Salted Caramel Custard Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: fiveandspice

February22,2011

5 Ratings

Salted Caramel Custard Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Well, somebody had to do it.
And, I figured, if I'm making a salted caramel pudding, I may as well go all out ridiculously rich and make it an all egg yolk thickened custard. So, here you go, this is not a pudding for the faint of heart. A salted caramel pudding, generally inspired by David Lebovitz's ice cream recipe of the same flavor. - fiveandspice —fiveandspice

Test Kitchen Notes

Fiveandspice has built a flavor explosion in pudding form. The caramel taste is immediate and long lasting. I counted: it took a full 30 seconds after I swallowed the cool, golden, silky custard for the flavor to dissipate. My only regret was that I did not double the recipe. —cheese1227

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

²/₃ cupsugar
1 pinch(generous) fleur de sel
3 tablespoonssalted butter
1 cupheavy cream
1 cupwhole milk
4 large egg yolks
¹/₂ teaspoonvanilla extract

Directions

Spread the sugar in a heavy bottomed, fairly large (about 6 qt) sauce pan. Heat the sugar over medium until the edges start to melt, then (using something heat proof) start to stir the edges and bottom of the melting sugar in toward the middle to move unmelted sugar closer to the heat. Continue to do this until all the sugar is dissolved and then keep cooking it until it turns a dark amber and starts to smell strong and dark and almost like it’s going to burn (that burnt marshmallow smell). Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter and the salt until the butter is completely melted, then whisk in the cream.
At this point the melted sugar will harden in response to the cream. Just return it to low heat and keep stirring it until it is all re-dissolved and blended into the cream. Then, stir in the cup of the milk.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they’re smooth. Then, whisk in a little (about 1/4 cup) of the warm caramel mixture. Repeat with a little more warm caramel. Then, pour this back into the pan with the rest of the caramel, stirring well, and cook this mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it has thickened enough that your stirring utensil leaves a trail and the custard can thickly coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, then press through a strainer if necessary to remove any lumps, and pour into 1 large bowl or 4 small bowls or custard cups. Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard if you wish to keep it from forming a skin. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or over night before serving. Accompany with lightly sweetened whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.

Tags:

Custard
Egg
Milk/Cream
Make Ahead
Winter
Christmas
Thanksgiving
Dessert

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16 Reviews

Terri August 24, 2016

I stumbled on this when I was looking for salted caramel recipes. Made it last night. It's heavenly!! Perfect blend of slightly bitter and sweet, with a lingering caramel taste. And pretty easy to make! My caramel phobias have been dispelled.

lois December 14, 2015

I was hoping this would just be okay because it took longer than I expected (plan accordingly--at least 15 minutes for step 2), but it was wonderful and I will definitely make it again. It is both sweet and rich so you don't need a lot. I doubled the recipe and had enough for ten. I served it in wine glasses with homemade biscotti.

Heidi T. March 30, 2013

I was so excited when I came across this recipe, and I just made it for myself today :D It's amazing! Thanks for the recipe. (I linked back to this page on my blog: http://aderumoro.blogspot.com/2013/03/salted-caramel-custard.html)

fiveandspice March 30, 2013

Awesome!! Love the blog post.

Sarah P. June 30, 2011

I am turning this into a pie if it's the last thing I do.

FAQs

What is a caramel topped custard called? ›

Crème caramel (French: [kʁɛm kaʁamɛl]), flan, caramel pudding, condensed milk pudding or caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce.

Find Out More ›

What's the difference between creme brulee and crème caramel? ›

Crème brûlée and crème caramel are two different types of custard desserts. Crème brûlée is made with a rich custard base that is topped with a layer of hard caramel. Crème caramel is made with a caramelized sugar syrup that is poured over a layer of custard.

View Details ›

What baked custard is made with a layer of caramel in the dish? ›

Flan is a baked custard dessert with a layer of caramel on top. To make flan, you first caramelize sugar, pour it into a round mold or individual baking cups, and then top it with custard made from eggs, milk or other dairy, sugar and flavorings.

Learn More ›

Are custard and leche flan the same? ›

Is flan the same as custard? Flan (also known as crème caramel) is a custard of sugar, milk, cream, and egg yolks, baked in a caramel-sauce-lined ramekin until soft and wiggly. All custards are egg based which would make flan a type of custard.

Get More Info ›

What is the difference between creme caramel and caramel custard? ›

Caramel Custard is a popular dessert known all over the world. It is a french dessert often called in many different names like Creme caramel, Caramel Pudding or Flan. It is relatively simple to make using just a handful of ingredients like milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

What are the 3 types of custard? ›

3 Varieties of Custard

There are three main varieties of custard: baked custard, stirred custard, and steamed custard. The first two are both popular in Western cuisine. Baked custard is typically firmer and made with whole eggs, while stirred custards can be much runnier and often only contain the yolks.

Is leche flan the same as crème caramel? ›

“Leche Flan” is the Filipino version of Crème brûlée and is also known as Crème caramel. The main difference with this Filipino dessert is that leche flan is Jello-like in consistency, while crème brûlée is pudding-like. Another difference is how the leche flan is cooked.

Discover More ›

Is panna cotta the same as crème caramel? ›

Similar in texture to an Italian panna cotta, crème caramel is actually made without the addition of gelatin or starches: the eggs will thicken the mixture themselves and, with gentle and careful cooking, will give you a perfect texture, smooth and compact, but at the same time enveloping and velvety.

Why is my caramel hard in crème caramel? ›

It's normal. Caramel hardens when you pour it into a ramekin but gradually melts into syrup during cooking. If the layer of caramel poured into a ramekin is too thick, it will not have time to completely melt during cooking.

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What does adding extra egg do to custard? ›

In my experience yolks in something like flan contribute to richness - so adding more of them (within reason) will amp up that sensation and make the whole dessert seem more filling. A 2-yolk flan made with 4 yolks, for example, will set slightly looser but taste far creamier and richer.

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Why is my caramel custard not smooth? ›

The crème caramel isn't smooth and has a lot of bubbles on the surface. Foamy mixture: The custard base was whisked too vigorously. Whisk the egg and sugar very gently. If you incorporate a lot of air bubbles, you'll have to skim the foam off the custard before baking it.

Get More Info Here ›

Should you cover flan while baking? ›

The water bath will give you more even cooking. Covering the flan with foil will also help with cooking. Put your dish on the center rack and let bake for 30-40 minutes, and then check every 10 minutes until the flan has a gentle jello-like movement in the center and the sides are set.

Tell Me More ›

Is crème brûlée the same as custard? ›

The main difference between the two is that creme brulee is topped with a layer of sugar that caramelizes under a broiler or torch, resulting in a crunchy, burnt sugar topping. Egg custard does not have this additional layer of sugar, but some recipes call for a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon.

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What do Americans call flan? ›

Flan is a popular dessert in Spain and Latin America, also known as creme caramel due to its indulgent custard base topped with delicious caramel.

Learn More Now ›

Why do Filipinos like leche flan? ›

One of the reasons why Leche Flan is so well-loved in the Philippines is its luscious and velvety texture. When you take a spoonful, it gracefully melts in your mouth, leaving a delightful creamy sensation.

Learn More ›

What's the difference between crème brûlée and flan custard? ›

Crème brûlée is a baked custard made with cream, sugar and egg yolks with a thin layer of sugar on top that is caramelized with a kitchen torch to create a hard caramel crust. Flan is also a custard made with cream, milk, sugar and egg yolks, but it's baked in a caramel-lined ramekin until soft and jiggly.

Get More Info Here ›

What is a baked custard with a brittle top made of caramelized sugar? ›

Crème brûlée is a decadent French dessert with a creamy pudding-like baked custard base and a brittle caramelized sugar top that cracks when tapped with a spoon.

What is ambrosia custard? ›

A family favourite for over 100 years, this tasty custard is made in our Devon Creamery using West Country milk. Not only is it a source of calcium and made with 100% natural flavours, there isn't a preservative or artificial colour in sight.

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Why is it called birds custard? ›

This early processed convenience food was Bird's Custard was first formulated and first cooked by Alfred Bird in 1837, because his wife was allergic to eggs the key ingredient used to thicken traditional custard.

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