More reasons to love the 3-ingredient crème brûlée hack? It can be made up to 3 days ahead as long as you wait to brûlée the sugar on top right before serving. Store the baked custard, tightly covered, in the refrigerator and bring it out an hour before serving to get it to room temperature. Plus, this is a great recipe to make with kids. They can help melt, whisk, and pour the custard into the ramekins.
Why Using Ice Cream Works
Let me break down the reason why using ice cream to make crème brûlée works. The base for ice cream is the same as the custard for crème brûlée. Both are made with heavy cream, sugar, egg yolks, and salt. Ice cream is then churned and frozen, while crème brûlée is baked. For this shortcut crème brûlée, a couple more egg yolks are added to help thicken the ice cream as it bakes.
No Kitchen Torch? Use the Broiler
The most fun part of making crème brûlée is the actual brûlée-ing. Something about holding a torch and turning sugar into a crunchy, hard-to-resist treat makes me feel very powerful. Ignite your kitchen torch and hold the flame about 4 inches from the sugar on the surface. Move the flame across it until the sugar melts and then turns a golden brown. If you don’t own a torch, you can simply watch the sugar transform under a broiler. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil on high, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Melt the ice cream overnight in the fridge, or transfer the frozen ice cream into a heat-proof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well after each time until fully melted but not hot. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake until the outsides are just set, but the center is still a bit jiggly, about 40 minutes. If you do not have a torch, place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil on high, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not walk away and be sure to watch it closely. Serve immediately. Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!
