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Home » Recipes » Curds & Custards

Jun 4, 2022(updated Sep 23, 2022)

Black Sesame Creme Brulee

5 from 5 votes

8 Comments

by Becca Du

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
black sesame creme brulee

When I find an ingredient I like, I use it over and over again. Black sesame is my current obsession. I love the subtle flavor it adds to a dish. Last week, I created a bark with matcha and black sesame. I was so inspired by that recipe that I wanted to see if I could add it to one my favorite desserts (my favorite to make and eat) – creme brulee. This black sesame creme brulee is seriously to die for.

black sesame creme brulee

When I first approached this recipe, I thought it would be similar to my Matcha Creme Brulee recipe. I could just add in a tablespoon of the black sesame seeds and I would be done. But nope! It didn’t work out. I failed to understand the difference between black sesame and matcha. Matcha powder dissolves in any hot liquid, but black sesame sort of just floats in liquid. So I needed to rethink my approach.

black sesame creme brulee

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

  • Black sesame seeds – Adds the black sesame flavor and color to the creme brulee. You can also use black sesame powder if you don’t have a spice grinder or food processor.
  • Honey – Combined with the black sesame seeds to add a bit of sweetness and texture to the black sesame paste.
  • Egg yolks – Adds richness to the creme brulee.
  • Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness to the creme brulee.
  • Heavy cream – The heavy cream gives the creme brulee it’s creamy texture.
  • Vanilla extract – Adds flavor to the creme brulee. Substitute with 1 vanilla bean or an equal amount of vanilla paste
black sesame creme brulee

Making black sesame creme brulee

First, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Toast black sesame seeds for 10-20 seconds. Add them to a spice grinder and pulse until it is in a powdered form. Combine the black sesame seed powder with the honey in a small bowl. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside. Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Add the cream and black sesame paste to a small sauce pan over low medium heat. Whisk the paste and the cream until the paste melts into the cream. Be careful not to overheat the cream. Once the cream starts emitting a little smoke, it’s done. Turn off your heat.

Use a whisk to break down your egg yolks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the heated cream to your egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Stir a few times and pour it into the cream. Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps. Ladle the creme brulee mixture into 4 ramekins and place them in a 9×9 baking dish. Pour the hot water into the baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Take the creme brulee out at 30 minutes to check if it’s done. It should jiggle a little bit in the middle similar to how a jello moves. If it jiggles a lot, leave it in for 1-2 more minutes before checking again. Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and at least another 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate up to several days. Add a thin layer of sugar over the top. Shake off any excess. Use a torch to melt the sugar and create a solid layer over the top. You can also put it in broiler to achieve the same result.

black sesame creme brulee

Tempering your egg is the key to the perfect black creme brulee

The most common mistake I see is accidentally cooking the eggs which is what you don’t want. The key is to temper the egg/sugar mixture with some of the warm cream before pouring it into the cream. This technique is used in both creme brulees and ice cream. What this means is you’re raising the temperature of the egg/sugar mixture, so the eggs don’t cook when you pour it into the cream. To temper your eggs, pour a little bit of the cream into the egg mixture and stir until it is well incorporated into the egg mixture. After incorporated, pour it into the cream.

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black sesame creme brulee

Black Sesame Creme Brulee

Becca Du
This is a recipe for a creamy black sesame creme brulee.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 people
Calories 658 kcal

Equipment

  • Ramekins
  • 9 inch Square Cake Pan
  • Kitchen Torch
  • Spice Grinder

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 5 egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups hot water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Toast black sesame seeds for 10-20 seconds. Add them to a spice grinder and pulse until it is in a powdered form. Combine the black sesame seed powder with the honey in a small bowl. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside
  • Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
  • Add the cream and black sesame paste to a small sauce pan over low medium heat. Whisk the paste and the cream until the paste melts into the cream. Be careful not to overheat the cream. Once the cream starts emitting a little smoke, it's done. Turn off your heat.
  • Use a whisk to break down your egg yolks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the heated cream to your egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Stir a few times and pour it into the cream. Add the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
  • Ladle the creme brulee mixture into 4 ramekins and place them in a 9×9 baking dish. Pour the hot water into the baking dish.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes.
  • Take the creme brulee out at 30 minutes to check if it's done. It should jiggle a little bit in the middle similar to how a jello moves. If it jiggles a lot, leave it in for 1-2 more minutes before checking again.
  • Cool for 2 hours at room temperature and at least another 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can refrigerate up to several days.
  • Add a thin layer of sugar over the top. Shake off any excess. Use a torch to melt the sugar and create a solid layer over the top. You can also put it in broiler to achieve the same result.

Nutrition

Serving: 1creme bruleeCalories: 658kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 7gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 407mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 135mgFiber: 1gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 2074IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 1mg
Keyword black sesame creme brulee
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Comments

  1. Brenda says

    March 14, 2019 at 10:01 am

    This sounds lovely. I think you may have a typo though- this recipe doesn’t use matcha powder, right? I was wondering if it would be sweet enough without sugar, because of the incorporated honey… I’ll try it and let you know.

    Reply
    • Becca says

      March 14, 2019 at 1:47 pm

      Hi Brenda! Thank you so much for catching that! No, there is no matcha powder in this recipe. Honey has a very subtle sweetness to it, so I would not recommend eliminating the sugar entirely. You can however reduce the amount of sugar if you’re worried about how much sugar is being used in this recipe.

      Reply
  2. M says

    December 30, 2021 at 7:37 pm

    When do you add the vanilla extract?

    Reply
    • Becca says

      December 30, 2021 at 8:42 pm

      It is added to the cream after you add the egg mixture. I updated the recipe. Thanks for the question.

      Reply
  3. Kira says

    January 23, 2022 at 7:23 pm

    5 stars
    Hello! I would like to make this, but I have storebought black sesame paste. Would adding 1tbsp of that plus 1tbsp of honey work?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Becca says

      January 24, 2022 at 9:59 am

      Hi Kira. I wish I could be of more help, but I haven’t tested this recipe with black sesame paste, so I can’t say for sure. If I had to guess, I would recommend adding the black sesame paste without the honey. The creme brulee already has a lot of sugar in its base, so I don’t think you need any more sugar.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Black Sesame Paste - Cooking Therapy says:
    July 22, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    […] first time I ever made this was for my black sesame creme brulee recipe. It was so mind blowing I couldn’t stop making it. I literally bought a big thing of black […]

    Reply
  2. Homemade Black Sesame Paste - Cooking Therapy says:
    July 23, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    […] first time I ever made this was for my black sesame creme brulee recipe. It was so mind blowing I couldn’t stop making it. I literally bought a big thing of black […]

    Reply

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Hello I'm Becca! I believe any day can be made better with a bowl of noodle soup. Here you will find recipes from my Chinese/Vietnamese heritage and stories from my experience living here in beautiful LA. Grab a drink and stay awhile! Read More

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