These crème brûlée cookies feature a soft sugar cookie topped with silky vanilla pastry cream and a layer of caramelized sugar.
These cookies start with a soft, chewy sugar cookie base that melts in your mouth. On top of the cookie, there's a layer of smooth, creamy vanilla pastry cream.
The final touch is what makes these cookies special. A sprinkle of sugar is added on top of the cream and then carefully burned with a kitchen torch.
This creates a thin, crispy layer of caramelized sugar, just like the top of a traditional creme brûlée.
When you bite into one of these cookies, you get a mix of textures and flavors – the soft cookie, the silky cream, and the crunchy sugar top. It's like having a miniature creme brulee on a cookie!
For more cookie recipes check out my banana bread cookies, 5 ingredient peanut butter cookies, coffee cookies, Oreo chocolate chip cookies, and mini chocolate chip cookies.
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Why this recipe works
- Texture- the base provides a gentle, chewy texture, the pastry cream adds a creamy texture, while the torched sugar top adds a satisfying crunch with every bite.
- Flavor- these cookies combine the best of two desserts. The cookie base offers a sweet, buttery taste, while the pastry cream brings a rich, creamy vanilla flavor reminiscent of traditional crème brûlée.
- Topped with pastry cream- the smooth, velvety vanilla pastry cream adds a luxurious touch to the cookie. It's like having a mini custard on top of each cookie, making them extra indulgent and special.
- Caramelized sugar top- just like classic crème brûlée, these cookies feature a thin layer of caramelized sugar on top. This adds a lovely golden color and a delicious sweetness with a deeper flavor.
- Versatile- these cookies are perfect for various occasions. They can be served as an elegant dessert at dinner parties and holidays, enjoyed as a special treat with afternoon tea, or even given as unique gifts.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Butter- Use unsalted butter, which is at room temperature for this recipe.
Flour– I use all-purpose flour for this recipe. Cake flour will work great as well and will give you a slightly softer cookie.
Baking soda – helps the cookies rise and spread properly. Make sure your baking soda is fresh and not expired. Don’t replace baking soda with baking powder.
Sugar- I use granulated sugar for this recipe, but caster sugar works great too.
Brown sugar- I like using light brown sugar. It adds a subtle caramel flavor and gives the cookies a chewier texture.
Eggs- you will need 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so they mix in smoothly.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor.
Vanilla extract- adds warm vanilla flavor to the cookies. I used vanilla paste, but a whole vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract will work well too.
For the pastry cream
Milk- use whole milk at room temperature for the creamiest texture.
Egg yolks- you will need 5 large egg yolks to make the pastry cream rich and smooth.
Cornstarch- essential for thickening the pastry cream. This ingredient cannot be substituted.
Instructions
Make the pastry cream
Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the milk and vanilla extract. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat. Scoop out ¼ cup of the hot milk and set it aside.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until well combined.
Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth, then slowly pour in the reserved ¼ cup of milk while whisking constantly.
Return the saucepan to the stovetop over low heat and slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the warm milk, whisking the entire time.
Continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens—don’t turn up the heat; patience is key to getting a smooth, lump-free pastry cream.
Once thickened, remove from heat and add the butter. Mix until the butter melts and the mixture is silky.
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for a few hours until fully cooled and set.
Make the cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix until smooth.
Add the flour and baking soda, and mix just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain—don’t overmix.
Use a large cookie scoop (or scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough) and roll into smooth balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Don’t overbake—these cookies should stay soft and chewy.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe a generous swirl onto each cookie.
Sprinkle with granulated or caster sugar, then use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it melts and turns golden brown, creating a thin, crisp crème brûlée layer.
Expert Tips
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies; that way, you will have even-sized cookies, which ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter and room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly and create a better cookie texture.
- Don’t rush the pastry cream. Cook it low and slow while whisking constantly. High heat can cause lumps or curdling.
- Whisk non-stop. Consistent whisking during the pastry cream process keeps it silky and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Chill the pastry cream fully. Give it enough time in the fridge to thicken properly so it pipes beautifully on the cookies.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Bake until just set. The edges should be lightly golden, but the centers should still look soft. They firm up as they cool.
- Cool cookies completely before piping. Warm cookies will melt the pastry cream and ruin the texture.
- Torch carefully. Keep the flame moving in small circles to avoid burning the sugar and to create an even, glassy caramel layer.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy the cookies soon after torching for the perfect contrast between the crisp caramel and creamy filling.
Faq's
For crème brûlée's caramelized top, use superfine or caster sugar for quick, even melting. Regular granulated sugar also works.
Apply a thin, even sugar layer and caramelize with a kitchen torch or broiler to achieve a crisp crust that cracks when tapped.
