Cherry Creme Brûlée

Posted by admin on August 04, 2022

This simple cherry creme brûlée is silky and melts in your mouth. It has a delicate flavour of baked woody cherries and you’ll find little pieces of baked cherries throughout! The burnt sugary crisp topping finishes the dessert off and is what gives the creme brûlée its signature name!

Cherry season and wine season seem to go hand and hand here in Canada. You’ll find the Niagara region is full of bursting cherry trees and vineyards that stretch for miles and miles. It only seems fitting that when you sip on a glass of vino you’ll have some sort of cherry-infused cuisine along with it. And that’s exactly how I found the inspiration for this cherry creme brûlée; sipping on a glass of oaked chardonnay, enjoying time with friends at the Peninsula Ridge and indulging in a new dessert made from fresh cherries.

What is Creme Brûlée?

If you’ve never made a creme brûlée before you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how easy they are to make. This French dessert is a rich, creamy custard baked in a simple steam bath. Once cooled a thick layer of granulated sugar is added and torched until it’s caramelized, burnt and crisp.

Ingredients

With only 5 simple ingredients you can easily whip up this dessert in no time. *If you want to make the colour of the custard a stronger pink, you can easily add a few drops of red food colouring. Otherwise, the colour of your cherry creme brûlée will depend on how yellow your egg yolks are and how much your cherries bleed red.

Fresh cherries
Whipping cream
Granulated sugar
Salt
Egg Yolks
*Red food colour (optional)

How To Make a Cherry Creme Brûlée

To turn this classic dessert into a cherry creme brûlée I added chopped fresh cherries to the cream to infuse the flavours. I first used an immersion blender to roughly chop the cherries (pitted of course), making sure to leave larger bits and pieces. Then I added the cherries to the pot of cream and sugar to boil together.

Step One: In a bowl add pitted cherries. Using an immersion blender, lightly blend cherries a few times to coarsely chop, leaving little chunks of cherries. In a saucepan add 1 cup of the cream, sugar, chopped cherries and salt and simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let cool for approx. 5 minutes. Add the rest (1 cup) of the cream to further cool the mixture. Whisk to combine.

Step Two: In a large bowl whisk egg yolks until smooth. Add approx. ¼ cup of the cream mixture while continuously whisking to combine. Continue to add the cream mixture approx. 1/4-1/2 cup at a time until the custard is smooth and the colour is pale. If using red food colouring add it now (optional).

Step Three: Place a piece of paper towel on the bottom of a large baking dish (this keeps the ramekins from slipping). Set ramekins on the paper towel. Using a large spoon, scoop cherries out of the mixture and evenly dispense them between the 6 ramekins. Then top each ramekin with even amounts of the liquid. Once the ramekins are full pour boiling water into the dish to come just halfway up the side of the ramekins.

Step Four: Bake approximately 35-40 minutes or until set but still slightly loose in the centre. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool.

Step Five: Sprinkle the top evenly with approx. 2 teaspoons of sugar (you want a thick layer of sugar).

Step Six: Using a chef’s torch or kitchen torch, carefully brown the top to caramelize the sugar.

Similar French Desserts

Cherry Creme Brûlée

Print Recipe

This simple cherry creme brûlée is silky and melts in your mouth. It has a delicate flavour of baked woody cherries and you’ll find little pieces of baked cherries throughout! The brunt sugary crisp topping finishes the dessert off and is what gives the creme brûlée its signature name!

Author: Alie Romano
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units

1 1/2 cups of pitted cherries (approx. 32 cherries)
2 cups whipping cream, divided
4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
red food colouring, optional
5–6 Tablespoons sugar for topping
extra cherries for topping, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Set out 6 ramekins and a large baking dish, set aside.
In a large bowl add pitted cherries, using an immersion blender, lightly blend cherries a few times to coarsely chop, leaving little chunks of cherries.
In a saucepan add 1 cup of the cream, sugar, chopped cherries and salt and simmer over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for approx. 5 minutes. Add the rest (1 cup) of the cream to further cool the mixture. Whisk to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan or kettle of water to a boil (this is to make a water bath).
In a large bowl whisk egg yolks until smooth. Add approx. ¼ cup of the cream mixture while continuously whisking to combine. Continue to add the cream mixture approx. 1/4-1/2 cup at a time until the custard is smooth and the colour is pale. Note: you are adding a little at a time so you don’t cook the eggs; you want to slowly bring the mixture down in temperature.
Place a piece of paper towel on the bottom of a large baking dish that’s large enough to hold 6 ramekins (this keeps the ramekins from slipping, see images above for a reference). Set ramekins on the paper towel. Using a large spoon, scoop cherries out of the mixture and evenly disperse them between the 6 ramekins. Then top each ramekin with even amounts of the custard. Note, it’s easier to pour the cherry custard into a large measuring cup before pouring it into the ramekins.
Once the ramekins are full pour the boiling water into the dish to come just halfway up the side of the ramekins, being careful not to splash any water into the mixture.
Bake approximately 35-40 minutes or until set but still slightly loose in the centre (baking time will depend on the size of your ramekins). Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack to cool.
Once at room temperature place the ramekins in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Once ready to serve, sprinkle the tops evenly with approx. 2 teaspoons of sugar (you want a thick layer of sugar). Using a chef’s torch or kitchen torch, carefully brown the tops to caramelize the sugar. See notes if you don’t have a torch.

Notes

I did not use red food colouring in this recipe (just to give you an idea of what the natural colour is).

If you don’t have a chef’s torch you can broil the tops. Place the ramekins (approx. 2 at a time) on a baking sheet. Arrange the rack in the oven to the highest position and broil for approx. 5 minutes. Watch carefully and if possible rotate the ramekins with tongs to evenly broil the tops. A chef’s torch is faster, safer and easier. You can buy a cheap one online (just don’t forget to buy the fuel for the torch too).

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 262
Sugar: 22g
Sodium: 216mg
Fat: 16.9g
Saturated Fat: 9.4g
Unsaturated Fat: 0
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 26g
Fiber: 0.2g
Protein: 3.8g
Cholesterol: 254mg

Keywords: Cherry, Creme Brûlée, French, Dessert, Gluten Free

FAQ’s

How can I torch creme brûlée without a torch?

If you don’t have a chef’s torch you can broil the tops of your creme brûlée. Place the ramekins (approx. 2 at a time) on a baking sheet. Arrange the rack in the oven to the highest position and broil for approx. 5 minutes. Watch carefully and if possible rotate the ramekins with tongs to evenly broil the tops. A chef’s torch is faster, safer and easier. You can buy a cheap one online (just don’t forget to buy the fuel for the torch too).

What is creme brûlée?

Creme brûlée is a French dessert. It is a rich, creamy custard made with egg yolks, cream and sugar that is baked in a simple steam bath. Once the custard is cooled a thick layer of granulated sugar is added to the top and is torched until it’s caramelized, burnt and crisp.

How long will creme brûlée last?

Creme brûlée will last approx. 4 days covered in plastic in the fridge. Make sure not to sugar and torch the tops until ready to serve. A caramelized top will lose its crisp hard coating once stored in the fridge.

Can you freeze creme brûlée?

Yes, you can freeze creme brûlée for up to 1 month. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard so there is no air in-between the ramekin and the custard. Then place the ramekins in an airtight container or freezer bag. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and once ready to serve sprinkle the tops with sugar and torch to caramelize.