Keto Crème Brûlée

Why This Is Strictly Keto

Crème brûlée is naturally almost carb-free — it is nothing but cream, egg yolks and vanilla. Egg yolks set the custard on their own, so there is no flour, cornstarch or gelatin, and a small amount of granular sweetener replaces the cane sugar in the custard and on the crackly top.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups (600 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
• ⅓ cup (65 g) granular erythritol or allulose, divided
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• Fresh raspberries and mint, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Arrange six 6-ounce ramekins in a deep baking pan and put a kettle of water on to boil.

2. Warm the cream: Heat the cream, vanilla bean seeds and pod in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edge — do not let it boil. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes, then discard the pod.

3. Make the custard: Whisk the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sweetener and the salt until smooth. Slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking constantly so the yolks do not scramble.

4. Fill the ramekins: Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher, skim off any foam, and divide evenly among the ramekins.

5. Bake in a water bath: Pour hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 35–40 minutes, until the custards are set at the edges but still jiggle slightly in the center.

6. Chill: Lift the ramekins out of the water and cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 2 days.

7. Caramelize: Just before serving, sprinkle each custard with about 1 teaspoon of the remaining sweetener and melt it with a kitchen torch until golden and bubbling. Let the tops harden for 1–2 minutes and serve with raspberries.

Nutritional Info (per serving, approximate)

Tips

• Allulose browns and caramelizes far better than erythritol under a torch; erythritol melts but tends to stay pale.
• A water bath is essential — it keeps the custard gentle and prevents cracking or a rubbery texture.
• Torch the tops only right before serving, or the crisp layer will soften into the custard.