Cranberry Crème Brûlée Recipe

cranberry creme brulee with red and white floral cloth and mint

5 from 4 votes

My Cranberry Crème Brûlée recipe with Amaretto is rich, creamy and full of delicious bites of fruit. Beautifully presented, this is an elegant and festive dessert for the holiday season.

*Please note that only 30 minutes of the prep time is active. (4 hours is refrigeration time.)

Cook Time40

Refrigeration Time4

Total Time4 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: fresh fruit desserts, festive holiday desserts

Servings:

Calories: 636kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cups cranberries (if frozen, thaw before using)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract OR 1 (approx. 7-inch) vanilla pod
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup amaretto (almond liqueur)
2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F and adjust a rack to the center.
Prepare the cranberries. Add the cranberries to a small sauce pan. If you're using the vanilla pod, use a paring knife to slice it in half, lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape the vanilla beans, from both halves, into the saucepan with the cranberries. OR add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Then add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the amaretto. Mix to combine. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the cranberries have broken and become soft, and the liquid has thickened. This should take about 15 minutes. Let them cool completely. (If you used a vanilla pod, save it for the next step!)
Make the custard. Meanwhile, add the cream, the emptied vanilla pod (if using), and 6 more tablespoons of the sugar to another small saucepan. Place it over low heat and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then turn off the heat and set aside.
In medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until they're well blended. Remove the vanilla pod (if using) from the cream and then in a slow stream, whisk it into the yolks, just until evenly combined. Now mix the cooled cranberries into this mixture.
Assemble and bake. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 (6-ounce) shallow ramekins and place them on a rimmed sheet pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to go about halfway up the sides of ramekins. Place the pan in the 325°F oven and bake just until they're set in the center when pan is gently shaken, about 40 minutes.
Cool and refrigerate. Remove ramekins from the pan and let them cool to room temperature. Then cover each one with plastic wrap (being careful it doesn't sit directly on the custard), and chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
Brûlée and serve. About 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar evenly among the 4 ramekins. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar, one at a time -- quickly moving the flame around until the sugar is crisp and golden. (If you don't have a torch, you can use the broiler. Place the custards on a baking sheet, and adjust a rack so it's directly under the flame. Broil them just until the sugar is golden, about 1 minute.)
Serve!

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

Nutrition