Ask the Experts: What is a Ramekin?

Though widely recognised as the signature baking dish for the caramelised French dessert, crème brûlée, ramekins can be a go-to for so many of your food preparation and presentation needs. Here’s a rundown of what ramekins are and what they’re great at serving up.

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What Is a Ramekin?

A ramekin, otherwise known as a soufflé dish, is a small bakeware vessel often used for preparing and serving individual portions. The classic ramekin is white and cylindrical with a diameter between 7cm and 10cm. It has deep, vertical sides and a fluted exterior with a rounded lip. Though the white ceramic variety is most conventional, ramekins are available in a multitude of other novelty shapes, colours and textures, so there’s no need to stick to the basics when choosing a set for your kitchen.

Though similar in name and function, the soufflé dish and the soufflé pan are in fact two different things; soufflé pans are much wider and shallower and are used for baking full-size soufflés. Ramekins can range from 2oz all the way to 12oz in volume, but are most commonly available in 6 oz. sets of four to twelve, which are perfect for entertaining guests.

Ramekins are designed to be as heat-resistant as possible, so they are often made of glazed stoneware, including ceramic or porcelain. That heat resistance is especially valuable when using a blowtorch to caramelise the sugar atop a crème brûlée. Ramekins can also be made of glass and some metals, such as aluminum, cast iron and steel, but those materials are less heat-proof and shouldn’t come in direct contact with a flame.

Best Uses for a Ramekin

As their alternate name would suggest, ramekins are ideal for baking single-serving soufflés. The light, airy egg whites in soufflés expand as they bake and travel upward along a ramekin’s vertical sides. Those vertical sides are what give soufflés their height and iconic puffed-out shape.

While baking French desserts is certainly their specialty, ramekins’ versatility doesn’t stop there. You can use ramekins to organise ingredients before cooking to save yourself cleanup time and potentially avoid cross-contamination when working with raw animal products. Ramekins can be adorable as table dishes for smaller snacks, like nuts, veggie sticks or dips.

Take a look below at more great dishes to serve in your new ramekins!

Breakfast

• Classic soufflés
• Oven-baked eggs
• Porridge for one
• Baked French toast
• Muffins

Entrée

• Miniature pies
• Single-serve soups
• Mac and cheese
• Twice-baked potatoes
• Casseroles

Dessert

• Crème brûlée
• Sweet soufflés
• Molten lava cakes
• Custard or flan
• Sponge pudding
• Mini dessert pies or crumbles
• Mousse