Eggnog Crème Brûlée
Eggnog Crème Brûlée is a Christmas twist on the classic French dessert. Rich, creamy, eggnog custard topped with crunchy caramelized sugar. Garnish with optional candied cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and a sprinkle of nutmeg for the perfect festive dessert.
You and your Christmas guests are going to love this decadent and elegant holiday dessert!
My eggnog and crème brûlée-loving teen came up with the idea for this fabulous Eggnog Crème Brûlée. He was also the mastermind behind my recipe for Candy Cane Crème Brûlée.
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Special Equipment
- 4 Ramekins (6-7 oz): I use these 7 oz ramekins from Target.
- Kitchen Butane Torch: For best results, use this inexpensive kitchen tool to caramelize the sugar topping. The recipe card includes instructions for an alternative method using the broiler, but the kitchen torch method is superior.
- Baking Dish: Use any baking dish that is large and deep enough to fit all four ramekins and accommodate the water bath. I use a basic 9×13 Pyrex baking dish.
Ingredients
Custard Ingredients
- Eggnog: Homemade or storebought. Not reduced fat. Use a full-fat version to make a thick, creamy custard that sets properly.
- Egg Yolks: Use large eggs. This recipe is egg-yolk intense, as they stabilize the custard. Small eggs would reduce the amount of egg yolk in this dish, so be sure to use large eggs.
- Brown Sugar: Crème brûlée is traditionally made with white sugar, but the brown sugar in this recipe provides the seasonal richness of molasses and adds to the warm, golden color of this Christmas dessert.
- Salt
Topping Ingredients
- White Sugar
- Optional Garnishes: ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and candied cranberries. Use any or all that you prefer. A sprinkle of nutmeg is a nod to the traditional eggnog garnish. The cinnamon sticks are purely aesthetic. For me, the candied cranberries are a must… they make this dessert a showstopper!
Candied Cranberries Ingredients
- Water
- White Sugar
- Cranberries
Gluten-Free Note: Everything on Go Gluten Freely is gluten-free. If you or any of your guests are on a gluten-free diet, make sure your eggnog is gluten-free. Many eggnog brands list “natural flavors” as an ingredient, which, although unlikely, could contain undisclosed gluten. If your eggnog contains natural flavors and is not labeled gluten-free, call the manufacturer to confirm. In previous years, I have vetted Organic Valley Eggnog, and at the time of writing this recipe, I confirmed Good & Gather Organic Eggnog currently contains no gluten ingredients. I call every year, as ingredients can change. If using homemade eggnog, double check all ingredients, including alcohol. Everything else in this recipe is naturally gluten-free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Set a kettle of water to boil. You’ll use the boiling water later to make a water bath for the eggnog crème brûlée. It helps the custard to thicken evenly without cracks.
Place four 6-ounce ramekins in a large baking dish. Set aside.
Heat Eggnog: In a medium saucepan, warm the eggnog and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Keep an eye on the eggnog. It should be hot, not boiling.
Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar together until smooth.
My teen sous chef loves to use a hand mixer for this job. It works, but note that overbeating can create extra bubbles in the mixture. Once you torch the sugar on top of the crème brûlée, the bubbles disappear under the crunchy topping. Still, I generally prefer to use a whisk when making crème brûlée.
Temper the Eggs: We are making a custard filling, not scrambled eggs, so patience is key at this step. Gradually pour half of the hot eggnog into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling.
Once blended, slowly add the remaining eggnog, whisking until the mixture is fully combined.
Strain & Pour: For a smooth, creamy custard, strain the mixture through a fine sieve. I like to strain the filling into a large (4-cup), glass measuring cup, making it easy to pour.
Then, divide the mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins.
Prepare Water Bath: Carefully, pour boiling water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, avoiding any splashes, both on the custards and on you. Also, be careful of splashing when transferring the baking dish in and out of the oven.
Bake: Bake the crème brûlée for 35-45 minutes, until the centers are just set. It will still be slightly jiggly, but not liquid. The custard will firm up in the refrigerator.
If the custards are not baking evenly, carefully rotate the baking dish in the oven and continue baking until each one is barely set.
Wide, shallow ramekins will bake faster than smaller, deeper ones. However, the deeper ramekins have the advantage of making a splash-free water bath easier.
Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, again being cautious not to splash any scalding water. Remove the ramekins from the water bath, and let them cool to room temperature.
Chill the eggnog crème brûlée in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Wait to top with sugar and caramelize until about 10-30 minutes before serving. Otherwise, the hard sugar topping will soften and liquefy if left in the refrigerator.
