Sweet stuff
Baked Vanilla Custard Pots
Silky, set vanilla custard like a crème brûlée without the burnt sugar. Make them the day before.
Serves 4Prep 10 minCook 30 minplus 2 hours in the fridge
2gcarbs
per serving
per serving
About 2g of carbs per serving. One pot. A few raspberries on top add about 1g. How we worked it out
You'll need
Don't have it?
- Whipping cream: Works in sauces and puddings. It's a little thinner, so sauces take a minute longer to thicken. It won't whip as firm.
- Full-fat cream cheese: For sauces only: use half as much cream cheese and loosen it with a splash of water. Not for puddings.
Don't have it?
- Granulated only: Fine in anything that's cooked. For cold puddings, whizz it in a clean blender for 30 seconds so it isn't gritty.
- Xylitol: Works the same for people, but it's very poisonous to dogs. If you've got a dog, don't keep it in the house.
Don't have it?
- Vanilla extract: A few drops instead. Different, but just as nice.
Method
- Turn the oven on to 150°C (130°C fan, gas 2). Boil the kettle.
- Warm the cream in a pan until it's steaming, but don't let it boil.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sweetener and vanilla. Slowly pour in the warm cream, whisking all the time.
- Pour into 4 ramekins or small ovenproof cups. Stand them in a roasting tin.
- Pour hot water from the kettle into the tin until it comes halfway up the ramekins.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set at the edges but still a little wobbly in the middle.
- Lift out carefully, cool, then chill for at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with cinnamon to serve.
Tip
The little wobble in the middle is right. They firm up in the fridge. If they're firm when they come out, they're overdone.
Swaps
- A little grated orange or lemon zest in the cream instead of vanilla.
- Top with a few raspberries just before serving.
Storing it
Covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Air fryer
No water bath needed. Stand the filled ramekins in the basket and cook at 140°C for 18 to 22 minutes, until set at the edges with a wobble in the middle. If the tops start to brown, cover them loosely with foil. Then cool and chill as in step 7
Air fryers vary, so check early the first time.
How we worked out 2g of carbs
| Ingredient | Weight | Per 100g | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double cream UK government food tables | 300g | 1.7g | 5.1g |
| Eggs UK government food tables (trace) | 54g | 0g | 0.0g |
| Erythritol / stevia blend Typical UK supermarket label | 24g | 0g | 0.0g |
| Vanilla extract Typical UK supermarket label | 4g | 13g | 0.5g |
| Dried spices (paprika, chilli, cumin, cinnamon) Typical UK supermarket label | 0.3g | 35g | 0.1g |
| Total | 5.7g | ||
| ÷ 4 servings, rounded up | 2g | ||
Meat, fish, oil, salt, pepper and water have no carbs, so they're left out. How we count carbs.