Reduced Calorie Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee

Name: Reduced Calorie Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 Cup Low Fat Milk; 1 Cup Mocha Light International Delight Iced Coffee; 1 Tablespoon Espresso Powder; 3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate; 6 Egg Yolks; 4 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar; 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1/4 cup granulated sugar for topping; Espresso Beans for garnish

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This Reduced Calorie Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee gives you all the rich, creamy goodness of creme brulee with a lighter twist. Low fat milk and light mocha iced coffee stand in for the usual heavy cream, with espresso powder and bittersweet chocolate for a deep coffeehouse flavor.

A mocha espresso creme brulee in a white fluted ramekin with chocolate covered espresso beans, fresh mint and a spoon.

I love this time of year, when I can start baking more than usual, and this is a fun twist on one of my favorite desserts. Since we will all be eating lots of great food and desserts in the next few months, why not cut out a few calories?

Creme brulee is one of those desserts that sounds like it took hours and is really difficult, but it isn’t. These look so fancy that my family wondered what the special occasion was. I just said, it’s all for you; you are my special occasion. Get out the good china, make a special dessert more often, and let your family know they mean the world to you.

Quick Look

🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
🌡️ Cook Time: 40 to 50 minutes in a water bath
⏳ Total Time: about 1 hour, plus cooling
🍽️ Servings: 6 small ramekins (4 larger ones)
⚡ Calories: 278kcal per serving
🌶️ Flavor Profile: Silky chocolate custard with bold espresso and a crackly caramelized sugar top
✋ Difficulty: Moderate, easier than it looks

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Quick Answer

How do you make a lighter mocha creme brulee?

Simmer low fat milk, light mocha iced coffee and espresso powder until dissolved, then whisk in bittersweet chocolate. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture, and strain. Pour into ramekins and bake in a water bath at 300°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until just a little wiggle remains in the center. Let them cool in the water bath, then sprinkle sugar on top and brulee under the broiler or with a torch.

Jump to:

Quick Look
Quick Answer
Why This Recipe Works
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
Variations & Substitutions
How to Make Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Mocha Creme Brulee FAQs
Other Recommended Chocolate Desserts
Reduced Calorie Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee

Why This Recipe Works

Click to see the technique science

Milk and light iced coffee instead of heavy cream. They lighten the custard while the coffee adds flavor at the same time.
Egg yolks for richness. Six yolks give the custard its silky set even without heavy cream.
Bittersweet chocolate and espresso powder. A little of each goes a long way, so the dessert tastes rich without a lot of extra sugar.
Tempering the eggs. Adding the warm chocolate slowly while whisking keeps the yolks from curdling.
Straining. It catches any bits of egg for a perfectly smooth custard.
A 300°F water bath. Gentle, even heat sets the custard without overcooking the edges.
Pulling it with a slight wiggle. The center finishes setting as it cools in the water bath.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Coffeehouse flavor at home. Mocha and espresso in a fancy French dessert.
Lighter than classic creme brulee, made with milk and light iced coffee instead of heavy cream.
Looks like a special occasion. Perfect for holiday dinners or just to spoil your family.
Simple ingredients. Milk, iced coffee, chocolate, eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Easier than it sounds. A water bath does most of the work.
A creme brulee family: for the holidays, try my white chocolate peppermint creme brulee.

Key Ingredients

Mocha creme brulee garnished with mint and espresso beans on a lace doily with a spoon.

A short list with big coffeehouse flavor. Quantities are in the recipe card below.

Low fat milk. Replaces part of the heavy cream in a classic creme brulee.
Light mocha iced coffee. I used International Delight Mocha Light; it adds both creaminess and coffee flavor.
Espresso powder. Deepens the coffee and chocolate flavor. Curious about cocoa types too? Here is whether you can substitute Dutch cocoa for cocoa powder.
Bittersweet chocolate. Just 3 ounces for rich chocolate flavor.
Egg yolks. Six for a silky custard. Save the whites for my favorite buttercream frosting.
Sugar and vanilla extract. In the custard, plus sugar for the caramelized top.
Chocolate covered espresso beans and mint. An easy, pretty garnish.

See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.

Variations & Substitutions

Other iced coffee flavors: vanilla or caramel light iced coffee would be delicious here too.
Extra rich version: swap the low fat milk for whole milk or half and half.
Darker chocolate: use a 70% chocolate for a less sweet, more intense custard.
Decaf: use decaf espresso powder for an evening dessert.
Ganache drizzle: for a special occasion, add a thin drizzle of chocolate ganache before serving.

How to Make Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, iced coffee and espresso powder and simmer over low heat until the powder dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until the sugar dissolves.
Slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs don’t curdle.
Pour the mixture through a strainer.

Four ramekins filled with mocha espresso custard on a baking sheet, ready for the water bath.

Divide the mixture among the ramekins, place them in a water bath and carefully put them in the oven.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Deeper ramekins need longer and shallower ones need less. The custard is done when there is just a little wiggle in the center.
Take them out of the oven and leave them in the water bath until the water cools.
When ready to eat, sprinkle sugar on top and place under the broiler to brulee, or use a kitchen torch. Garnish with espresso beans and mint.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Whisk constantly while tempering. Add the warm chocolate a little at a time so the yolks stay smooth.
Check your ramekin size. My larger ramekins made 4; smaller ones make 6 and need less time.
Watch for the wiggle. Over baked custard turns grainy; it should still jiggle a little in the center.
Pour the hot water after the ramekins are in the pan so nothing splashes into the custard.
Brulee right before serving so the sugar top stays crisp.
Broiler method: watch closely; the sugar goes from golden to burnt in seconds.

Serving Ideas & Suggestions

Serve them for a holiday dinner, a special date night, or just to make an ordinary night special. They pair beautifully with a dirty chai latte, a caramel brulee latte or homemade matcha iced lattes.

For a dessert table, add red velvet fudge, peppermint cheesecakes, Christmas crack, easy chocolate brownies and a tiramisu cake for more coffee lovers, or mini brownie bites for Valentine’s Day. Find more in my desserts and Christmas collections.

Three mocha espresso creme brulees topped with espresso beans and mint on a bronze charger.

Mocha Creme Brulee FAQs

What makes this creme brulee lighter?

Low fat milk and light mocha iced coffee replace the heavy cream that classic creme brulee uses, while egg yolks and a little bittersweet chocolate keep it rich.

Can I use regular iced coffee or cold brew?

Yes. Any creamy iced coffee works; a vanilla or caramel flavor would be delicious. Plain cold brew will make a thinner, less sweet custard.

How do I know when it’s done?

There should be just a little wiggle in the center when you gently shake a ramekin. Deeper ramekins take closer to 50 minutes, shallow ones closer to 40.

Do I need a kitchen torch?

No. You can place the ramekins under the broiler to caramelize the sugar; just watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Can I make it ahead?

Yes. Bake the custards ahead, keep them covered in the refrigerator, and add the sugar topping right before serving.

How many servings does it make?

About 6 in small ramekins. My larger ramekins made 4.

Other Recommended Chocolate Desserts

I hope you enjoy this Mocha Espresso Creme Brulee! If you make it, please leave a ⭐ star rating in the recipe card below, and come say hello on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I love seeing your tea time treats.