Caramel Custard Recipe (2024)

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. But there are few techniques for making the perfect creme caramel which I have shared in this post.Learn how to make the perfect caramel for caramel custard and this silky smooth pudding with step by step pictures and video. For Eggless option, check my caramel custard without eggs and this version of Mexican Flan.

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Caramel Custard

Caramel custard is personally my favorite dessert in the world. If there is this dish in the menu, I would definitely go for it. I have made this dish many times with lots of trials and errors over the past decade. And I think I have mastered the recipe and this is one of the easy method and taste perfect. Check my other pudding recipes too.

You might find so many recipes for Crème caramel all overt the internet. Some recipes uses eggs + egg yolk to make caramel custard. But I don't prefer doing that way because I think it is a waste of the extra egg whites. So I have perfected a recipe which uses 2 whole eggs for 4 servings.

About Caramel Custard (Creme Caramel)

Caramel Custard is many of our favorite dessert. It is an egg custard recipe which is served with its own caramel sauce. So good cold, but some like it warm too.

Crème caramel, flan,caramel puddingorcaramel custardis acustard dessertwith a layer of clearcaramelsauce. This is one of most popular dessert around the world called with different names.

Caramel pudding is made with eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Optionally ingredients like orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom is added. The process of making caramel custard involves just few steps. Boil the milk, make the caramel, mix the custard, fill moulds and bake in bain-marie.

The taste of this depends in the caramel which you make. If you cook the caramel for a long time the caramel might get bitter which in turn makes the custard bitter. I have shared step by step pictures for you to understand clearly.

Making creme caramel pudding is easy but a little time consuming. It is baked in oven over a water bath. Chilling in fridge for at least 4 hours is very important. I am sure it will take at least 6 to 8 hours from making to eating.

Don't have much time on hand. Then why not check my Bread Pudding, Caramel Rava Pudding, Caramel Bread Pudding, Chocolate Pudding and Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding.

Caramel Custard Video

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My Recipe for Caramel Custard (Caramel pudding)

As mentioned I have made creme caramel pudding so many times now. This recipe is one of the best and easy one. It calls for ingredients like eggs, milk and sugar. I use 2 whole eggs for a batch of caramel custard, you can double or triple the recipe to your preference.

Some people might get egg smell in their creme caramel pudding. If you want to remove that smell, use a dash of ground cardamom. Also try to find the best quality vanilla extract. It makes all the difference. I use vanilla paste made from bourbon vanilla beans, you can see the specks of vanilla beans all over my custard.

Don't use vanilla essence, instead opt for vanilla extract or my Homemade vanilla.

Caramel Custard Ingredients

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Milk

Milk is the base for the custard. Use full fat milk for richer and dense custard. Low fat milk can be used in caramel custard but it doesn't provide the real taste for the custard. Some people even use addition of cream in their custard. But it is purely optional.

Sugar

Next main ingredient in the making of caramel custard is sugar. It is used both in the making of caramel as well as custard. There are recipes which uses sweetened condensed milk instead of sugar. Check my mexican flan recipe.

Vanilla Extract

Caramel custard can be flavoured with any of your favorite flavouring. I have shared some of the other variation below. The most common and essential flavouring for caramel custard is vanilla. It adds a subtle aroma as well as flavour to the custard. Pure vanilla extract helps to remove the eggy smell which the custard can have.

Eggs

Eggs are the main ingredients which helps the custard to set. Make sure you use good quality eggs. If you are looking for eggless alternative, then check my eggless caramel custard recipe.

Optional

some recipes uses orange zest, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon.

How to Make Caramel for Caramel Pudding

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Making caramel with sugar can be tricky. The caramel which we use in this recipe is different from my caramel sauce which I have already shared on the blog. But both recipe calls for caramelizing sugar. I have shared all the tips and tricks which I have learnt over the years to make the perfect flowy caramel with just sugar. Make sure you read and follow it to the "T".

There are two methods for making perfect caramel. Wet Method & Dry Method. You can choose any one that you prefer.

Wet Caramel

Wet caramel means, it has water added to sugar for making caramel. If you are a beginner in making caramel, I strongly recommend you to go for the wet caramel method. Because it is less likely to burn and easy to make.

