Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
Get ready friends, you’re in for a treat. These Crème Brûlée Cupcakes take all the flavors of the classic French dessert and turn them into delicious cupcakes. Moist vanilla cupcakes are filled with silky vanilla pastry cream, then topped with more pastry cream and finished with a crisp brûléed sugar topping. With their creamy custard center and caramelized sugar crunch, these cupcakes offer the perfect balance of texture and flavor, making them an indulgent dessert for any occasion.
Best Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
What makes these cupcakes so special is the contrast of textures—the soft vanilla cake, the rich and creamy custard, and the crisp, crackling brûlée topping. The pastry cream is infused with real vanilla for a deep, aromatic flavor, and the cupcakes are light yet sturdy enough to hold the luscious filling. Whether you’re serving them for a special event or just treating yourself, these cupcakes are guaranteed to impress!
Full instructions, total time, and ingredient amounts can be found at the bottom of this post!
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Vanilla Pastry Cream
To make the pastry cream, heat the milk and vanilla bean seeds (or a whole vanilla pod) in a saucepan over medium heat until it’s just about to simmer. If using vanilla extract, wait to add it until after cooking.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is pale and thick. Slowly pour about ¼ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly—this process, called tempering, prevents the eggs from scrambling.
Gradually add the rest of the hot milk while whisking.
Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any bits of egg or vanilla pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until the custard thickens to a pudding-like consistency. If the mixture looks lumpy at first, keep stirring—it will smooth out as it cooks.
Once thickened, remove from heat, stir in the butter, and add vanilla extract if you didn’t use a vanilla bean. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Vanilla Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 14 cupcake tins with liners. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 30 seconds, then add the sugar and oil. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk, mixing on low speed. Repeat, alternating the dry and wet ingredients, finishing with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined—be careful not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for about 18 minutes, checking at the 15-minute mark. The cupcakes are done when they spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely before filling and assembling.
Assembling the Cupcakes
Once the cupcakes are cooled, use a spoon to gently remove the center of each cupcake. Fill a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip with the chilled pastry cream and pipe it into the hollowed-out centers. Then, pipe a mound of pastry cream on top of each cupcake, smoothing it with a spatula or spoon.
Brûlée Topping
This brûlée topping is simpler than it looks but makes all the difference. Just before serving, sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of granulated sugar evenly over the pastry cream, or if the cream is firm enough, dip the cupcake tops into a shallow dish of sugar for an even coat.
Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar in small circles until it melts into a deep golden crust—be careful not to burn it. Let the sugar harden for 1–2 minutes before serving for that signature crackle.
No kitchen torch? Use your oven’s broil function on high, ensuring it’s fully preheated before placing the cupcakes inside. Watch closely to prevent the pastry cream from melting too much.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage & Freezing
These cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, the brûlée topping will lose its crunch over time, so it’s best to brûlée them just before serving. If making in advance, store the assembled cupcakes without brûléeing the sugar and add the finishing touch right before serving.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Best Vanilla Flavor: Using a real vanilla bean enhances the flavor of the pastry cream, but vanilla extract works well too.
- Tempering the Eggs: Slowly adding hot milk to the egg yolks prevents them from scrambling, ensuring a smooth pastry cream.
- Chilling the Pastry Cream: Letting it chill for at least 2 hours allows it to fully thicken and develop flavor.
- Brûlée Just Before Serving: The caramelized sugar will soften over time, so torch the sugar right before serving for the best crunch.
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: This ensures even mixing and a smooth batter.
- Chill the Pastry Cream Well: It thickens as it cools, making it easier to pipe into the cupcakes.
- Work in Small Batches for Brûléeing: The sugar melts quickly, so brûlée only a few cupcakes at a time to control the caramelization.
- Make Ahead Tip: The cupcakes and pastry cream can be made a day in advance and stored separately before assembling.
- No Torch? If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can brûlée the sugar under an oven broiler, but keep a close eye on it as it melts quickly.
Variations on Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
- Chocolate Crème Brûlée Cupcakes: Use chocolate cupcakes instead of vanilla for a rich twist.
