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This shortcut creme brulee is actually insane! 🤯
It’s super creamy and feels decadent even though you’re literally just melting ice cream and throwing in an egg yolk 😋 I love @tillamook ice cream for this! Their vanilla is the perfect creamy texture, and you actually get some vanilla beans mixed in, which is a nice touch.
It’s just 3 ingredients and actually comes out pretty darn good. The amount of prep time needed is barely 5 minutes (not including the oven and fridge time).
If you love a shortcut dessert that punches above its weight, you’ll want to try this Easy Cinnamon Roll Tres Leches, which soaks baked Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in a three-milk mixture for a cozy, make-ahead treat.
One thing that threw me off when I initially tried it was that the ice cream and egg mixture comes out of the oven dry on the top. So it looks like it gets cooked completely, but once you let it cool, put plastic wrap over it, and put it in the fridge, it moistens everything up and you’re left with this delicious vanilla cream.
If you love that caramelized sugar top and want a faster weeknight spin, my Air Fryer Creme Brulee Toast gets you that same torched sugar crunch on custard-filled toast, all done in the air fryer.
The full recipe is below, and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments if you give it a try! 🙌
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp granulated sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1️⃣ Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2️⃣ In a small microwave safe mixing bowl, put the ice cream in and melt it in the microwave (usually 35 seconds or so).
3️⃣ Let it cool if it’s hot, and then whisk in the egg yolk well.
4️⃣ Pour the mixture into a small oven safe bowl, and then put the bowl into an oven safe pan. Then, fill the pan with hot water about half way up the small bowl.
5️⃣ Put in the oven for 40 minutes.
6️⃣ Remove from the oven and take the small bowl out of the pan. Let it cool to room temperature, and then cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 3 hours.
7️⃣ Take it out and let it rest for 30 minutes. Finally, pour the sugar on top and torch it. I haven’t tested this myself, but I’ve seen other people say you can put it under the broiler to melt the sugar if you don’t have a torch, so that may be worth a try if you’re interested.
8️⃣ Enjoy!
Shortcut Creme Brulee
- Total Time: 240
- Yield: 1 creme brulee 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This shortcut creme brulee uses melted vanilla ice cream as the custard base, so you get the silky center and crackly torched-sugar top from just three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat the oven to 325F.
- Melt the ice cream. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the ice cream, about 35 seconds.
- Add the yolk. Let it cool if hot, then whisk in the egg yolk well.
- Set a water bath. Pour the mixture into a small oven-safe bowl, set that bowl in an oven-safe pan, and fill the pan with hot water about halfway up the bowl.
- Bake. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Chill. Remove the bowl from the pan, cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Brulee. Let it rest 30 minutes, pour the sugar on top, and torch it. A broiler can also melt the sugar if you do not have a torch.
- Serve. Crack through the top and enjoy.
Notes
- A higher-fat vanilla ice cream gives a richer, more custard-like set.
- Tap out any bubbles before baking for a smoother top.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ramekin
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 220mg