These milk chocolate pots de crème are a chocolate lover’s dream! Rich, silky and incredibly delicious, the pot de crème is a custard traditionally baked in a water bath. For a quicker, no-bake option, you can cook it on the stovetop.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Despite its fancy name, the pot de crème is actually quite easy to make and only requires a few basic ingredients.
- Make-ahead friendly: Perfect for a special occasion without having to run around at the last minute!
- Small batch: Just enough to indulge yourself guilt-free, and anyone else who is quick enough!
Baked vs Stovetop
The pot de crème made either way tastes great. But let me point out a few key differences so you can decide which method is more suitable for you.
Texture: The texture is more uniform when cooking on the stovetop, like a pudding. Baking adds more contrast and complexity.
Ease: Cooking the custard on the stovetop saves time and doesn’t require preparing a water bath.
Cooking: The water bath provides gentle, even heat and you are less likely to overcook the pot de crème than when using the stovetop.
Serving: When baking the pot de crème, you will need to use ramekins or ovenproof dishes. With the no bake version, you can have a bit more fun choosing containers. I used coffee cups in the featured image.
We preferred the traditional method and using a water bath is not as intimidating as it sounds. You could compare both methods side by side the first time. Simply fill one ramekin and bake in a water bath. You can then cook the remaining custard on the stovetop.
Ingredients
- Heavy cream/milk: The liquid in this recipe consists primarily of heavy cream and milk. The ratio of heavy cream to milk will impact the consistency of the custard. I like to use more heavy cream than milk for a richer and thicker pot de crème. You can play around with the proportions a little if you’d like: for a softer, lighter custard replace part of the heavy cream with milk. For an even richer, thicker custard, replace the milk with heavy cream.
- Egg yolks: To thicken the pot de crème. The egg yolks will also add flavor, richness and contribute to a smoother custard. If you don’t use enough egg yolk, the custard will be on the softer side. If you use too much, the custard might have an eggy taste.
- Milk chocolate: Use high quality chocolate that you enjoy eating as it will be the dominant flavor in the pot de crème. For the custard to thicken enough, the chocolate should have enough cocoa butter. I use couverture milk chocolate with 40% cocoa solids. If you use less than that, the custard will be softer. More than that will yield a thicker custard. The couverture chocolate is also less sweet than regular chocolate. If using a sweet chocolate, you might want to reduce the amount of sugar used.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar, for sweetness. Feel free to adjust the amount based on the chocolate you are using and your preference.
- Cocoa powder: We’ll be using a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder for added flavor and complexity. It’s best to sift it for a smooth pot de crème.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- We’ll start by heating the milk and heavy cream in a saucepan.
- We can whisk the egg yolks and sugar in the meantime.
- For a deeper chocolate flavor, let’s add a little bit of cocoa powder. It’s best to sift it first to avoid clumps.
- Once the cream and milk are hot, we can whisk in the chopped chocolate to melt it completely.
- Then we can slowly pour it into the egg mixture whilst stirring, to temper the eggs.
For a stovetop version, return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard has slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon and a line drawn should remain.
- Strain if you’d like through a fine mesh sieve to make sure it’s completely smooth.
- Then pour into desired ramekins.
For the baked method, place the ramekins in a baking pan lined with a towel. Pour boiling water until halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until the edges are set but the center is still jiggly.
The skin that forms on the surface of the baked custard will depend on a few things:
- Mixing: The more you mix the custard, the more air is incorporated. You’ll end up with more foam on the surface which will affect the appearance. If you prefer a smoother surface, be careful not to overmix and skim off that foam before baking.
- Baking: The longer you bake the custard, the more the surface will dry out and the thicker the skin/film will be.
- Heat: The pot de crème should be loosely covered (with foil or parchment) so it’s not exposed to direct heat which would dry out the surface too much.
Look at that texture! Decadent ganache meets brownie! Now all you have to do is wait for it to cool down. Or not! To be honest it tastes great even without the chilling step. Enjoy!
