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Creme Anglaise is the silky French vanilla custard sauce that turns a simple slice of cake into something restaurant-worthy, and it is so much easier to make than it sounds. I first poured it over pound cake for a family birthday and everyone thought I had bought it from a bakery. If you love a from-scratch dessert sauce, it is right at home with our apple bread pudding.
Warm cream and milk steeped with real vanilla bean, then thickened gently with egg yolks, give you a pourable, custardy sauce with deep vanilla flavor.
Creme Anglaise Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 25 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 2.5 cups
- ⚡ Calories: 270kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Silky, pourable vanilla custard sauce with rich cream and real vanilla bean
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a make-ahead sauce like the custard in our bread pudding
Quick Answer
To make creme anglaise, simmer heavy cream and milk with a split vanilla bean. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale, then slowly stream the hot cream into the yolks while whisking to temper them. Pour everything back into the pot and stir over low heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain it through a fine mesh sieve and chill until ready to serve.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Real vanilla bean. Steeping a whole split vanilla bean in the cream gives the sauce a deep, fragrant vanilla flavor with pretty flecks throughout.
- Tempering protects the eggs. Slowly streaming the hot cream into the yolks warms them gently so they thicken the sauce instead of scrambling.
- Low and slow cooking. Cooking over medium-low heat and stirring constantly keeps the custard smooth and prevents curdling.
- The spoon test. Cooking just until the sauce coats the back of a spoon gives you the perfect pourable, custardy texture.
- Straining for silk. Passing the finished sauce through a fine mesh strainer removes the pod and any bits for a flawless, silky pour.
- Make it ahead. Creme anglaise keeps for days in the fridge, so you can make it before company arrives.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is an elegant, pourable vanilla custard sauce that makes any dessert feel special.
- It comes together with six simple ingredients and tastes like it came from a French bakery, like our tiramisu.
- You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge to drizzle over cakes, fruit, and more all week.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for creme anglaise. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Vanilla bean: A whole split bean gives the richest vanilla flavor and pretty specks. Vanilla bean paste works in a pinch.
- Heavy cream: Brings richness and body to the custard sauce.
- Whole milk: Lightens the cream so the sauce stays pourable rather than heavy.
- Egg yolks: The thickener that gives creme anglaise its silky, custardy texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the sauce and helps the yolks whip up pale and smooth.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This creme anglaise is easy to flavor your own way. Here are a few ideas.
- Use vanilla extract: No bean? Stir in two teaspoons of good vanilla extract after cooking.
- Add a liqueur: A splash of Grand Marnier, bourbon, or amaretto makes it extra special.
- Try citrus or coffee: Steep orange zest or espresso in the cream for a flavored sauce.
- Make it chocolate: Whisk in a little melted chocolate while the sauce is still warm.
- Spice it: Add a cinnamon stick to the cream, like the warm spice in our bread pudding.
How to Make Creme Anglaise
- Cut the vanilla bean in half, then slice it lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of the knife. Add the seeds and the empty pod pieces to a small saucepot.
- Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into the pot with the vanilla. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While the liquid heats, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until pale yellow and slightly thickened, about a minute or two.
- Once the cream simmers, discard the pods. Very slowly stream the hot liquid into the yolks, whisking constantly and quickly so the eggs do not solidify, until all the liquid is added.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon, holding a line when you run a finger across it.
- Take it off the heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill until ready to use.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Keep the heat low. Medium-low and constant stirring is the key to a smooth sauce that does not curdle.
- Temper slowly. Add the hot cream to the yolks a little at a time while whisking fast to keep the eggs from scrambling.
- Watch for the spoon test. The sauce is done the moment it coats the back of a spoon, do not let it boil.
- Always strain. Straining removes the pod and any cooked egg bits for a perfectly silky pour.
- Press plastic wrap on top. Lay wrap directly on the surface while chilling to prevent a skin from forming.
- Save the pod. Rinse and dry the used vanilla pod to make vanilla sugar, perfect for our tiramisu.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve creme anglaise warm or chilled, pooled under or drizzled over your favorite desserts. It is classic over pound cake, sponge cake, and fresh berries, and it turns a simple bowl of fruit into something elegant.
It is wonderful with warm desserts like our apple bread pudding and berry cobbler, or spooned alongside a slice of tiramisu.
For another make-ahead sweet finish, try drizzling it over a scoop of our fried ice cream.
Creme Anglaise FAQs
Creme anglaise is a classic French pouring custard made from cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. It is a thin, silky sauce, not a set custard, designed to be drizzled over cakes, fruit, and other desserts. The name simply means English cream.
Curdling happens when the eggs get too hot too fast. Always cook over medium-low heat, stir constantly, and temper the yolks by adding the hot cream slowly. If it does curdle slightly, you can sometimes save it by quickly blending it smooth and straining.
The sauce is ready when it thickens just enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Run your finger across the coated spoon, and if the line stays put without running, it is done. This usually happens around 170 to 175 degrees, well before it boils.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, creme anglaise keeps for up to 3 to 4 days. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Give it a gentle stir before serving, and enjoy it cold or gently rewarmed.
Yes. Use two teaspoons of good vanilla extract or a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste instead, stirring it in after the sauce has cooked and come off the heat so the flavor stays bright. A vanilla bean gives the most flavor, but extract works well.
Creme anglaise is delicious over pound cake, sponge cake, bread pudding, cobblers, poached pears, fresh berries, and chocolate desserts. It also forms the base for ice cream. Anywhere you want a silky, vanilla custard sauce, it shines.
Want something to pour it over? Try our berry cobbler next.
Our tiramisu cheesecake is a rich, creamy dessert with espresso-soaked lady fingers.
Creme Anglaise
Ingredients
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Using a pairing knife, cut the vanilla bean in half, then cut it down the middle lengthwise to expose the inside seeds. Use the back of the knife, and run it along the inside of the vanilla bean to scrape off the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to a small saucepot along with the empty pod pieces.1 whole vanilla bean
- Pour the heavy cream and whole milk into the pot with the vanilla pod and seeds. Place the pot over medium-low heat, and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring occasionally.1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk
- While the liquid is coming to a simmer, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until they become pale yellow in color, and the mixture starts to thicken. This will take a minute or two.6 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, pinch fine sea salt
- Once the liquid comes to a simmer, take it off the heat and discard the vanilla pods.
- Use a ladle and very slowly stream the hot liquid into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly and fast, this will help prevent the eggs from solidifying. Continue doing this until all of the liquid is added to the bowl.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens. It will coat the back of a spoon. When you (carefully!) run your finger across the back of the spoon, the liquid will stay put and not run.
- Take it off the heat and strain the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. Allow it to come to room temperature, then cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
Video
Notes
- You can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe as needed.
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can be used in place of whole vanilla beans, see my tips above on that.
- This recipe can be made in advance, see my tips above on how to store it properly.
- Add different extracts after the straining step to switch up the flavor, I suggest coffee, peppermint, orange, or strawberry extracts.
- Instead of a mixture of heavy cream and milk, you can use other variations, see above on my tips.
- Can be used to pour over desserts or as a dip.
Nutrition
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