Chocolate Cherry Crème Brûlée
Aug 04, 2025
This is one of those desserts that feels both comforting and indulgent—like something you’d order at a beautiful little restaurant, but made simply at home. Chocolate and cherry is already a beloved pair, but when you tuck ripe cherries beneath a blanket of dark chocolate custard and crack through a brûléed sugar top, it becomes something else entirely.
Whenever I mix dark chocolate with fruit—especially red fruits like cherries, raspberries, strawberries, or currants—I reach for Valrhona’s Manjari. It’s one of the fruitiest dark chocolates on the market, with a bright acidity and deep berry notes that enhance the fruit without overpowering it. It's not the cheapest chocolate out there, but it's worth the splurge. Pastry chefs around the world rely on Valrhona for good reason, and as a certified B Corp, they’re deeply committed to sustainable sourcing and ethical chocolate production. It’s one of my absolute favorites to work with.
This crème brûlée is surprisingly simple to make ahead and a showstopper when served. It’s rich and velvety from the cream and chocolate, with just the right amount of sweetness and tartness from the cherries. The brûléed sugar on top adds a perfect crisp contrast. Make it for a special dinner or just because stone fruit season is too good not to.
Ingredients
¾ cup (120 g)| dark chocolate (preferably Valrhona Manjari)
2 cups (470 g) heavy cream
½ cup (125 g) whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla paste
⅓ cup (80 g) egg yolks (about 4 large yolks)
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, plus more for topping
Pinch salt
About 1¾ cups ~250 grams fresh cherries, pitted and halved (27 cherries)
Turbinado sugar for brûlée
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Set six crème brûlée dishes or shallow ramekins on a baking sheet. Divide the cherry halves evenly between them—about 9 halves per dish, or roughly one cherry piece per bite, depending on the size and shape of your dishes.
In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream and whole milk. Heat over medium until just starting to steam, then remove from the heat and stir in the dark chocolate until completely melted and smooth.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla paste, and a pinch of salt until combined and slightly lightened in color.
Slowly whisk the warm chocolate cream into the egg mixture a little at a time to temper the yolks, then fully incorporate the rest. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to ensure a silky texture.
Carefully pour the custard over the cherries in each dish, dividing it evenly. Place the baking sheet in the oven and pour hot water into the pan around the ramekins until it comes halfway up the sides. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the custards are set around the edges with a slight jiggle in the center.
Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over the surface of each custard. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden and crisp. Serve immediately and crack through that sugar shell with a satisfying tap of your spoon.
Tips & Notes
If cherries aren’t in season, you can substitute raspberries or even poached cranberries for a winter version. Just be sure to use a fruit with some tartness—it balances beautifully with the richness of the custard.
Manjari is my go-to for this recipe, but you can use any high-quality dark chocolate around 64–70% cocoa. Just look for one with a fruity profile to complement the cherries.
This is a great make-ahead dessert. The custards can be fully baked and chilled the day before—just brûlée the tops right before serving for that signature crack.
For brûléeing, I highly recommend using turbinado sugar instead of regular granulated. It melts more evenly, caramelizes beautifully, and gives you that perfect thin, crisp crust without burning too quickly.
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