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Salted Caramel Custard

These easy pots de crèmes are just sweet enough, just salty enough, and just gorgeous enough to be my favorite caramel custard dessert. A beautiful balance of flavors!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine French
Servings 6 people
Calories 2004.5 kcal

Equipment

  • 6 Ramekins 6-ounce capacity
  • 1 Baking Dish Large enough to hold ramekins for a water bath
  • 1 Heavy-bottomed saucepan For making caramel
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl For tempering egg yolks

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 9 large egg yolks
  • ⅔ cup white sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • flaky sea salt such as Maldon®, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place 6 (6-ounce) ramekins in a baking dish.
  • Place sugar evenly in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, allow sugar to slowly melt around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. When edges start to bubble, shake and swirl the pan to dissolve remaining sugar but without stirring it. Keep pan moving until you have a clear, dark caramel, about 10 minutes. When sugar is completely dissolved, whisk in cream; caramel will cool into a lump; this is normal. Keep stirring over medium heat until caramel melts and mixture comes up to temperature and sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat
  • Stir in kosher salt, vanilla, and cold milk; mix well.
  • Place egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in a ladleful of caramel-milk mixture to the yolks. Add 2 more ladlefuls, one at a time. Then mix in the remainder of the caramel-milk mixture to the yolks, whisking until thoroughly blended.
  • Divide the custard mixture evenly among the ramekins. Carefully pour into the baking dish enough water so that it comes halfway up the sides of the filled ramekins.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until custard is set and the top of custard jiggles evenly across the surface, 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of your ramekins and how full they are). If the center seems looser than the edges, continue to bake another minute or so.
  • Transfer ramekins to a cooling rack; cool to room temperature. Cover ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour until they are very cold.
  • Serve topped with a pinch of light, flaky sea salt. Chef John

Notes

Achieving a perfect caramel is key: start by melting sugar without stirring, allowing edges to brown before swirling for even color. Aim for a deep amber, not too dark, to avoid bitterness. Don't panic when adding cream; the caramel will seize, but gentle heat and continuous whisking will dissolve it back into a smooth sauce. Tempering the egg yolks slowly with the warm caramel mixture is crucial to prevent scrambling. The water bath (bain-marie) ensures even, gentle cooking, yielding a silky-smooth custard free from cracks. Ensure the custard jiggles slightly in the center when done; it will set further upon chilling. Adequate refrigeration is vital for optimal texture and flavor development.