National Pots De Creme Day is celebrated on August 27 each year, giving this elegant French-style custard its own moment and inviting everyone to enjoy a silky spoonful at home or from a favorite bakery.

History of National Pots De Creme Day

Pots de creme (literally “pot of cream”) are a classic custard traditionally baked low and slow in small cups, often in a water bath, using simple ingredients like cream, milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. The name also refers to the small lidded cups the dessert is served in, which is part of the charm.

As for the observance, modern holiday calendars and food sites helped establish August 27 as the fixed date to celebrate this dessert, keeping it on the radar each year with recipes, quick facts, and cheerful reminders. Over time, that consistency turned a niche nod to French custard into a friendly tradition for home cooks and dessert fans alike.

Why is National Pots De Creme Day important?

Because it slows dessert down to its essentials—good ingredients, gentle heat, and a patient chill. There’s something quietly satisfying about a dessert that asks you to take your time and then rewards you with a smooth, concentrated flavor that doesn’t need much dressing up. Marking the day is a small invitation to savor, not rush.

It also celebrates kitchen craft you can actually master. Pots de creme proves that elegant doesn’t have to mean complicated: a whisk, a saucepan, a few ramekins, and you’ve got a dinner-worthy finale. The day nudges us to keep these timeless techniques alive, one batch at a time.

• It honors a simple, classic dessert you can make any night.
• It turns thrift—small portions, basic tools—into elegance.
• It reminds us to slow down and really taste dessert.
• It encourages learning gentle, low-heat cooking skills.
• It’s easy to personalize with chocolate, coffee, or citrus.

How to celebrate National Pots De Creme Day

Keep it relaxed and practical. Make a small batch with what you have: warm cream and milk with a little sugar and vanilla, whisk into egg yolks, strain, and bake in small cups set in a pan of hot water until just set at the edges. Chill, add a tiny dollop of whipped cream or a few shaved chocolate curls, and serve slowly after dinner.

Not in a cooking mood? Pick up a cup from a local bakery or pastry shop and do a mini tasting at home—compare vanilla vs. chocolate, or try one infused with coffee. Share a photo, save a favorite recipe, and jot a note about what you’d tweak next time, like a pinch of salt or a splash of espresso.

• Make two flavors side by side—vanilla and dark chocolate.
• Use small espresso cups if you don’t own ramekins.
• Add citrus zest or a spoon of espresso for a simple twist.
• Write your keeper recipe on a card for next time.
• Serve with crisp cookies for texture contrast.

Easy Recipe: Pots de Crème (Chocolate)

A silky, no-fuss baked custard you can make with pantry basics. Makes 4–6 small cups.

Ingredients

• Heavy cream – 420 ml / 1¾ cups
• Dark chocolate (50–70%) – 150 g / ~1 cup chips, finely chopped
• Egg yolks – 5 large
• Sugar – 50 g / ¼ cup
• Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
• Fine salt – pinch
• Optional: 1–2 tsp instant espresso powder or 1 Tbsp coffee/orange liqueur

You’ll need: 4–6 small ramekins or heatproof cups, a deep baking dish, kettle of hot water, fine-mesh sieve.

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 150°C / 300°F. Put the ramekins into a deep baking dish. Boil water in a kettle for the water bath.
2. Make the chocolate cream.
   Warm the cream in a small pot over medium heat until steaming (just below a simmer). Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt, rest 1 minute, then whisk smooth. Stir in vanilla (and espresso/liqueur if using).
3. Whisk the custard.
   In a bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar just to combine (no need to whip). Slowly pour in the warm chocolate cream, whisking constantly. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug—this makes it extra silky.
4. Fill and bake.
   Divide the custard among ramekins. Pour the hot kettle water into the baking dish until it comes halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake 25–35 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still wobble like jelly when nudged.
5. Cool and chill.
   Carefully lift out the cups, cool 30 minutes on a rack, then cover and chill at least 2 hours (or overnight) until fully set.

Serve

Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream, a few berries, or a pinch of flaky salt/cocoa. Serve cold. Keeps 3–4 days refrigerated.

Tips & easy variations

• Don’t overbake – pull them while the center still jiggles; they firm up in the fridge.
• Extra-smooth texture – always strain the custard.
• Vanilla-only version – skip the chocolate and use 500 ml / 2 cups cream, 6 yolks, 60 g / ⅓ cup sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla; bake the same.
• Quick blender shortcut (no oven) – put 170 g (1 cup) dark chocolate, 3 yolks, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a blender. Heat 360 ml / 1½ cups cream to a bare simmer; with the blender running, slowly stream in the hot cream and blend 30–45 sec until smooth. Pour into cups, chill 2 hours. For caution, use pasteurized eggs.

National Pots De Creme Day Dates Table