Transform Ice Cream Into Crème Brûlée With Ingredients You Already Have

Who doesn't love whipping up an indulgent dessert every now and then? While you might feel comfortable making an easy chocolate mousse or a delicious vanilla soufflé, certain recipes might seem too fancy to try in your home kitchen. Crème brûlée, a famous French custard, is made with a handful of basic ingredients, such as heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla, yet it has a reputation as a finicky dessert. 

Traditional crème brûlée involves tempering eggs by cooking the custard carefully on the stove, baking it in a water bath, and then creating a crisp topping of caramelized sugar using a blowtorch. While you might lack the confidence (and tools) necessary to make the classic version of this dessert, as long as you have some vanilla ice cream in your freezer, a simplified, alternative recipe is just a few steps away.

A viral social media recipe shows how you can make easy and delicious crème brûlée with just melted ice cream, egg yolks, and sugar. Not only does this convenient version require fewer ingredients, but you don't even need to use a torch to make the crunchy topping. As long as you have a working oven and stove, and a few additional baking essentials, you can make a tasty and simple crème brûlée in no time.

TikTok is buzzing about yet another unconventional recipe, thanks to social media user Antony Khoury (@iamnotachef). The chef went viral in 2022 after his foolproof crème brûlée recipe garnered over 23 million views. In the trend-worthy upload, Khoury grabs a container of Breyer's vanilla ice cream, doles out a few scoops, and melts the ice cream in the microwave.

@iamnotachef

Reply to @arianaaa_p 3 ingredient Crème Brûlée #dessert #cremebrulee

♬ 水に流して – Édith Piaf

After mixing in the rest of the ingredients, Khoury bakes the custards in a bain-marie or water bath, which is essential for achieving a smooth and creamy custard. For the signature brûléed top, he recommends combining a small amount of water and sugar over low heat and cooking the mixture until caramelized, then pouring it over the custards to set into a hard shell. This can be a lifesaver if you don't own a blowtorch.

While this recipe is quite simple, keep in mind that most traditional crème brûlée recipes call for roughly 4 egg yolks for every 1½ cups of heavy cream (in this case, ice cream takes the place of heavy cream). The wild card factor here is that many vanilla ice creams already include egg yolks, while others include none. Depending on how much ice cream you use, the size of your eggs, and the ingredients in the ice cream, you may need to adjust this ratio.

Once you perfect this simplistic crème brûlée recipe, you may be curious to try ice cream flavors besides vanilla. With just a few extra ingredients, you can transform chocolate, strawberry, and other ice creams into an elegant custard. Try to buy ice cream brands that use minimal ingredients, and avoid flavors with add-ins like candy, cookies, or nuts. You can even amplify your chosen flavor by coordinating it with complementary toppings. For example, try adding fresh strawberries on top of crème brûlée made with strawberry ice cream, or use chocolate shavings and shredded coconut to dress up a chocolate version of this treat.

Now that you know that melted vanilla ice cream can make for surprisingly ingenious desserts, you might want to try making Ina Garten's delicious ice cream-based sauce. Next time you have an overload of ice cream in your freezer, use the simple sauce to top your favorite pound cake or fruit pie. It's like a dessert a la mode, but with a luxurious flowing texture on top, in contrast to a cool, solid scoop of ice cream.