More French Desserts
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Milk Chocolate Pots de Crème
Rich, silky and incredibly delicious, the pot de crème is a custard traditionally baked in a water bath. For a quicker, no-bake option, you can cook it on the stovetop (see recipe notes).
3
pots de crème15
minutes25
minutes4
hoursIngredients
120 g heavy cream (35% fat) (4.2 oz., 1/2 cup)
80 g whole milk (2.8 oz., 1/3 cup)
2 large egg yolks (about 34 g/1.2 oz.), at room temperature
20 g white granulated sugar, or to taste (0.7 oz., 5 teaspoons)
7 g unsweetened cocoa powder (0.25 oz., 1 Tablespoon)
80 g milk chocolate (40% cocoa), finely chopped (2.8 oz.)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F, conventional setting) and place the oven grill (or a flat oven tray) in the middle of the oven. Tip: It’s best to use a grill or tray without edges to easily put the ramekins in the oven.
- Preparing the ramekins: Place 3 ramekins in a baking pan with tall sides (to prevent spilling) lined with a flat kitchen towel (to prevent sliding). Boil water in a kettle and save it for the water bath.
- Heat together the heavy cream and milk in a saucepan until steaming.
- Meanwhile, mix together the egg yolks and sugar (with a spoon or a whisk) in a heatproof bowl just until combined. Try not to incorporate too much air. Tip: Start mixing as soon as you add the sugar to the yolks to prevent clumps.
- Sift the cocoa powder over the egg mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Once the liquids (milk and cream) are hot, add the chopped chocolate. Keep heating on low heat if needed, whisking gently, until the chocolate is fully melted. Tip: Tilt the saucepan occasionally to make sure there is no chocolate stuck on the saucepan.
- Gradually pour into the egg mixture in a thin stream, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Tip: It’s best to stir at this point instead of whisking to avoid incorporating too many air bubbles.
- Divide evenly between the three ramekins. Skim off the foam with a spoon, if desired, for a smoother surface. Optional: Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve placed over a large measuring cup before pouring into the ramekins.
- Carefully pour the boiled water into the pan until about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover loosely with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 25-35 minutes or just until the edges are set and the center is slightly wobbly (when tapping the ramekins). Tip: A digital thermometer inserted in the middle of the custard (without touching the bottom) should register 77-79°C (170-175°F).
- Carefully transfer the pots de crème to a wire rack and cool down (uncovered) at room temperature for about an hour (to prevent condensation). Then cover and chill for about 3 hours or until cold and set. Serve with sweetened whipped cream if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Yield: This recipe yields about 1 and 1/4 cups of uncooked custard which is enough for about 3 ramekins with a capacity of 1/2 cup (120mL).
- Make-ahead tips: The baked pots de crème can be chilled, well covered, for about 2 days.
- Stovetop version: Return the mixture to the saucepan after step 7. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard has slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon and a line drawn should remain. Be careful not to overcook it. The temperature of the custard shouldn’t exceed 85°C (185°F). Strain and then pour into ramekins (or desired heatproof containers). Cool down at room temperature then cover and chill until set.
- Water bath: You can fill the baking pan with boiling water after you’ve placed it in the oven if you’re more comfortable doing that.
- Cocoa powder: I’m using Dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Milk chocolate: It’s best to use couverture milk chocolate which has a higher cocoa percentage (to help the custard set) and is less sweet than regular milk chocolate. Make sure it’s finely chopped so it melts easily in the hot liquids.
- Sugar: Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar based on the chocolate you are using and your preference.
- The baking time will depend on your oven, the size of the ramekins, how hot the water was etc. It’s best to start checking at the start of the recommended time. An underbaked pot de crème won’t set properly. An overbaked one will have a thick skin/crust and might feel grainy.
- Cup measurements: Please note that these measurements are approximate. For best results, I’d recommend weighing the ingredients, especially the cocoa powder.