These Crème Brulee Bars are smooth, creamy and delicious – with a biscuit base and a crunchy sugar topping.
Table of Contents
- Crème Brulee Bars Recipe
I had a craving for crème brûlée and wanted to recreate those classic flavours in a sliceable tray bake. The result is these Crème Brulee Bars: a buttery biscuit base topped with a glossy, creamy custard and a caramelised sugar crunch on top.
The base is the familiar crushed-biscuit-and-butter combination pressed into a tin. The filling is a thickened crème pâtissière-style custard made with milk, cream, egg yolks and a little cornflour so it sets firm enough to slice neatly without needing gelatin. A knob of butter folded in at the end gives the custard a silky, glossy finish without any rubbery texture.
The topping is simply fine granulated sugar melted with a blow torch into an even, crisp layer. I find a blow torch gives the most reliable, even caramelisation without overheating the custard beneath; using a grill/broiler often warms the custard too much and makes it harder to get an even crust.
Quick tips: place the bars on a metal tray while torching to protect your work surface, and torch the sugar just before serving. If you torch too far ahead the caramel can soften and run into the custard, losing its crunch. To prepare ahead, chill the assembled bars (without the caramel) and slice them. Keep them covered in the fridge, then sprinkle on the sugar and torch just before serving for the best texture.
Crème Brulee Bars
30
10
40
Ingredients
Base:
- 200 g (7 oz) Digestive biscuits or graham crackers – use gluten free biscuits if required
- 100 g (1/2 cup minus 2 tsp) Unsalted butter melted
Custard:
- 500 ml (2 cups + 4 tsp) whole milk
- 115 ml (1/2 cup minus 1 tsp) double/heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp cornflour
- 5 egg yolks
- 150 g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
- 40 g (1/4 cup minus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter
Topping:
- 5 tbsp fine granulated sugar
Instructions
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Start with the custard mix.
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Add the milk, cream and vanilla extract to a large pan and heat until it just begins to bubble, then remove from the heat.
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In a large bowl whisk the cornflour, egg yolks and caster sugar together. Gradually pour a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Add another splash or two and whisk, then add the rest of the milk and combine. Return the mixture to the clean pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard becomes very thick (about 5–6 minutes). It will thicken quickly near the end. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes, then press clingfilm directly onto the surface of the custard and chill completely to prevent a skin forming.
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Make the biscuit base.
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Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment.
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Place the biscuits in a bowl and crush to fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Stir in the melted butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared tin.
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Pour the cooled custard over the biscuit base and smooth with the back of a spoon. Cover with clingfilm (touching the custard) and chill for 2–3 hours or overnight until set.
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When set, lift the block from the tin using the parchment and place on a board. Slice into 10 bars, wiping the knife between cuts for clean edges.
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Sprinkle about 1/2 tablespoon of fine granulated sugar over each bar and level the sugar with the back of a spoon for an even layer.
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Place the bars on a metal tray and torch the sugar on a medium setting until it browns and bubbles rapidly, forming a crisp caramelised surface.
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Allow the caramel to set for a minute, then serve immediately for the best crunch.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was first published April 2015. Updated December 2025 for housekeeping purposes.
Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you if you do choose to buy — it helps keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. Nutritional data is approximate and may vary depending on ingredients and methods.