Lemon Crème Brûlée Recipe

Luscious and creamy, with a thick custard and a layer of perfectly brûléed sugar, this Lemon Crème Brûlée Recipe is a dessert recipe to impress. Perfect for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, but easy enough for a special dessert anytime.

A Luscious & Creamy Lemon Dessert

Creme brulee has always been one of my favorite sweet indulgences. From the delicate sugar crust that tastes of roasted marshmallows at the top, all the way through the thick, creamy custard that leaves me scraping the bottom of the dish for more.

As my favorite dessert, I’ve been inspired on more than one occasion to make unique flavors depending on the season or event, including strawberry creme brulee, and an eggnog creme brulee version for Christmas dinner. However, it was this lemon creme brulee version that got me started. Originally inspired by our backyard lemon tree, creating this version of creme brulee taught me that a delicious creamy custard should not be limited to basic vanilla (but if you love the classics, this vanilla creme brulee is for you!).

With the light, luscious, lemony flavor, it’s not too rich or too heavy and perfectly sweet. Easier than expected, this is the ideal dessert for lemon lovers everywhere. Make my easy lemon creme brulee recipe for your next date night, Valentine’s Day, or anniversary dinner.

Ingredient Highlights for Lemon Creme Brulee

Homemade Lemon Creme Brûlée is easy to prepare with just a handful of simple ingredients, like sugar, egg yolks, and whipping cream.

I use heavy whipping cream to create a thick, creamy texture, along with whole milk to balance the lemon dessert by giving it a slightly lighter consistency. Unlike traditional creme brulee recipes that use only cream, this version incorporates whole milk to maintain the custard’s smoothness without compromising its structure.

Lemon zest infuses the custard with a subtle lemon taste, and lemon slices serve as a delicate garnish before serving. Lemon zest is great in the kitchen, for a bright brust of flavor, from desserts like this one, my easy lemon bars, or quick meyer lemon curd to lemon dill salmon dinners.  If you are out of lemons, see what substitutes you could try. 

How to Make Lemon Creme Brulee Recipe

Contrary to popular belief, making creme brulee is not particularly difficult —you just need a little patience and attention to detail.

• Prep your ingredients for the lemon custard. Zest lemons and separate egg yolks. Set water to boil for the water bath and preheat the oven.
• Whisk together sugar and egg yolks. Thoroughly whisk egg yolks with the granulated sugar until they turn pale yellow and have a thick, creamy texture. This should take about 5 minutes by hand. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
• Temper the egg mixture. Heat cream and milk until bubbles start to form. Stir occasionally and do not let it boil. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Repeat with another 1/4 cup, then add the custard mixture back into the saucepan. Whisk to combine completely. Let sit to draw the lemon oil out of the zest and infuse the custard, then strain mixture with a fine mesh sieve to remove lemon zest and any bits of cooked egg.

• Bake. Equally divide the mixture among the ramekins. Create a water bath by pouring the boiling water into the pan, halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centers are set.
• Cool. Remove from the water bath as soon as possible. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

• Brulee the topping. Just prior to serving, cover each custard with a thin layer of granulated white sugar. Brulee with a kitchen torch until the sugar is caramelized. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.

How to Achieve the Perfect Brulee Topping

For a perfectly crisp creme brulee topping, follow these tips.

• Use the right amount of sugar on top. Lemon creme brulee requires the use of real sugar to caramelize the sugar properly. The topping should be thick enough to shatter like glass when hit with the back of a spoon but not be so thick that it cuts your mouth or gets caught in your teeth. There isn’t anything romantic about picking candy out of your teeth after a meal. For a narrow six-ounce ramekin, it takes about a teaspoon and a half of sugar. If you are using wide, flat ramekins, they will need more sugar, so adjust accordingly.
• Spread the sugar evenly. You can’t just heap on the sugar and expect it to melt into place. If the sugar is too thin, you can burn the custard itself. If the sugar is too thick, it can take too long to melt, causing blackened spots that taste burnt instead of toasted. To prevent this, use the back of the spoon to smooth out the sugar and ensure even coverage across the entire top of the custard.
• Keep the torch moving to prevent burning. Keep the torch moving the entire time it is in contact with the dessert. The entire topping will melt and then burn together to create the finish. If it smells like roasted marshmallows, you are doing it right.
• Use caution with the kitchen torch. If using the constant-on function of the torch, be sure to turn it off when you put it down. It’s a flame. It will catch things on fire if it comes into contact with them. I always make sure that my fire extinguisher is ready and working whenever I play with fire in the kitchen. (No, I didn’t have to learn this the hard way, and I don’t want you to either.) For more check out my Kitchen Safety Tips.

Tips for Lemon Creme Brûlée Success

If this is your first time making lemon creme brulee or any other creme brulee recipe, here are a few things that you may find helpful.

