In a miraculous stroke of culinary genius, someone thought that topping vanilla custard with a brittle crust of caramelized sugar would taste good. Of course they were wrong — it tasted incredibly delicious! The dessert is best known as Crème Brûlée (“burnt creme” in French) and depending on where you’re from, it’s also known as Crema Catalana and Trinity Burnt Creme. Whatever you like to call this intensely creamy, crunchy and luxurious dish, schedule your day of indulgence on July 27, National Crème Brûlée Day.
National Creme Brûlée Day timeline
Crema Catalana, a custard topped with caramelized sugar, is reportedly served regularly in Spain.
Burnt cream dessert — branded with the official college crest on top — begins to be served at Trinity College in Cambridge, England.
According to Colin Spencer, author of "British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History," a dessert similar to crème brûlée appears to have been prepared regularly.
The first printed recipe for a dessert called crème brûlée appeared in the 1691 edition of the French cookbook, "Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois".
National Creme Brûlée Day Activities
Cook up a classic version and enjoy!
There's nothing like the original. If you haven't made a standard crème brûlée before, just know that there are lots of nuanced variations between recipes in terms of ingredient amounts and methods. This includes whether you broil the cream to create your crispy topping or go all-in by using a small butane torch to get that crust.
Share your variations with friends
No need to stop at vanilla to make a killer crème brûlée. You can substitute virtually any flavor extract or spice mix as you prepare your custard and include fruit or other garnishes before baking. You can even flavor your dessert with key lime, chai, Irish coffee, even pineapple!
Throw a crème brûlée-themed party
You can make each party-goer their own individual crème dessert or you can be adventurous and try out crème brûlée-flavored brownies, cheesecake, cupcakes or pies. If there's anything better than decadence, it's decadence shared among friends!
5 Fiery Facts About Crème Brûlée
Torches optional
You don't need a butane torch to make a crème brûlée topping — just broil for two to three minutes.
Simple ingredients
Eggs, cream, vanilla, sugar and water are all you need to make crème brûlée.
Big brûlée
The largest crème brûlée on record weighed 1,600 pounds.
Vegan crème
Vegan crème brûlée can be made from coconut and almond milk, sugar, corn starch, nutritional yeast and vanilla bean.
Weird science
Popcorn, chocolate bars, donuts, cocktails and even, hair products have all been made to taste or smell like crème brûlée.
Why We Love National Creme Brûlée Day
It's a heavenly dessert
Consider that crème brûlée is a custard made up of a mixture of vanilla-infused cream, egg yolks, and sugar, with a scattering of sugar on top. If you've never tasted one, add this luxurious dessert to your bucket list.
It's got intriguingly contested origins
The first crème brûlée recipe appeared in a royal cookbook written by a cook at France's Palace of Versailles in 1691. But a similar dessert called Trinity Burnt Creme appeared as far back as the 1400's in England. There's even earlier evidence of a Spanish version called Crema Catalana.
It's tasty and versatile
Since crème brûlée bounced back into popularity during the '80s, the dessert has been modified way beyond its vanilla basics — with cooks jazzing up the flavors to include everything from chocolate and lemon to peach and Nutella. There's even a recipe calling for a snickerdoodle-flavored crème. Bon Appetit!
National Creme Brûlée Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | July 27 | Sunday |
| 2026 | July 27 | Monday |
| 2027 | July 27 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | July 27 | Thursday |
| 2029 | July 27 | Friday |
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