Crème Anglaise Recipe (Vanilla Custard Sauce)

Quick Summary: Crème anglaise (English cream) is a classic French vanilla custard sauce made from just milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla, with no cornstarch. You cook it gently until it coats the back of a spoon (the "nappe" stage) at around 180°F (82°C), then strain and serve it warm or chilled over desserts.

What is crème anglaise?

Crème anglaise is a basic French custard sauce made by heating milk with vanilla, then slowly tempering it with egg yolks.

It is very similar in preparation to French creme patissiere and Italian crema pasticcera. However, unlike the two, which use flour or cornstarch as thickening agents, crème anglaise omits these ingredients. This results in a thinner and more liquid consistency than the classic pastry cream.

Crème anglaise is also known as crème anglaise sauce, crème anglaise custard, custard sauce, or pouring custard. In addition, it is called creme Ingles in Italy and creme Inglês in Portugal.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Just three ingredients. This easy crème anglaise (crème anglaise recette) needs only milk, egg yolks, and sugar, with vanilla to enhance the flavor.
• A must-know pastry basic. It is one of the first sauces taught in culinary school, and mastering it is essential to any baker's skill set.
• Silky and gluten-free. This flourless custard sauce has a delicate flavor and velvety texture, making it naturally gluten-free and suitable for many diets.
• Endlessly useful. Crème anglaise is the base for Bavarian cream, Île flottante dessert, and crème brûlée.
• Serve it your way. Pour it warm or chilled over fresh fruit, cakes, and pies, or enjoy it as a light spoon dessert on its own.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Milk: Opt for fresh whole milk with at least 3% fat. The creamier the milk, the tastier the custard. To make a rich vanilla sauce, replace some of the milk with heavy cream or add an extra yolk. Avoid fat-free or low-fat milk for optimal results. To make dairy-free crème anglaise, replace milk with plant-based milk, such as almond, cashew, soy, or coconut milk.

• Sugar: Choose superfine baker's sugar, caster sugar, and, better, icing sugar. You can increase the amount of sugar if desired.

• Egg yolks: Use yolks from large, free-range eggs for a beautiful yellow color in the custard. Make sure to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites while the eggs are chilled. This step can be easily facilitated with an egg separator. Before use, bring the egg yolks to room temperature. Use leftover egg whites to make French Financiers, Blackberry Friands, or Plum Pavlova.

• Vanilla bean: For the best results, use a split vanilla pod with scraped vanilla seeds. A real vanilla bean may have a higher price tag, but the added extra cost is worth it. If desired, replace the vanilla bean with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

Recipe variations

Vanilla creme anglaise made with real vanilla pods is a classic recipe. However, there are many ways to make this velvety sauce even more special.

• Add the grated rind of a lemon or orange zest to infuse the milk. Then pour it over the egg yolk mixture, passing it through a fine-mesh sieve. Finally, add a few drops of lemon extract or orange blossom water to the milk to enhance the citrus flavor.

• Add spices or herb leaves to flavor the milk, such as cinnamon sticks, anise stars, mint, verbena, or basil leaves.

• Flavor your custard with coconut, almond, coffee extract, Earl Grey tea, or matcha that best matches the recipe.

• Replace part or all of the milk with a fruit puree or juice for a more indulgent treat.

• Add 3 ½ tablespoons (25 g) of unsweetened cocoa powder or 1.8 oz. (50 g) of chopped dark chocolate into milk to create a chocolate custard.

How to make creme anglaise

The secret to the perfect creme anglaise, tasty, smooth, and lump-free, is using fresh ingredients and straining milk and hot custard.

Step 1: Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds with the tip of a small knife. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and icing sugar with a hand whisk (photo 1).

Pro tip: Do not pour sugar over egg yolks without whisking since the prolonged contact of sugar with the yolks results in forming small insoluble grains.

Step 2: Pour milk into a heavy, medium saucepan and add vanilla seeds from an empty pod. Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.

Pro tip: Ideally, the milk should be heated to 158-176°F (70 to 80°C). (Advice from French pastry chef Thierry Bamas)

Step 3: Remove the milk from the heat, cover the pot, and infuse for 10-20 minutes. Remove the empty pod.

Step 4: Temper the egg yolks by gradually pouring the hot milk mixture through a fine sieve into the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly.

Pro tip: Pouring a portion of milk (one-third) instead of the entire amount enables the egg mixture to heat up gradually. If you use this method, then return the egg yolks and milk mixture to the remaining milk.

Step 5: Return the eggs and milk mixture back to the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a hand whisk or a wooden spoon (photo 2).

Pro tip: Ideally, use a spatula to stir the preparation while cooking, drawing a figure of eight in the pan. This is called winnowing.

The custard is cooked when:

• it coats the back of a spoon (photo 3), and you draw a horizontal line with your finger in the spoon so that it does not close (photo 4): this is called cooking à la nappe, or
• when the instant-read thermometer reaches 180°F (82°C).

Don't exceed 185°F (85°C); otherwise, the eggs will coagulate, forming visible lumps in the custard. This phenomenon is called flocculation.

Pro tip: One of the best ways to avoid overcooking the custard is to remove it from the heat once it reaches 174°F (79°C). While in the pot, it will continue cooking and raise the temperature by 5 or 6°C. Using a cooking thermometer, in this case, is a must.

