Japanese Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée Recipe
This Japanese Sweet Potato Crème Brûlée recipe beautifully combines the natural sweetness of roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with a rich, velvety custard cream, topped with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. It’s a delightful twist on the classic dessert, infusing it with comforting, earthy flavors.
- Author: Bella
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 7 medium Japanese sweet potatoes
Custard Creme
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks (omega 3)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- ¼ cup sugar (for caramelizing)
- Roast the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 392°F (200°C). Wrap each Japanese sweet potato tightly in aluminum foil and place them in the oven. Roast for about 1 hour and 10 minutes until they are thoroughly cooked and soft.
- Prepare the Custard Cream Base: While the sweet potatoes roast, combine ⅔ cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in 3 cups of milk, ensuring no lumps form. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously until it thickens to a smooth consistency.
- Temper the Egg Yolks: In a separate small bowl, lightly beat 3 egg yolks. Slowly add roughly ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while stirring continuously to prevent curdling. Then, whisk this egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
- Cook the Custard Cream: Continue cooking the custard over medium heat for another 2 minutes or until it thickens further. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Cool the Custard: Transfer the custard cream into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap directly on top to prevent a skin from forming, and let it cool to room temperature.
- Prepare Sweet Potatoes for Filling: Once roasted, allow the sweet potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes. Cut off the top part of each sweet potato, then carefully scoop out about one-third of the flesh to create space for the custard filling.
- Fill with Custard Cream: Evenly spoon the cooled custard cream into each hollowed sweet potato shell.
- Caramelize the Sugar Topping: Sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon of caster sugar evenly over the custard on each stuffed sweet potato. Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelize the sugar until it turns a dark amber color and begins to bubble, forming a crisp caramel crust.
- Serve and Enjoy: Allow the caramelized sugar to harden completely before serving. Enjoy this elegant fusion dessert warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Ensure continuous whisking during custard preparation to avoid lumps and curdling.
- If you don’t have a kitchen blowtorch, you can carefully broil the sugar topping in the oven for a short time, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Use omega-3 enriched eggs if possible for added nutrition.
- Let the roasted sweet potatoes cool enough before handling to avoid burns.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto custard to prevent skin formation during cooling.
- The custard can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before using.
Keywords: Japanese sweet potato, crème brûlée, custard, roasted sweet potato dessert, caramelized sugar dessert, Japanese dessert