Salted Caramel Pot de Crème ~ I bake this luxuriously comforting caramel custard dessert right in my cutest Weck jars, and everybody goes crazy for them
Salted caramel pot de crème is my kind of fancy: elegant without the attitude. We cook the sugar to a deep amber, whisk in cream, egg yolks and vanilla, then bake the custard low and slow until it has that gentle wobble. A pinch of sea salt pulls the caramel into focus. Make them a day ahead and you’ve got dessert that feels luxe without trying too hard.
INGREDIENTS FOR CARAMEL POT DE CRÈME
Just a few simple pantry staples, yay!
- sugar
- as it caramelizes, sugar browns and builds deep, nutty, toasty flavor.
- cream
- the backbone of the custard ~ its main base and richness.
- large egg yolks
- their proteins thicken the custard giving body, richness, and that satiny texture.
- sea salt
- fine sea salt is in the pot de creme and also sprinkled on top. I really like the little edge it gives to the caramel flavor. This is the adult version of butterscotch pudding.
- vanilla
- boosts the toffee/butterscotch notes, and adds warm aroma without extra sweetness.
tips for making salted caramel pot de crème
Once you get this process down you won’t think twice about it. I’ve made this recipe many times and never had a problem.
- caramelize the sugar: you want to cook it until it gets nice and brown, but not burnt. It will take about 10-15 minutes on the stove, but you have to watch it closely, and use your nose, towards the end. The darker the sugar mixture, the more flavor the pot de creme will have, but if it gets too dark, or you start to smell a burnt odor, you’ve taken it too far. You have to have vigilance, and a little bit of trust, to make it work.
- don’t skip the water bath: it’s easy to do and the water bath keeps the heat gentle so the custard sets silky instead of curdled.
- knowing when your pots are done: they only take about 30 minutes to cook. The edges will be set, but the centers will still be jiggly. The pot de creme sets up more as it cools and then chills.
Salted Caramel pot de creme jars (4-6 ounce)
One of the fun aspects of pot de creme is the little ‘pots’ we cook and serve them in. I pour the hot custard into oven-safe jars or ramekins, set them in a casserole dish, and add hot water to come about halfway up the sides (a water bath ensures even, gentle cooking). They’re cute and everybody gets their own little serving.
WECK JARS are favorites of mine, you see them over and over again on my blog. They’re glass jars from Germany, originally developed for canning, but they can be used for so much more. I have trouble keeping a supply in my kitchen because they have a tendency to ‘go missing’.
I used my favorite Weck tulip jelly jars, (you can find them on Amazon here.) But this shape jar also works well.
more creamy desserts!
- Baked Custard
- Butterscotch Pudding Pie
- Cranberry Mousse Pie
- Chocolate Pot de Crème
- Instant Pot Rice Pudding
- Dreamy Nutella Mousse Pie!
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Salted Caramel Pot de Crème
Equipment
- 4-6 individual oven safe jars or ramekins anywhere from 4-7 ounce capacity
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp sea salt plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Arrange your jars or ramekins in a baking dish.
- Whisk the egg yolks gently in a medium bowl until well blended. Set aside.
- In a medium heavy bottomed sauce pan combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Begin heating it and stir to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture reaches a boil, stop stirring and continue boiling on medium heat for anywhere from 10-15 minutes, until the sugar syrup starts to brown. You can swirl the pan but do not stir. The browner the syrup gets, the more flavor you will have in your finished custard, but be extra careful not to let it burn.
- When the syrup is nice and brown, stir in the cream (be careful, it will spurt.) The caramel with be hardened at first and will dissolve as you stir and the cream heats up. Stir until all the bits of caramel are dissolved. This may take a few minutes.
- Slowly drizzle the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, stirring with a silicone spoon as you drizzle. Continue until all the cream has been incorporated into the eggs and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh seive into a container with a pouring spout.
- Pour the mixture into 4-6 small oven safe glasses.
- Set the glasses in a baking dish and pour hot water into the dish to come up about an inch or two.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the custards are set on the edges, but still a little wobbly in the center.
- Carefully remove the jars from the water and let cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate until chilled.
- Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Nutrition
POT DE CRÈME, CUSTARD, PUDDING, CRÈME BRÛLÉE, PANNA COTTA
These are all types of custard desserts, with subtle differences…
- pot de crème translates from French to ‘pot of cream’, a simple custard dessert made with eggs, milk, sugar, and flavoring. Custards are usually baked in a water bath, in the oven.
- pudding is looser than custard, is cooked on the stove. Pudding uses a starch such as cornstarch for thickening. Pudding can be make with or without eggs, but custard relies on eggs as its thickener.
- crème brûlée is a custard that has sugar sprinkled on the surface that is then torched to caramelize it.
- panna cotta is a light custard that includes gelatin.
Hi, I may be overlooking it, but what size jars are you using for this dessert? This looks amazing and I’m very excited to try it out!
Hey Veronica, I link to the exact jars I use, right above the recipe, they’re Weck tulip jars. They hold 3/4 cup liquid. Let me know if you still have trouble and I can email you the link.
I had this dessert on a cruise and when I got home I found this recipe. This is better than what I had on the cruise! I added a few pieces of homemade Carmel corn on top for crunch and it was amaxing!! Love it, thanks for sharing.
I can always count on my readers for amazing innovations…caramel corn topping on this pot de creme is awesome!
Hi
I need 12 of these, may I double the recipe?
Or is it best to make twice? Thanks, I’ve made these before and they are delicious!
You can probably double the recipe without a problem!
Made it today – came out perfect! Thank you so much for all the tips and detailing – they really helped!
That’s so nice to hear Varda, I’m glad my tips are helpful 🙂
Like wow……….this is just devine!!!! Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
And I only had 1 1/4 cream & it still came out delicious.
I’m glad you liked it Laura 🙂
Hi there, how far in advance can i make these?
You can make these up to a couple of days ahead, Mel.
These look delicious. Can you please tell me what the fat content of heavy cream is, so I can pick the correct Australian cream to use?
Thanks
It’s 30-36% Caroline. It’s a thick liquid, without any added sweeteners…hope that helps!
Thankyou. Perfect.
Hi. Just want to know if this dessert can complement with a fruit?
Hi Aly ~ I think maybe raspberries would be nice with it, or even pears or apples.
I must say that I cant really imagine how something like this would taste, although it looks quite tasty. I guess I just need to make it my self. Thanks for the idea. Wish me luck 🙂
it’s like creme brulee without the brulee.
I made these for my friends at a dinner party recently and can say that i have never seen these ladies so quiet. The words “oh my God”, “yum” and “did you make any more?” featured heavily in conversation following that! Thanks for this, you made 5 ladies very happy and me…very popular!
I love that Sarah — that’s exactly the response I aimed for!