These creme brûlée cookies are made with a soft cookie that is topped with vanilla pastry cream that is topped with caramelized sugar.
These cookies start with a soft, chewy sugar cookie base that's easy to bite into. On top of the cookie, there's a layer of smooth, creamy vanilla pastry cream. This cream is similar to what you'd find in a cream puff.
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 for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking soda – baking soda helps the cookies rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Don't replace baking soda with baking powder!
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.
Brown sugar- I like using light brown sugar for this. The brown sugar adds a caramel flavor and chewy texture to the cookies.
Eggs- you will need 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Vanilla extract- for vanilla flavor. I used vanilla paste, but you can use a whole vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract.
For the pastry cream
Milk- use room temperature whole milk.
Egg yolks- you will need 5 egg yolks for this recipe. Use large eggs.
Cornstarch- you will need cornstarch for the pastry cream. This can't be substituted.
Instructions
Make the pastry cream
Place a saucepan over high heat and fill it with the milk and vanilla extract. Bring it to a simmer, and remove from heat. Scoop ¼ cup of the milk and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar and cornstarch. Mix with a whisk until combined.
Add the egg yolks and mix. Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and mix constantly with a whisk.
Finally, add the butter and mix until the butter melts.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap tightly. Place the bowl in the fridge to set and cool for a few hours.
Make the cookie dough
In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined.
Add the egg, and egg yolk, and mix until combined and creamy.
Then, add the flour, and baking soda, and mix with the hand mixer until just combined and there are no flour lumps visible.
Use a large cookie scooper to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time.
Roll the cookie dough balls into balls using your clean hands and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Do not overbake them, we want to keep these cookies soft and chewy.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag with a round piping tip and pipe on top of each cooled cookie.
Sprinkle with granulated sugar or caster sugar and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it melts and turns a golden brown color, creating a delicate, crispy layer.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. You must use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cookies and not dense and dry cookies.
- 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.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your brown butter chocolate chunk cookies release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, it ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Cool completely. Allow both cookies and pastry cream to cool entirely before assembling to prevent melting or sogginess.
- Pipe the cream. Use a pastry bag with a round tip for neat, even application of the pastry cream onto each cookie.
- Chill before torching. Refrigerate the assembled cookies for at least 30 minutes to set the cream and make torching easier.
- Master the torching technique. Hold the kitchen torch at a 45-degree angle and move it constantly to achieve an even caramelization.
- 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 cream cheese 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 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
- 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!
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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 high heat and fill it with the milk and vanilla extract. Bring it to a simmer, and remove from heat. Scoop ¼ cup of the milk and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the sugar and cornstarch. Mix with a whisk until combined.
- Add the egg yolks and mix. Gradually add the ¼ cup of milk and mix constantly with a whisk.
- Mix constantly to prevent lumps from forming until the mixture thickens. Don't increase the heat, be patient it will be worth it!
- Finally, add the butter and mix until the butter melts.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap tightly. Place the bowl in the fridge to set and cool for a few hours.
Make the cookie dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined.
- Add the egg, and egg yolk, and mix until combined and creamy.
- Then, add the flour, and baking soda, and mix with the hand mixer until just combined and there are no flour lumps visible.
- Use a large cookie scooper to scoop out the cookies or scoop the cookies with a regular tablespoon, 1 ½ tablespoons at a time.
- Roll the cookie dough balls into balls using your clean hands and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Do not overbake them, we want to keep these cookies soft and chewy.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag with a round piping tip and pipe on top of each cooled cookie.
- Sprinkle with granulated sugar or caster sugar and use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until it melts and turns a golden brown color, creating a delicate, crispy layer.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. You must use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have moist cookies and not dense and dry cookies.
- 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.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat! This step helps the cookies to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your brown butter chocolate chunk cookies release easily from the pan.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out the cookies, that way you will have even-sized cookies, it ensures that your cookies bake evenly.
- Cool completely. Allow both cookies and pastry cream to cool entirely before assembling to prevent melting or sogginess.
- Pipe the cream. Use a pastry bag with a round tip for neat, even application of the pastry cream onto each cookie.
- Chill before torching. Refrigerate the assembled cookies for at least 30 minutes to set the cream and make torching easier.
- Master the torching technique. Hold the kitchen torch at a 45-degree angle and move it constantly to achieve an even caramelization.
- 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!