crème brûlée

American  

[krem broo-ley, kreem, krem bry-ley] / ˌkrɛm bruˈleɪ, ˌkrim, krɛm brüˈleɪ /

noun

French Cooking.

crèmes brûlées plural

1. a custard that has been sprinkled with sugar and placed under a broiler until a brown crust forms on top.

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crème brûlée British  

/ krɛm bryle /

noun

1. a cream or custard dessert covered with caramelized sugar

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• crèmes brûlées
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crème brûlée

1885–90; < French: literally, burnt cream

Example Sentences

If you go to a restaurant charging €19.50, your total cost for a veal steak with rice and a crème brûlée is just $23 at current exchange rates.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

One character in “Never Mind” has “a face like a crème brûlée after the first blow of the spoon, all covered in little cracks.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

The palate includes almond nougat, crème brûlée, black tea, white flower petals and malted milk balls.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2023

I love crème brûlée, but the thought of doing a bain marie at home always makes me nervous.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2023

Heylmun had the vanilla gelato and the mango sorbet but not before she thought hard about the crème brûlée.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell