Crème Anglaise Recipe (French Vanilla Custard Sauce)

Looking for the perfect crème anglaise recipe? This silky French vanilla custard sauce is simple to make and instantly makes any dessert feel a little more French.

There are desserts… and then there are desserts with crème anglaise.
In France, we don't drown our cakes in frosting. We gently spoon over a silky, vanilla-scented custard sauce that makes everything taste a little more elegant. A little more special. A little more oooh là là.

This crème anglaise recipe is the classic French vanilla custard sauce my grandmother would make without ever looking at a thermometer, just by instinct and patience. And once you know the trick, you won't need one either.

But What Is Crème Anglaise?

Despite the name (which literally means "English cream"), crème anglaise is a staple of French pastry.

It's a thin, pourable vanilla custard sauce made with:

• Egg yolks
• Sugar
• Milk
• Real vanilla

That's it. No cornstarch. No flour. No shortcuts.

It's cooked gently until it thickens just enough to coat the back of a spoon. That silky texture is what makes it different from pastry cream, which is much thicker and used for fillings.

Crème anglaise is meant to flow. To pool beautifully under a slice of cake. To glide over warm chocolate fondant.

Jump to:

• But What Is Crème Anglaise?
• Ingredients you'll need
• How to make crème anglaise (Without Scrambling the Eggs)
• 1. Heat the Milk
• 2. Whisk the Yolks and Sugar
• 3. Temper the Eggs
• 4. Cook Gently
• How Do You Know When Crème Anglaise Is Done?
• What to Serve with Crème Anglaise
• Crème Anglaise vs Custard: What's the Difference?
• Storage Tips
• A Little French Secret
• Crème Anglaise Recipe (French Vanilla Custard Sauce)

Ingredients you'll need

For this classic French custard sauce:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sugar (50g)
• 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)

That's the entire magic.

Whole milk gives the right balance. Cream makes it too heavy. Skim milk makes it sad.

How to make crème anglaise (Without Scrambling the Eggs)

Here's how to make crème anglaise the proper way:

1. Heat the Milk

Warm the milk with the vanilla (split the bean and scrape the seeds if using one).
Heat until steaming, not boiling. Boiling will change the flavor and the texture.
Gentle heat only!

2. Whisk the Yolks and Sugar

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
No need for a mixer, just good arm power. De "l'huile de coude" for those of you who speak French 😉

3. Temper the Eggs

VERY slowly pour the warm milk into the yolks while whisking constantly.
This is important as this prevents scrambled eggs. Remember, we are making custard, not breakfast!

4. Cook Gently

Pour everything back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Do not walk away.
Do not check Instagram.
Custard senses fear.

How Do You Know When Crème Anglaise Is Done?

The classic French test:
It's ready when it coats the back of a spoon. You can also run your finger across the back of the spoon and If the line stays clear and doesn't run, your vanilla custard sauce is ready.

If it looks grainy or starts to curdle, it got too hot.
(If that happens, blend it immediately with an immersion blender. It can sometimes be saved.)

What to Serve with Crème Anglaise

This custard sauce for cake is pure magic.
Pour it over:

• My chocolate fondant cake bien sûr!!!
• Apple tart
• Bread pudding
• Floating islands (îles flottantes)
• Warm brownies
• Fresh berries

Anything warm + this cool vanilla custard sauce = perfection!

Crème Anglaise vs Custard: What's the Difference?

In America, "custard" can mean many things.

Crème anglaise is specifically:

• Thin and pourable
• Thickened only with egg yolks
• Served as a sauce

Pastry cream (crème pâtissière) is thicker and contains starch.
They are cousins, not twins!

Storage Tips

Store your French custard sauce in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Serve chilled or gently rewarmed over very low heat.
Never microwave it aggressively. That's how it breaks.

A Little French Secret

The flavor of this crème anglaise recipe depends almost entirely on the vanilla.

Use real vanilla if you can. It gives the sauce the kind of flavor you'd expect in a small Parisian bistro, somewhere between dessert and a late afternoon espresso.

And now that you know the secret, you'll see just how simple it really is. A few ingredients, a little patience, and suddenly you have a silky homemade crème anglaise ready to transform whatever dessert is waiting on your table. It's especially lovely in my Floating Islands recipe : delicate meringues floating in crème anglaise! A must try!

---

You'll find the detailed crème anglaise recipe in the recipe card below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you try it, I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment at the very bottom of the page and give it a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. It truly helps support my little blog and means so much to me. Thank you!