Creme brulee is a dessert most people order in a fancy restaurant but rarely make at home. I've been making this 3-ingredient creme brulee made with ice cream for years, long before it was a TIKTOK trend. I am glad you too will find out why this is so amazing after trying this recipe.
This restaurant-quality dessert looks fancy & tastes gourmet. No one will believe it took you only 10 minutes to prep & 3 simple ingredients. SHHH, don't share our secret!
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Why Make Creme Brulee at Home
This recipe is easier than you could imagine. Just whisk, bake, chill, & torch. Not only is it quicker to make but it also uses less ingredients that a traditional french recipe for creme brulee. Use your favorite flavor & the skies the limit.
To save money, making dessert at home is always a win. No high price restaurant or bakery for this one. Plus it uses fewer eggs & no heavy cream. Buy ice cream when it is on sale & really save $$. You are welcome!
Ingredients Needed
Can ice cream become creme brulee? Oh yeah, that is 100% correct. You likely have everything you need for the recipe already in your kitchen.
Imagine taking your favorite store-bought or homemade ice cream flavor, melting it, adding an egg yolk, and transforming it into creamy rich creme brulee. Dessert dreams reached!
"It is like having Hermione's wand to cast a spell over plain vanilla ice cream and making magic - creme brulee. "
- Ice Cream - smooth & creamy flavors like vanilla, chocolate, or coffee work best. Steer clear of those with chunks or mix-ins like cookie dough, Oreo cookie, nuts, etc.
- Eggs - you will need only the yolks.
- Sugar - granulated sugar for the crunchy caramelized top that you crack into (my favorite part!)
See the recipe card for amounts & full instructions.
* Ramekins & a kitchen torch are recommended.
Best Ice Creams to Make Creme Brulee
- Vanilla - a classic!
- Chocolate - my kids favorite
- Dulce de Leche - my all-time favorite since I love caramel anything
- Strawberry - lovely and pink for Valentine's day
- Green Tea/Matcha - perfect dessert after Japanese or Chinese food
- Ube - gorgeous and purple!
- Lemon - another favorite of mine
- Coffee - for a caffeinated dessert
Try this using my recipe for HOMEMADE PLUM ICE CREAM or BANANA ICE CREAM for a lovely fruit flavored creme brulee!
Recipe Video
How to Make Creme Brulee Using Ice Cream
For the screenshots below, I made two kinds of creme brulee. I did both vanilla and chocolate using two kinds of ice cream.
This called for 1 cup of ice cream of each flavor. Then for each cup of ice cream, 2 egg yolks were used. This resulted in 2 ramekins of each ice cream flavor for a total of 4 creme brulees.
Chill & Torch
Let 3-ingredient creme brulees cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then store in the refrigerator for a few hours more and up to 3 days.
When ready to eat, remove from refrigerating at least 15-30 minutes before serving time so they can come to room temperature. Sprinkle each with 1 TB sugar. Ensure sugar is in an even layer.
Using a kitchen torch, wave the flame evenly over the sugar layer about 2 inches from the sugar. Keep the flame moving and not too close to ensure an even caramelization and for the sugar not to burn.
Creme Brulee Without a Torch is Easy
If you don’t have a kitchen torch, use the broiler in your oven to caramelize the sugar for the creme brulee. Place them on a baking sheet on an oven rack directly under the broiler.
Broil on high until golden and melted. You may need to slide the baking sheet around on the rack to ensure all parts of the sugar get equal heat under the broiler.
Do not leave unattended and watch carefully. The edges of the ramekins will be hot from the torch and very hot if using the broiler method
Product Recommendations for this Recipe:
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EASY 3-INGREDIENT CREME BRULEE
Equipment
- Ramekins
- Kitchen torch - optional
Ingredients
- 2 C ice cream melted
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 TB sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Scoop ice cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Scoop a bit more than 2 cups as it does become less as it melts. Melt in microwave until smooth, at 30-second intervals. Mine took 3 rounds
- Separate 4 eggs, reserving the white to be used later. Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled melted ice cream. Once fully combined, pour the mixture into 4 ramekins in equal amounts.
- Place the ramekins in an oven-safe dish large enough to fit all ramekins plus room to pour water around each. The dish will need to be deep enough to ensure water can be halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Heat enough water to fill your baking dish halfway in tea kettle or microwave safe pourable container. Once water is hot, place an oven-safe dish with ramekins in the oven on a middle rack – then pour water into the dish along the sides of the ramekins until they are submerged halfway.
- Bake custards at 325° in the oven for 40 minutes. Keep the oven closed. Remove from the oven, remove ramekins safely from the large baking dish.
- Let cool one hour at room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at minimum one more hour and up to 3 days.
- When ready to eat, remove from refrigerating at least 30 minutes before serving time so they can come to room temperature. Sprinkle each with 1 TB sugar. Ensure sugar is in an even layer.
