Crème brûlée with the Thermomix® is our go-to dessert when we want to impress guests. The most important points so you can get started straight away: heat vanilla seeds with 80 g milk for 3 min / 70°C / speed 1 and leave to cool for 15 minutes, then add 50 g sugar, 3 egg yolks, 180 g double cream and 120 g advocaat and stir for just 15 sec / speed 4. Bake in a water bath at 150°C fan for 60 minutes, chill for 1 hour, then caramelise with brown raw cane sugar just before serving. The advocaat gives the cream more depth than the classic vanilla version, and the Thermomix® delivers a perfectly smooth, lump-free mixture in 15 seconds.
We have been making this dessert for years whenever there is something to celebrate: at Easter, at Christmas, or simply when we want to put our leftover homemade advocaat from the Thermomix® to good use. Over time we have pinpointed exactly the two stages where this recipe can go wrong: the milk temperature before mixing, and the baking temperature in the oven. We explain both in detail below.
Advocaat Crème Brûlée with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 7 ✓
- 1 vanilla pod
- 80 g milk
- 50 g sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 180 g double cream
- 120 g advocaat
- 30 g light brown raw cane sugar for sprinkling
Instructions 0 / 7
-
1
Prepare the vanilla.
Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into the mixing bowl. Add the milk, heat for 3 min / 70°C / speed 1 and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
-
2
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan.
-
3
Mix the cream.
Add the sugar, egg yolks, double cream and advocaat to the mixing bowl and stir for 15 sec / speed 4.
-
4
Boil the water.
Bring some water to the boil.
-
5
Distribute the mixture.
Meanwhile, divide the mixture evenly between the heatproof ramekins. Place the ramekins in the roasting tray and fill the tray with hot water until the ramekins are sitting halfway in the water.
-
6
Bake the cream.
Place the roasting tray on the middle shelf and bake for 60 minutes. Leave the cream to cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
-
7
Serve.
Just before serving, sprinkle with raw cane sugar and caramelise with a kitchen blowtorch. Alternatively, place the ramekins under the grill setting of the oven. Keep a close eye on them, as the sugar can burn very quickly when caramelising!
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the advocaat cream turns out so smooth in the Thermomix®
A crème brûlée stands or falls on two things: a lump-free egg mixture and the right heat. This is exactly where the Thermomix® comes into its own.
- 15 sec / speed 4 is all it takes, no more. Sugar, egg yolks, double cream and advocaat are added to the cooled vanilla milk and briefly stirred. This produces a homogeneous mixture without incorporating too much air. If we stir for longer, the cream foams up and develops small bubbles in the oven rather than a smooth surface.
- Vanilla seeds infuse into the milk at 70°C. The seeds from a real vanilla pod need warmth to release their aromatic compounds. 3 min / 70°C / speed 1 is enough. Any higher and the delicate aroma fades, and the flavour becomes flatter.
- The mixing bowl weighs every ingredient directly. 80 g milk, 50 g sugar, 180 g double cream, 120 g advocaat. We tare directly in the bowl and save ourselves three extra dishes. That is why this dessert takes us under 15 minutes of active preparation time.
We deliberately use 3 egg yolks rather than whole eggs. Some Thermomix® recipes work with whole eggs. The egg white makes the cream firmer and less silky. With pure egg yolk it stays creamy and sets evenly. We also use 120 g of advocaat, which is more than the 100 g found in many other versions: the rum note comes through clearly without making the cream too loose.
Real vanilla pod instead of vanilla extract: the difference in flavour
The seeds from a real vanilla pod make all the difference compared with artificial vanilla extract. We split the pod lengthways, scrape out the seeds and add them to the mixing bowl with the milk. After heating comes the 15-minute cooling time, and that is exactly the step most often skipped. If you pour the hot milk straight onto the egg yolks, the egg sets immediately: scrambled egg in your cream. When the milk is lukewarm, everything combines silkily.
Tip: do not throw away the scraped pod. We place it in our sugar jar, and after two weeks we have fragrant vanilla sugar ready for the next cream or cake.
The three points where the advocaat crème brûlée can go wrong
The centre is still liquid while the surface is already set
This is almost always a question of oven temperature. If you go to 180°C or higher, the edges cook through while the centre is still wobbly. The egg coagulates from the outside inwards.
Our solution: 150°C fan, middle shelf, 60 minutes. The cream bakes slowly and evenly. It is fine if it has a slight wobble at the end. It will firm up as it cools. Some recipes bake at 130°C for 40 to 50 minutes, which also works, though with shallower ramekins the timing is about the same. More important than the exact temperature is that you do not go above 160°C.
