to make just anytime.


Spoonful of White Chocolate Creme Brulee Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

white chocolate creme brulee, creme brulee with white chocolate, how to make white chocolate creme brulee
Dessert
French
Yield: 6 servings
White Chocolate Creme Brulee

White Chocolate Creme Brulee

Creamy custard infused with white chocolate and that signature crackly-sugar top beautifully come together to create this amazing White Chocolate Creme Brulee. It's wonderfully rich, creamy, and delicious.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 55 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 H & 15 M

Ingredients

  • 1 T. butter, softened
  • 8 oz. good-quality white chocolate, chopped
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3 T. granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 c. whipping cream
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • additional granulated sugar for tops
  • fresh raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 275℉. Generously butter the inside of 6 ramekins with softened butter. Line the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish with a paper towel. Place ramekins on top of the paper towel ~ this keeps the ramekins from sliding around in the baking dish.
  2. Place chopped white chocolate in a double boiler (or heatproof bowl set over simmering water); stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat; set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks until slightly thickened. Add sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is pale-ish yellow. Add whipping cream and vanilla extract; whisk until well blended. Add melted white chocolate; whisk until well blended.
  4. Divide mixture evenly between the 6 prepared ramekins.
  5. Set baking dish with filled ramekins in the oven and create a water bath by carefully pouring warm water (hot from the faucet) into the pan until it reaches halfway up ramekins.
  6. Bake uncovered until custard is set around the edges but still just barely jiggly in the center, about 50 to 55 minutes. (Deeper ramekins may require a longer baking time.)
  7. Remove baking pan from oven and leave ramekins in water bath until cooled. Once cooled, remove ramekins from water bath, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days).
  8. When ready to serve, sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar over the top of each custard. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar.
  9. Rechill custards for just a few minutes before serving. Serve with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries, if desired.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
  1. Don't do the brulee sugar topping much more than about 45 minutes before serving as it begins to deteriorate fairly quickly.
  2. If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can melt the brulee sugar topping under the broiler. Watch closely, and move the ramekins around under the broiler heat as needed, to evenly brulee the tops. But a kitchen is torch is much easier and does a much better job!
  3. Choose a good-quality white chocolate, such as Ghirardelli or Lindt, for the best flavor and result. Baker's brand white chocolate works just fine, as well.
  4. The water bath is a necessary component for baking creme brulee slowly and gently to create its creamy texture, so do not skip it. Without the water bath insulating the ramekins, the creme brulee custard cooks too quickly and either curdles or becomes too firm, rather than creamy.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @kitchenplaygrnd on instagram and hashtag it # thekitchenismyplaygroundblog



White Chocolate Creme Brulee ~ Wonderfully infused with white chocolate & topped with that signature crackly-sugar top, White Chocolate Creme Brulee is the perfect dessert for anytime you want something extra-special. But hey, it's easy enough to make for just anytime, too!  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com



Affiliate links are included in this post. As an Amazon.com associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.

2 comments

I love your comments ~ I read and appreciate each and every one. When you choose to leave a comment, we collect and display your name, as provided by you. Clicking "publish" to submit your comment indicates your explicit consent for name collection. If you click the "notify me" checkbox {which is optional}, your e-mail is also collected. Clicking the "notify me" checkbox indicates your explicit consent for e-mail collection. Thank you so much for visiting The Kitchen is My Playground!

Blog Design: Tracimichele.com. Powered by Blogger.