Easy Vanilla Crème Brûlée (Air Fryer or Oven)

Classic Vanilla Crème Brûlée – silky smooth with a crisp caramelized sugar top. An easy yet elegant dessert that always impresses—made with just a six ingredients. Bake in your air fryer or oven and prepare to impress!

There’s nothing so satisfying, and full of sweet anticipation, like tapping your spoon against the hard shell of caramelized sugar to break through to the creamy vanilla custard below.

I associate Crème Brûlée with special outings because, let’s face it, most of us only order this dessert at fancy dinners out. But it turns out that it is TRULY EASY to make Crème Brûlée at home, especially if you follow my foolproof recipe. You can even bake it in your Air Fryer!

What Is Crème Brûlée?

Despite its fancy name, this dessert is simply baked vanilla custard with a burnt sugar topping. “Crème Brûlée” literally means “burnt cream” in French!

Crème brûlée has captivated dessert lovers for centuries. The earliest written recipe appears in François Massialot’s Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois (pronounce with a French accent for extra flair—did I mention my husband is fluent?).

How to Make Air Fryer Crème Brûlée

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

1. Sprinkle half to one teaspoon of sugar over the top of each ramekin, shaking to distribute into an even layer. Melt the sugar using a blowtorch until it is caramelised. Allow the sugar crust to cool and harden for a few minutes before serving.

Oven Baking Instructions

The oven method is a little more fussy compared to baking in an air fryer as you will need to use the bain marie cooking method (which is layman’s terms simply means cooking in a water bath).

1. Preheat the oven to 285°F( 140°C).Place the filled ramekins onto a deep baking dish, spaced apart. Pour boiling water into the dish (careful not to splash the custard) until it reached halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
2. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard is mostly set with a little wobble in the middle. Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking sheet and allow to cool before chilling in the fridge.

Make Crème Brûlée Like a Pro!

• PREP AHEAD Make the custard a day in advance so that it has a chance to chill properly and set. That way you can tick one thing off your list if you are making dessert for a special occasion (it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or a dinner party).
• THE COOKING TIME will depend on the size of your ramekins (I used 4 floz (110ml ramekins). If you are baking in the oven start checking after 20 minutes, adding more time as needed. Same goes for the air fryer – gently open the basket to check after 15 minutes and adjust the cooking time to suit your model.
• THE SUGAR CRUST You can make the crust thicker by adding more sugar. Don’t overdo it though or it will be difficult to break through it!
• WHAT IS A BAIN MARIE? A bain marie is a water bath which helps the custard to bake evenly without curdling or cracking. This method is used when baking cheesecake in the oven as well.
• NO BLOW TORCH? NO PROBLEM! If you don’t own a kitchen torch you can easily caramelise the sugar under the oven broiler (grill) for a few minutes, being very watchful as it can go from golden to burned in seconds!

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