One of my favorite desserts of all time is creme brulee. That smooth cream coupled with that hard sugar coating on top is the perfect balance of textures and flavors. I wanted to combine one of my favorite desserts and one of my favorite ingredients in this matcha creme brulee recipe. The result is possibly one of my best creations! It is creamy, not too sweet, and just pure perfection!
My Matcha Obsession
Matcha has been a big obsession for me. I got a big bag of matcha powder from Chinatown, and my friend was like “You drink that much tea?” I said, “What you talkin’ about? I’m going to bake with it!” While I’m sure matcha tea is great, I just love thinking up matcha desserts. Some of my favorite matcha desserts I’ve made in the past couple years are my matcha mochi donuts, matcha tiramisu, and matcha brownies. Matcha has a bitterness that balances out the sugar in desserts really well.
Unclumping the Matcha Powder
This matcha creme brulee recipe was a true labor of love. It took me 3 iterations to complete. The main problem I had was the matcha kept clumping up in the mixture, so the resulting creme brulee had small clumps of matcha. It was super gross. I finally figured out the trick to a smooth creme brulee mixture. You have to sift the matcha powder into the cream while it’s heating up, and then whisk like your life depends on it. You want the matcha powder to dissolve into the cream.
Tempering your eggs is the key to the perfect matcha 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. 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.
This matcha creme brulee recipe is perhaps one of my favorite recipe creations. If you would like to see my other creme brulee creations, check out my black sesame creme brulee and Thai tea creme brulee recipes!
Did you make this Matcha Creme Brulee?
If you made this matcha favorite of mine, I would love to see!
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Matcha Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 5 egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Add the cream to a small sauce pan over low medium heat. Gradually sift the matcha powder into the cream and whisk like your life depends on it. After whisking in the matcha, add your vanilla extract. Be careful not to overheat the cream. Once the cream starts emitting a little smoke, it's done. Turn off your heat.
- Use another whisk to break down your egg yolks. Pour in the sugar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add a little bit of the heated cream to your egg and sugar mixture to temper it. Stir a few times and pour 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 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.
Really easy to make and the flavor is amazing!
Thank you so much Sandra!!!
I used this to makeMango Hojicha Creme Brulee! I learned that you should only torch right before serving or the sugar crisp will go soggy.
The depth of flavour really came through with fruitiness from the mango and roastiness from the Hojicha. The consistency was thick and creamy. The sugar crisp, when eaten fresh, was a great texture contrast – sweet and caramelized.
The key is to slowly temper the egg yolks, or you’ll end up cooking them before baking – a scrambly mess. I was nervous about the idea, but it was super straightforward.
Thank you so much for making them and for the mango hojicha twist! I have to try that flavor combination for myself. And yes tempering the eggs is sooo important. I’ve cooked my eggs more than a few times. So glad you got the hang of it!