Caramel Custard Recipe

Last Updated On: Mar 29, 2026 by Sharmilee J

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Caramel Custard is a popular French dessert which has a silky smooth texture. It is popularly known as Creme Caramel or Caramel Pudding. Made with just 4 ingredients that is easily available in your pantry, this dessert tastes delicious. It is made by gently baking a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla until it sets into a soft, pudding like consistency. Recipe included with step by step pictures and video.

This Caramel Custard recipe is a no fail version as I have tried so many trials before achieving this perfect recipe. This is one my family favourites especially with kids. The ingredients are easy to fetch from your pantry with no mess, it comes out perfect every time. Do try this and enjoy!

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About Caramel Custard
Caramel Custard Ingredients
How to make Caramel Custard Step by Step
Expert Tips
Serving and Storage
FAQS
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About Caramel Custard

Caramel Custard is a popular dessert and one of the easiest to make at home. Caramel Custard is made by gently baking a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla using water bath or bain marie then setting in fridge to a soft, pudding like consistency. If you think caramel custard is tricky or hard then this recipe is just for you.

What makes this pudding special is the golden brown special caramel on top. Also the caramel taste hides the egg flavour giving it a nice outer coating. I loved the way the caramel drops when inverted. Caramel Custard Pudding is a rich and delicious dessert easy to whip up too.

First caramel is prepared by heating sugar in a dry pan. Some use water along with sugar to make caramel but I prefer this way of using only sugar. Once the caramel is made it is poured and set moulds. Then custard is prepared using egg, milk and sugar which is poured over the set caramel and baked.

Once baked it is set in fridge at least for 6 hours minimum. At the time of serving run a knife around the edges of the pudding to loosen a bit then invert the ramekins on the serving plate. A delicious caramel coated caramel custard pudding is ready.

Bain Marie Method

Bain Marie or water bath is a gentle, indirect cooking method using simmering water to heat food evenly without burning. It involves placing food in a container inside a larger pan of water, either on the stovetop or in the oven. So this caramel custard is baked using this method for a silky smooth pudding.

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Caramel Custard Ingredients

Milk - Use full cream milk for best results. You can use farm fresh milk or packed milk.
Eggs - Use eggs at room temperature. You can use white or brown eggs.
Sugar - Use granulated white sugar. I have used regular white sugar but you can choose to use castor sugar too.
Vanilla extract - Use good quality vanilla extract for best flavour.

How to make Caramel Custard Step by Step

Preparing milk and sugar

First to a sauce pan add 1 cup full cream milk along with ¼ cup sugar. Switch on the flame.

2.Whisk it well until sugar dissolves completely.

3.When it starts to boil switch off and set aside to cool down.

Preparing Caramel

4. To another sauce pan add ⅓ cup sugar, sprinkle it so that it is spread evenly on the pan. Cook in medium flame. When it starts to melt at the sides start swirling.

5. Lift the pan and swirl it then again keep in flame, let it melt then again swirl.

6. As you swirl sugar will melt evenly. Repeat to finish until sugar is melted and turns golden brown. Do not stir using a ladle just swirl.

7.It is melted completely.

8.This colour is perfect. Do not heat more else it will taste bitter.

Filling moulds with caramel

9.Immediately pour the caramel into moulds or ramekins. I divided them into 4 moulds. Each mould capacity is about 125 ml.

10.Swirl the moulds using a kitchen towel so that caramel coats the sides. Do this quickly else caramel will start setting. The moulds will be super hot so handle them carefully.

11.Repeat to finish. The caramel will harden in just few minutes. I placed the moulds inside a cake tin. The tin should be slightly deep.

Preparing Custard

12.Crack open 2 eggs, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to it.

13.Beat it well using a whisk. Do it gently.

14. Now the milk is warm now add it little by little and whisk it gently.

15.Now the egg milk custard is ready.

16.Pour this to a strainer and strain it. Discard the remains.

Filling moulds with custard

17.Transfer the custard to the moulds leaving ½ inch gap at the top.

18.First push the moulds to the side then add hot water to the tin. Make sure the hot water is halfway of the mould. Now slowly push the moulds to the center.

Baking in water bath or Bain Marie

19.Bake in preheated oven at 180 DEG C for 30 minutes. I did not cover the top of the moulds, if you see browning on top quickly cover loosely with aluminium foil.

20.Baked completely. Now cool down a bit and refrigerate for minimum 6-8 hours. While taking out from the oven it may be slightly jiggly in the middle once set in fridge it will be set perfectly.

Demoulding

21.Now run a knife along the sides of the mould.

22.Dip it in hot water for the caramel to release.

23.Keep a plate on the mould and invert.

24.Shake a bit for easy demolding. You can hear a sound when it gets demoulded.

25.Remove the mould.

Serve chilled!

Expert Tips

Making caramel - Heat sugar in medium flame. Do not stir, just swirl the pan. Do not let the caramel get more dark once it reaches deep amber colour switch off. Use steel or light coloured pan to see the exact color.
Coating the moulds - Pour the caramel into moulds immediately. Also swirl the moulds to coat the sides of the moulds.
Custard - Make sure the milk is only warm when you add it to egg. Also do not whisk rigorously. Make sure to strain and then pour into moulds.
Water Bath - I usually add hot water to the tin while keeping it inside the oven. But to show clearly for video I did it on the table but it was a task to transfer to the oven as the tin was very hot and also we need to take care of custard not being spilled. So add hot water keeping it ovenitself.
Baking - I usually bake it without covering. But if your top starts to brown then use a aluminium foil loosely to cover the top to avoid browning. Check at 25 minutes then bake accordingly.
Steaming - Add water to the pan, place a steel stand then keep the moulds. Cover them and steam for 30-35 minutes.
Chilling - Refrigerating for 6 hours is must. I usually keep it overnight to serve it for next days dessert.
Demoulding - Gently run a knife at the sides then dip it in hot water to demould easily.

Serving and Storage

Caramel Custard tastes best when chilled. Keep it refrigerated until serving time with cling wrapped. Keeps well in fridge for 2 days. Demould only when you are ready to serve.

FAQS

1. Why didn't my custard set properly?

If there is too much milk and less eggs then it will not set. Also if it is not cooked well then it may not set.

2.I don't have moulds or ramekins, what can I use?

Use any oven safe deep bowl, you can even use a 6 inch cake tin for this. I set it in individual moulds for easy serving.

3.What is the difference between flan and caramel custard?

Flan has more rich ingredients like heavy cream, condensed milk and also is denser than caramel custard. While caramel custard uses every day ingredients that is easily available.

4.My caramel pudding tastes bitter, why?

If you overcook caramel then the pudding may taste bitter. Just cook till deep amber color and not more than that.

5.Can I make caramel custard without an oven?

Yes! You can steam it on the stovetop. Use low heat , cover the mould with foil and steam for 30-35 minutes until the pudding is cooked.

6.How do I know if the pudding is cooked properly?

The center should be slightly jiggly which shows the pudding is cooked perfectly. After setting in fridge even the center will be set.

If you have any more questions about this Caramel Pudding Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter .

Tried this Caramel Pudding Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.

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