Crème Anglaise

Consider this classic crème anglaise recipe your go-to sauce for desserts. The traditional pourable French custard is the base for vanilla ice cream and just as tasty when it hasn’t been frozen. You can make it as fancy as you please with a vanilla bean (you’ll only need a 2" piece; about one third of a pod) or keep things easy with vanilla extract or paste.

Originally published in the February 1998 issue of Bon Appétit as an accompaniment to Thomas Keller’s Floating Islands With Chocolate Mousse, this sauce has range. Drizzle warm crème anglaise over lattice apple pie or a simple cocoa cake, or serve a slice of pumpkin pie on a cold pool of the vanilla custard sauce. It’s equally at home alongside bread pudding, a raspberry tart, or any dessert that benefits from a little pour of silky goodness.

Tips and FAQs for the best crème anglaise

Is crème anglaise the same as pastry cream? Or custard?
Crème anglaise is pourable and unstarched, while pastry cream (crème pâtissière in French) is typically thickened with cornstarch or flour. The latter is often used as a filling for doughnuts and cakes, like Boston Cream Pie. Both are considered custard, which simply means a mixture of dairy (milk or cream) and eggs that can be sweet or savory. Other examples of custards include crème brûlée, flan, quiche, and more.

How do you keep crème anglaise from curdling?
The trick is to warm the eggs slowly and to keep them moving. This is why the dairy is heated first, slowly poured into the eggs, and then the egg mixture is returned to the pot. Once the custard starts to thicken, it can curdle very quickly. Don’t rush it: Cook over low heat and stir constantly.

Can crème anglaise be made ahead?
Yes—make it up to 1 day ahead and chill with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.