French Crème Caramel (Baked Custard with Caramel)

About This Recipe

Crème caramel — flan in much of the French-speaking and Spanish-speaking world — is a baked custard set over a layer of caramelized sugar, which turns into a glossy sauce once the custard is unmolded and flipped onto a plate. Unlike crème brûlée, which is finished with a torched sugar crust, crème caramel bakes its caramel right into the dish from the start, and the whole thing is served chilled.\n\nThe two techniques that matter most are, first, cooking the caramel to a deep amber (not pale gold) so it has real bitterness to balance the sweet custard, working quickly once it colors since sugar can go from perfect to burnt within seconds. Second, baking the custard in a water bath at a gentle, even oven temperature — this indirect heat is what keeps the eggs from curdling or developing air bubbles, giving the classic silky, dense texture instead of a spongy one.\n\nChill for at least four hours, ideally overnight, before running a knife around the edge and inverting onto a plate — the caramel, now liquefied from sitting under the custard, pours down over the top as a glossy sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 cupsugar(divided)
• 3 tbspwater
• 2.5 cupswhole milk
• 4large eggs
• 2egg yolks
• 1 tbspvanilla extract
• 1 pinchfine sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the caramel

   Combine 3/4 cup sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until it turns a deep amber color, 8-10 minutes.

   Watch closely once it starts to color — caramel can go from perfect amber to burnt in under 30 seconds, so have your ramekins ready before it reaches that stage.

2. 2

   Pour the caramel

   Immediately divide the hot caramel among 6 ramekins, swirling to coat the bottoms. Set aside to harden while you make the custard.

3. 3

   Heat the milk

   Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Warm milk in a saucepan until just steaming, not boiling.

4. 4

   Make the custard

   Whisk eggs, egg yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the warm milk, pouring gradually to avoid scrambling the eggs.

5. 5

   Strain and fill

   Strain the custard through a fine sieve into the caramel-lined ramekins to remove any egg strands.

6. 6

   Bake in a water bath

   Place ramekins in a large roasting pan and pour hot water halfway up their sides. Bake 40-45 minutes until the custards are just set but still slightly wobbly in the center.

7. 7

   Chill and unmold

   Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert onto a plate to serve.

Variations

• •

  Add orange zest to the milk while warming it for a citrus-scented custard.

• •

  Use coconut milk instead of half the dairy milk for a subtly different, slightly richer version.

• •

  Make individual mini versions in small espresso cups for a bite-sized dinner party dessert.

Storage

Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. Unmold just before serving rather than storing them already unmolded, since the caramel sauce is best fresh off the custard.

Frequently Asked Questions