Instant Pot crème brulée is fast and easy, and the flavor is fantastic! One of the great things about crème brulée is that it can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. When you’re ready to serve, take them out of the fridge, top them with sugar, and use your torch to caramelize the topping. This is an excellent holiday dessert for that reason, and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or a dinner party. But don’t wait for a special occasion—enjoy it with an everyday dinner or as a weekend snack!
Superfine sugar is a great choice for the topping, but cane sugar or regular granulated sugar will work just fine. I add a bit of almond extract, which I think enhances the vanilla flavor slightly, but it is optional.
When making créme brulée, plan to allow a cooling down period and chilling time of at least 3 to 4 hours (or up to 3 days). The sugar topping is applied just before serving the chilled custard. It’s the ideal make-ahead dessert!
Instant Pot with stacked ramekins of crème brulée.
Distribute the sugar over the custard in an even layer.
Use a kitchen torch or larger blowtorch to caramelize the sugar layer.
More Instant Pot Desserts
This Instant Pot pumpkin crème brulée is another excellent dessert made in the pressure cooker, or you might also like this recipe for Instant Pot pots de crème.
A perfectly caramelized topping on a ramekin of crème brulée.
Can I make crème brûlée if I don’t have a blowtorch?
If you don’t have a kitchen torch or propane blowtorch, you can use your oven’s broiler to caramelize the crème brûlée topping. Place the crème brûlées on a baking sheet and add the sugar as directed. Place the baking sheet under the preheated broiler and broil, rotating frequently, until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
Instant Pot Créme Brulée
Instant Pot créme brulée is surprisingly easy to prepare, and it’s the perfect dessert for a special occasion! Treat your friends and family!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Pressure Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts, Custard, Instant Pot, Instant Pot
- Method: Pressure Cook
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
- Dash fine salt
- 1 pint (454 grams) heavy cream
Topping
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar with the egg yolks, vanilla extract, almond extract, if using, and the salt; whisk until smooth and well blended. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream. You’ll have about 3 cups of custard mixture.
- Divide the custard mixture among 6 5-ounce ramekins and wrap them in foil.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot and place a trivet in it—a sling style trivet is great if you have one.
- Arrange the wrapped ramekins in the Instant Pot, making 2 layers. Lock the lid in place and make sure the knob is in the sealing position (this is automatic on some pots).
- Select pressure cook, low pressure, and set the time to 14 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 15 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the ramekins to a rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Uncover the ramekins and place them in a baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for about 4 hours or up to 2 to 3 days.
- Just before serving, uncover a ramekin and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of superfine, organic, or granulated sugar. Carefully torch to burn the sugar lightly. Handle the ramekins carefully, as the torch will make the edges of the ramekins quite hot. Repeat with the remaining custards, or as many as you will be serving.
- The burnt sugar top will should be hard enough to crack with a spoon.
- Serve créme brulée as is or add some berries or sliced fruit or a dollop of whipped cream.