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

And there are creations of mine that are entirely unique to the book: "Crème Brûlée Cookie Sandwich" — my take on the iconic crème brûlée, but in cookie form.

From Salon • May 28, 2024

We loved eating crème brûlée at the movies!

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2024

The waiter came offering dessert: crème brûlée, mango and chocolate sorbet, or strawberry saffron and sweet-corn vanilla gelato.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell