Sous Vide Crème Brûlée (With or Without Mason Jars) (2024)

This Sous Vide Crème Brûlée recipe is the easiest and foolproof way to make this elegant French dessert at home! The perfect creamy and silky-smooth custard is topped with a crispy layer of caramelized sugar! It requires only 5 ingredients. No need to temper the eggs, and no risk of a curdled texture or overcooking the custard!

Too good to be true? Sous vide technique guarantees the perfect results EVERY TIME by cooking this dessert to the precise temperature you set. Add fresh berries and mint for a show-stopping dessert to impress your guests.

Watch Sous Vide Crème Brûlée Recipe Video

Related: If you enjoy this sous vide crème brûlée recipe, you’ll love my Sous Vide Cheesecake. They’re also made in individual mason jars!

Why Sous Vide Cook Crème Brûlée?

• It’s foolproof and incredibly easy to make! Skip the steps required by traditional method such as heating up the heavy cream, “tempering eggs”, or adjusting baking time for different-size ramekins.
• It lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, much longer than the oven baked crème brûlée which only lasts 3-5 days.
• You can make it in bulk ahead of time!
• Guaranteed success! This recipe takes all the guess work out, and guarantees the perfect consistency every single time.

Sous Vide Crème Brûlée Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this sous vide crème brûlée recipe:

• Heavy Cream – Use full fat heavy cream to ensure a creamy and stable consistency.
• Egg Yolks – Help to thicken and stabilize the custard. To achieve the best texture, the best ratio is to use 5 large egg yolks with 2 cups of heavy cream.
• Sugar – Regular granulated sugar works the best. You’ll need it for both making the custard and the caramelized topping.
• Salt – Enhance the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract – Enhance the flavor and aroma of the dessert.

Let’s Make This No-Fail Sous Vide Crème Brûlée

Follow the simple steps below and your sous vide crème brûlée will turn out perfectly every time!

1. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract: Add them to a large bowl and whisk to form a thick paste.
2. Make the custard: Slowly add heavy cream and mix everything until smooth. Note that you don’t need to heat up the heavy cream like the traditional method, as your eggs won’t curdle with the sous vide method.
3. Strain: Strain the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any residues from the egg.
4. Pour the custard filling into mason jars. I used 4-oz mason jars, which is a perfect size for making crème brûlée. Make sure to dry them completely before cooking. Close the lid “fingertip tight”. (You can easily open it with 2 fingers).
5. Sous vide cook: Fill the container or pot with water and attach a sous vide circulator. Set the temperature to 179°F (82°C). Place the mason jars in the water while the water is still heating up. Cook for 1 hour.
6. Cool and chill: Once cooked, remove the mason jars from the water bath. Open the lid to cool down the custard on the counter for 30 minutes. Dry the top of the lids with paper towels. Once cooled, put the lid back on. Chill crème brûlées for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
7. Caramelize the sugar topping: For the best result, use a blow torch for a perfect caramel layer! Pro Tip: Don’t caramelize the sugar topping until you are ready to serve!

• Sprinkle the surface of each custard EVENLY with 1.5 teaspoons of sugar. The regular granulated sugar works the best. Make sure to cover the entire surface with a thin layer of sugar.
• Using a kitchen torch, hold the flame about 2 inches from the surface of the sugar. Move the flame across the surface and make sure all the sugar granules have melted. The longer you torch, the darker and more bitter the caramel layer will become.

Let it rest for 2 minutes until the surface cools down and hardens. Once you’ve caramelized the sugar topping, it’s best to serve it within 20 minutes. Otherwise, the sugar will absorb moisture and the top will start to soften. You can decorate it with fresh fruits and serve with a dessert spoon.

Sous Vide Crème Brûlée without Mason Jars

If you don’t have mason jars, you can still make this recipe! Pour the custard filling into a ziptop bag. Vacuum seal the bag using the “water displacement technique”.Cook the custard mixture for 1 hour in the sous vide water bath, and pour it into ramekins once cooked. The rest of the steps are the same as using mason jars.

Tips for Making it Ahead

This is a great make-ahead dessert for a party. You can sous vide cook your crème brûlée, chill and seal each mason jar tightly. It can last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks! When you are ready to serve, simply add the sugar layer and torch it right before serving.

Note that you cannot caramelize the sugar topping ahead of time.

More Favorite Sous Vide Recipes

If you love sous vide crèmebrûlée recipe, try one of these delicious sous vide recipes next:

• Sous Vide Egg Bites
• Sous Vide Poached Eggs
• Sous Vide Sirloin Steak
• Sous Vide Potatoes
• Sous Vide Carrots

★★★★★ A Reader’s Review

“This is by far the most delicious (and easiest) creme brûlée ever! I used the bag method, and it could not have come out any creamier – no bubbles, no grit, nothing! Everyone absolutely RAVED over it and said it was just as good, if not better, than any they’ve ever had at even the most expensive restaurants (myself included). This is my new go-to for parties, especially since you can make it ahead. I had a couple left over, and 3 days later, they were just as good as day 1.”

— TJ