Silky Salted Maple Pot de Crème + bourbon whipped cream ~ cozy, luxe, and unmistakably Fall.
salted maple pot de creme is for you guys who appreciate the finer points of dessert
The inspiration for this salted maple pot de creme was one I had at a little French restaurant last month on my birthday — I was already plotting to recreate it before it even arrived at the table. After experimenting a bit on my own, the best formula I found was from Tasting Table. They happened to do it with a bourbon whipped cream, too, I guess that’s a natural combo. Anyway, this isn’t your everyday dessert, but for a very special occasion it’s just the thing. I didn’t sweeten the whipped cream at all, which helps a tiny bit to offset the richness of the whole thing.
Pot de crème: a super-silky baked custard (eggs + cream + sugar + vanilla) poured into little cups and set low-and-slow—no torch, no starch, just luxe spoonfuls. Think crème brûlée’s minimalist cousin without the crackly top. Expect all conversation to come to a screeching halt when you bring it to the table…
Salted maple pot de creme is a decadent pudding for grownups, a sensuous dessert perfect for Valentine’s Day, date night, or any time you’re looking for something extra special.
I love maple and I hate to see it disappear after the fall and winter holidays. It can be tricky to cook with, though, because the flavor is so delicate, and maple syrup isn’t a concentrated source of it. The maple in this pot de creme is very much like caramel, but you could emphasize it by using a dark Grade B syrup, which will have a slightly stronger flavor, and maybe even use maple sugar in place of the brown sugar. Lastly, a bit of good maple extract will amp up the flavor. Maple sugar and extract can be hard to find, but King Arthur Flour sells both here and here. If you love maple like I do it’s worth keeping both in stock.
salted maple pot de creme variations
- I used all cream, but you can probably get away with using part whole milk or half and half.
- Use a little bit of maple extract if you want to boost the maple flavor.
- Whipped cream is very versatile and can be flavored in so many ways. If you don’t want to use Bourbon you can use any other liqueur, maple extract, vanilla, nutmeg, or whatever you like.
Maple is such a versatile flavor, and I love to cook with it. My Maple Oat Nut Scones are a Starbucks copy cat recipe that continues to be a family favorite in our house, and I use the maple nut combination again in these Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies.
more maple recipes
- Maple Granola
- Maple Recipes for Maple Season!
- Homemade Maple Marshmallows
- Maple Walnut Butter
- Maple Oat Nut Shortbread
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Salted Maple Pot de Crème with Bourbon Whipped Cream
Equipment
- 4 small serving glasses or jars
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
bourbon whipped cream, optional
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
- 1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
garnish
- sea salt
- freshly grated nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Whisk the yolks, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste, salt, and heavy cream together in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium to medium high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken and just comes to a gentle bubble.
- Pour through a mesh sieve and then fill 3 or 4 small cups, bowls, or ramekins with the hot mixture. Let cool and then refrigerate until fully chilled and firmed up, at least several hours or overnight.
bourbon whipped cream
- Whip the heavy cream, bourbon, and sugar together until soft peaks form.
Notes
- I used all cream, but you can probably get away with using part whole milk or half and half.
- Use a little bit of maple extract if you want to boost the maple flavor.
- Whipped cream is very versatile and can be flavored in so many ways. If you don’t want to use Bourbon you can use any other liqueur, maple extract, vanilla, nutmeg, or whatever you like.
This looks to delicious! Do you think I could make this and have it chilled in the refrigerator, and then do a brulee on top? Or is that too much?
You certainly could do that, I think it would be fun, and sounds delicious! You might try using maple sugar!
Made these for dessert last night after my first Christmas baking day. Fantastic! I put sautéed pears on top along with the bourbon whipped cream. Sometimes you just want a small dessert for a couple of people. I will definitely make them again. Thanks Sue, your recipes are always a hit!
Just wanted to tell you I made these again for a different group of friends and again got great reviews! This is going to be one of my go to desserts from now on.
Thanks Marilyn <3
Love your posts… I’m not a cook and even less of a baker. I’m a foodie tho. Like many, I’ve been entertaining myself on lockdown by trying my hand at “cooking” (I use that term lightly here). I just made your maple pot de creme… without using the mesh strainer, tried and mine was so thick and gloppy not much was making it through… did I cook this too long or too much? I’m guessing my eggs were “scrambling”… The good news, it still tastes good… we’ll see if it sets and how it tastes tonight…. just wanted to see if you could provide a bit of guidance? Thank you
Hi Sam ~ it does sound like your mixture maybe cooked too long? Making custards and puddings takes a little practice to know when to pull it off the stove. Although with thick substances you sometimes have to push it through the sieve with the back of a big spoon, and it should go through, leaving any scrambled bits or lumps behind. With egg yolks only, though, they’re less likely to scramble than with whole eggs. I hope it sets up good enough to enjoy!
I made this for a Thanksgiving 2 years ago as a gluten free dessert option. It has become a favorite and I have had to make it since that time. I love rich puddings and this one is amazing.
I’m so glad, Liz, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the review!
What a fantastic recipe! I had guests asking for seconds and even had 2 request the recipe. Great flavor profile! Thanks!!!
Thank you Cora for coming back to comment, I appreciate it. I love it when people request the recipe, that’s the highest compliment 🙂
I can’t wait to try this dessert… looks amazing!. Can you tell me where you found the jars they are prepared in?
Those are Weck jars, Kim, it’s a German comapny and they make canning jars that can be used for lots of other things, too, like dessert! here’s my Amazon link to them.
LOVE this flavor combination; two of my favorites rolled into dessert!
WOW this must be such a great flavor explosion, I can’t wait to try it. I love bourbon!
You might be interested to know that Grade B is a label of the past!
http://www.thekitchn.com/no-more-grade-b-maple-syrup-vermont-changes-its-maple-syrup-labeling-196648
These look wonderful and a nice change from chocolate.
Oh thanks June, I’m off to read the article!
My husband always gives up sweets for Lent — but I didn’t! Since they’re so little, these wouldn’t be bad for me, right, Sue? Too tempting.