ramekin

American  

[ram-i-kin] / ˈræm ɪ kɪn /

Or ramequin

noun

1. a small dish in which food can be baked and served.

2. a small, separately cooked portion of a cheese preparation or other food mixture baked in a small dish without a lid.

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ramekin British  

/ ˈræmɪkɪn /

noun

1. a savoury dish made from a cheese mixture baked in a fireproof container

2. the container itself

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Etymology

Origin of ramekin

1700–10; < French ramequin < dialectal Dutch, Middle Dutch rammeken

Explanation

You might use a ramekin, a small serving dish that can be used in the oven, to make custard or individual servings of macaroni and cheese. Yum. A ramekin is basically a small, single-serving sized version of a casserole or baking dish. You can serve ice cream in a ramekin, or bake individual crème brûlées in ramekins, which are then also used as serving dishes. Ramekin can also mean an egg and cheese dish that's baked in a ramekin. The word comes from the French ramequin, "cheese dish baked in a mold," probably from the Flemish rammeken, or "toast."

Example Sentences

The South Carolina crab shack fried green tomatoes with a ramekin of remoulade.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

The ruse involves pretending to be from a gum company, offering gum samples, and covertly obtaining a DNA sample by offering a ramekin to throw away the gum.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2024

If you pull the ramekin out and the egg is a bit undercooked, feel free to throw it back in for another 10 seconds or so, which should help.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023

The vessel can later be used as a ramekin, jewelry dish or other storage piece.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

Pour into ramekin dishes or paper cases, press a half apricot, rounding side up, in the centre, and stand aside in a cold place.

From Ice Creams, Water Ices, Frozen Puddings Together with Refreshments for all Social Affairs by Rorer, Sarah Tyson Heston