Decadent and simple Instant Pot Creme Brulee with cinnamon. Silky, creamy custard. A crackly, sugary shell. All that dusky, spicy-sweet cinnamon flavor. Cooked to perfection in only 4 minutes! Yes, Instant Pot Creme Brulee is a delicious and easy dessert you’ll be making all the time!
Instant Pot Creme Brûlée with Cinnamon
Creme Brûlée seems fancy-pants and difficult to make at home. But in the Instant Pot, it’s so easy and fast!
Traditionally, Creme Brûlée is cooked in a water bath. Also known as a bain-marie, it creates a super silky and evenly cooked custard — but be somewhat of a pain and take 30-40 minutes.
Enter the Instant Pot. The steamer trivet and steamer function make it possible to cook the rich custard to silky-smooth, luscious perfection. Essentially, the custard is steamed.
Adding bold and unexpected flavors makes Instant Pot Creme Brulee even more special. In this case, a long steep with Saigon Cinnamon creates an unbelievably delicious and unexpected dessert. All that dusky, spicy cinnamon is irresistible!
I will never go back to using a traditional water bath for creme brulee again! Instant Pot Creme Brulee forever!!
Ingredients:
- Saigon Cinnamon Sticks. Also known as Vietnamese cinnamon, the flavor is intensely spicy, sweet, and aromatic. A stronger, more potent flavor and aroma than more commonly found Ceylon cinnamon.
- Ground Cinnamon. Adds more cinnamon flavor.
- Vanilla. For deep flavor, use good quality vanilla.
- Egg Yolks. Yolks from organic, free-range eggs make a big difference. Buy the best eggs you can find.
- Heavy Cream. For a decadently rich and simple creme brûlée recipe.
- Sugar. To lightly sweeten the custard. My recipe is “not-too-sweet.”
- Extra-Fine Sugar. Makes the crisp, sugary shell on top extra thick and crunchy. Pulse regular white granulated sugar in a food processor if you don’t have it.
Instructions:
- Steep heavy cream. Heat the heavy cream until steaming and add cinnamon sticks and sugar. Cover and steep one hour for deep cinnamon flavor.
- Make the custard. Whisk together yolks, ground cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Add the heated, cinnamon-steeped cream in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly, to ensure the yolks do not scramble.
- Pour into ramekins. Carefully pour into same-sized ramekins.
- Cook. Place a steamer trivet in the Instant Pot and add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Carefully add the ramekins in an even layer on top of the trivet. Lock lid into place and cook for 4 minutes. When the timer goes off, manually release steam and remove the ramekins.
- Chill in the fridge. Transfer to the fridge and chill overnight or at least 2 hours.
- Blow torch. Right before serving, add ultra-fine sugar evenly on top. Use a kitchen blow torch to melt the sugar into a thick, sugary shell.
Watch how to make it:
Special Equipment:
- Instant Pot. I use a 6L Instant Pot (affiliate) which can fit 3-4 ramekins, depending on the shape. Although you could stack ramekins on top of each other and steam all at once, I prefer to steam separately. It only takes 4 minutes after all!
- Steam trivet. Comes with the Instant Pot and creates space between the water and ramekins for more even steam.
- Kitchen Torch. For that crispy, crackly, sugary shell! Although you can also oven broil the sugared tops, a kitchen torch (affiliate) makes the process much easier and faster — with better texture.
PRO Tips:
- Briefly torch custard before cooking. An easy trick to remove those pesky air bubbles from the custard’s surface. Optional step for a more visually pleasing creme brulee. Once cooked, the air bubbles cannot be removed.
- Remove creme brulee IMMEDIATELY. Once the timer rings, release air pressure manually and remove from the Instapot ASAP!
- Use ultra-fine sugar for the top. Regular sugar also works. But ultra-fine sugar melts more evenly into a thick, super crackly shell.
FAQ:
I don’t have a blow torch. How else can I get that crisp, sugary shell?
A kitchen torch (affiliate) is ideal for melting the sugar until hard and crisp. But if you don’t own one, the oven broiler also works. But the sugary top won’t get as hard and crackly!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, the Instant Pot Creme Brulee can be made ahead of time. Chill in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 2-3 days. However, blow torch the sugar right before serving. It will not keep its texture otherwise.
Other easy desserts:
Instant Pot Creme Brulee with Cinnamon
Decadent and simple Instant Pot Creme Brulee with cinnamon. Silky, creamy custard. A crackly, sugary shell. All that dusky, spicy-sweet cinnamon flavor. Cooked to perfection in only 4 minutes! Yes, Instant Pot Creme Brulee is a delicious and easy dessert you'll be making all the time!
Equipment
- 6 6-ounce ramekins
- kitchen torch (to brulee sugar)
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 saigon cinnamon sticks
- 6 egg yolks (organic, large)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- pinch salt
To brulee sugar:
- 1 tsp ultra-fine sugar (per ramekin)
Instructions
- Steep heavy cream. In a small saucepan, add heavy cream, sugar, and cinnamon sticks. Heat until slightly steaming and sugar dissolves. Cover and remove from heat. Steep for 1 hour.
- Make custard. In a large bowl, add egg yolks, ground cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until thick and well combined.
- Remove cinnamon sticks from the heavy cream. Briefly reheat until slightly steaming. (Do not boil!)
- Whisking constantly, add heavy cream to the yolk mixture. Make sure to add in a slow and steady stream. This will ensure the yolks do not scramble.
- Pour into ramekins. Divide custard evenly among 6 ramekins.
- Cook. Place a steamer trivet in the instant pot. Add 1 cup of water. Add ramekins in a single layer, slightly touching each other. Depending on ramekin size, you'll be able to fit anywhere from 2-4.
- Lock lid in place. Set Instant Pot to pressure cook at high heat for 4 minutes. Or normal heat for 4 minutes for a slightly creamier, softer creme brulee. Make sure to turn off "Keep Warm" function.
- When the timer beeps, manually release the steam. Do this immediately to prevent overcooking! Remove the lid and transfer ramekins to the kitchen counter. The ramekins will be hot so handle carefully! Rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Repeat with remaining creme brûlée until all 6 are cooked.
- Chill. Transfer ramekins to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight, uncovered.
- Blow torch. Right before serving, add 1 tsp of ultra-fine sugar to each ramekin. Gently shake and swirl sugar so that the top is evenly coated with sugar granules. Using a kitchen torch, melt sugar until bubbly and caramelized. Wait 2-3 minutes for the sugar to set into a crispy shell. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
*To make ultra-fine sugar at home, add 1/4 cup of white sugar to a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and use to brulee the tops.
**To brulee the sugar in the oven, arrange the oven rack so it’s 5-6 inches from the heat source at the top. Turn on the oven broiler at high heat and pre-heat for 10 minutes. Add sugar, as noted in the instructions. Then line the ramekins on a sheet pan and slide into the oven. Watch carefully, rotating the sheet pan so the tops are evenly bruleed. Remove and enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Briefly torch custard before cooking. An easy trick to remove those pesky air bubbles from the custard’s surface. Optional step for a more visually pleasing creme brulee. Once cooked, the air bubbles cannot be removed.
- Remove creme brulee IMMEDIATELY. Once the timer rings, release air pressure manually and remove from the Instapot ASAP!
- Use ultra-fine sugar for the top. Regular sugar also works. But ultra-fine sugar melts more evenly into a thick, super crackly shell.
Nutrition
Calories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 31mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1434IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
