Classic Crème Anglaise Recipe (Vanilla Custard Sauce)

Name: Classic Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 6 extra-large egg yolks; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 cups milk; 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 20 mins

Servings: 10 servings

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Crème Anglaise is a classic vanilla custard sauce. This crème anglaise recipe is simple to make, with only four ingredients—egg yolks, milk, sugar, and vanilla—and takes a mere 20 minutes. Not to be confused with crème pâtissière, which is a thicker custard and pastry cream, crème anglaise is a thinner custard sauce and a pouring cream.

This sauce is amazing drizzled over all kinds of desserts, like cakes, pies, fruit tarts, muffins, ice cream, and all kinds of pastries—or even fresh berries.

What You'll Need to Make This Crème Anglaise Recipe

A Nice Big Mixing Bowl

A Handy Dandy Whisk

An Accurate Instant Read Thermometer

6 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Gather the ingredients.

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Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep it nearby.

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Beat the egg yolks with a whisk for a minute or two, until they're very smooth.

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Add the sugar and whisk for about 2 more minutes, or until the sugar is fully incorporated and the yolks are a pale shade of yellow.

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Heat the milk in a double boiler until it is not quite simmering. Don't let it boil. You want to heat the milk until it reaches 180 F as measured with an instant-read thermometer.

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Very slowly, pour the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking constantly. Don't add the milk too fast or the eggs will cook, and you don't want that.

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Return the custard to the double boiler and gently heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches 185 F. The crème anglaise will be thick but still pourable.

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Now set the top part of your double boiler into the bowl of ice water to cool the crème anglaise. Stir in the vanilla.

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Stir the crème anglaise once in a while until it is fully cooled.

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Drizzle over cakes, pies, fruit tarts, or ice cream and enjoy.

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Tip

For a richer crème anglaise, you could substitute half-and-half or heavy cream for the milk.

Rich Vanilla Custard Sauce

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
113	Calories
4g	Fat
13g	Carbs
6g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories	113
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g	5%
Saturated Fat 2g	9%
Cholesterol 134mg	45%
Sodium 67mg	3%
Total Carbohydrate 13g	5%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 78mg	6%
Iron 1mg	3%
Potassium 113mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.