The cream turns grainy instead of silky
Graininess means the egg has curdled, usually because the water bath was missing or did not have enough water in it.
Our solution: Place the heatproof ramekins in the roasting tray and fill with hot water until they sit halfway in the water. The water bath buffers the heat and keeps the egg cream below the critical curdling temperature. If the water level drops significantly during baking, carefully top it up with more hot water.
The caramel crust turns bitter or chewy
Brown raw cane sugar caramelises in seconds but burns just as quickly. Too long under the grill and the crust tastes bitter. Too little heat and it stays chewy rather than crisp.
Our solution: Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of brown raw cane sugar over each ramekin (about 5 g per ramekin) and caramelise with a kitchen blowtorch in circular movements until the sugar bubbles and turns golden brown. Without a blowtorch: place the ramekins directly under the grill on the top shelf and keep watch. The crust is ready in 1 to 2 minutes.
With Amaretto, Baileys, or no alcohol at all
- Amaretto instead of advocaat: gives the cream a nutty note rather than an eggy liqueur flavour. Use 120 g Amaretto in the same ratio. The almond note pairs well with vanilla.
- Baileys or Grand Marnier: Baileys adds a cream liqueur note, Grand Marnier a bold orange flavour. Both work with the same 120 g.
- No alcohol at all: replace the 120 g advocaat with 120 g extra double cream. The cream becomes milder and slightly less complex, but also suitable for children.
- With homemade advocaat: Our homemade Thermomix® advocaat tastes more intense than shop-bought, as it contains more egg yolk and real vanilla. It lifts the whole cream.
- Classic without advocaat: if you want a pure vanilla cream, leave out the liqueur and use 250 g double cream and 5 egg yolks instead. That brings you back to the classic French version.
What other desserts we serve alongside it
Crème brûlée is rich, so a small ramekin per person is plenty. When we put together a dessert spread, we pair it with something lighter: our Banana Caramel Layered Dessert for the caramel fans and Rice Pudding with the Thermomix® for anyone who likes something creamy and mild. If you fancy something warm at brunch, our best Thermomix® Pancakes go brilliantly alongside. And if there is any advocaat left over, it goes straight into the next batch of cream.
How long the advocaat cream keeps in the fridge
The baked cream (without the caramel crust) keeps in the fridge for 3 days, covered with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. This is actually an advantage: we prepare the crème the day before and caramelise it just before serving. That way the caramel crust stays crisp.
Always caramelise the brown raw cane sugar just before serving. Once caramelised, the crust softens in the fridge within 1 to 2 hours because the sugar crust draws moisture from the cream. We do not recommend freezing: the egg cream separates on thawing and turns watery.
Frequently asked questions about advocaat crème brûlée with the Thermomix®
Why 70°C when heating the milk, and not higher?
70°C is enough to release the vanilla aroma from the seeds without overcooking it. Above 80°C the delicate aroma fades, and the milk would be too hot when it later comes into contact with the egg yolks. 3 min / 70°C / speed 1 is the tested setting.
Do I really need to let the milk cool for 15 minutes?
Yes, this is the most important step. Hot milk makes the egg yolk set immediately, which gives you scrambled-egg flecks in the cream. After 15 minutes the milk is lukewarm and everything combines silkily at speed 4.
Can I use whole eggs instead of 3 egg yolks?
You can, but we would advise against it. The egg white makes the cream firmer and less silky. If you only have whole eggs, use 2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk as a compromise. Pure egg yolk gives the creamiest result.
How much advocaat goes in, and can you taste the alcohol?
120 g advocaat for 6 servings. Some of the alcohol evaporates during baking, leaving behind the characteristic advocaat flavour. If you want a stronger rum character, increase to 140 g but reduce the double cream by 20 g so the cream does not become too loose.
Which Thermomix® works for this recipe: TM5, TM6 or TM31?
All three. The heating step runs identically at 70°C, as does the stirring at speed 4. With the TM31, keep an eye on the temperature display as it regulates slightly less precisely. The baking happens in the oven anyway, not in the machine.
What if I do not have a kitchen blowtorch?
Also worth trying: Berry Mousse Thermomix®.
Place the ramekins under the grill setting of the oven on the top shelf and stay close by. The sugar caramelises in 1 to 2 minutes. As soon as it bubbles and turns golden brown, remove immediately. A kitchen blowtorch is still the more precise method, especially when several ramekins need doing at once.
More dessert ideas from the mixing bowl: Homemade Advocaat with the Thermomix®, Banana Caramel Layered Dessert and Rice Pudding with the Thermomix®.
