Do you love or hate Valentine’s Day? I’m a firm in-the-middle kind of gal but I do appreciate a sweet gesture, even if it’s small. This honey and pistachio creme brulee would be so nice after a dinner out with just you and your bestie (romantic or platonic). That way, you get all the applause of making something nice from scratch but not having to make a full, three course meal. Sneaky? Maybe a little, but make this and see if you’re special someone isn’t impressed! Bonus points for you because it’s also very EASY.
Jump to RecipeMy tips for making creme brulee successfully.
For such an easy dessert, there are a few things that can affect the outcome of this recipe. The biggest one is the size of your ramekins. You’re making a custard here which is essentially just cream, sugar and egg yolks. How you flavor it is up to you. The ramekin or vessel you choose to bake them in affects the bake time. If your ramekin is deeper, like the standard ramekins you find, you’ll need to bake it for a little longer.
Deeper ramekins also hold more volume, so the yield may be less. I prefer more shallow ramekins (holding about a half inch of custard) since this is a rich dessert but use what you have. You can make these in any oven proof ceramic or glass containers, like small rice bowls or low, wide mouth jars.
In this recipe, I recommend bruleeing the top twice. If you love the crunchy caramel top on creme brulee, you’ll love this! More crunch, more burnt sugar taste, more texture. It’s totally fine to just do this once too. As soon as you finish torching, sprinkle on the chopped pistachios so they adhere to the molten sugar and get embedded in there.
Do you need to buy a torch?
You can also make creme brulee with the broiler in your oven. The only problem with this is the heat from the broiler also melts the custard a little. I read a solution online somewhere about putting the ramekins in a pan surrounded with ice to help keep them chilled while the sugar melts (kind of brilliant!). If you do want to invest in a torch, I recommend one that goes on top of a butane can. The kind that you use in camp stoves which are easily found in camping and hardware stores. They are fairly inexpensive, take up less space and you don’t have to refill them. I really dislike filling my torch. Butane tends to leak out and go everywhere. It’s very messy!
Can you make creme brulee ahead of time?
YES! This is the PERFECT dessert to make up to three days ahead. The custard needs time to chill anyway, so it’s great to make this beforehand. Keep them wrapped in the fridge and torch right before serving. I love the contrast of super cold custard with still warm, bruleed sugar. Also, your special someone may be impressed with watching you put some flame to sugar. Just sayin’.
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Honey and Pistachio Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract (or 1 vanilla bean, split and beans scraped)
- 5 egg yolks
- sugar, granulated (for topping)
- ¼ cup pistachios, roasted, finely chopped
- flaky sea salt, for garnishing (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream and honey. Place pan over medium-low heat. Stir to dissolve honey. Heat cream just until starting to steam and gently bubble. Add the vanilla bean paste, extract (or seeds). Turn off heat and allow to steep and cool for 10 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the egg yolks. While whisking, add one ladleful of the cream mixture. Repeat, whisking well to combine. Add the remaining cream mixture and whisk. Custard can be strained now through a sieve for an extra smooth texture (optional).
- Place ramekins in a baking dish and have a kettle of hot water ready. Fill ramekins about halfway full with custard. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25 or 30 minutes until custard appears set but still slightly jiggly in the center. Remove ramekins from baking dish and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- To Brulee with a Torch: sprinkle 1 teaspoon fine, granulated sugar to the top of one ramekin in an even, thin layer. Ignite flame and torch the sugar until molten and browned. Optional: add another teaspoon of sugar and torch again for even more crunchy caramel. Immediately sprinkle one tablespoon of chopped pistachios over the top. Garnish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired.To Brulee using a Broiler: have an oven rack directly under broiler. Preheat broiler on high. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fine, granulated sugar to the top of one ramekin in an even, thin layer. Watching very closely, broil until sugar is melted and browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios over the top. Garnish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes
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Thanks for sharing this great article
Thanks for reading my blog! Cheers!
Nice post thanks.
Well I have made this flavor of brulee before but looked it up again to make sure I didn’t miss anything. BUT apparently YOU did …no where in recipe did you mention how, when and where to utilize nuts. NOT helpful for someone who has no clue. Re-check & correct for others (pay attention!)
Hi Pam! In the ingredients list, I have 1/4 cup roasted, chopped pistachios listed. Under the steps, on step #4, at the end of the bruleeing directions, I have directions to sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chopped pistachios immediately over the top after torching. So not sure where the confusion is? Hope this clears things up.