• Heavy whipping cream is essential. I’ve lightened this lemon creme brulee recipe slightly, by using whole milk for part of the cream. If you omit too much of the cream, there isn’t enough fat to create the thick creamy custard texture.
• Slowly combine the egg yolk and hot cream mixtures. After you have heated the cream, make sure to temper the eggs before completely combining the two together. To do this, slowly pour part of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This allows the cream to heat the eggs gradually without cooking them, leaving you with a smooth, creamy texture. Once you get about half of the warm cream into the egg yolk, the mixture should be tempered enough to speed up, but don’t just dump it all in.
• Prevent the bowl from slipping. If your bowl won’t sit still while you whisk with one hand and pour with the other, take a wet paper towel or washcloth and place it under your bowl. It should hold it in place right where it needs to be. (This also works for cutting boards that like to slip around.)
• Don’t skip straining the cream mixture. Straining is important in a citrus based creme brulee for removing the bits of zest, but it’s important in all creme brulees for removing any bits of scrambled egg that may have formed by improper tempering.
• How to tell when creme brulee is finished baking. To check if they are done, gently shake the oven rack. If the center of the custard looks like liquid continue to cook them. If the center looks set, but jiggly in the center like gelatin then they should be done.
• Don’t skip the water bath. The water bath is an essential part of achieving the perfect texture in your custard, as it prevents it from drying out. Use boiling hot water for the water bath. Unless you are using an electric kettle that boils instantly, start heating the water when I begin the recipe. For the pan use anything that holds the ramekins and will allow water to come halfway up the sides of them. A roasting pan, baking pan, cake pan, or even a deep pie pan can work well. Anything too short can be dangerous to handle once filled with boiling hot water.

Serving Suggestions

Lemon creme brulee makes the perfect decadent dessert for any occasion – but take it up a level by adding some strawberries, blueberry ice cream, or lemon slices and a glass of champagne for a special anniversary, birthday, or Valentine’s Day dessert.

The most important thing to remember is that you should only carmelize the topping right before you are ready to serve – otherwise it will be soggy instead of crunchy.

How to Store

Since these custard desserts have to chill for several hours anyway, I like to make them at least a day in advance. It takes all of the stress out of making them before dinner so they have time to chill, and hopefully, you’ll have a moment to relax.

To store yourcreme brulees, place them in a covered airtight container and store them in the fridge. For longer storage, you can also freeze these single-serve desserts. Since this recipe makes four custards, I almost always freeze two.

To freeze, cool in the fridge as instructed. Then wrap in aluminum foil and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. Again, do not brûlée the sugar topping in advance. Add the sugar layer and brulee it just before serving.

Lemon Crème Brûlée

Luscious and creamy, with a thick custard and a layer of perfectly brûléed sugar, this Lemon Crème Brûlée is a dessert recipe to impress. Perfect for anniversaries and Valentine's Day, but easy enough for a special dessert anytime.

4.6 stars (54 ratings)

prep: 20 minutes minutes

cook: 30 minutes minutes

total: 50 minutes minutes

servings: 4 Crème Brûlée

author: Renee N Gardner

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Ingredients

Custard

• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest*
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Brulee Topping

• 5 tablespoons white sugar – divided
• lemon slices or strawberries for garnish

Instructions

• Heat oven to 300ºF. Boil water for the water bath, preferably in a tea kettle for easy pouring. Place four 6-oz custard cups or ramekins into a 8×8 or 9×9 square pan. 
• Zest lemons and separate egg yolks from the whites, reserving the whites for another recipe.
• Whisk together sugar and egg yolks in a medium sized bowl until it lightens in color and takes on a thick, creamy texture. Add the lemon zest and vanilla, whisk to combine.
• Heat cream and milk over medium heat until bubbles start to form at the edge and the cream gets hot. Stir occasionally and do not let it boil. About 5 minutes.
• Temper the egg yolks by slowly adding about 1/4 cup of the hot milk and cream into the egg yolk mixture, while whisking constantly. Once incorporated repeat with another 1/4 cup of the milk and cream. Then add the custard mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream. Whisk to combine completely. Adding the hot cream too quickly to the egg yolks will result in scrambled eggs.
• Allow to sit for 5 minutes to draw the lemon oil out of the zest, then strain mixture, preferably into a large measuring cup with a pour spout. Squeeze as much of liquid as possible from the lemon zest with the back of the spoon.
• Divide the custard mixture equally into the ramekins. Then, create the water bath by pouring the boiling water into the pan until it's half way up the side of the custard cups. Careful not to pour water into the custard.
• Bake in the water bath for 30 – 35 minutes or until centers are set. To test lightly jiggle the pan. The centers should jiggle like jello. 
• Remove from the water bath as soon as you can safely handle them, to stop the cooking process. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.
• Cover each custard with 1 1/2 teaspoons of white sugar, adjusting for ramekin width if needed. Brulee the tops with a kitchen torch until the sugar is caramelized. Top with a lemon garnish or fresh sliced strawberries and serve immediately.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

measuring spoons

microplane  (for zesting the lemon)

medium saucepan

Balloon whisk

mesh strainer  or fine mesh sieve

large, 4 cup liquid measuring cup

baking sheet or roasting pan for the water bath (9″ x 9″ is what I use, but adjust based on ramekin size)

four 6 ounce ramekins or custard cups

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Notes

*About 2 medium lemons of zest

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 6gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 296mgSodium: 87mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.

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