Crème brûlée cookies are the perfect way to spice up your holiday dessert table! These drop cookies combine the rich, creamy flavors of classic crème brûlée with the ease of a sugar cookie. Not only are they delicious and elegant, but they’re also incredibly fun to make. So, pull out your kitchen butane torch and get ready for a golden, caramelized finish that will wow everyone!
These crème brûlée sugar cookies take inspiration from the classic French dessert, incorporating a buttery sugar cookie base with a creamy custard-like topping.
The signature crispy caramelized sugar on top gives these cookies the perfect balance of soft and crunchy textures, making them irresistible.
What makes a crème brûlée cookie extra special is the brûlée topping, which is achieved by sprinkling sugar on top and torching it until golden and crisp. This creates a sweet, crackly layer that mimics the crispy caramelized sugar of traditional crème brûlée.
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Why We Love These Crème Brûlée Sugar Cookies
- Tired of the same desserts every holiday season? Try this unique Christmas cookie idea this year!
Looking for a fun and bold new dessert this Christmas? Well, these cookies are the go-to choice.
Other tasty Christmas cookie ideas include Christmas M&M cookies, Mom’s Oatmeal Cookies, matcha green tea cookies, and Costco chocolate chip cookies. - Easily make these drop cookies ahead of time.
Be extra prepared for the holidays this year by making your cookie dough ahead of time. When you’re ready to eat them all, you need to bake, frost, and torch. - Kids love making and eating them.
Anyone would love to see you using a blowtorch to make dessert – especially kids! Crème brûlée cookies are unique like our inside out cookies.
These cookies bring the creamy, caramelized magic of the classic French dessert into every soft, chewy bite.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe. However, if you need to use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar is best since we want a slightly crispier cookie. If you substitute brown sugar, the cookie will be softer.
- Eggs: Large, grade A eggs are best and provide the right amount of moisture. If you don’t like eggs when making cookies, try this eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe or you might want to learn other substitutes for egg in baking.
- Vanilla extract: A little bit of vanilla extract goes a long way. You can use almond extract instead of vanilla if you’d like.
- All-purpose flour: This type of flour is best for making cookies. You could substitute wheat flour, but you will need to add more liquid for the right consistency.
- Cream cheese: The tangy flavor of cream cheese perfectly offsets the sweetness of the cookies.
- Powdered sugar: This very fine white sugar is perfect for blending to make frosting. It dissolves much more quickly than granulated sugar for a smooth finish.
- Granulated sugar: A little bit of granulated sugar is sprinkled over the top of the frosted cookies to get the perfect burnt sugar cookies when torched.
Recipe Variations
- Extra creamy filling: Add a layer of vanilla pastry cream for a true crème brûlée experience.
- Tangy twist: Top with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting before caramelizing the sugar.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free flour to make these cookies allergy-friendly.
- Egg-free alternative: Replace egg yolks with a dairy-free substitute for a plant-based option.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Electric hand mixer
- Medium mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Small cookie scoop
- Kitchen torch
How to Make this Crème Brûlée Cookie Recipe
- Allow the ingredients to come to room temperature.
For the perfect sugar cookie recipe, let the butter, eggs, and cream cheese come to room temperature before using them.
Keep in mind this means about 68°F – any warmer and the butter and cream cheese will begin to melt. This technique will create flat and extra crispy cookies.
- Don’t skip creaming the frosting.
Instead of mixing all the frosting ingredients together at once, take the time to mix the cream cheese and vanilla extract first.
Cream cheese can be clumpy when first mixed, so taking an extra two minutes to smooth it out will make your frosting wonderfully luscious.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before torching.
To create the burnt sugar crème brûlée effect on the cookies, it’s important that they be completely cool before frosting and torching the tops.
Otherwise, the frosting will melt and absorb the granulated sugar.
How To Torch The Frosting
- Pull out your mini blow torch to make these crème brûlée sugar cookies.
- To achieve this, start by frosting the cooled cookies and sprinkling granulated sugar over the tops.
- This is when the kitchen butane torch comes into action.
- With the flame about 2-3 inches from the frosting, slowly wave the flame over the sugar topping until it begins to brown on all sides.
- Repeat this process with the remaining cookies. The crunchy sugar topping adds the best texture to your crème brûlée cookies.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
To create the burnt sugar creme brulee effect on the cookies, it’s important that they be completely cool before frosting and torching the tops. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and absorb the granulated sugar.
