Name: Apple Cider Crème Brûlée Pie
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into cubes; 1/4 tsp kosher salt; 1 tbsp sugar; 1/4 cup ice water; 2 cups apple cider; 2 cups heavy cream; 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for brûlée topping; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp kosher salt; 6 egg yolks

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If you love crème brûlée, you will love it even more in pie form! It is seriously the PERFECT pie to bring to a holiday gathering. It requires only simple ingredients, and my fool-proof crème brûlée recipe will impress everyone you make it for!

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The Most Luscious Apple Cider Creme Brûlée Pie Recipe

Crème brûlée is a spin on the classic crème brûlée dessert. We take the same luscious and creamy vanilla-infused egg custard and bake it into a buttery, flaky crust. Top it with white sugar that gets brûléed (torched) to create a crunchy shell. This spin on a classic crème brûlée also includes the addition of an apple cider reduction, infusing a warm apple flavor into the custard.

Why You’ll Love This Pie

It’s everything you love about crème brûlée, but in a buttery flaky crust! It’s kind of like it becomes a hand-held dessert (I mean… I’ve cut a slicer of pie and eaten it with my hands, no mess, so I guess that makes it hand-held).
It only requires simple ingredients. Cream, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt. That’s pretty much it. The pie crust can be store bought or homemade, and the apple cider is optional if you can’t find it in store.
It’s a twist on a classic custard. The addition of an apple cider reduction adds the seasonal flavor or warm apples to this vanilla-infused egg custard. It’s a great way to use up the last bit of apple cider you have in your fridge!

Ingredients for Apple Cider Crème Brûlée Pie

Egg yolks: Just the yolk leads to the creamiest texture for this crème brûlée
Heavy cream: At this time, I have not tested a dairy-free alternative, so this is a very important ingredient!
Sugar: A staple in every dessert.
Vanilla: If you want to be really fancy, use vanilla bean paste. If you’re budget-conscious like myself, imitation vanilla extract works just fine.
Kosher salt
Apple cider: This is one of my favorite additions to my Crème Brûlée recipe! It adds tartness and warmth from the flavors of the apple cider and really elevates a classic Crème Brûlée! If you don’t have access to apple cider, but want some fall flavor in your pie, I’d also recommend using about 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree to make a pumpkin Crème Brûlée.
Pie crust: I use a classic homemade pie crust made with flour, butter, a bit of sugar, a pinch of salt, and ice water. You can use a store-bought crust to make things easier.

How to Make Apple Cider Crème Brûlée Pie

Par-bake your pie crust: Whether you are using a homemade pie crust or store bought, you must par-bake the crust to ensure the bottom doesn’t get soggy. Add your pie crust to your pie dish and let the crust fall over the edge by about 2 inches. Trim the excess and use your fingers to crimp the edges of the pie.
Make the apple cider reduction: Bring two cups of apple cider to a simmer in a small saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes until it reduces to under 1/2 cup. It should be darker in color and thickened, but still runny. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Steep the heavy cream: In a small or medium pot over medium heat, add heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk it all together. You don’t want to simmer or boil the cream, but you want it to be hot enough to melt the sugar and salt, but not too hot that it cooks the eggs once they are mixed together. Once you see that the cream is steaming and it barely has started to bubble, turn off the heat.
Combine eggs and apple cider reduction: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then slowly pour in the apple cider reduction while whisking constantly.
Whisk the cream and eggs together: Slowly pour the cream into the eggs while whisking constantly to ensure the warm cream doesn’t cook the eggs.
Bake the pie: Carefully pour the filling into the par-baked pie crust, then transfer the pie to the oven preheated to 300ºF. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the center is set but still slightly jiggly. Let it cool to room temperature for about an hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Caramelize the sugar and serve: Just before serving the pie, dust the top of the pie with about 2 tbsp of sugar spread evenly onto the surface of the pie filling. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar by slowly moving the flame around the pie about 2-3 inches from the pie’s surface. The sugar will begin to bubble and caramelize into a deep golden color. Be careful not to linger the flame in one spot to avoid burning the sugar. Allow the surface to cool for a few minutes before serving. The top of the pie will be a perfectly hardened crust that you can slice into and serve!

In a small saucepan, add two cups of apple cider and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/3-1/2 cup.

Once the apple cider is reduced and deepened in color, remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

In a small to medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and cook on medium heat just until the mixture starts to steam (do not bring it to a simmer or boil).

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and whisk in the apple cider reduction.

Slowly add in the cream mixture while whisking constantly to ensure you do not cook the eggs.

Pour the cream mixture into a par-baked pie crust.

Carefully transfer the pie to the oven preheated to 300ºF. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the pie is set with a slight jiggle.

Let the pie rest at room temperature for an hour, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Sprinkle about 2 tbsp sugar evenly over the top of the pie.

User a chef’s torch to brûlée the top, holding the flame a few inches from the pie and moving it over the surface of the sugar slowly until you get an even, browned sugar topping. Once it cools, the sugar will be crunchy. Serve right away and enjoy!

Tips to Make the Perfect Pie

Don’t torch the sugar until you are ready to serve. Use a brûlée torch as the final step before serving the pie to ensure the sugar on top is crunchy when serving. If you refrigerate the pie after torching the sugar, the crunchy sugar top will become soft or soggy again.
Par-bake the pie crust before adding filling. This helps you avoid a soggy bottom!

Recipe FAQs

How do I create a brûlée topping?

You’ll want to use a kitchen torch to brûlée the top of the pie. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp granulated sugar or caster sugar evenly over the top of the pie. I like to pass my sugar through a fine mesh sieve first to ensure there are no clumps of sugar. Then use a butane kitchen torch to melt and caramelize the sugar. Turn on the torch and hold it about 2-3 inches from the pie’s surface (adjust this based on the size of your torch’s flame). Slowly move your torch around the pie. Be careful not to linger in sections for too long, because the sugar does caramelize quickly and can burn. Once the sugar is a deep amber color, turn the flame off and let the pie cool for a minute or two to let the sugar harden.

Can I brûlée if I don’t have a kitchen torch?

Set your top oven rack up 6 inches below your oven’s broiler. Carefully wrap the crust of your pie in aluminum foil to protect it from the flame of the broiler. Set your broiler to high and place your pie on the top rack. Broil until the sugar bubbles. You may need to rotate the pie a quarter or half turn to brûlée evenly.

While I don’t recommend using your oven’s broiler to brûlée the top of the pie because it warms the pie beneath the sugar, it can work in a pinch. Keep a close eye on the pie while using this method.

How do I garnish crème brûlée pie?

I typically do not garnish this pie, but if you like to go the extra mile to impress your holiday party guests, then you can add some garnishes! Edible flowers, shaved chocolate, crushed pistachios, raspberries or sliced strawberries, and candied sage and cranberries are all beautiful options!

How far ahead of time can I bake this pie?

You can make the pie a day or two before serving, but do not add sugar and brûlée the top until just before you are ready to serve, as the top will get soggy.

Can I freeze this pie?

The finished Crème Brûlée Pie is not freezer friendly, but you can freeze the pie without the brûlée sugar topping. Carefully wrap the pie in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for a day, then add sugar on top to brûlée the sugar and serve. I don’t recommend freezing the pie, but if you know you’ll be in a time crunch in the near future, it’s a fine option. Leftovers can also be frozen, just know that the brûlée topping does get soggy.

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