No Bake Espresso Creme Brulee

Coffee and dessert lovers will enjoy this incredibly rich and easy-to-make no-bake espresso creme brulee recipe.

There’s just something about the rich, silky taste of creme brulee, which pairs beautifully with the crack of the caramelized sugar on the top, that makes it such a success of a dessert. And what could be better than enjoying that kick of caffeine in this delightful sweet treat?

Got you in already? Scroll down and keep reading to discover more about this easy recipe and all that you need to put into it to get it right.

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Ingredients For the Recipe
Kitchen Tools Needed
How to Make the No-Bake Espresso Creme Brulee
Frequently Asked Questions
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
Recipe
Discussion

Ingredients For the Recipe

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make the no-bake espresso creme brulee.

6 oz chopped white chocolate
3 yolks
2 tablespoon instant espresso powder
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
A pinch of coarse salt
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup raw sugar

No Bake Espresso Creme Brulee served with a golden spoon

Kitchen Tools Needed

How to Make the No-Bake Espresso Creme Brulee

Got all your kitchen tools and ingredients ready? Here’s what you need to do next.

mix sugar, espresso, salt and egg yolks in a bowl and mix together

Whisk the sugar, espresso, salt, and yolks together until the sugar melts.

add milk and cream in another pot and cook

In a pot over medium heat pour the milk and the cream.

When it gets hot add a small amount of the milk mixture to the egg mixture, stir it a little, then add the egg mixture to the milk mixture in its entirety.

Whisk and cook for another 5-6 minutes until you get a thicker mixture.

Remove from heat.

Add in the white chocolate and mix until the chocolate is melted.

pour the mixture to the bowl and freeze it

Pour into your cups and place in the fridge for at least one hour to set before you serve it.

decorate it with some raw sugar and serve chilled

Add the raw sugar to the top and crisp it with a torch before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make This Without Eggs?

You can! Remember that the egg yolks don’t just lend the creme brulee a creamy taste, but also act as a stabilizer and help thicken the mixture. This is why you will need to add an alternative thickener like cornstarch.
The egg yolks also give the creme brulee the characteristic soft yellow color, which can be missing if you’re using cornstarch instead of the yolks. To compensate, you can add a drop of yellow food coloring to the mixture.

Can I Make This in a Vegan Version?

Yes, you can. You can skip the eggs and follow the recipe in the same way using an alternative thickener, and opt for any dairy-free milk of your choice. Almond milk, coconut milk, and oat milk are all excellent choices.
And if you’re skipping the heavy cream, you will need to use dairy-free double cream to get the same richness that you expect this dessert to have.

What Other Variations Can I Try?

This one’s the best part of all- you can give your take on this subtle and creamy dessert. You can skip the espresso powder, add a little cinnamon powder into the mixture and top the dessert with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar to turn it into a yummy snickerdoodle creme brulee.
Prefer something a bit more light and fun? Add some lemon extract into the mixture and top it with some lemon zest and sugar.

How Do I Store the No-Bake Espresso Creme Brulee?

Your creme brulee must always be refrigerated. Make sure you cover the ramekins with cling wrap to help them stay fresh so that no extra moisture or condensation gets into them. They can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you want them to last beyond that, you can freeze them too, and they can last you for up to 6 months.

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

All set to give the recipe a shot? You might benefit from some additional tips and tricks that can really help you get it right in the first shot.

Remember that the egg yolks need to be at room temperature before you start using them for this recipe.
Add the hot cream mixture to the egg yolks very slowly and gradually, and keep whisking the egg mixture continuously to keep them from getting scrambled.
To ensure that your creme brulee has the perfect rich and silky texture, strain it through the sieve to remove any possible clumps. This step can also be helpful in removing any bubbles on the surface that might have come up due to whisking the mixture.
If you’re making this without eggs, you might benefit from swapping the sugar in this recipe with confectioner’s sugar, which is known to have additional starch content which can help the sugar dissolve more readily into the mixture and also help thicken it up a bit.
While the recipe tells you to refrigerate the no-bake espresso creme brulee for an hour before you serve, it is better to go beyond that and give it a minimum of 3 hours of chill time to firm up nicely. Overnight refrigeration is the best, but if you can’t, try to aim for 3 hours at least.
Remember that if you’re planning to blow torch the sugar on the top, you will need to chill the creme brulee for as long as you can, to keep it from getting all melted and soggy due to the heat. If don’t have a lot of time, you can pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to chill it up even more.

A bite of No Bake Espresso Creme Brulee in spoon

Your no-bake espresso creme brulee tastes best when served at room temperature. You can, of course, work on the sugary crust before you serve, but if you don’t want to go through all that effort, you top it with some chopped fresh fruit (berries work great) or some whipped cream, chopped nuts of your choice, or some chocolate shavings to finish it all up.

Enjoyed trying the recipe in your kitchen? Looking to try out some more such easy and interesting recipes? Here are a few you might want to take a peek at.

Decadent Creamy Vanilla Caramel Pudding

Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings