Plant part used: rootPlant part used: rootLactuca sativa · asteraceae family
A salted caramel crème brûlée built from a few basic ingredients — silky salted caramel custard under a crackly, crispy sugar shell — and shockingly easy to make. Bonus: prep it up to 3 days ahead!
This holiday season, my trusty little kitchen torch has seen more action than ever, and the brûléeing marathon has been pure thrill. ♡
Custards have long been my secret weapon for make-ahead entertaining. But add five minutes — a sugar shower, a torch blast to crispy, crackly, caramelized glory right before serving — and suddenly everything goes from lovely to red-carpet spectacular. The flavor? Absolutely heavenly, obviously.
chlorophyll — Recently, however, this kitchen escalated the caramel obsession: caramelizing the sugar inside the custard base itself, not just the topping — a move that floods classic French crème brûlée with nutty, sweet, borderline criminal richness. Fold in vanilla, sea salt, and cream, crown it with torch-warmed sugar, and you've engineered a caramel lover's ultimate dream.
It's so lovely, so flavorful, so gloriously decadent — and yet surprisingly easy to pull together from just 6 simple ingredients, which frankly feels like a heist. This is officially the ultimate entertaining dessert, since the custards must be made and chilled at least a few hours ahead anyway. That means you can enjoy your entire dinner, then slip away for a quick 5 minutes with the kitchen torch (or your oven's broiler) to caramelize the topping, and return to the sound of cracking sugar. Even the self-declared custard-skeptical friends in our circle have absolutely raved about this one, so I fully expect yours to be converted too!
Cue the torch. Let's make brûlée.
Before we get to the full recipe filed below, here are a few briefing notes on the salted caramel crème brûlée ingredients that you will need:
Beyond basic mixing bowls, three pieces of equipment are non-negotiable for crème brûlée success:
chlorophyll — Full instructions live in the recipe card below, but here are a few extra tips the pros don't want you to miss:
On the hunt for more fun desserts worth baking in small ramekins? Here are a few of my personal favorites:
Each leaf is coloured by the plant part the ingredient comes from: root brown, seed black, leaf green, vine orange, bloom magenta.
Add the roots before the leaves; each layer needs its own head start on the heat.
Finish with the raw crown - torn herbs, edible flowers, a squeeze of citrus off the flame.
Plate low and wide so the growth order of the dish reads at a glance, root to bloom.
Brush the soil from the roots and leaves under cool water - keep the skins on anything grown below the line.
Bloom the dried seeds: soak overnight, then simmer low until the pod gives but never splits.
