A creme caramel is a baked custard with a sweet caramel sauce that originates from France, it's also known as a flan in North America and Spain. You bake it upside down, then flip it out onto a plate to serve. The caramel sauce is sweet and tasty, and the custard is silky smooth and delightful. I have put a twist on it and made Baileys Creme Caramel - because I think Baileys makes everything better! One of the great things about creme caramels is that you can make them 2 days in advance and keep them in the fridge. So if you have a dinner party coming up, you can make them as dessert a day or two before and save yourself some time!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I recommend using whole milk for this recipe, but semi skimmed will work too.
- You will need double or heavy cream for this recipe, which is a high fat content cream.
- If you don't have any caster sugar, you can also use granulated sugar.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Baileys Creme Caramel
To make the caramel, heat caster sugar and water on a low heat and stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up so the mixture bubbles and turns golden brown. Pour the caramel into 4 ramekins.
To make the custard, heat double cream and milk in a pan. In a bowl, whisk eggs and caster sugar together. Then pour the cream mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly as you pour. Then added vanilla extract and Baileys. Divide the mixture between the ramekins, place them in a roasting tray, then fill the roasting tray with hot water until it comes up to about half of the ramekins height.
Bake them for 35 minutes, then leave them to cool and chill them in the fridge. To serve the Baileys Creme Caramel, run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto a plate.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How long do the creme caramels last and can they be frozen?
The creme caramels should be stored in the fridge and they will last for 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 week.
Can this recipe be made gluten free or dairy free?
This recipe is already gluten free so you don't need to change anything! However please do check the labels of any products you use to avoid cross contamination. Unfortunately this recipe cannot be made dairy free.
What size ramekins do you need for this recipe?
The ramekins I used were 9cm in diameter and 5cm deep. This is quite a common and generic size of ramekin, so if you don't already own them, they should be easy enough to get hold of. If you use different sized ramekins, the baking time will vary.
Is this recipe suitable for children or pregnant women?
Although Baileys is an alcoholic drink, there is only a small amount of it in this recipe. And the alcohol is cooked for a reasonable length of time, which does reduce the alcohol content. This recipe certainly won't make you drunk, however it is at your discretion on whether you choose to share it with your children. If you should not consume alcohol for medical reasons, then please check with a qualified professional first.
More tips for making the Baileys Creme Caramel:
- Try to resist the urge to wonder off while your caramel is bubbling away. It does take around 5-10 minutes to turn golden, but once it does, you need to watch it as it can burn very fast!
- You don't need to grease or line the ramekins, just run a knife around the inside and the custard will come out.
- If there's any caramel stuck to the bottom of your ramekins, soak them in boiling water to loosen it.
- This recipe would be great with another Baileys flavour like the coffee, orange or mint versions.
- You could also try other cream based liqueurs like Amarula for example.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
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More Baileys recipes...
Baileys Creme Caramel
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 100 g Caster sugar
- 65 ml Water
For the custard
- 235 ml Double cream
- 100 ml Milk
- 3 Eggs large
- 50 g Caster sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 45 ml Baileys
Instructions
- Have 4 x 150ml ramekins ready on your work surface
- Make the caramel by putting the caster sugar and water into a frying pan and heating on a low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved
- Then, turn the heat up to medium-high and the sugar syrup boils and bubbles. It will take 5-10 minutes, but the mixture will turn a golden brown colour. Swirl the pan around if needed, but don't overly stir it
- Pour the caramel straight into the ramekins and swirl it around a bit, leave to cool
- Pre-heat your oven to 120C Fan/140C/275F/Gas Mark 1
- Put the double cream and milk in a pan and warm on a low heat until steaming
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and caster sugar
- Pour the milk mixture into the egg mixture slowly and while constantly whisking
- Then whisk in the Baileys and vanilla extract
- Strain the mixture through a sieve into a jug
- Place the ramekins into a deep roasting tin
- Divide the custard mixture between the ramekins
- Fill the roasting tin with hot water to come half way up the sides of the ramekins
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the custard is set and only has a slight wobble to it
- Remove the ramekins from the roasting tin (wear oven gloves as they will be hot) and leave to cool, then put in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill, but ideally overnight
- To serve, run a knife around the inside of the ramekin and tip the creme caramel out onto a plate. It may need a shake or tap to encourage it!
- They can be kepy in the fridge for up to 4 days before serving
Notes
- Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I recommend using whole milk for this recipe, but semi skimmed will work too.
- You will need double or heavy cream for this recipe, which is a high fat content cream.
- If you don't have any caster sugar, you can also use granulated sugar.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Nutrition
If you like this, check out more of my Dessert recipes!
NB. This post is NOT sponsored by Baileys - I just love their product!
Chloe Edges
Oh wowsers, this is absolutely genius. I love Bailey's but I've never seen it used like this before. I'm sure I've got a bottle or 3 around somewhere....
Glenis Sansom
I'm hooked! Thank you
Do you by any chance know how to make cream caramels from Ultramel custard? I have a number of boxes & would like to use them before they expire. Many thanks
thebakingexplorer
Hi Glenis, I've not heard of that brand of custard before, but if it is a ready made custard then unfortunately you cannot make creme caramels from it. You could try making a trifle or have it with a fruit crumble 🙂