- Using a kitchen torch, wave the flame evenly over the sugar layer about 2 inches from the sugar. Keep the flame moving and not too close to ensure an even caramelization and for the sugar not to burn.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, use the broiler in your oven to caramelize the sugar. Place them on a baking sheet on an oven rack directly under the broiler. Broil on high until golden and melted. You may need to slide the baking sheet around on the rack to ensure all parts of the sugar get equal heat under the broiler. Do not leave unattended and watch carefully.
- The edges of the ramekins will be hot from the torch and very hot if using the broiler method. Enjoy immediately.
Erika says
I've had Creme Brulee only once and it was delicious. I need to try this!
Raquel says
I've never had creme brulee, but always wanted to try it. It seems like a lot of work, but you laid it out into simple steps! Thanks for sharing!
BeastFeast says
Creme Brulee is one of my favorite desserts! Will try it for sure!
HOTFITME says
Creme Brulee is my favorite dessert! I'm trying this tonight!
Angela says
Great, you will be so happy you found this recipe. It is so easy and is truly amazing!
Simone says
Awesome & very creative making creme brulee from ice cream! Wow!
Jacqueline Debono says
I'm definitely one of those people who order creme brulee in restaurants but have never made it at home!! I never realized it can be made with ice-cream! This is brilliant! I have to try it.
Beth says
I had no idea that you could make creme brulee so simply - what a revelation! Sadly we are not eating dairy or eggs much right now ... but I will save this recipe for an occasion where people can, for sure! Anything where you use a torch looks like such fun.
Tamara Johnson says
You had me at three ingredients! Without you mentioning that, I would have never known. It really looks just as good as any other creme brulee I've ever seen! Plus, working with blow torches in the kitchen is always a fun time! Delicious recipe, I'm definitely gonna try it out!
Angela says
Yes, all those things are what makes this a fun, easy, and fancy dessert - a triple threat! Have fun and enjoy it!
Lathiya says
I love easy recipes and this 3 ingredient creme brulee is indeed my style of recipe. Looks delicious.
chad says
I love love love creme brulee but nevery thought of making it at home! I would love to make it, it is my fav dessert.
Angela says
I hope you make it soon and would love to hear how it turned out!
Michelle says
Wow, I didn't know it was that easy to make creme brulee.
Sid Myers says
I love crème brulee. What a great hack using the ice cream. So much easier and it looks delish!
Angela says
It is almost too good to be true but it is - easy perfect creme brulee with ice cream!
Christy Boston's Kitchen says
What a great idea to use ice cream to make creme brûlée! I love love love creme brûlée, and I am soooooo going to try this. I do need to get a kitchen torch, though. The procrastination needs to end! We have no A/C in the house and this summer has been abnormally hot for this area. Too hot for broiling indoors!
Angela says
So glad you found this recipe to try and I guarantee it is the most delicious and easy way to make perfect creme brulee.
Ana Smith says
I've not eaten this dish before but it looks quite appetizing.
Travel Clans says
cant wait to try it! thanks
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
I ADORE this recipe because of how good and easy it is. Make this a lot and still a fav in our house. 🙂
Angela says
So glad to hear that. It is a favorite dessert here, especially when you want something you can make ahead and enjoy later.
Nyxie says
Thanks for sharing. This seems super easy to make so I'll definitely have to give it a go.
Mrs D says
This is amazing. I tried creme brûlée for the first time in December and loved it. I never believed I would be able to make it myself, but this recipe seems so simple. I’m going to try and do it!
Thanks for sharing
Patrice says
I'm a big fan of creme brulee but have never tried this three-ingredient approach. Looks delicious!
Katelyn says
WOW. We made chocolate creme brulee & it was so good. I love how easy this is.
Carol J Martin says
I was hoping to find more comments about the flavor of this vs so many saying it sounded easy and would try it. Ease of preparation is important, but more important is hearing from those that ate it and loved how it tastes.
I got all the ramekins and blow torch sent to my sisters so we could make it when I visited. I ordered a mix too, but it was basically like vanilla pudding, even though I mixed in an egg and cooked it in the custard on the stove top. It was OK, tasted like nice rich fancy pudding. Since I had used half of my heavy cream I could not make a batch from scratch. The grocery store was not close enough to grab more heavy cream.
I was so excited to find this recipe that I did not have to have the heavy cream. All of the ice cream at the small store had kit kat or something else in them. So I ended up buying chocolate ice cream. Was a sinch to thaw the ice cream and whip it up. I am excited to try some chocolate creme brulee since it is always vanilla. They are in the oven in their "hot tub" aka water bath, baking as at the moment. I will have to come back and comment on the taste tomorrow after they have cooled and had the sugar crystalized/browned on the top.
Thans for posting this recipe, I really wanted to make it tonight, and if I had not found your recipe I would have had to wait one more day