The crispy, burnt sugar is the best part of this easy and delicious eggnog creme brulee. This is perfect for an elegant Christmas dessert!
Confession time: I’ve never been a huge fan of eggnog. At least, drinking it straight out of the carton.
Having said that, I LOVE eggnog as ingredients in Christmas desserts such as cookies, breads, etc. . . and that includes this eggnog creme brulee!
This eggnog creme brulee is perfect for Christmas with its obvious seasonal flavor – however I’m always inclined to make desserts like this around the holidays anyway.
This brulee seems a bit more special, and I love making special Christmas treats that I don’t have any other time of year.
You’re going to love the creamy, delicious filing and the sugary brown crust that a creme brulee recipe should have. It’s pretty amazing!
(check out our very berry Creme Brulee recipe!)
Creme Brulee Tips
Before beginning, here are some things you should always remember.
Use High Quality Ingredients
Heavy whipping cream needs to be used because anything lower fat won’t set the way you want it to, and be less creamy. Don’t skimp on any ingredients, as this recipe doesn’t have very many in the first place. Quality does matter here.
Whip the Egg Yolks and Sugar Long Enough
You need to whip air into the yolks and also help the sugar dissolve. The reason for this is so that the final product has a thick, silky texture. It might take a few minutes to whip the yolks, so make sure you do it until they are pale, fluffy, and they thicken.
Slowly Pour the Cream Into the Eggs
If you pour the scalded cream into the eggs too fast? You’re going to make scrambled eggs. So what you’ll do is take a small ladle or spoon and add the cream very slowly with one hand with whipping with the other. Once you do that a few times, you can drizzle directly from the sauce pan.
Use Ramekins
You can use almost any kind of ramekin to make creme brulee, but I’ve found that ramekins shorter than 1.5” cook more evenly.
This dessert can be made up to 48 hours in advance. Just keep the ramekins covered in the fridge and then continue with the final step when you’re ready to serve.
Use a Water Bath
When you bake the ramekins, you’ll put them in a water bath. This provides insulation from direct heat, which can crack the ramekins, and keeps the baking more even.
Gently Torch the Sugar
The key to an even brulee is to hold the torch a few inches away from the top of the brulee and move it in a circular motion around the ramekin. You’re not trying to burn the brulee, but just to melt and toast the sugar.
Here’s what you’re going to need for this eggnog creme brulee:
Ingredients
- 1 C heavy whipping cream
- ½ C eggnog
- ½ C half and half
- 3 egg yolks
- 3/4 C sugar
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 C boiling water
- Whipped cream (optional)
Enjoy your eggnog creme brulee! Get the printable recipe card below.
Eggnog Creme Brulee
Equipment
- 4 Ramekins
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup eggnog
- ½ cup half and half
- 3 egg yolk(s)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 cups boiling water
Instructions
For the Brulee
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
- In a pot, combine the whipping cream, eggnog, and half and half. Slowly bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar together. Add the vanilla. Whisk until the egg yolks are pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
- Add a 1/4 C of the milk mixture to the eggs, slowly, all the while whisking (temper the eggs). Very slowly, add this mixture back to the milk in the pot while whisking the entire time. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour equal amounts into four ramekins and place ramekins in a shallow baking dish.
- Pour the boiling water into the baking dish, around the ramekins. Keep pouring until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake until the center is slightly giggly still (about 40 – 45 minutes). Remove from oven and refrigerate until set (a few hours).
For the Sugar Crust
- Turn the oven to broil and measure out 1/2 cup of sugar.
- Spoon some of the sugar onto the top of one of the brulees. Tilt the ramekin to spread the sugar all over the top, and then pour the excess sugar into the next ramekin and repeat the process. Add extra sugar if you need it to cover all.
- Place the ramekins in a baking dish and set them very close to the broiler. Watch these constantly as they will burn in a flash if you don’t.
- When the sugar has melted and begins to turn a dark amber, remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream (optional).
Nutrition
What do you think of this delicious Christmas dessert? Please let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other tasty Christmas recipes: