TikTok's Creme Br?léegle Is the Fanciest Breakfast Hack
Bagels are in my blood. I’ve taken bagel workshops, eaten my way through NYC bagel shops and I actually have a framed print on my living room wall of the chewy, carby beauties. So I’m serious about finding and eating the very best bagel I can. And making that bagel even better by turning it into a dessert? Sold. Enter the creme br?lée bagel, or the Creme Br?léegle, if you will. After seeing this trend on TikTok, I knew it had to happen. It’s simple, tasty and puts a fun spin on breakfast. Plus, why wouldn’t you want to play around with a kitchen torch?
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Related: 24 Bagel Sandwich Recipes
What is the Creme Br?léegle?
The creme brulee bagel is a trend on TikTok where users are taking their bagels, slathering them with cream cheese and sprinkling with sugar before torching them to crispy, creamy, glass-like sugary perfection. The basic version is a plain bagel cut in half with regular block-style cream cheese and granulated sugar although different versions would make this trend even better.
What are the ingredients for the Creme Br?léegle?
Three ingredients go into this one: a bagel, cream cheese and some sugar. TikToker Sami Schnur (@thenaughtyfork) uses a plain bagel, Sugar In The Raw and Philadelphia whipped cream cheese. The fun part, of course, is using the kitchen torch at the end of this recipe. If you don’t have one, they’re super easy to find on Amazon but keep in mind that you’ll have to make a trip to the hardware store for a can of butane since the torch doesn't come with it.
Sondiko Butane Torch with Fuel Gauge S907, Refillable Kitchen Torch Lighter with Adjustable Flame for Creme Brulee(Butane Gas Not Included)
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Although the basic recipe calls for a plain bagel and plain cream cheese, there are no rules when it comes to TikTok recipes and this one is completely customizable. Think of your favorite go-to sweet cream cheese and bagel combo and then get ready because it’s about to get about 10 times better.
Related: Tips For Making An Easy Creme Brulee At Home
What is the recipe for the Creme Br?léegle?
Ingredients:
Cream cheese, either block-style or whipped
Bagel of choice
Sugar
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Directions:
Cut the bagel in half and toast it if you want.
Spread the cream cheese on the bagel. Not too much and not too little, but you want enough so that the sugar adheres.
Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on the bagel. Keep the sugar sprinkle pretty even over the surface area of the bagel.
Using the torch with a medium flame, turn it on and slowly caramelize the sugar on top, being careful not to burn it too much.
Let it cool for a minute or two, then enjoy.
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
What does the Creme Br?léegle taste like?
If you like creme br?lée or even baked French toast, you’ll love this trend. The crispy toasted bagel half slathered with cream cheese acts as the silky custard with a carby bonus underneath. The crackle on top when I bit in transported me to a fancy restaurant where, sure, (twist my arm) I’ll take a look at the dessert menu. It’s basic but bougie at the same time and the little slivers of crystallized sugar mixed with the warmed cream cheese were heaven in my mouth. I tried it both toasted and untoasted and the toasted version, in my opinion, was superior since it provided more variation in texture as the base instead of being squishy.
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Related: Start Your Day Off Right With Coconut Créme Br?lée Overnight Oats
Tips for making the Creme Br?léegle perfectly:
Don’t relinquish yourself to a life of plain Jane bagels with cream cheese. A French toast, chocolate chip or berry bagel would be fabulous here. Fancy cream cheese is not out of the question either. Grocery stores carry a surprisingly wide array of flavors as would your local bagel shop.
For the recipe, you can use whatever cream cheese you like as well. I’m partial to whipped cream cheese (shoutout to Temp Tee) since it’s easier to spread, but go with what you have on hand.
It may be best to use white sugar here since it’s easier to tell when it is caramelized as opposed to brown sugar or coconut sugar. But experimenting in the kitchen is half the fun, so try out the recipe with what you have on hand and adjust accordingly.
Don’t get too close with the torch. It’s easy to burn the sugar instead of lightly caramelizing it. Patience is key here. If you want the lazy version of this, broil your bagel on low for a minute or two, until it is golden crackle perfection.
