Salted Caramel Pots de Crème

Published March 6, 2016. Updated December 2, 2018

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Salted Caramel Pots de Creme are total dessert bliss! They’re lusciously creamy, perfectly rich and brimming with decadent salted caramel flavor. No one can resist these!

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

The Best Pot de Creme Recipe!

I’m mean I expected these to be good because they are made of all the good stuff, but they even exceeded my expectations! They were so dreamy and then some! Could I add any more exclamation points??!!

I really, really love these. If you like salted caramel you will love these too. I mean really what’s not to love here?

I made these twice because I found out the hard way the first time that as some recipes may suggest to whip the egg yolks until they are light and fluffy (which I did, by hand for several minutes until it was that lovely creamy, pale consistency).

If doing that you’ll find in the end you get all these air bubbles, all this foam that just floats up to the tops of the pots and gives them this strange, not-so-appealing appearance once they’re baked.

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

I also preferred the texture of them without whipped up egg yolks anyway. So, with that said just mix your eggs to blend them – no need to get crazy and whisk like mad there.

Another key here is not to burn your caramel, of course. But also don’t under-do it or you won’t get that rich caramel flavor.

Caramel can be tricky but once you figure out that prime moment where the caramel has just turned that deep rich, rosiesh orange without being too dark – boom! All life’s problems are gone.

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

Do be sure to have ingredients ready with this because you need to work quickly once the color reaches that stage (you can use the photos below the recipe as your guide, rather the pot will be on the stove top. My kitchen is just too dark for pictures there).

One thing I did with these to speed the chilling process up was to chill them in an ice bath in a 13×9-inch pan (with lots of ice).

I needed them chilled in 2 hours instead of 4, it worked great but after they sat at room temp for a few minutes once I took them out they did get a little bit of that sweat, which you’ll see.

Food blogger probs, chasing daylight :).

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

All these little details make them seem more complicated then they really are. The caramel is the only tricky part here, other than that you’ll breeze right through these.

They’ll just take some patience in waiting for them to bake and cool and chill. Indeed these are one of those things that is definitely worth every single calorie. I will dream about these things for weeks and weeks until I make them again.

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme | Cooking Classy

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5 from 2 votes

Salted Caramel Pots de Crème

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme are total dessert bliss! They're lusciously creamy, perfectly rich and brimming with decadent salted caramel flavor. No one can resist these!
Servings: 7
Prep20 minutes
Cook50 minutes
Cool4 hours 30 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place seven 4-ounce oven proof jars, ramekins, or custard cups in a large roasting pan, set aside.
  • In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan combine sugar, water and 1/4 tsp salt (have heavy cream ready so you can immediately add it when caramel is ready, otherwise it will burn. 
  • Whisk over medium-low heat stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil, without stirring and using a pastry brush dipped in water as needed to brush down sugar crystals on sides of pan, until mixture turns an amber color, about 8 - 10 minutes. 
  • Once it reaches that color (immediately) carefully pour in heavy cream and milk while whisking (it will bubble vigorously and likely clump onto the whisk but will dissolve once returned to heat). 
  • Return to heat and cook, while constantly whisking, about 2 minutes longer or until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and let cool several minutes.
  • In a large bowl stir egg yolks just to blend. Slowly pour cream mixture, while whisking, into egg yolks. 
  • Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup glass liquid measuring cup with a pouring spout**. Divide mixture evenly among cups in roasting pan.
  • Pour enough hot water into roasting pan around cups to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Carefully place on oven rack in center of oven. 
  • Bake until custard edges are set but center still jiggles slightly when shaken, about 40 minutes. 
  • Transfer cups to a wire rack and cool 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator and chill 4 hours. Sprinkle with Maldon just before serving.

Notes

  • *I don't usually keep whole milk on hand so I simply replaced 1 Tbsp of the 1% milk I do have with 1 Tbsp heavy cream.
  • **If there are any bubbles/foam at the top of the mixture just press a piece of plastic over them to remove them as they'll stick to the plastic. It will give a pretty presentation in the end not to have the bubbles.
  • Recipe source: adapted from BHG
Nutrition Facts
Salted Caramel Pots de Crème
Amount Per Serving
Calories 387 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 238mg79%
Sodium 201mg9%
Potassium 77mg2%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Sugar 38g42%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 995IU20%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 72mg7%
Iron 0.4mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
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36 Comments

  • Susan Roberts

    This is my new favorite dessert. So delicious. I had it on a cruise and came home and found this recipe. It turned out great.

    • Macy

      That’s what brought me here too! I had it on my Princess cruise and it was the best dessert I’ve had in a long time! Did it taste similar to the one you had on a cruise?

  • Dagmar Colon

    It was too sweet, the amounts were adjusted for 12 servings and it called for 2 1/2 cups of sugar to 12 yolks and 3 cups cream and 1 cup milk. Not sure how to adjust the proportions so it’s not so sweet

  • Cici

    I looked at many many recipes to find one to make for a fancy New Year’s Eve party, and this one by far was the easiest to follow. Doubled the recipe and it seems to have turned out great — jars are in the oven now, and smell amazing. Will be sprinkling with maldon salt and a dollop of whipped cream tomorrow!

  • J

    I couldn’t get over this recipe, so I decided to make a batch and turn half into a custard style ice cream (and the remainder as Pots de Creme), with the addition of grated milk chocolate, as well as making your salted caramel gelato, serving it with toasted coconut. Both were incredible, but I will confess this Pots De Creme recipe is my favorite in its original and ice cream form. My taste tester prefered the gelato, not touching more the custard style, and had Ibeen ignorant of this recipe I would have been equally obsessed. I fear this recipe has ruined me for all other Caramel flavored desserts, fortunately I love your Angel Food cupcakes just as much and used the whites for them… in hindsight, maybe this site has given me unrealistic standards of dessert accomplishment, and I will be unable to try any other food blogs!?

  • SaimaKhalid

    You are the queen of amazing food photography Jaclyn! I just love your food photos. Perfection in every shot. Can’t wait to try these. I have a question, is it possible to cook the mixture on the stove after adding the eggs, instead of baking it? Do you think it will thicken into a firm custard? I want to use this as a filling for cakes etc. thanks

  • J

    I made your Angel food cupcakes last week, and this recipe caught my eye but once again I was hesitant, I love custard and make them often but my caramel bread pudding by Nigella Lawson and attempt at flan/creme caramel both failed, I thought it was my fault. However, I bought a candy thermometer to help me determine the proper stage of caramelization and rolled up my sleeves- I never used it! The recipe came out picture perfect and tasted too incredible to believe it came from a home kitchen! I even tweaked it to fit the yolks I had leftover from the angel food cupcakes, (which was five due to lack of eggs), and ran out of time so I turned off my oven to run some errands after 20min, and came back to find them perfectly cooked-a hint of jiggle but not curdled! I’m torn between begging everyone I know to try how delicious they are and eating them all before bed so I don’t have to share! I won’t doubt you again, and I will be investing more time trying recipes from this website.