You take ½ cup of sugar in a heavy bottom saute pan or frying pan (preferably stainless steel). The reason why I prefer steel for making caramel is, I can see the colour better in steel than in darker non-stick pans. To the sugar add in 2 tbsp of water and start cooking.

The sugar will melt first and then starts to caramelize. It is relatively easy, but I find the caramel is prone to crystallization if stirred too much.

Dry Caramel

I prefer this method over the other. This method involves only sugar to make the caramel. In this method, you can make caramel faster and it is less likely to crystallize than the other method.

Take sugar in a steel saute pan. Spread the sugar in a even layer. Place it on heat and let it heat for couple of minutes on medium high heat. The sugar on the sides of the pan will start to melt. Now you start to swirl the pan gently. You can swirl the pan, but never stir. I find that if you stir, the caramel will crystallize and swirling the pan, it will be smooth and flowy. Once the caramel reaches the desired colour you can take it off the heat and pour in the moulds immediately.

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Coating Moulds with Caramel

Once the caramel is ready, I like to coat the moulds with the caramel on the sides as well. This method creates a layer of caramel coating on the sides of the pudding too. which also helps the unmoulding process easier.

I think this is purely for presentation and taste.

Caramel Custard Flavors

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You can flavor the custard in whichever way you prefer. I have made caramel custard over a dozen times and have made it in different flavors possible. I like to steep the ingredient in hot milk before mixing into the eggs. Here are some of the best ideas for you.

Vanilla paste - this is a classic ingredient used in making any desserts including caramel pudding. use pure vanilla for best flavor.

Ground Nutmeg - nutmeg adds a warmth and comforting aroma to the pudding. for best aroma grate whole nutmeg by yourself.

Orange Peel or Zest - one of my favorite combo is orange peel and cardamom. I use a vegetable peeler to peel off the thin orange skin without the white membrane. Bruise them slightly with your hands before adding it into the milk. Orange can be grated using a microplane zester for strong infusion.n

Cinnamon - use a whole stick of cinnamon when heating milk. Optionally you can use a dash of ground cinnamon.

Cardamom - I like to bruise cardamom pods using my mortar and pestle before adding into the milk, optionally a pinch of ground cardamom can be used.

How to Make Creme Caramel (4 Easy Steps)

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Infusing Milk - heat milk and infuse with your favorite flavours. In this recipe I used orange and cardamom.

Caramel Making - Start by making the caramel. Take sugar in a pan. Heat and cook swirling the pan till the colour changes golden. Pour into moulds.

Custard - Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk. Strain this two times and fill moulds.

Baking - baked in a water bath or bain-marie. Bake, chill in fridge, unmould and serve.

Mould to use for Caramel Custard

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Caramel custard can be set in different moulds. It has a tendency to take on the shape of the moulds you use. So use any moulds as per your preference.

Steel Moulds - I used mini steel pudding moulds from daiso which is food grade. It is easily available online. The moulds are completely non stick. The moulds which I used is 2.4 inches in diameter. It can hold around 125 ml of liquid.

Ramekins - the more basic convenient way to make caramel custard is in ceramic ramekins. Depending on the size of the ramekins the baking time will vary.

Baking Tray - If you don’t have the patience to fill individual moulds. Pour the pudding mixture in a greased baking tray or any glass dish and bake. Once it is set you can slice and serve.

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Bain-Marie or Water Bath

Bain-marie is also known a water bath or double boiler. It is a french technique in which the custard is baked in a tray filled with hot water. The inner container is immersed about halfway into the hot water and baked. This is a gentle way of baking, typically used for baking cheesecakes and delicate custards.

This bakes the custard more gentle without the harsh sudden heat from the oven which makes delicate custard with eggs to curdle.

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Caramel Custard Plating

Cream caramel or caramel custard is most loved dessert by everyone. Making a delicious tasting caramel custard and plating it in impressive way will sure to wow your guest.

The below pictures of creme caramel is my attempt on recreating Masterchef Canada recipe. I have shared the video of making spun sugar and sugar cage in my youtube channel. Make sure you check it to learn about this plating. But there are many other ways to plate caramel custard, here are some ideas.

