A luxurious vanilla crème brûlée with silky egg-free custard, crisp caramel top, and elegant golden eggshell presentation. 

The UltraGel 5 Set Custard Base 

The creation of this dreamy crème brûlée begins with our Set Custard recipe. Using UltraGel 5 to deliver light, smooth mouthfeel and soft set, we’ve removed the need for egg yolks.  

Not only does this make the recipe more inclusive for those with egg allergies, but it also allows the supporting ingredients to shine more clearly. Without the heavier, more dominating richness eggs can sometimes introduce, the flavour of high-quality dairy and premium vanilla becomes cleaner, lighter, and far more expressive, placed at the forefront of the dish. 

Why use Quality Vanilla? 

With vanilla as the defining flavour of a classic crème brûlée, ingredient quality becomes incredibly important. For this recipe, we’ve chosen Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla for its rich, creamy profile and delicate notes of cocoa, raisin, and caramelised sugar. 

By slicing and infusing the whole vanilla pod into the dairy, we maximise both flavour and aroma throughout the custard. While the inner vanilla seeds, often referred to as “vanilla caviar”, provide the most intense concentration of flavour, the pod itself also contains rich aromatic oils that gently steep into the cream and milk throughout the cooking process. Once dispersed through the custard, the tiny black seeds create the beautiful speckling that signals a truly premium vanilla crème brûlée with every spoonful. 

Burnt Sugar Topping 

A Crème Brûlée is defined just as much by its crisp caramelised top as it is by the custard beneath it. Breaking through the thin, glass-like shell to reveal the silky custard below is part of the dessert experience and achieving that without overheating the dessert is key to a great finish. That is why we use Brulee Sugar rather than standard granulated sugar. Its pre-caramelised structure melts quickly and evenly, creating a consistent golden crust with satisfying crunch while minimising heat exposure to the delicate custard underneath. 

Creative Crème Brûlée Presentation 

One of the unique advantages of UltraGel 5 is its ability to set through cooling rather than oven baking, giving chefs the freedom to explore presentation styles that traditional baked Crème Brûlée recipes simply can’t accommodate. Fragile or decorative service vessels become practical possibilities, allowing desserts to feel lighter, more refined, and visually distinctive. 

For this recipe, we’ve paired the silky vanilla Crème Brûlée with one of our Golden Egg Shells - real egg shells that have been carefully topped, cleaned, and sterilised for culinary use. The delicate shell, finished with a crisp brûléed top, elevates the dessert visually into a true centre piece, while reinforcing the refined, premium nature of the dish. 


Crème Brûlée Recipe 

Makes: Approx 22-24 servings 

Ingredients 

Method 

In a pan, combine the cream, milk, vanilla and half of the sugar and heat, keeping it above 85°C. 

In a separate bowl, mix the UltraGel 5 and the remaining half of the sugar together. 

Disperse the powder mix in the pan of hot milk/cream mixture, whisking well for 1 to 2 minutes, until the powder is completely dissolved. 

Remove the mixture from the heat and take out the vanilla pod before allowing to cool to 60-65° C.   

Once cool, pour the mixture evenly into the eggshells. 

Let it cool further and stand undisturbed for at least 10 to 12 hours in the fridge. 

When required, sprinkle with an even coat of Brulee sugar. 

Blowtorch or place under a salamander until caramelised. 

Notes 

To achieve the correct texture and setting properties, Ultragel 5 must be heated above 85°C and boiled for 1-2 minutes to fully activate its setting properties.  

Ultragel is first mixed with sugar before being whisked into the hot dairy mixture, as this helps the powder disperse evenly and prevents lumps from forming.

While whole vanilla pods will always deliver the most rounded and authentic flavour, and we always recommend these where possible, alternative vanilla formats can still be used depending on application, production requirements, and price point. Vanilla extract can be used as a faster and more economical option, although the flavour profile will be lighter.  

We used our Golden Eggs Shells for presentation, portioning with approximately 45g of mixture per egg.

Sieve the Brulee Sugar onto the dessert top for a perfectly even coating. 

The Brulee Sugar amount is variable depending on the desired thickness and circumference of the Brûlée surface.

The whole Madagascan Bourbon Vanilla Pod can be replaced with alternative flavourings such as Christmas spices, as shown in our Christmas Crème Brûlée recipe, or Flavour Drops for creative variability.