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Made with just two ingredients, this grapefruit brulee recipe transforms bitter grapefruit into a rich, sweet, decadent breakfast! It’s the perfect healthy breakfast for special mornings and is best enjoyed with a dollop of yogurt or fresh whipped cream.
save this recipe!Grapefruit is one of the fruits that you either love or hate. It’s known for its bitterness, but the good news is that you can bring out all its natural sweetness with just a straightforward addition…sugar!
Caramelizing the sugar on the grapefruit helps to remove some of that bitterness and turns it into an ultra-delicious, decadent breakfast that comes together pretty quickly. It’s perfect for adding an easy yet fancy addition to your brunch lineup!
you don’t need much
Ingredients for this bruleed grapefruit couldn’t be more straightforward! Only two ingredients for the base, and then you can spice it up with whatever sounds tasty.
- Grapefruit: Grapefruit is a winter citrus fruit that doesn’t always get the respect it deserves, unlike blood oranges, Meyer lemons, and sumo oranges. But I promise it deserves all the love, too!
- Sugar: I prefer to use white or brown sugar, but coconut or monk sugar would be tasty, too!
- Toppings: The fun part about these is that you can top them with a variety of fun additions. Some favorites of mine are sea salt, pistachios, and mascarpone for a bit of grapefruit creme brûlée action.
it’s easy to make
This quick grapefruit brulee recipe only requires a few simple steps and takes longer to cool than make. The hardest part is waiting!
Step 1: Cut the Grapefruit
Half each grapefruit. Trim a bit of the peel off the bottom of each grapefruit half so that it sits upright. With a paring knife, gently loosen the segments of grapefruit by running the knife along the edge of the thin exterior skin of each segment and along the inside of the rind.
Step 2: Dry It
Place cut side down on a few layers of paper towels for 5 to 10 minutes to remove excess moisture.
Step 3: Torch the Top
Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar on each half. Use a kitchen torch to melt and lightly brown the sugar. While the sugar is still hot, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt.
Step 4: Serve
Let cool then and serve with a dollop of mascarpone and roughly chopped pistachios.
No torch?
Grapefruit brulee without a blowtorch is possible! To do this, place the grapefruit halves on a sheet tray and top them with sugar. Cook in the oven on a high broil for 5 minutes, watching closely. This could also be done in an air fryer.
Storage
These are best enjoyed as soon as they are made, and it is best to make only enough for those who want one. However, if you are not sure how many people you are serving, cut and dry the grapefruit halves and set the sugar and torch to the side. When ready, simply top grapefruits with sugar and torch them as folks want them.
P.S. For another unconventional brulee, try my vanilla-soaked tofu brulee!
How To Make Grapefruit Brulee
Ingredients
- 1 grapefruit, halved crosswise
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- To serve: coarse sea salt, mascarpone, pistachios
Instructions
- Cut: Trim a bit of the peel off the bottom of each grapefruit half so that it sits upright. With a paring knife, gently loosen the segments of grapefruit and remove seeds,
- Dry: Place cut side down on a few layer of paper towels for 5 to 10 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Torch: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each half. Use a kitchen torch to melt and lightly brown the sugar. While sugar is still hot, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse sea salt.
- Serve: Let cool and then serve with a dollop of mascarpone and roughly chopped pistachios.
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
When I tried making the sugar syrup in a saucepan, I had some trouble with the color and consistency because I didn’t monitor the temperature. Then poured it over the grapefruit halves, but quickly noticed the syrup was too thick. Because I didn’t have a small torch, I placed the fruit into the oven on high broil re-melting the syrup into a thin layer. Despite this, I managed to cool the dessert at room temp before freezing for thirty minutes and eating it. This has got to be one of the most underrated recipes that deserve more love.
How do I caramelize the sugar without a torch? What is the best trick to avoid burning sugar?
Hi Charissa! You don’t need to make syrup with this recipe, just sprinkle the sugar right onto the grapefruit 🙂 A torch is really best, but you can broil in the oven (watching closely) until toasted.