• Whipped Cream - sometimes a dollop of whipped cream is all it needs.
• Fresh berries - top it with raspberry, sliced strawberries and you are good to go.
• Edible flowers - elegant and stunning.
• Fresh fruits - love to add some orange segments for a citrus note.
• Fresh herb garnish - a sprig of basil or mint leaves will add some colours.

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How to Make Caramel Custard (Stepwise Pictures)

Infusing Orange & Cardamom in Milk

1)Start by preheating oven to 180 degree C (360 Degree F). Take whole milk in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Don't let it boil over, just bring it to boiling stage. This step is to infuse the flavors and also to temper the eggs.

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2)Take it off the heat and add in your flavorings of choice. I added couple of peeled orange skin and ground cardamom. Mix it and leave it to infuse while we make caramel.

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Making Caramel for Caramel Custard

3)Take sugar in a saute pan or frying pan. Spread it evenly in the pan. I like to use steel pan because I can see the colour of the caramel more clear.

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4)Cook on medium high heat. The sugar will start to melt around the sides of the pan. You can start swirling the pan, but never stir. As you swirl the pan, the sugar will melt more evenly.

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5)Now you can see most of the sugar is melted evenly. The colour is much more amber looking. This is what we want.

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Coating Moulds with Caramel

6)Pour this caramel into the moulds immediately. if you delay this step, then the caramel will keep on cooking and may get burnt. Also if the caramel cools, it will harden in the pan. If it happens, you have to reheat it again on low to melt the caramel.

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7)Now with the help of a kitchen towel, gently swirl the mould so the caramel coats the sides of the mould. Make sure you do this step as soon as you pour the caramel into the moulds else the caramel will harden.

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8)Now the caramel is coated on the sides of the mould. This sugar caramel will harden in few seconds.

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Custard for Caramel Custard

9)Take eggs in a jug. I used two eggs.

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10)Add in sugar.

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11)Add in vanilla paste or good quality vanilla extract. This removed the egg aroma from the custard.

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12)Whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla paste using a whisk. Don't need to incorporate air into the mixture.

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13)Place a sieve directly over the egg mixture to strain the orange peel and cardamom pods. Make sure the milk mixture is warm and not boiling hot.

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14)This will make sure the seeds don't get into the custard.

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15)Mix eggs with milk really well.

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16)I strained the custard once more to remove the air bubbles on top.

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17)Custard ready. I like to have the custard in a jug with a spout because it makes filling moulds easier.

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Filling Moulds

18) Pour the custard into the moulds carefully. You can fill to the top but leave a bit of space on top so there is no spillage.

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19)Now the moulds are filled. It is ready to bake. Here is a tip for you regarding the filling. I like to do this step after placing the tray inside the Preheated oven. Because the custard may spill if you fill it on the countertop and then transfer to the oven. So do it directly in the oven.

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Baking in Water Bath or Bain-Marie

20)Creme caramel pudding should be baked in a water bath or bain-marie method. It is nothing but pouring boiling hot water in the tray until the water comes half way of the mould. This methods bakes the custard much more gently so you get creamy texture.

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21)Bake the pudding until the custard is set and the top looks wiggly when touched.

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Removing Moulds from Water Bath

22)Use a pair of tongs to remove the baked pudding gently from the water bath and place it on a plate. Transfer the pudding to fridge and let it rest and set for 6 hours before serving.

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Unmoulding the Pudding from Mould

23)This is how it looks after resting in fridge. I like to keep my pudding in fridge overnight before serving for it to set perfectly.

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24)Dip the mould gently into a bowl of hot water. This will allow the caramel surrounding the mould to melt and un mould easily from mould.

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25)Gently ease the sides of mould you can use your fingers or use a spoon for this step. Take your serving plate, invert it over the pudding and gently flip.

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26)Gently remove the mould, the pudding should drop into the plate by this time. If not, there might be some air lock. You can use a sharp butter knife to ease the sides of the pudding and it should drop easily.

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27)Caramel custard is ready to serve. Serve the pudding with all the caramel in the bowl.

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28)Serve caramel pudding cold.