Serving Suggestions
These crème brûlée cookies pair beautifully with a variety of drinks and desserts. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee, tea, or a fizzy soda for a balanced, refreshing contrast to the rich, caramelized flavor. If you want to take them to the next level, serve them alongside a custard dessert for a double dose of creamy indulgence.
For a festive touch, sprinkle extra sugar on top just before serving for added crunch. These cookies also make a perfect gift—package them in a decorative tin or wrap them in cellophane with a ribbon for a homemade treat that everyone will love!
If you’re looking for cookies you don’t need to light on fire try these heart cookies with jam or spring cookies.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have a blow torch, you can caramelize the tops by placing them under the broiler for just long enough to brown them.
Don’t take your eye off them for a second, though! They will burn very quickly.
Granulated sugar is perfect for caramelizing the frosting. This is why we add some to the top of the frosting right before torching.
It’s possible that the tops of the cookies were left under the flame of the torch for too long. When this happens, they can taste burnt. Be sure to lightly toast the tops until they are just browned.
Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container separated from the frosting if possible.
You can leave the cookies on the counter for up to five days and the frosting in the refrigerator for the same amount of time.
Easily save the dough in the freezer for a make-ahead dessert by rolling the dough into balls and placing them in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to three months.
To bake them from frozen, just place as many as you want to bake on a cookie sheet and bake for a few extra minutes until they’re golden brown on top. Then add the frosting when they are cool and create the crème brûlée effect by torching the tops.
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Crème Brûlée Cookies
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper
- electric hand mixer
- medium mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
- small cookie scoop
- kitchen torch
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened; *see notes for substitutions
- 1 cup granulated sugar *see notes for substitutions
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour *see notes for substitutions
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the insides of the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla extract, and mix until thoroughly combined.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Add to the large mixing bowl, then mix on low speed for 15 seconds.
- Using a small cookie scoop or soup spoon, scoop cookie dough and roll into golf ball sized balls. Arrange dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, then use your fingertips to slightly flatten each ball.
- Place in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes, until tops and edges are golden brown. Remove pan of cookies from the oven and let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. *See Note 2
Frosting
- Add cream cheese and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the ingredients for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.Using a silicone spatula, scrape down the insides of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. When the powdered sugar is no longer dry, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cookies.
- Pour granulated sugar onto a plate. One at a time, gently press the frosted top of each cookie down into the sugar. Shake off any excess sugar, then return them, sugar side up, to the baking pan.
- Using the flame of a butane torch, carefully and lightly torch the tops of the cookies, until the sugar caramelizes and turns golden brown in color. Serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, cookies may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Notes
- To create the burnt sugar crème brûlée effect on the cookies, it’s important that they be completely cool before frosting and torching the tops. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and absorb the granulated sugar.
- If you need to use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe.
- If you don’t like eggs when making cookies, try this eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe or you might want to learn other substitutes for egg in baking.
- You could substitute wheat flour, but you will need to add more liquid for the right consistency.
- If you use brown sugar, the cookie will be softer.
- Extra creamy filling: Add a layer of vanilla pastry cream for a true crème brûlée experience.
- Tangy twist: Top with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting before caramelizing the sugar.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free flour to make these cookies allergy-friendly.
- Egg-free alternative: Replace egg yolks with a dairy-free substitute for a plant-based option.
- Keep leftover cookies in an airtight container separated from the frosting if possible.
The cookies can sit out for five days, and the frosting can stay in the fridge for the same time. - To bake them from frozen, just place as many as you want to bake on a cookie sheet and bake for a few extra minutes until they’re golden brown on top.
Then add the frosting when they are cool and create the crème brûlée effect by torching the tops.
- Easily save the dough in the freezer for a make-ahead dessert by rolling the dough into balls and placing them in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition
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Kate says
These cookies were a huge hit at our pre-Christmas party yesterday!
Ieva says
These cookies were melt-in-your-mpouth delicious, but the frosting really made them extra special. As someone who loves creme brulee, I could not stop eating them. Lovely recipe, as always!
Dannii says
These cookies were amazing. Such a good texture. I will definitely be making them again for Christmas.
MacKenzie says
My daughter and I made these yesterday and they were a hit. The flavors are fantastic and the look like they came from
A bakery. We can’t wait to make them again.
Shelby says
I LOVE crème brulée so I was so excited to make these cookies, and they were perfect!