Egg Nog Creme Brulee
My Egg Nog Creme Brulee recipe.
Egg Nog Custard or Creme Brulee
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 TBS Natural Sweetener or erythritol and a drop of stevia glycerite
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or to taste
- 1 whole vanilla bean
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream or coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons Swerve, nutmeg and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
- Pour coconut milk (or cream) and vanilla bean (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract) into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately.
- Stir coconut milk (or cream) into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined. Pour coconut milk (or cream) mixture into the top of a double boiler.
- Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
- IF MAKING INTO CREME BRULEE: Preheat oven to broil. Sift the remaining sweetener evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sweetener melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.
Notes
Using Heavy Cream = 468 calories, 50g fat, 6g protein, 4g carbs, 0.1g fiber
Using Coconut Milk = 248 calories, 24g fat, 5g protein, 2g carbs, 0.1g fiber
Testimony of the Day
Last week Malorie’s mother contacted me in desperation to help her weeping daughter. Let’s just say Malorie is no longer weeping!
“Hi Maria! I just wanted to show you a quick update after being on your diet for 5 days!! I’ve attached a before and after picture. My itchy, rashy legs have always looked their worse when i’m in a bath or shower; they are always there, but something about the hot water would make them very red and more noticeable than they already were. The “before” picture is how my legs would look while bathing for the last 3 or so years. I was so happy to take a bath tonight and realize they are almost all gone! I just wanted to thank you again for saving my skin!” Malorie
To get started on your path to health and healing, click HERE.
NUTMEG BENEFITS
Do not mistakenly eat fruit in abundance, believing it is a “free food.” I just finished reading a book called, Heavy, which was a memoir of a mother trying to help her eight-year-old lose weight. In the story, the mother went to a dietitian who assigned colors to foods to help her daughter understand what foods she could eat without guilt, what foods she must eat in moderation, and what foods that she should not eat. Fruit was a food she could eat without guilt. So when the daughter wasn’t losing weight, the mother desperately only fed her daughter fruit for breakfast. Since her daughter was always hungry on this fat-devoid diet, she would give her fruit for snacks, too. No wonder the poor little eight-year-old was always hungry! I loved this book and hated it at the same time. I loved it because it discussed what I see daily in clients and it reminded me of how I mistakenly followed that type of diet. I hated it because I wanted so desperately to call this mother and help her to stop creating an eating disorder for such a young child.
Have you seen or tasted strawberries in the wild? My family has a strawberry patch, and the strawberries are about the size of the tip of your thumb and are quite tart. If you buy strawberries at Sam’s Club, for example, they are larger than a golf ball and taste like candy, but that isn’t sweet enough for most people. My niece once poured my dad’s homemade maple syrup all over her bowl of Sam’s Club strawberries, an act she was applauded for; eating fruit instead of junk food. I just bit my tongue.
We are breeding nutrition out of “natural” foods. I guess grapes aren’t sweet enough for us anymore because we now have “cotton candy” grapes! These grapes are bred to have twice as much sugar as regular sugar-filled grapes.[43]
A lot of Americans are ingrained with the idea that they should be eating an apple a day, so they pick a big red Golden Delicious and feel like they are doing their “body good.” But, hey, don’t you know that Golden Delicious apples are a hundred-year heirloom? Shouldn’t heirlooms be better for us since we can breed more phytonutrients into it? Not necessarily. Many times we focus on taste, or should I say sugar content, to stimulate sales. In her book Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson reviews a 2009 study that examined forty-six overweight men with high cholesterol and triglycerides who agreed to participate in an eating experiment. Half of the men stayed on their regular diets, serving as a control group. The other twenty-three added a Golden Delicious apple to their fare. The goal was to determine if eating an apple a day would reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. At the end of the study, the men who ate an apple a day had higher levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol than before the study began. The conclusion is that the Golden Delicious apples were too low in phytonutrients to lower the men’s bad cholesterol, and were too high in sugar, causing an increase in the men’s triglycerides.[28]
We need to update the recommendation of eating nine servings of fruits and vegetables for maximum health. This suggestion has a few issues with it. A few years ago, I read that most kids actually do get the recommended servings for fruits and vegetables. Are you shocked to read this? Yep, they eat French fries, onion rings, and ketchup. Sad, but it does fit the guidelines. Will you reap the benefits of eating 7–9 servings of these foods? Absolutely not.
Even if you aren’t even eating French fries or ketchup, eating three bananas a day isn’t a good idea. Studies prove that the current state of the produce we consume is relatively low in phytonutrients and much higher in sugar than it was in our Paleo days.[44] All of the fruits and vegetables displayed in our supermarkets have much fewer nutrients than what you would find in the wild. Consumers want fruit that tastes sweet. The sad part is, we think it is a good thing when our kids eat massive amounts of fruits. The more palatable our produce has become, the less beneficial it is for our health. The most beneficial phytonutrients have a bitter, sour, or astringent taste.
Spices like nutmeg and fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, oregano, and basil are the most nutritious plants you can consume. For example, everyone thinks spinach is the perfect food, but fresh oregano has eight times the amount of antioxidants! Sure, we don’t eat a cup of oregano like we would spinach, but it does go to show that a little bit provides a huge benefit.
Instead of consuming fruits and starchy veggies that have fructose and raise blood sugar quickly, I suggest using herbs and spices, which often have many more vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients than any fruit will give you.
The chart below demonstrates how herbs are much better than fruits and vegetables as sources for vitamins and minerals. As you can see, there is more potassium in nutmeg than in a whole banana, and it comes without all the inflammatory sugar.
Health Tip
My son loves your desserts ( and me too!) and I made a recipe similar to this one from your kids book. We ate it all up! But
I really would love to know if you have ever frozen portions of this creme brûlée. Would it work?
Hmm, not sure if that would work. Might change consistency. 😉
Thank you for your help.
No–eggs and cream do not freeze. Even the coconut milk version would not freeze well.
Thank you!
Hey Maria! As an Australian I’ve never had egg nog before and figured it’d be the *perfect* Keto Christmas drink. How would I modify your above recipe to make it into (or close to) traditional eggnog drink? Just add rum? (I think that’s what’s used).
Yes, but as you know, I am not a big fan of alcohol. 🙂
You could also use rum flavoring. I make egg nog thumbprint cookies at Christmastime and use rum essence instead of rum, and they’re delicious!
Sounds good! 🙂
Do dried herbs/spices contain as many benefits as using fresh? Also, does shelf life dramatically reduce the antioxidants? I’ve started putting herbs into my toddler’s meals, she seems to like them!! Thx for all you do 🙂
It can effect them somewhat, but they are still very high in most nutrients. 🙂
Herbs and spices are so high in antioxidants to begin with (in the thousands), that shelf life wouldn’t have much effect on you by the time you used them all up.
Here’s a list of the antioxidant value of herbs and spices: http://www.healthcastle.com/spices_antioxidant.shtml –They are so high, you might want to give up on the old standbys of beans and blueberries. I’ve given up on fruit altogether and now get the nutrients from sprouts/microgreens, herbs & spices, and meats.
For a good all-meat diet, here’s an article on how to do it: http://mostlymeatiswhatieat.blogspot.com/2013/08/carnivore-rda-chart-end-of-long-road.html
Great info wenchyoo! Thanks!
If you tend to lose weight with protein, and tend to gain with fat, does that indicate anything…even though carbs are les thatn 30g/day?
Sorry for jumping in here Maria, hopefully my comment will meet your approval 🙂 Kim, it is a myth that you gain weight with fat. You gain weight with CARBS, not fat. Your body will use carbs as energy before using your stored fat. I was skeptical before going on a LCHF/Keto diet, but I have lost 18 lbs in about 3 weeks eating fatty bacon, using whipping cream in my coffee, regular cream cheese and other cheeses on everything, etc. I just want to tell everybody about my research into carbs (grains and processed sugars) so they can live healthy and feel well too! 🙂
Thanks Cathy-I have been gluten/grain/sugar and mostly dairy free for over 5 years. I bought the 30 day accelerated program from Maria. I have been doing this faithfully for over 9 weeks, and my weight goes up. I was 125, now I weigh 130.5. So I was curious from both your and Maria’s point of view…what is going on?? I totally agree and on board with keto/lchf way of eating. (had my gall bladder out 24 years ago-so I really eat hflc) Thx!!
Hmm, have you had a health assessment? There could be hormone issues going on. Also, have you done Intermittent fasting? I find this can help as well. 🙂
If you’re gaining weight on protein, it’s because the meat animal also consumed carbs as part of it’s diet. Grass-fed, pastured meat has less sugar locked up in the muscles than grain-fed meats do–and we eat the muscles as our cuts of meat. This is why we need to eat more grass-fed, pastured meat as well as organ meats–that’s where the nutrition is! More nutrients with less sugar-to-muscle-bonded AGEs.
This lessening is a direct result of the animal getting exercise, and working off whatever sugar gets into the system. Taken one more step, substitute HUMANS for animals, and it works the same way.
“The other twenty-three added a Golden Delicious apple to their fare. The goal was to determine if eating an apple a day would reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. At the end of the study, the men who ate an apple a day had higher levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol than before the study began. The conclusion is that the Golden Delicious apples were too low in phytonutrients to lower the men’s bad cholesterol, and were too high in sugar, causing an increase in the men’s triglycerides.”
I’m definitely not commenting to suggest eating more carbs, but I want to share something I read yesterday in “Grain Brain” by David Perlmutter. He states (and backs-up) that higher LDL cholesterol is BETTER for brain health: ” In reality, LDL is not a cholesterol molecule at all, good or bad. It’s a low-density lipoprotein (hence is acronym), and there is absolutely nothing bad about it. The fundamental role of LDL in the brain, again, is to capture life-giving cholesterol and transport it to the neuron, where it performs critically important functions.”
I LOVE your books, too, Maria, and am currently reading “Secrets of a Healthy Metabolism”.
I understand that as well. I have a 3 post series on cholesterol here. Thanks! 🙂
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/the-cholesterol-myth/
I am fascinated with the idea of getting nutrients in herbs and spices. The potassium chart was eye opening, but since it compares everything by weight rather than serving size, the left hand side of the chart is hard to eat from therapeutically. The fresh leafy things have so much volume at 100gm (a bit over 3 ounces). I am personally working on increasing potassium in my diet…I made a protein shake for lunch yesterday that had whey isolate, almond milk, a melted square of unsweetened baking chocolate, a bit of heavy cream to melt the chocolate in, half a zucchini, half an avocado, ice, a pinch of sea salt, and about 20 drops of stevia. It made a huge amount and was very rich–had to split it over 2 meals. The texture was wonderful, glossy and silky, and even my son thought it was tasty. But so rich. But not an empty calorie an sight.
I am definitely going to keep researching the nutritional boosts available in herbs and spices. Been eating about 20-35 gm carbs, 55-65 gm protein, and around 100 gm fat. I get so FULL. I need something small and nutrient packed to get this to be a well-formulated keto lifestyle.
Maybe someday I will be able to afford your services. Meanwhile, I am slowly buying your ebooks and studying your blog and forum. Thank you for sharing so much of your research and experience. Though I can do low carb without baked goods and desserts, having your recipes in my arsenal will help me healthify my family, bit by bit. And I get an occasional treat I thought I could never have in a healthy way!! Thank you.
Hi,
I recently purchased the Meal Plan. So far so good. I’ve noted a significant difference in the level of my joint pain. At times it’s lmost non-existent. I’ve lost 5 pounds too. I have a question about almond milk. I’ve tried it before and it is not my friend. Had lots of intestinal problems with it. I recently was told that anyone with thyroid issues shouldn’t take it. I do have thyroid issues. I want to make some of the recipes that call for almond milk. Is there a substitute I can use? Thanks.
Question for anyone – is swerve better that “just like sugar” ? Just wondering which is better to use. I am learning how to cook all over again with the recipes and so far love them. Thanks for all opinions between the two sweeteners.
I find that too much JLS can raise blood sugar (carbs, even from fiber can add up).
Use your glucometer and tell US what works best for you. My husband cannot tolerate sugar alcohols, but we tried Swerve last night, and so far, so good–it only raised his BG 1 point in an hour. Now we’re waiting to see if any food allergy symptoms appear, like diarrhea, a metallic taste, or flushing/fast pulse.
If all is still good, we’re switching from cut-leaf stevia to Swerve. He can detect a bitter aftertaste with the stevia.
Is there something I can use in place of almond milk for other recipes?
I would try coconut milk. 🙂
Yes Marie, you could use good old cow milk, or cow cream, goat milk, or coconut milk ( my fav. ) Like Maria says … Happy cooking! 🙂
Thanks, Sula
Hi Maria I am trying to recover from anorexia on my own since my family can’t really afford treatment for me. We saw a doctor and she recommended eating plenty of whole grains and a lot of fruits, which is something you advise against and the nutritionist she sent in with her also advised this. I was wondering what you think of this and if you could give me some advice so that I may be on a correct path to recover. Up until now I have always tried to limit my carb intake to no more than 50g and none of those have been from grains they have all come from nuts, avocados, and veggies. I am 16, sedentary, 5’3″, and currently weigh 94 lbs. Could you tell me macros possibly and calorie intake?
Yes, I think it is much better and more healthy for your in the long run (and short term as you won’t get cravings, etc.) to eat this way. Keep your fat at 70-80% of calories, protein moderate at 50-90 grams a day and carbs like you were (50g or less). Then make sure to get a bedtime snack of something like my Keto Fudge. That will help you with moods and cravings. I have helped a couple people in your situation recovery healthfully this way. 🙂
Thank you so much for your advice and how many calories should be my limit?
Really depends on a lot of factors. Are you trying to gain some weight, how much, activity level, etc. Eating this way it would be good to shoot for 1600-2000 calories a day and adjust as you gain some weight. 🙂
I mentioned this already, but it’s ok 🙂 I am 16 years old, 5’3-4″, sedentary, I currently weight 93-95 lbs and am trying to get to 112-115 somewhere in that area is what the doctor said was my healthy weight range.
I would shoot for 2000 calories at least. Maybe even 2400 in your situation until you get closer to your healthy weight. 🙂
Hi Maria, this looks fabulous. I have a couple of questions, what do you think about raw milk and it’s benefits? The sweeteners you use, you state that we need to eat clean and not have any processed foods but aren’t these sweeteners processed? Chemically processed? Just trying to understand, I am on paleo and they state that no artifitial sweeteners allowed including stevia, unless the stevia is in a green form which means it has not been chemically processed. I want to start your way but just afraid that it might backfire with all these artifitial sweeteners. Thank you for your time.
I think whole, raw milk (from a source you can trust) is a good option. The sweeteners I use are not chemically processed. For example, Swerve has 2 ingredients and they are both processed in similar ways as maple syrup (Oligosaccharides are extracted and distilled) and honey (Erythritol is made by fermenting glucose with Moniliella pollinis (a natural microorganism found in honeycomb) which breaks down the glucose and yields erythritol). 🙂
Hi Maria,
I don’t know how else to contact you so here is my question. I have been doing your 30 day accelerated program for a few weeks and have been gluten and grain free since mid October. About a month ago I had to take an antibiotic for some dental work and I developed a yeast infection. I have had this infection for almost three weeks and it does not go away. I am taking probiotics and have used the 7 day over the counter cream. I think it starts to get better and then bam it is back again. I have a feeling the infection it is linked to the way I am eating….but why? Years ago I went on the Atkins diet and the same thing happened. Help.
Thanks
Add cranberry extract and candida clear:
http://astore.amazon.com/marisnutran05-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=34
Also cut all mushrooms, peanuts and any dairy to clear up yeast.
Thank you so much Maria!!! Your a life saver literally haha it’s so nice how you have educated your time to helping so many people by creating such an amazing blog!!!
Thanks Maria! I’ll be ordering those products right away! BTW I have been cooking up a storm using your cookbooks. I’ve made the chili (several times), Cabbage noodles with peanut sauce, Korean short ribs, Keto fudge (I prefer the taste of Xylitol over the swerve in the fudge…I don’t mind that there is a little crunch from the sugar) , Italian meat loaf, Pad Thai, cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed, ranch salad dressing, protein waffles, hollandaise sauce and more! You are a talented cook and I look forward to cooking more of your recipes! For Christmas I’m making your turtle cheesecake (with scallops and NY strips for dinner) For new Years I’ll be making your Creme Brule (with rib eye steaks and lobster tails for dinner) I’ll also be making several of your dips for appetizers…..which ones should I start with?? Thanks so much for all you do!! Merry Christmas.
Cherie
Awesome!! Can I come over? 🙂
As for dips, there are 4 great ones in my slow cooker cookbook (pizza, spinach artichoke, crab and crab rangoon). This Greek one is great too:
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/greek-avocado-dip/
and for sweet this one would be great for Christmas. 🙂
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/donut-holes-and-eggnog-dip-soy-protein/
Thank you!! I’ll keep you posted on cooking my way through your cookbooks. I am a serious home cook and read cook books for fun (it’s an addiction) Come on over for dinner! I live in Grand Rapids MI. BTW my sister raised her family in Riverfalls, it is a wonderful community! I have a niece that lives in Hudson with her two kids. I’ll be talking her into a counsel with you soon! Thanks Again!! I’ll let you know how dinner goes!
OK, this seriously is the best thing I have ever eaten!!! Absolutely creamy and delish. Merry Christmas and thank you for all you do 🙂
Thanks!
I am going to make this today. I don’t have fresh nutmeg. How much powdered nutmeg should I start with? Thanks!
I would start with 1/2 tsp and adjust to taste. 🙂
Just made this. Was soooo good! Used the coconut milk verses the creme and unfortunately I didn’t have fresh nutmeg and vanilla. I can only imagine how much better it would have been with these better ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks!
I am new–almost done with your book & planning to get your cookbook. I am presuming that this particular recipe was somehow recommended to “cure” the type of problem that the pictured legs exhibited? Is there another place to get this type of info? I have some issues that I’m wondering about–DRY skin, BUMPY skin on my legs….
I talk about it in detail in my book Keto-Adapted. 🙂
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/my-books/
Back with another question: What comes in the meal packages? Are they all prepared & all you do is heat or what?
You get hours of instructional and educational videos and detailed meal plans with grocery lists for each week making them really easy to follow. 🙂
So fruit is fructose not glucose? Or is it 50/50 depending on the fiber amount.
Yes. But also it depends on what fruit.
Made this recipe last night, cut recipe in half because I’m always leery about low carb desserts tasting good (haven’t had much luck). But this recipe was amazing! I wish I would have made a full batch. Even my non low carb eating family members raved about it. It seems that cheesecake, and now creme brulee, are the way to go for successful low carb desserts! I tried making brownies with almond flour and many other desserts using almond and/or coconut flours and never taste good. I also find that swerve works much better for me than erythritol. Just my opinion :).
Thanks!!!!