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Updated June 2026
October 3rd is National Caramel Custard Day (National Chocolate Custard Day is May 5th). Also called crème caramel in France, and flan in Spain, caramel custard is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce (photos #3 and #4).
Note that in France, flan Parisien refers to a classic custard pie or tart. Buttery shortcrust pastry is filled with pastry cream and baked until the top blisters. Here’s a recipe.
A layer of caramel is added to the bottom of the mold, creating a dark caramel top and sauce when the custard is unmolded.
Caramel custard can be made in individual ramekins, in a cake pan, loaf pan, in a fluted flan pan or tall fluted mold, or other shape.
In the U.S., caramel custard isn’t the same as creme caramel. Instead of the caramel topping, caramelized sugar is mixed into the custard prior to baking. It gets confusing.
Below:
> Introduction to custard.
> Julia Child’s crème caramel (caramel custard) recipe.
> Garnishes for crème caramel.
> More custard recipes.
Elsewhere on The Nibble:
> The different types of custard, a photo glossary.
> The difference between pudding and custard.
> The year’s 24 pudding and custard holidays.
INTRODUCTION TO CUSTARD
Custard is one of our favorite dishes: a symphony of cream, eggs and flavorings, baked to a velvety texture.
Most people consider custard to be sweet—a dessert that ranges from crème caramel, crème brûlée, flan and others. But there’s more:
Quiche is savory cheese custard tart (also called a cheese flan).
Cheesecake is a cheese custard cake. It can be savory or sweet.
Bread pudding is a custard with bread cubes. It can be savory or sweet.
Lemon curd (or other fruit curd) is a “stirred” custard, with lemon juice replacing the cream.
Take the same mixture of cream and eggs that forms the base of sweet custard and replace the sugar with savory inclusions:
You’ve got a delicious savory custard that can be eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In brief, custard has eggs, pudding doesn’t. Similarly, panna cotta isn’t a custard; it doesn’t contain eggs. It is an American-style pudding*, thickened with gelatin.
What about custard-style yogurt?
It’s a marketing name for yogurt in which the fruit is already mixed in and distributed evenly throughout.
A successor style to fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, it was created as a convenience for people who didn’t like to stir up the fruit. It has nothing to do with custard—but it does give the yogurt a creamy, pudding-like consistency.
(Editor’s note: We guess that “custard” yogurt sounded more elgant than “pudding” yogurt.)
JULIA CHILD’S CARAMEL CUSTARD (CRÈME CARAMEL) RECIPE
This recipe uses a four-cup mold to make a family-size caramel custard, which can be cut into 6 servings.
If you want to use individual ramekins, bake for half the time—20 minutes at 350°F.
Ingredients
½ cup plus ⅔ cup sugar
2 cups milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
Optional garnishes (see *footnote)
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the syrup turns a light caramel color.
2. REMOVE the saucepan from the heat and dip the bottom into cold water to stop the cooking. Pour the caramel into a 4-cup charlotte mold, and tilt so that it covers the bottoms and sides. Let cool.
3. BRING the milk and vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan. In a heatproof bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and ⅔ cup sugar until blended.
Whisking constantly, pour the hot milk into the egg mixture; if you don’t whisk constantly, the eggs will curdle. Let rest for a few minutes, then strain.
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