Air Fryer Creme Brulee Toast

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Creme brulee toast is a viral dessert that turns crispy air-fried bread into a handheld creme brulee. You cut a well into stacked egg-washed bread, air-fry it until golden, fill it with a quick stovetop custard, then torch a layer of sugar on top until it cracks. It is ready in under 30 minutes and hits every creme brulee craving.

Big shout out to @jun.and.tonic for this one, because this creme brulee toast has been living in my head rent free ever since I first made it. He makes awesome recipe content, so go give him a follow if you don’t already.

I call this a shortcut creme brulee because you thicken the custard with cornstarch right in the pot instead of fussing with a water bath. All you creme brulee purists, I know this isn’t the classic method. But it is so creamy, you still get that crackly caramelized top we all love, and nobody has time for a water bath on a weeknight. If you want the ramekin version too, I have a full shortcut creme brulee that uses ice cream!

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What Makes This Creme Brulee Toast So Good

You get three textures in one bite: the shatter of torched sugar, the silky cornstarch custard underneath, and the crisp air-fried bread holding it all together. It is like the top of a creme brulee and a piece of French toast had a baby.

It is also faster and far less finicky than real creme brulee. No tempering eggs over a double boiler, no water bath, no 40-minute bake. If you like fun torch desserts, it sits right next to my sweet potato creme brulee.

What Is Bruleed French Toast?

Bruleed French toast is French toast finished with a layer of sugar that gets caramelized with a torch or broiler, so it forms the same crackly glass top as a creme brulee. This creme brulee toast takes that idea further by hollowing out the bread and filling it with a proper custard, so the brulee isn’t just on top, it’s the whole point.

What Is the Sauce on Creme Brulee French Toast?

The creamy filling is a quick stovetop custard made from egg yolks, sugar, milk, heavy cream, and vanilla, thickened with a little cornstarch so it sets without a water bath. It cooks in a few minutes and chills while you crisp the toast. It’s the same custard base you would spoon into ramekins, just made the easy way.

How Do You Torch a Creme Brulee?

Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over the surface, then hold a kitchen torch a couple of inches away and move it in small circles until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep golden. No torch? Run it under a hot broiler for a minute or two, watching closely. Let the sugar sit for about a minute so it hardens into that signature crack.

Tips for the Best Creme Brulee Toast

1. Cook the custard until it coats a spoon

Stir constantly over medium heat and take it off the moment it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep stirring off the heat to smooth out any lumps, then chill it. A thick custard won’t run out of the toast.

2. Use sturdy white bread

Plain white sandwich bread works great and crisps up well. Slightly stale bread is even better because it holds its shape when you cut the center hole and air-fry it.

3. Do not skip the egg wash

Brushing egg wash between and on top of the bread stacks glues them together and helps them turn golden and glossy in the air fryer. It is what makes them look like little pastries.

4. Torch right before serving

The sugar top stays crackly for maybe 20 to 30 minutes before it softens from the custard. Brulee the sugar just before you plan to eat so you get that crisp crack.

5. Chill the custard fully

Give the custard its full 30 minutes in the fridge. A warm, loose custard will soak into the bread instead of sitting neatly in the well.

Storage and Leftovers

Creme brulee toast is really best fresh, right after you torch it, while the sugar is still crackly and the bread is crisp. If you need to prep ahead, make the custard up to two days in advance and keep it chilled in an airtight container, then assemble, air-fry, and torch when you’re ready to serve.

Assembled leftovers will soften as they sit, so store any extras in the fridge and know the top will lose its crunch. A quick pass in the air fryer helps re-crisp the bread, then re-torch a fresh layer of sugar.

Equipment

• Sauce Pan
• Whisk
• Mixing Bowls
• Air Fryer
• Kitchen Torch
• Basting Brush

Ingredients

• 2 Egg yolks
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg (for egg wash)
• 6 slices white bread
• granulated sugar (for topping)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, corn starch, milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Transfer to a small sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly as the custard cooks and thickens. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, take it off the heat.
3. Keep stirring until smooth and any lumps disappear. Pour into a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. While it chills, cut a square hole in the center of one bread slice. Brush a second slice with egg wash, press the holed slice on top, and brush the top with egg wash too. Repeat to make 3 stacks total.
5. Air fry the stacks at 350F for 3 to 5 minutes, until crispy and golden on top.
6. Spoon the chilled custard into the center well of each toast. Sprinkle sugar over the custard and use a kitchen torch to caramelize it until golden and bubbly. Use the broiler if you do not have a torch.
7. Let the bruleed sugar harden for about a minute, then serve.

If you make this creme brulee toast, I would love to see that first crack. Leave a star rating on the recipe card below and drop a comment to tell me how the torch top came out. Craving more crispy, sweet air fryer wins? Try my matcha rice paper croissants or the viral crookie next.

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