Crème brûlee is an enduring restaurant classic and a recipe that needs very little modification. It is, however, a bit tiresome to make at home, mostly due to a two-step, stove-then-oven cooking process and a sloshing water bath. But Chris Kimball recently figured out a way to make the dessert without the water bath (or bain-marie if you’re fancy). All you need is a damp towel and a cold oven.

What is cold-oven cooking?

“Back in the 1920s, there were recipes called cold-oven pound cakes,” explained Chris. “You put the cake in the oven when it was off, [then] turn it on.” The cakes would gently cook with the rising temperature oven, resulting in a better, more tender crumb.

The same approach can be applied to our delicate crèmes. By slipping the filled ramekins into a cold oven and —only then! — setting the temp to a cool 275℉, the custards slowly warm and set over the course of an hour, without any cracking or overcooked edges.

What’s with the damp towel?

The purpose of a water bath is to create a humid environment — a sort of culinary sauna, if you will. The extra moisture in the oven helps the custards cook evenly, staving off cracking and curdling while helping the edges and center cook at a similar rate.

But a cold oven doesn’t require as much moisture as a hot one. A damp towel set under the ramekins insulates the bottoms of the custards from the sheet pan while providing just enough humidity to keep things silky-smooth. Bonus: There’s absolutely no risk of sloshing water into your beautiful custards.

Half & half or heavy cream?

This notoriously rich dessert traditionally is made with heavy cream, but Chris used a lighter approach with a 50/50 mixture of heavy cream and half & half. This isn’t done in an attempt to reduce the calorie count; it’s a matter of taste. Fat dulls flavor. Decreasing the fat content slightly lets delicate notes of vanilla shine a little more brightly.

And don’t worry, it’s still plenty rich.

Vanilla extract, whole beans or powder?

There are several ways you can infuse a dessert with vanilla flavor. Whole beans feel like the most chef-y route, but you have to simmer them on the stovetop to extract the flavor. Vanilla powder and vanilla extract deliver pure vanilla flavor without any extra steps. If you love the look of a custard flecked with seeds, go for the powder — you get the flecks and flavor without the simmering.

To strain or not to strain?

Straining the custard batter before cooking ensures the smoothest texture possible. “I don’t strain it because I’m lazy,” said Chris. “But here at Milk Street, we strain it in case there are any little pieces of egg, which there are...”

Don’t want bits of scrambled egg in your dessert? Strain every time.

When is crème brûlée done cooking?

Crème brûlee is easy to overcook. Unlike some other custardy desserts, you don’t want it to come out of the oven fully set. “It should jiggle a little bit in the center,” explained Chris.

Want extra assurance? Use a digital thermometer — they aren’t just for steaks — aiming for a temperature of 180℉ in the center

Plain table sugar makes the best brûlee

The kitchen team tested multiple types of sugar, from powdered to Turbinado, and found that best sugar for the job was the most common. Plain old table sugar, with its small crystal size, melted evenly and caramelized well, forming a thin, shatteringly crisp layer on top of the custard.

How much sugar should you use? That’s kind of up to you. If you’re using a standard 6-ounce ramekin, a tablespoon of sugar will give you a thick, glassy surface. Want a thinner, more crackly layer? You can use as little as a heaping teaspoon, just be sure to distribute the sugar evenly on top of the custard.

How to brûlée the top

Using a kitchen torch or plumber’s torch (which is what Chris favors), melt the sugar using gentle sweeping motions, never staying in one spot for too long. “Keep it kind of far way to start,” said Chris. “I’ve done this many times and I’ve actually lit the sugar on fire by getting in too close.”

Once the sugar is melted, continue to torch until it caramelizes and turns a deep golden brown.

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Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.