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Expert Tips

Choosing the Right Ingredients

This recipe uses minimum ingredients. So the quality of the ingredient is important to make the best tasting pudding. Make sure you pick high quality ingredients. Choose best quality vanilla, eggs and full fat milk.

Infusing Milk with Flavors

Some people might feel caramel pudding has eggy taste and smell. It can be avoided by infusing milk with certain flavors like cardamom, orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg along with a dash of vanilla.

Smooth Flowy Caramel

One of the biggest struggle you might face when making caramel custard is making sugar caramel. Here are my pro tips for smooth caramel.

• Use light coloured pan like stainless steel or ceramic coated non-stick.
• Make sure the pan is heavy bottom which regulates heat and cook sugar evenly.
• Start cooking sugar in high heat which allows the sugar to start melting around the sides.
• Swirl the pan evenly for the sugar to melt.
• Never stir the caramel with spoon or whisk. Swirl the pan and don't stir.
• Once the sugar starts to get colour, reduce the flame and cook so you can control the heat which prevents the sugar from burning.
• Pour the caramel into the moulds immediately after it gets the proper colour.

Making Custard without Egg Smell

Infuse milk with different flavors which reduce the egg smell. Tempering eggs with the infused hot milk reduces the egg smell.

Filling Moulds without Spilling

I suggest you to pour the custard into the moulds after placing the tray in the oven to avoid spillage. I have experience in this before. Since we fill the mould with custard right to the rim, spilling happens when you try to move the tray from countertop to the oven.

Bain-Marie Baking (Water Bath)

Bain-marie is also known a water bath or double boiler. It is a french technique in which the custard is baked in a tray filled with hot water. The inner container is immersed about halfway into the hot water and baked. This is a gentle way of baking, typically used for baking cheesecakes and delicate custards.

Caramel Custard Baking Techniques

The baked custard should have a slight jiggle when you shake. I means the custard has set properly. Remove the tray from oven using a pair of tongs and place it in fridge for few hours.

Unmoulding Techniques

Dip the mould gently into a bowl of hot water. This will allow the caramel surrounding the mould to melt and un mould easily from mould. Gently ease the sides of mould you can use your fingers or use a spoon for this step. Take your serving plate, invert it over the pudding and gently flip. Gently remove the mould, the pudding should drop into the plate by this time. If not, there might be some air lock. You can use a sharp butter knife to ease the sides of the pudding and it should drop easily.

Storage & Serving

Creme caramel can be stored right in the mould, covered with plastic wrap upto a week. Un mould when ready to serve. It can be served as it is with the sauce which forms when you de mould. Serve cold for best taste.

FAQ

What is a caramel custard?

Crème caramel, flan,caramel puddingorcaramel custardis acustard dessertwith a layer of clearcaramelsauce. This is one of most popular dessert around the world called with different names.

What is creme caramel Made of?

Crème caramel is a variant of plain custard (crème) wheresugar syrup cooked to caramel stage is poured into the mold before adding the custard base. It is usually cooked in a bain-marie on a stovetop or in the oven in a water bath.

Where does caramel custard come from?

Caramel custard also known as creme caramel is originated from france. But there is a very similar recipe called as tres leches flan in Mexico and an addictive dulce de leche flan originated from Latin america.

What is the difference between flan and crème caramel?

Both crème caramels and flans has custard bases and soft caramel toppings. however, compared to a crème caramel,flan has a little denser custard.

Is cream caramel same as panna cotta?

Creme caramel is baked in a "bain marie" or steamed. Normally it is a cooked custard pudding. However panna cotta is usually set using setting agent like agar agar or gelatin.

What's the difference between caramel pudding and caramel custard?

Both are same. But there are certain recipes which is also known for its name caramel pudding like my caramel bread pudding and caramel rava pudding.

Can I make caramel custard vegan?

Yes you can make vegan caramel custard. I have a recipe for vegan caramel custard made eggless. I have used agar agar powder for making it. It has milk added, you can swap it for almond milk or coconut milk to make it vegan.

How to make eggless caramel custard?

Check my eggless caramel custard.

Can I make caramel custard without oven?

You can make caramel custard without oven. There are recipes available for making steamed caramel custard and caramel custard made in microwave.

More Pudding Recipes to Try

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