- Coffee Crème Brûlée Cupcakes: Add espresso powder to the pastry cream for a bold coffee-infused flavor.
- Berry Crème Brûlée Cupcakes: Place fresh berries in the cupcake centers before adding the pastry cream for a fruity surprise.
- Salted Caramel Crème Brûlée Cupcakes: Drizzle a small amount of salted caramel sauce on top before brûléeing for extra decadence.
If You Love Crème Brûlée, Try These Recipes Next!
- Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
- Banana Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
- Crème Brûlée Cake
- Crème Brûlée Macarons
- Crème Brûlée Pie
- Pumpkin Crème Brûlée
These Crème Brûlée Cupcakes bring the best of both worlds—a soft, fluffy cupcake with a luscious pastry cream filling and a crisp, caramelized sugar topping. If you try this recipe, share your photos with me on Instagram—I’d love to see your creations!
Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 1¾ cups whole milk 415ml
- 1 vanilla bean split and seeded or 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter 28g
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 191g
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature 56g
- ¼ cup vegetable oil 60ml
- 1 cup maple syrup you can use granulated sugar 200g
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk at room temperature 120ml
Brûlée Topping
- ¼ to ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Split the vanilla beans in half and remove the seeds. Place the vanilla bean seeds and milk in a saucepan over medium heat along with the vanilla bean pods and bring to almost a simmer. If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean seeds, you should add it later once the custard is done cooking, so for now, just heat up the milk by itself on the stove.
- Once you see the first bubbles emerging on the milk, turn the heat off.
- Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl for a couple of minutes, until pale in color.
- Pour about 1/4 cup of hot vanilla milk over the yolks while whisking. Do this slowly so you don’t cook the eggs. This process is called tempering the eggs, and you are supposed to add the milk slowly in order to not cook the eggs.
- Add another little bit and whisk. Do this until the milk has all been incorporated.
- Pour the custard back into the pan that you used to heat up the milk, through a strainer to contain any bits of egg that might have cooked, and to retain the vanilla bean pods.
- Place the pan over medium heat, and begin to cook the custard stirring non-stop.
- Cook the custard for a few minutes until it becomes thick.
- When the custard starts thickening up, the mixture will look scrambled or lumpy. Just continue to stir and cook, it will come together and become smooth.
- When the custard is thick like pudding, remove from the heat.
- Place the custard in a bowl. If you didn’t add vanilla bean seeds, now it’s the time to add the vanilla extract to it. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter and stir to combine.
- Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard so it won’t form a skin as it cools down.
- Let it cool down, and then place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- You can make the pastry cream a day ahead.
Vanilla Cupcakes
- To make the Vanilla Cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350ºF and line 14 cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and oil, then beat on medium speed for about 2 minute, until creamy and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg until combined before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix.
- Add one third of the dry ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Add half of the milk, mix to combine.
- Add another third of the dry ingredients and mix.
- Follow by the remaining milk.
- Lastly, add the last third of the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula, or stir on low speed until incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way.
- Bake for about 18 minutes. Start checking the cupcakes at the 15-minute mark, and keep baking and checking as necessary. To see if the cupcakes are ready, gently press with your finger on top of the cupcakes, and if they spring right back, that means they are done baking. Let the cupcakes cool before filling and frosting.
Assembly & Brûlée
- To assemble the cupcakes, use a spoon to remove the center of each cupcake. Place the Custard in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe the pudding into the center of each cupcake, and then pipe a mound of pudding on top of each cupcake. Use a small spatula or spoon to make it smooth and round.
- Only brûlée the top of the cupcakes right before serving, or the caramelized sugar will lose its crackling and crunchy texture as it sits. It will still be delicious, just not crunchy. Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the granulated sugar on top of the pudding, making sure to coat all over in a thin and even layer. Alternatively, you can dip the cupcake top on the plate with sugar, depending on the consistency of the pudding, and how long it’s been sitting out of the fridge. You can always place the cupcakes in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to be able to dip the top of the cupcakes in the sugar bowl.
- Use a blowtorch to gently brûlée the sugar.
- Serve and enjoy!
