Description
This Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée is a luscious twist on the classic French dessert, incorporating smooth roasted sweet potato for a naturally sweet, creamy, and spiced custard. It is baked gently in a water bath for perfect texture and finished with a crisp caramelized sugar crust for that signature brûlée crackle.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato (roasted or canned)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Topping
- Granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the custard in a water bath.
- Heat Cream and Prepare Custard Mixture: In a saucepan, gently heat the heavy cream until it is just steaming but not boiling. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet potato, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine Cream and Egg Mixture: Slowly pour the warm cream into the sweet potato custard mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling and ensure a smooth consistency.
- Strain and Divide: Strain the combined custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Divide the strained mixture evenly into ramekins placed inside a baking dish.
- Add Water Bath and Bake: Pour hot water into the baking dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Chill: Remove the ramekins from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the custard to fully set and chill.
- Caramelize Sugar Topping: Before serving, generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of each custard. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it forms a golden, crackly crust. Let the sugar harden for a minute before serving.
Notes
- Use roasted sweet potatoes for a deeper flavor, or canned mashed sweet potatoes for convenience.
- Be sure not to boil the cream to prevent curdling the custard.
- Straining the mixture ensures a silky smooth texture.
- The water bath (bain-marie) is essential for even, gentle cooking of the custard.
- Chilling the custard overnight will improve texture and flavor development.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can place the ramekins under a broiler to caramelize the sugar carefully.
