SaurabhHave you ever heard of ramekin? A small fireproof dish that is used for the preparation and serving of different food recipes.
Ramekin is a signature dish for the popular dessert crème Brulee. It usually has white and straight sides and a cylindrical shape, with 3-4 inches in diameter which makes it an ideal dish for preparing and serving individual portions.
Ramekins come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. They usually consist of heat-resistant materials such as porcelain and ceramic. However, some other materials such as aluminum, steel, glass, and cast iron also come to play.
Ramekins work for crème Brulee, souffle, custards, puddings, egg dishes, cheese dishes, French onion soup, ice cream, and mousses. However, they also make a great choice for serving sauces, dips, dressings, and other side dishes.
However, what if you don’t have a ramekin and you want to prepare a recipe like crème Brulee souffle? Don’t worry! I have found other dishes that you can use as a substitute for ramekin and prepare your favorite recipe.
Depending on your dish, you can also use a custard cup, teacup, coffee mug, baking dish, bowl, muffin pan, canning jar, jam jar, souffle dish, or casserole dish.
Best Ramekin Substitutes
When using some other dishes as a substitute for ramekins make sure they have a round shape, similar depth, and consist of oven-safe materials. Here are some of the best ramekin substitutes.
1. Custard cup
Custard cups same as ramekins came in different shapes and sizes.
They work well for baking, so custard cups are usually made of porcelain, stoneware, oven-proof glass, or some other oven-proof material.
A standard custard cup can usually hold for about 6 oz of batter. However, even if they are bigger than ramekins you can use them as their substitute.
When you are using custard cups as a substitute for ramekins it is best to place them in a water bath to get a more evenly baked texture.
2. Teacup
Teacups work well as a substitute for ramekins. Just make sure that they are heat-resistant. They are usually shorter and wider than coffee cups.
You can use small or medium size teacups to bake your favorite recipes. Don’t use very big or tall teacups because your dish will not be baked evenly.
3. Coffee mug
Everyone has coffee mugs at home. And the same as with teacups, you only have to use small or medium size coffee mugs that are oven-safe.
Just grease the mug or the teacup with butter or oil on the bottom and the sides and coat them with granulated sugar for sweet or bread crumbs and cornmeal for savory recipes.
Greasing and coating the coffee mugs and teacups will make the final product come out easily once it is baked. Don’t fill the mugs and teacups to the top so there is enough place for the batter to rise without overflowing.
4. Baking dish
You can also use baking dishes as a substitute for the ramekin.
They can be found in many different sizes with diameters from 6-15 inches. However, as a substitute for ramekin, you will need a baking dish 6-8 inches in diameter. If you are using a larger dish, your recipe will not rise and bake properly.
You can use a shallow baking dish made of glass or ceramic to make evenly cooked crème Brulee with a beautifully soft texture. However, note that if you are using a bigger baking dish you will need to adjust the baking time.
5. Bowl
Bowls consist of different materials and come in different sizes.
As a substitute for ramekins, you can use small and slightly bigger bowls to prepare your favorite dishes. Make sure that they are oven-safe and prepare them as you are preparing ramekins (grease the bowls to help the baked food come out easily).
6. Muffin pan
Muffin pan makes a great substitute for ramekin for preparing recipes like cupcakes, lava cakes, muffins, and many other sweet and savory recipes.
First, you have to grease the muffin pan with cooking spray or melted butter to prevent the batter from sticking to the pan. After greasing it, fill it with the batter and bake.
You will get smaller but delicious lava cakes or cupcakes.
7. Canning jar
If you have a canning jar, you can use them as a substitute for ramekins to serve your favorite pudding or some other dessert.
It is not recommended to bake in the canning jars. Therefore, you can use smaller canning jars to serve individual portions of many different desserts.
8. Jam jars
Jam jars same as canning jars are made of glass, so they are not oven-safe because they can’t withstand high temperatures.
You can use small jam jars to serve many different no-baking desserts like cheesecakes, puddings, chocolate mousse, tiramisu, ice cream, and trifle desserts.
They will look and taste beautiful in these small jam jars -used as a substitute for ramekins.
9. Souffle dish
Souffle dish is bigger than ramekin and makes a great choice for making souffle, mac and cheese, casseroles, and other sweet and savory recipes. They are made in different sizes from heat-proof materials like ceramic, porcelain, glass, silicone, and metal.
If you have a souffle dish you can use it as a substitute for ramekins. Just adjust the baking time because instead of a few smaller individual dishes you will get fewer bigger.
10. Casserole dish
Casserole dishes can be also used as a substitute for ramekins if you adjust your recipe for a bigger-sized dish. A casserole dish is bigger than ramekins so your dessert will be thinner and you will need less time to bake them.
Same as ramekins, casserole dishes consist of oven-proof materials such as ceramic, stoneware, glass, and metal and are usually used for baking.
Casserole dishes come in different sizes and shapes. Depending on your recipe, it is best to use a smaller than 8 inches in diameter casserole dish.
Ramekin Substitute For Souffle
The best ramekin substitutes for souffle include teacups and coffee mugs made from oven-safe materials. It is best to use teacups, or coffee mugs of medium or small size to make an individual souffle.
You can also use oven-safe casserole or baking dishes to make a souffle. Just grease the dishes before you use them for a souffle, to prevent any sticking and allow the batter to rise evenly. Fill only ¾ of the baking dish, because if you fill them to the top the souffle can overflow.
Any oven-safe and round baking dish with reasonable size and straight, tall sides makes a good ramekin substitute for souffle.
Ramekin Substitute For Crème Caramel
Crème caramel is a custard-based dessert same as crème Brulee. And it is usually prepared in ramekins. However, if you don’t have them you can use some other dishes instead.
You can use wide and shallow 6-ounce oven-safe dishes with square, round, or heart shape instead of ramekins for crème caramel. Just make sure that they will fit in the pan when you are placing them in the water bath.
Related Questions
Are ramekins necessary?
Ramekins are versatile dishes used for individual portions of desserts, puddings, casseroles, mousses, souffles, pies, soups, and other sweet and savory recipes.
They can be also used for serving dips, sauces, snacks, and nuts. But if you don’t have ramekins, you can use some of the substitutes mentioned in this article.
What can I use for creme brulee if I don’t have ramekins?
If you don’t have ramekins for crème Brulee, you can use baking and casserole dishes smaller than 8 inches in diameter instead. They are bigger, so you will have to adjust the cooking time. When the crème Brulee is baked and set, scoop, serve in smaller dishes, and Brulee it.
Can you use Mason jars instead of ramekins?
You can use mason jars instead of ramekins to serve non-baking recipes such as cheesecakes, puddings, chocolate mousse, tiramisu, ice cream, and trifle desserts. It is not recommended to bake in the mason jars because they are not oven-safe.
Can I use a muffin pan instead of a ramekin?
You can use a muffin pan instead of a ramekin to prepare recipes such as cupcakes, muffins, lava cakes, and other sweet and savory recipes.
First, grease the muffin pan with melted butter or oil, then fill with the batter, and bake. You will get smaller but delicious final products made in a muffin pan instead of in ramekins.
Wrap Up
Versatile and individual serving dishes, ramekins, works amazing for preparing and serving many different sweet and savory recipes.
However, if you don’t have ramekins at home and you want to make a crème Brulee, souffle, or some other recipe that calls for ramekins, don’t fret. You can use some of the substitutes above and make your favorite recipe.
Use the one that works best for your recipe and enjoy. What dishes you are using as a substitute for ramekins? Share your experience in the comment section below.
