Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie (2024)

by Thrifty Homesteader

Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie (1)

If your backyard hens have thrown themselves into full production mode, and you want a super delicious and FAST dessert, creme brûlée pie is the recipe for you. I included this one in Homegrown and Handmade, and because it was so fast to make, I often demonstrated this when doing TV talk shows to promote the book. It was no problem at all to get this mixed up and into the pie plate in the 5-minute TV segments.

Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie (2)

It is also not nearly as decadent as it tastes. With only 172 calories per slice (1/8 of the pie), I have even been known to eat a slice for breakfast. Compare the nutrition facts with a lot of children’s breakfast cereals, and this pie is actually more nutritious. I am not saying you should have it every day, but you don’t have to feel guilty if you have this as a dessert every now and then.

Butter a 10-inch, deep-dish pie pan. Do not flour it, or the custard filling with bubble up, and you’ll have some very thin areas after you take it out of the oven and it falls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the following ingredients into a blender and blend on low for about 30 seconds or until all ingredients look well mixed:

2 cups whole milk (cow or goat)
1/2 cup flour (all purpose or rice flour)
3/4 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
4 eggs

Pour into pie pan. Gentlysprinkle with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. The turbinado sugar will stay crunchy on top of the pie through the baking process and mimics the flame-kissed top of creme brulee. The batter will be quite runny, so take care when placing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. A sharp knife inserted into the center of the pie should come out clean, and the sliced area should stay open and not look watery inside. We chill the pie in the refrigerator for at last four hours before serving, although a few people have told me that they like it when it’s still warm. And a word about the lovely yellow color of the pie in the picture — don’t expect your pie to be that dark unless you are using eggs from pastured chickens.

Gluten-free alternatives

Rice flour is the best gluten-free alternative. Oat flour also works nicely, if you don’t have a problem with cross-contamination in oat products. Almond flour and coconut flour will create something that is nothing like creme brulee.

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Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie (4)

19 thoughts on “Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie”

  1. This is such an easy looking recipe! I think it would be wonderful for an Easter dinner too. Thank you so much for linking up to the Sunday Social Blog hop this week.

    Reply

  2. I did make this:
    Just wonderful and easy
    thank you

    Reply

    • Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. Glad it worked well for you!

      Reply

  3. I have made this many times in the past weeks, everyone loved it that I shared it with. This is a wonderful way to use up those eggs and fresh goats milk,,, so easy too just my style!

    Thank you, do you happen to have a good goats milk fudge recipe?
    Dianne

    Reply

    • I’m so glad to hear you like it — and like making it!

      Sorry, I don’t have a fudge recipe.

      Reply

  4. Any way to make it Gluten Free for us Celiacs?

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you asked! In the second edition of Homegrown and Handmade I added a gluten-free alternative. Rice flour is the best alternative flour, and oat flour comes in a close second, although I know some people have issues with cross-contamination with oats sometimes. Almond flour and coconut flour are terrible in this recipe!

      Reply

  5. Any way to make this so I can print it for my recipe folder? I’m still old-fashioned that way. 🙂

    Reply

    • My old-fashioned idea is to cut and paste it into a Word document. 🙂 Sorry this recipe is not in the recipe app because I posted it before I had the recipe app.

      Reply

  6. Looks delicious!! Have you ever tried this with a refined sugar alternative like maple syrup?

    Reply

    • I have not, although we make our own maple syrup, and I make ice cream with maple syrup. I’m worried about increasing the liquid content and it not setting up firmly enough to be able to cut and slice it.

      Reply

  7. Hi- The pie recipe looked great and I plan on trying it soon! My question is about using raw goats milk. If the pie bakes at 350 degrees for 40 min. would it be pasteurized? I have some family members who can’t drink it raw but I think would enjoy it in this recipe as long as its pasteurized. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Yes, as soon as milk hits 170 degrees, it is instantly pasteurized.

      Reply

      • Great! Thank you!

        Reply

  8. It’s in the oven now. I made with almond extract. Plus, I substituted the whole milk with equal parts 2-percent and half-and-half (what I had on hand). And I used 1/2 cup sugar in mix, and sprinkled with 1/4 cup. I can never leave a recipe alone or follow directions. If it’s a disaster, I’ll let you know. But thanks for sharing your recipes.