This usually means that there is too much flour in the dough. It is very important to measure your flour correctly. Check out our expert tips for how to measure flour correctly.
Vanilla pastry cream, or crème pâtissière, is a classic custard made from milk, egg yolks, sugar, and a thickener, it's cooked until smooth and creamy, then flavored with vanilla.
Yes. You can’t use the oven broiler since it will completely melt the pastry cream. You can use this link to purchase the kitchen torch on Amazon.
Storing
Since these cookies have dairy in them, they need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing
For cookies that have already been baked but not topped with pastry cream, allow them to cool completely before freezing.
Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag, separating layers with parchment paper.
These can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature and add the pastry cream and torched sugar topping fresh.
For unbaked cookies, prepare the dough and shape it into individual portions. Place these on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Unbaked dough can be stored for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough directly on a baking sheet and add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Remember, it's best to add the pastry cream and caramelized sugar topping just before serving to ensure the best texture and flavor.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- you can swap the flour with gluten-free flour to make these gluten-free. I never tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but it should work.
Dairy-free- to make these cookies dairy-free, swap the butter with vegan butter, and the milk in the pastry cream with vegan milk.
Variations
Chocolate- add ¼ cup of cocoa powder (and remove ¼ cup of flour) to the cookie dough and 2 ounces of melted dark chocolate to the pastry cream.
Pumpkin spice- add ½ a teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the pastry cream for a delicious pumpkin spice creme brulee cookie.
Matcha green tea- incorporate 2 tablespoons of matcha powder into both the cookie dough and pastry cream for a vibrant green cookie.
Salted caramel- swirl ¼ cup of caramel sauce into the pastry cream and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the torched sugar topping.
Espresso kick- add 2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the cookie dough and 1 teaspoon to the pastry cream for a coffee-lovers delight.
Lemon zest- mix in the zest of one whole lemon to both the cookie dough and pastry cream for a bright, citrusy flavor.
Equipment
- Baking sheet and rack set (our fave)
- Cookies scoop set of 3 (the best cookie scoop we used)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- Electric hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Saucepan
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen torch
- Pastry bag
More creme brulee desserts
Creme Brulee Cheesecake- This creme brulee cheesecake is creamy, thick, and custardy, made with a graham cracker crust, and topped with a burnt caramel shell on top, just like creme brulee!
Creme Brulee Cake- This incredible Creme Brulee Cake is a heavenly combination of vanilla cake with creamy custard and caramelized sugar.
Creme Brulee- This creme brulee recipe is made with only 4 ingredients and it's the best creme brulee that I've ever had!
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. I love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Easy Creme Brûlée Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- ¾ cup Butter soft, unsalted
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 ¼ cups Flour AP
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
For the pastry cream
- 1 ½ cups Milk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 5 Egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon Butter unsalted
Instructions
Make the pastry cream
- Place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the milk and vanilla extract. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat. Scoop out ¼ cup of the hot milk and set it aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until well combined.
- Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth, then slowly pour in the reserved ¼ cup of milk while whisking constantly.
- Return the saucepan to the stovetop over low heat and slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the warm milk, whisking the entire time.
- Continue whisking constantly until the mixture thickens—don’t turn up the heat; patience is key to getting a smooth, lump-free pastry cream.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and add the butter. Mix until the butter melts and the mixture is silky.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for a few hours until fully cooled and set.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat with an electric hand mixer until creamy and well combined.
- Add the egg and egg yolk, and mix until smooth.
- Add the flour and baking soda, and mix just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain—don’t overmix.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough) and roll into smooth balls. Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Don’t overbake—these cookies should stay soft and chewy.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe a generous swirl onto each cookie.
- Sprinkle with granulated or caster sugar, then use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it melts and turns golden brown, creating a thin, crisp crème brûlée layer.
Notes
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with the back of a knife.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies; that way, you will have even-sized cookies, which ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter and room-temperature eggs blend more smoothly and create a better cookie texture.
- Don’t rush the pastry cream. Cook it low and slow while whisking constantly. High heat can cause lumps or curdling.
- Whisk non-stop. Consistent whisking during the pastry cream process keeps it silky and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Chill the pastry cream fully. Give it enough time in the fridge to thicken properly so it pipes beautifully on the cookies.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix only until combined to keep the cookies soft and tender.
- Bake until just set. The edges should be lightly golden, but the centers should still look soft. They firm up as they cool.
- Cool cookies completely before piping. Warm cookies will melt the pastry cream and ruin the texture.
- Torch carefully. Keep the flame moving in small circles to avoid burning the sugar and to create an even, glassy caramel layer.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy the cookies soon after torching for the perfect contrast between the crisp caramel and creamy filling.
Amy
Delicious! My friends and family loved them!
Ora
They taste just like creme brulee!