Prepare Optional Garnish: Candied Cranberries
Sparkling sweet and tart cranberries are an elegant addition to this holiday dessert, and they pair perfectly with the festive flavor of the eggnog crème brûlée. They are very easy to make!
If you opt to garnish with candied cranberries, you can quickly prep them while the eggnog crème brûlée is baking or chilling.
- Make Simple Syrup: In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup water and ½ cup of sugar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat to prevent cooking the cranberries.
- Coat Cranberries with Syrup: Stir in 1 cup of fresh cranberries, coating them thoroughly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to parchment paper. Make sure the cranberries are not touching each other and allow to dry for 30-40 minutes. They will remain sticky.
- Sugar Coating: Roll several sticky cranberries at a time in the remaining ½ cup of sugar.
The above Candied Cranberries Recipe was adapted from Natasha’s Kitchen’s recipe with slight adjustments to quantity and the process.
While making candied cranberries, there will be leftovers at each step:
- Save leftover simple syrup for other uses, like making your own Starbucks drinks at home, marinating fruit, or sweetening oatmeal.
- Repurpose leftover sugar to sprinkle on the crème brûlée before caramelizing.
- Extra cranberries can be used to garnish your eggnog crème brûlée serving platter, set out for after-dessert snacking, or enjoyed over the next day or two.
Eggnog Crème Brûlée Topping
Caramelize the Sugar: About 10-30 minutes prior to serving, sprinkle 1½ teaspoons of white sugar over each custard.
Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, the recipe card notes include instructions for a broiler method. Please note that the broiler method warms the custard (which is best chilled) as it hardens the topping. For best results, a kitchen torch is well worth the small investment.
Garnish: Add several candied cranberries, a sprinkle of ground nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick to each crème brûlée for a festive touch. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for no more than 30 minutes.
Make Ahead
This is the perfect make-ahead dessert for a busy holiday meal! Bake the eggnog crème brûlée and store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Prepare the candied cranberries up to one day ahead. Caramelize the sugar topping and add optional garnishes just prior to serving.
Multiply the Recipe
This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Even if tripling the recipe, don’t multiply the ingredients for the Candied Cranberries, as the recipe already makes more than enough.
You can also stretch the recipe by dividing the filling into six smaller ramekins and reducing the baking time.
Related Recipes
Eggnog Crème Brûlée
Ingredients
- 2 cups eggnog
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 egg yolks (large eggs)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
Topping
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- optional garnishes sprinkle of ground nutmeg, candied cranberries, cinnamon sticks
Candied Cranberries (optional garnish)
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup white sugar divided
- 1 cup cranberries
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 325°. Set a kettle of water to boil for the water bath in step #6. Place four 6-oz ramekins in a large baking dish and set aside.
- Heat Eggnog: In a medium saucepan, heat eggnog and salt over medium heat until hot, but not boiling.
- Prep: In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and brown sugar until well blended.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: Slowly pour half of the eggnog mixture into the egg mixture, while whisking until blended. Pour in the remaining half of the eggnog mixture, while continuously whisking until fully blended.
- Fill Ramekins: Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and divide evenly into the prepared ramekins sitting in the baking dish.
- Prepare Water Bath: Carefully pour boiling water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, being careful not to splash water into the crème brûlée mixture.
- Bake, Cool & Chill: Bake for 35-45 minutes until the centers are barely set, still slightly jiggly when shaken. (Note that wide ramekins with a thin layer of custard will cook faster than small, deep ramekins with a thick layer of custard.) Carefully remove ramekins from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature. Then, chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
Topping
- When ready to serve, top each custard with 1½ teaspoons of white sugar. Use a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg, cinnamon stick, and/or candied cranberries. (See recipe notes for making candied cranberries.) Serve immediately or return to the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.
Notes
- Make simple syrup: In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup water and ½ cup white sugar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- Coat & dry cranberries: Stir in 1 cup of fresh cranberries, stirring for about one minute until the coat thickens a bit. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cranberries to parchment paper, leaving a little space between each berry. Let dry for 30-40 minutes. They will still be sticky. (Reserve leftover syrup to use as a simple syrup in other recipes).
- Coat with sugar: Place remaining ½ cup white sugar in a bowl and roll cranberries in sugar to coat. (Leftover sugar can be used to make the burnt sugar topping on the crème brûlée.)
- Top Crème Brûlée: Garnish each serving of crème brûlée with several candied cranberries. (Use leftover candied cranberries to decorate the serving platter or enjoy over the next day or two.)
