Gingerbread Creme Brûlée

Served in individual ramekins or baking cups, Gingerbread Creme Brûlée offers a festive twist on the original classic French dessert. This dessert can be prepared in advance and chilled for ease during the busy holiday entertaining season, and its warm spices mixed with the cool, creamy custard and the sweet, caramelized top are sure to make your guests feel very thankful!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Chilling time 3

Servings people

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

kitchen torch (optional)
6-8 four to six ounce oven-safe ramekins
large baking dish with at least 2-inch sides

Ingredients

1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups half-and-half
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
8 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon molasses
5-6 tablespoon granulated sugar
Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Crystallized ginger, chopped (optional)

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300℉.
In a heavy medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the cream and the half and half to a low boil, and then turn off the heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and molasses until well combined.
Gradually add the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until thoroughly incorporated. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute more, whisking constantly.
Divide the custard among 6-8 ramekins (4-6 ounce sizes work the best), filling them almost to the top.
Place the ramekins in a large baking dish with deep sides, spacing them apart. Pour enough hot water into the baking dish so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins..
Bake the custards for 35-50 minutes, or until the tops are set and the custard is slightly jiggly in the center. The amount of time that your custards take to bake will depend on the depth of your ramekins. The shallower ones will be close to 35 minutes, while deeper ramekins may take 50 or more. The centers of the custard should measure 165°F if checked with a thermometer.
Carefully remove the ramekins from the baking dish and transfer them to a baking sheet or a tray that will fit into your refrigerator. Chill the custards until they are very cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat the broiler or prepare your kitchen torch, if using. After the custards have chilled, sprinkle the top of each with about 1-2 teaspoons of the sugar, coating the surfaces.
Watching closely, place the ramekins under the broiler until the sugar starts to caramelize and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can use your kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar, holding the torch 1-2 inches from the surface and moving it around slowly until the sugar has turned deep golden brown and bubbly.
Allow the creme brûlées to rest for a few minutes, and then serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of candied ginger (optional).

Nutrition

Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!