I can't think of anything better than crème brûlée in cookie form. These Crème Brûlée Cookies are soft, chewy sugar cookies covered in cream cheese frosting and topped with crunchy sugar. Great for snack time and delicious enough for dessert.
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Dessert Inspired Cookies
What could be better than packing all the yumminess of a dessert into a cookie? Just the thought of dessert-inspired cookies makes my mouth water. It’s a delicious twist on our favorite desserts in a handheld treat. Imagine biting into delicious sweets like cheesecake, key lime pie, or crème brûlée but in cookie form! It’s such a delightful way to experience our favorite desserts without the need for a knife or fork!
A few of my favorite dessert-inspired cookies include Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies which deliver all the creamy velvety flavor of cheesecake to your palate, S'mores Cookies with graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows that bring fun times by the fireside to mind, and Turtle Cheesecake Cookies which blend creamy cheesecake flavor with your favorite candy. What could be better?!
Why You'll Love This Crème Brûlée Cookie Recipe
All the flavor of the classic French dessert in cookie form!
A wonderful contrast in textures - soft cookies topped with a crunchy sugar topping.
The perfect cookie to enjoy with your afternoon coffee or as a dessert.
If you love crème brûlée you will love these cookies!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need for making this Crème Brûlée Sugar Cookies recipe. The exact measurements are in the printable recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt - enhances the flavor of all ingredients
- White granulated sugar
- Salted butter - make sure it is room temperature
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract - brings the flavor of the classic dessert to this cookie recipe
- Cream cheese - room temperature will make blending easier for a smoother texture
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Crème Brûlée Cookies
These are the steps for making sugar cookies:
- Place room-temperature butter and sugar in a mixing bowl
- Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy.
- Continue beating while adding the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Beat at low speed for about 30 seconds or until a soft dough forms. DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Scoop the dough into about 2-ounce balls and round them with your palms.
- Roll the dough in granulated sugar.
- Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets and chill for 30 minutes. This will help prevent most of the spreading.
- Remove from refrigerator, place on room temperature cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, and bake for 12-15 minutes. You just want the edges turning a pretty golden color.
Steps for making cream cheese cookie frosting:
- Place cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
- Beat until smooth.
- When the cookies have cooled sufficiently, spread them with the cream cheese frosting.
These are the steps for the crunchy sugar topping:
- Place the frosted cookies on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar.
- Use a kitchen torch and caramelize the sugar on each cookie. Work slowly until the sugar has turned golden brown and gets that nice crunchy texture. Let cool before storing in the refrigerator.
Just look at that crunchy topping! It's the perfect foil for the soft, custardy-flavored cookie underneath and the creamy, rich vanilla cream cheese frosting. You can savor all the flavors of the classic French dessert easily with this cookie recipe. They're a snack-time favorite and perfect to add to your holiday baking.
Do I need to use a kitchen torch?
Yes, a kitchen torch is the best option and very inexpensive to purchase. Broiling them will melt the cream cheese frosting. A lighter will not produce the same results and can impart an unpleasant flavor and smell.
Recipe Tips
- Measure flour properly. Stir the flour with a spoon and use the spoon the scoop it into the measuring cup. Left off the top with a straight edge.
- Make sure to beat your eggs into the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough or you will develop gluten that can cause dense cookies.
- Chilling the cookie dough is important for the right cookie texture so don't skip this step.
- Don't overbake the cookies. They will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet after removing them from the oven.
- When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a large round cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape.
- Sprinkle the top of the frosted cookie with sugar and then refrigerate them for at least an hour before torching. This helps prevent the frosting from melting.
Recipe Variation - Crème Brûlée Sandwich Cookies
Want to turn these into sandwich cookies? It's easy to do and here's how:
Do not frost half of the cookies. Prepare half as directed with the frosting and torched sugar and top them with the remaining unfrosted half immediately after torching each one so the top cookie sticks to the melted sugar.
Make Ahead Dough and Frosting
You can make the dough and frosting in advance and freeze them.
Instead of baking the cookies, put the cookie sheet with the dough balls in the freezer until frozen. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. You can thaw it in the fridge overnight or bake the frozen dough.
Place the frosting in a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. Use a mixer to whip it for a minute or two before using it to frost the cookies.
How to Store the Cookies
Because the cookies have cream cheese frosting, they must be stored in the refrigerator. It is best to store them without the crispy sugar topping because it will soften in the fridge. Just sprinkle the top with sugar and torch it before serving.
Place the cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. Refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
To freeze frosted cookies, place them on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer. Once the cookies are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight. Again, it is best to do this without the crispy sugar topping.
More Holiday Cookies
Here are some yummy cookies to make for Christmas and other holidays:
- Cathedral Cookies
- Chocolate Caramel Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Lebkuchen Cookies
- Pastel Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies
- Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Find the best cookie recipes right here on 2CM!
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Crème Brûlée Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Creme Brûlée Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼-1/2 cup granulated sugar for caramelizing
Instructions
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sugar Cookies
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Continue beating while adding the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat at low speed for about 30 seconds or until a soft dough forms. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Scoop the cookie dough out in 2-ounce portions (about 3 tablespoons) then roll into a ball using your palms.
- Roll the dough ball into the ¼ cup sugar that has been spread onto a flat plate. Place the sugar-coated balls onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove the cookie balls from the refrigerator and place on room temperature parchment lined cookie sheets, leaving about 3” between each as they will spread.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden. The tops will look puffy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined.
- Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
- Top each cooled cookie with frosting then spread to cover.
Crunchy Sugar Topping
- Place the cookies on a foil lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle sugar on top of the frosted cookies - about 1-2 teaspoons of sugar on each.
- Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar on top of each cookie, working slowly until the sugar is golden brown and caramelized.
- Allow the sugar to cool down and harden before storing in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make sure to beat your eggs into the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale in color and fluffy, not just until it's combined. Doing this will help give you perfectly textured cookies.
- Don't overmix the cookie dough or you will develop gluten that can cause dense cookies.
- Chilling the cookie dough is important for the right cookie texture so don't skip this step.
- Don't overbake the cookies. They will continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet after removing them from the oven.
Nutrition
This post has been updated with an improved recipe, new photos, and helpful tips. It was first published on December 11, 2014.
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