    Reply

    • No problem! The almond extract sounds like a great variation! If the top cracks badly, it’s because of how much sugar you sprinkled on top. I eventually settled on only 1 tablespoon because whenever I used much more, the top would crack during cooking, so there would be large areas where there was no sugar.

      Reply

  9. Have you tried this substituting honey for the sugar in the pie?

    Reply

    • I have not. Since we have plenty of maple syrup, we sometimes substitute that in some recipes, which is another liquid sweetener, so keep in mind that because this pie needs to firm up, if you add honey, you should decrease the milk so that the amount of liquid stays about the same.

      Reply

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Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of crème brûlée? ›

Chill custard overnight.

To get the smoothest, most gorgeous crème brûlée, cover the bowl and chill overnight. If you don't have the time, you can continue with the baking, but you'll get the silkiest custards by chilling the mix for at least a few hours.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and custard? ›

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

Can I use milk and butter instead of heavy cream crème brûlée? ›

You can usually get away with using milk if you also add enough butter to make up for the missing fat content. Without the fat, you won't end up with crème brûlée. If you don't have heavy cream, you can substitute 3/4 cup of milk plus 1/4 cup melted butter for one cup of heavy cream.

What not to do when making crème brûlée? ›

Avoid These Common Mistakes and Make a Flawless Crème Brûlée
  1. Using the Wrong Size Ramekin. Crème brûlée is traditionally baked in a wide, shallow ramekin. ...
  2. Using Whole Eggs. The pudding portion of crème brûlée should be trembling and tender, but still rich and creamy. ...
  3. Getting Water in the Pudding. ...
  4. Torching the Wrong Sugar.
Jan 20, 2016

Why is crème brûlée so hard to make? ›

The hardest part about making Creme Brulee is waiting for the custard to set in the fridge and being fearless with the mini blow torch. Yes, you have to make Creme Brulee ahead of time, but I love a dessert that bakes the day before.

What is the fancy name for crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée or crème brulée (/ˌkrɛm bruːˈleɪ/; French pronunciation: [kʁɛm bʁy. le]), also known as burnt cream or Trinity cream, and virtually identical to crema catalana, is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.

What does crème brûlée mean in english? ›

French, literally, scorched cream.

What does milk do in a crème brûlée? ›

Using a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream results in a custard with a rich, luscious texture. Steeping the dairy with a scraped vanilla bean infuses the custard with a subtly sweet and floral flavor.

What sugar is best for creme brulee? ›

For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too, but use only 1 scant teaspoon on each ramekin or 1 teaspoon on each shallow fluted dish.

Is heavy or light cream better for creme brulee? ›

Best ratio: Heavy cream and egg yolks are the key ingredients in crème brûlée: 5 egg yolks with 3 cups of heavy cream the most. This produces a VERY creamy and lush crème brûlée.

Why isn't my crème brûlée hardening? ›

If your creme brulee is not setting, it may be because you didn't bake it for long enough. Make sure to follow the recommended baking time and temperature in your recipe.

What is the brown stuff on crème brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée is an easy dessert served in individual ramekins with a rich custard base made out of eggs, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. The topping is made out of a thin layer of granulated sugar which is caramelized with a torch to create textually contrasting hard candy-like shell.

Why is my crème brûlée not creamy? ›

Undercooked: It's possible that you didn't bake it long enough. Crème brûlée should be set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you take it out. It will continue to set as it cools. Too much liquid: Make sure you're using the right proportion of cream to egg yolks.

What is the best sugar to use on crème brûlée? ›

For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar. Regular granulated sugar will work, too, but use only 1 scant teaspoon on each ramekin or 1 teaspoon on each shallow fluted dish.

Why is my crème brûlée puffing up? ›

Sometimes Creme Brulee is not smooth

If you over whisk the eggs, they incorporate too much air and puff up in the oven. You can see this happen if you watch through the oven door. Another possible cause is under baking. The custard should be set but still jiggle when shaken gently, not remain liquid.

What's the difference between crème brûlée and caramel brûlée? ›

Crème brûlée and crème caramel are two different types of custard desserts. Crème brûlée is made with a rich custard base that is topped with a layer of hard caramel. Crème caramel is made with a caramelized sugar syrup that is poured over a layer of custard.

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