Step 6: Strain the vanilla custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps.

Pro tip: It is imperative to transfer custard from the hot pot to a dish, a bowl, or another pot to stop cooking.

Step 7: Use immediately, or cover the surface of the sauce with plastic wrap (photos 5-6), then refrigerate.

How to know when a custard is done

There are two ways of knowing if the custard is ready:

1. Without a cooking thermometer, a coating method.
2. With a cooking thermometer.

Crème anglaise is done when:

• The custard coats the back of a spoon or a spatula, and you can draw a horizontal line with your finger that remains visible.
• The custard reaches a temperature of 180°F (82°C) at a maximum of 183°F (84°C).

Finally, you can gauge the temperature of your custard visually during cooking. Once the temperature reaches approximately 185°F (85°C), you will notice the thin foam film on the surface will disappear.

This easy visual cue makes it simple to monitor your custard without a food thermometer and coating method.

Expert Tips

1. Opt for a good-quality heavy-bottomed saucepan to ensure better heat distribution.
2. To prevent sudden coagulation and lump formation, pour the hot milk over the yolk and sugar mixture gradually.
3. Cooking time varies, but you must cook the custard over low heat. Don't let it boil; otherwise, lumps will form.
4. To avoid overcooking custard, use a cooking thermometer or cook it in a double boiler.
5. To speed up cooling, place the bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice water or ice cubes (an ice bath), and stir constantly by winnowing (drawing a figure of eight with a spatula) until the custard cools.

Storing & freezing

Store crème anglaise in a clean, airtight container or jar, covered with cling film, in the refrigerator at 39°F (+4°C) for up to 24-48 hours. The custard will thicken as it cools.

Can you freeze crème anglaise? It is not recommended to freeze the custard because it will lose its original texture after defrosting.

What is crème anglaise used for?

Crème anglaise is a versatile sauce that can be used in countless ways. Let's explore the various creme anglaise uses:

• Warm or hot, it makes a simple dessert accompanied, for example, by Italian shortbread cookies, French madeleines, homemade ladyfingers, or cat tongue cookies.

• It is best to be served with fresh berries or your favorite desserts: French mini brioche, Italian pandoro, sponge apple cake, French pumpkin pie, Angel food cake, bread pudding, apple crumble, fruit pie, or Moelleux au Chocolat.

• Custard is used for Bavarian cream, Charlotte cakes, classic Bavarois, Floating Island dessert, ice creams, and semifreddo.

Is crème anglaise served hot or cold?

Crème anglaise can be served either warm or cold, depending on how you use it. Served warm, it makes a comforting sauce poured over cakes, fruit crumbles, and warm puddings. Served chilled, it becomes a light, refreshing spoon dessert or a smooth base for fresh berries.

If you plan to serve it cold, cool the custard quickly over an ice bath, then refrigerate it until needed. Give it a gentle stir before serving to restore its silky, pourable texture.

Troubleshooting tips

My custard isn't thickening

Cause: Too few egg yolks or the custard needs more time. Fix: Keep cooking over low heat until it coats the spoon or reaches 180°F (82°C), remembering it thickens further as it cools. Next time, add an extra egg yolk.

My custard is lumpy

Cause: The custard overheated past 185°F (85°C) and curdled. Fix: Strain it through a fine sieve, or blend it with an immersion blender (this thins the texture but keeps the flavor), or stir in a spoonful of cold water and strain again. If none of these work, the custard cannot be saved and must be remade.

My custard is too liquid

Cause: The custard is undercooked, or the ingredient ratio is off. Fix: To thicken it slightly, dissolve cornstarch in a little cold water, add milk, and reheat gently over low heat until it thickens, using 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per ½ liter of milk.

Recipe FAQ

What is crème anglaise in English?
Crème anglaise means "English cream" in French. It is a pourable vanilla custard sauce, sometimes simply called custard sauce or pouring custard, and is known as crema inglese in Italy and creme inglês in Portugal.

Why is it called crème anglaise?
Custard became fashionable at the English royal court in the 16th century, and the French name crème anglaise (English cream) likely dates back to that time.

How do you pronounce crème anglaise?
It is pronounced krem ahn-GLEZ.

What consistency should crème anglaise be?
It should be a smooth, pourable sauce, just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This is the "nappe" stage: run a finger across the coated spoon, and the line should stay clear. It thickens a little more as it cools.

What is the difference between crème anglaise and pastry cream?
Both use milk, sugar, and egg yolks, but pastry cream (crème pâtissière) contains cornstarch or flour, making it thick enough to pipe and fill. Crème anglaise has no starch, so it stays thin and pourable and is naturally gluten-free.

Is crème anglaise the same as custard?
Yes. Crème anglaise translates to "custard" and is a classic pouring custard, though it differs from thicker, starch-based pastry cream.

Can you make crème anglaise ahead of time?
Yes, up to 1-2 days ahead. Store it in an airtight container with plastic film pressed against the surface and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.

How do you serve crème anglaise?
Serve it warm or chilled, poured over fresh fruit, cakes, and pies, or as a stand-alone dessert with cookies, madeleines, or ladyfingers. It is also the base for Bavarian cream, floating island, and ice cream.

Looking for basic cream recipes? Try these next!

• Diplomat Cream
• Creme Legere
• Chocolate Whipped Cream
• Chantilly Cream
• Bavarian Cream

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.