Toffee creme caramel desserts are delicious, and so simple to make. Whisk together hot milk, egg and sugar, and bake, for a winning ending to a meal. This one uses our easy three ingredient toffee sauce. A perfect prepare ahead pudding for a dinner party.
Toffee creme caramel dessert ticks every box I want in a dessert or pudding. First, it’s tasty, flavoured with our easy three ingredient caramel toffee sauce with honey, offset by the delicate flavours of the egg in the baked custard. Second, it’s easy to make, taking about ten minutes to whip together before putting it in the oven, and third, it benefits a lot from at least an hour or so in the fridge, so makes for a perfect prepare-ahead dish; especially useful for special occasions when feeding guests. It’s far nicer to be able to talk to your guests than be stuck in the kitchen and this pudding, which you can make the day before has the requisite low effort high glory ratio.
The custard is baked in a water bath in the oven; we like making this in individual ramekin dishes, as it’s just much easier to serve like this, as well as being a little more personal. Just before serving, flip out each dessert onto a plate. This normally goes off without too much difficulty, but it is a good idea to make a couple extra, just in case one breaks up as you turn it out.
One advantage of this dessert is that main flavouring is our easy three ingredient caramel toffee sauce with honey. This keeps well in the fridge, so rather than making a true crème caramel, and having to make caramel as well as everything else, one stage of preparation has been removed, make life even more fuss free.
The other advantage of this dessert is that it uses whole eggs rather than just yolks so there are no excess egg whites to deal with. The recipe is straightforward: dollop a heaped teaspoon of caramel into the ramekins; if it’s too stiff to coat the bottom, give it 10 seconds in the microwave to help. In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the milk and warm the mixture up to just below boiling point. Using a digital thermometer can help here, as it means you can catch the milk before it boils over. Whisk it by dribs and drabs into the egg, so that the hot milk warms the egg without cooking it.
Once both mixtures are combined, it’s ready for baking. Like most baked custards, they’re baked in a water bath in the oven. To minimize chances of spillages, place your ramekins in a roasting dish, and transfer to the oven. Then fill the ramekins – a jam funnel is very useful here. Finally, pour boiling water into the roasting dish until it’s about half way up the ramekins. Then bake for about 30 minutes. It’s more important to test for done-ness than rely on the timer: you want a faint wobble in the middle of the custard. In fact, as they get turned over during the turning out process, there’s nothing wrong in testing with a knife to just check that it’s set. Once done, allow to cool and then pop into the fridge while you get on with everything else.
If you love custard try our one step power blender custard – bung it all in and whizz!
Or how about a boozy treat? Try my Pimm’s Boozy Strawberry Syllabub!
Toffee Creme Caramel Dessert
Ingredients
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 380 ml milk
- 3 eggs
- 4 heaped tbs toffee sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to GM2/150 C
- Divide up the sauce between 4 ramekin dishes. If necessary, heat the sauce in the microwave for 20 seconds to make it liquid, so that it coats the bottom of the ramekin.
- Add the milk and sugard to a pan. Over a low heat gently bring to a simmer. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over.
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking as you go.
- Place the ramekins in a large roasting tin in the oven
- Strain the egg mixture into the ramekins, pouring it through a tea strainer or sieve. Pour gently so as not to disturb the layer of toffee sauce.
- Add boiling water to the roasting pan until it's halfway up the outside of the ramekins.
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until the custard feels just firm to the touch when the centre is pressed gently. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of each ramekin to release. Place a plate on top then flip the plate and ramekin upside down, give a good shake and the custard should dropout onto the plate.
For this Organic September we used Arla organic milk to make these toffee creme caramel desserts. Going for organic milk ensures that the cows have benefited from higher welfare standards. They graze outside for longer, only coming inside when necessary, which helps preserve the pasture: this benefits wildlife as well. No artificial herbicides or fertilizers are used on the land, as the prolific clover grown fixes nitrogen in the soil. Also, the herds are not treated indiscriminately with routine use of antibiotics; this, for me, is one of, if not the main reason to buy organic.
I recently had a chance to see the benefits of going organic for myself, by touring a dairy farm. There’s nothing quite like seeing a newly born calf lift itself unsteadily onto its feet for the first time. Young male calves on this farm are raised as beef cattle; the lush pastures full of different grasses looked like the perfect environment.
Arla Foods is a cooperative founded the 1880’s in Denmark and Sweden, which now operates in seven countries across Europe. As a co-operative, the farmers own the business; the 84 organic farmers produce Arla Organic Free Range Milk, which like the milk from these cows, comes from animals that are grazed outside whenever possible.
Recipe for toffee caramel creme desserts and photography commissioned by Arla. All opinions are our own.
Elodie
These look delicious! I stopped drinking milk a long time ago because of all the nasties in it, but I should definitely try to make this using organic milk too.
Helen
I think that milk is one of products to prioritise switching to organic.
Dannii
These really would be the perfect dessert to serve up at a dinner party. Not too complicated either.
Helen
Ideally fuss free – which is why we love them!
Rani bruyns
Looks delicious, I prefer organic when I do drink milk but mostly just leave milk out of my diet. I might make these as they look too good not to ?
Helen
I think that milk is one of those important products to switch to organic.
Melanie
These look totally yummy. A visually pleasing dessert that looks easy to make :)x
Amy | The Cook Report
Love that you can make these ahead for a party! I always try to drink organic milk :)
Helen
I love delicious cook ahead meals!
Sally - My Custard Pie
As you are aware, it’s impossible for me to resist anything with custard! Lovely simple recipe especially made with organic dairy and an irresistible sauce.
Helen
I adore these, so quick and easy!
Sarah
What a beautiful dessert made with few but deliciously simple ingredients! Perfect!
Helen
Quick, easy and fuss free is my mantra!
Lauren
Such a great flavor combination! Looks so good!
Helen
so quick and easy too!
Ashleigh Dougherty
Fantastic that this dessert uses a whole egg. I won’t feel like any is going to waste.
Helen
If you were thinking of making meringues you could use just the yolk, but it is easier to bung the whole egg in isn’t it?
Charlie @ The Kitchen Shed
These look absolutely delicious!
Helen
thanks Charlie
Alida @My Little Italian Kitchen
When I was a child I often had creme caramel. I used to love it and I still do. Your recipe brings back memories and lovely photos too.
Helen
it is so delicious, and also deceptively easy!
Louise
Mmm, these look SO good! I’ve just pinned your recipe so I can have a go at making them at home :)
Louise x
Helen
Hope you enjoy them!