ramekin

American  

[ram-i-kin] / ˈræm ɪ kɪn /

Or ramequin

noun

1. a small dish in which food can be baked and served.

2. a small, separately cooked portion of a cheese preparation or other food mixture baked in a small dish without a lid.

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ramekin British  

/ ˈræmɪkɪn /

noun

1. a savoury dish made from a cheese mixture baked in a fireproof container

2. the container itself

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Etymology

Origin of ramekin

1700–10; < French ramequin < dialectal Dutch, Middle Dutch rammeken

Explanation

You might use a ramekin, a small serving dish that can be used in the oven, to make custard or individual servings of macaroni and cheese. Yum. A ramekin is basically a small, single-serving sized version of a casserole or baking dish. You can serve ice cream in a ramekin, or bake individual crème brûlées in ramekins, which are then also used as serving dishes. Ramekin can also mean an egg and cheese dish that's baked in a ramekin. The word comes from the French ramequin, "cheese dish baked in a mold," probably from the Flemish rammeken, or "toast."

Example Sentences

Another bite lands me on a patio in South Carolina, asking for a second ramekin of honey butter to go alongside a hot basket of cornbread-like hushpuppies like I have no shame.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2025

The ruse involves pretending to be from a gum company, offering gum samples, and covertly obtaining a DNA sample by offering a ramekin to throw away the gum.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2024

The vessel can later be used as a ramekin, jewelry dish or other storage piece.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

Pack the scallion cheese into a ramekin or two, cover and chill until ready to serve.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2022

Prepare as many small ramekin or soufflée cases as may be required by pinning bands of writing-paper round them two to three inches higher than the case.

From Choice Cookery by Owen, Catherine