Crème Anglaise (Vanilla Custard Sauce), Smooth and Silky
Homemade crème anglaise with milk, egg yolks, and vanilla: a smooth, silky vanilla custard sauce cooked over low heat, perfect for desserts and cakes.
Looking for a vanilla crème anglaise, that smooth, silky custard sauce that pours over cakes and spoon desserts? Then follow this recipe: it’s a simple French base, made with just a few ingredients, and it comes together in twenty minutes.
Crème anglaise is a sauce, not a set cream: milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla cooked gently, with no starch. The slow cooking is exactly what makes it silky, because the yolks thicken slowly and bind the milk into a sauce that coats the spoon.
It has at least three real advantages: it’s made with ingredients you already have, it pairs with countless desserts, and you can serve it warm or cold depending on what you’re making.
The most important tip is about temperature: never go above 82-83°C (180°F) and never stop stirring. Past that point the yolks scramble and the sauce turns grainy. If you’re afraid of overshooting, cook it in a bain-marie: it’s slower but far safer.
It keeps in the fridge, covered on the surface, for a couple of days. Serve it with apple cake, a slice of pound cake, or simply with stewed fruit.
Ready? Let’s make crème anglaise.
To make this recipe
A small selection of handy tools to keep within reach. Some links may be affiliate links.
Pastry whisk
Useful for whipping egg whites to stiff peaks and for gently folding the mixture without deflating it.
Steps
- Heat the milk with the vanilla seeds and the pod, without letting it boil, then leave it to infuse for a few minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and slightly foamy.
- Pour the hot milk over the yolks in a thin stream, stirring, then return everything to the pan.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and never going above 82-83°C (180°F): the sauce is ready when it coats the spoon and a finger drawn across leaves a clean line.
- Take it off the heat right away, remove the pod, and strain if you like. Cool it quickly while stirring to stop the cooking.
Helpful tips
Crème anglaise must not boil: above 82-83°C (180°F) the yolks scramble. Keep the heat low and never stop stirring.
If you're worried about overheating, cook it in a bain-marie: it's slower but much safer.
Curdled? Blend it right away with an immersion blender to bring it back.
It keeps in the fridge, covered on the surface, for 2 days. Serve it warm or cold with cakes, spoon desserts, and stewed fruit.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 16.0 g
- Sugars
- 15.0 g
- Protein
- 5.0 g
- Fat
- 7.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 4.0 g
- Fiber
- 0.0 g
- Sodium
- 45 mg
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