Crème Brûlée Cookies transform the classic French dessert into soft, chewy treats with rich vanilla flavor and a crisp, caramelized sugar topping that cracks with every bite!
Recipe Highlights
I made these recently for a family gathering, and let me tell you, these cookies disappeared faster than me trying to dodge small talk at the grocery store. Basically, they taste like crème brûlée (in cookie form), but actually better and without the hassle of your inner voice telling you you're gonna mess up or the fear of accidentally setting something on fire. The Crème Brûlée cookies are the way to go if you want to impress people with minimal effort. Follow my step-by-step photos to make them with ease!
Why You Should Make These
- Fancy Café Vibe Without the Effort: These cookies taste like something you’d find in a high-end bakery, but they come together in your own kitchen with zero pretentiousness.
- Crunchy, Creamy, and Soft—All in One: The combination of a soft vanilla cookie, smooth frosting, and crackly brûlée topping is the kind of texture perfection that keeps you coming back for more.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: It doesn't matter if you’re hosting a holiday party, bribing your coworkers, or just need a late-night snack that feels like French couture. These cookies check all the boxes.
The Ingredients for Crème Brûlée Cookies
To make the cookies, you'll need all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt for the dry ingredients. The dough comes together with softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Once mixed, the dough is shaped into balls, baked until golden, and cooled before frosting.
For the frosting, whisk vanilla instant pudding mix with cold milk until thick. Cream together softened butter and vanilla extract, then blend in the pudding, heavy whipping cream, and powdered sugar until smooth. Pipe the frosting onto cooled cookies, freeze briefly to set, then sprinkle with granulated sugar and torch until caramelized.
Tips for Success
- Eggs: I prefer using room-temperature eggs for baking, as they blend more smoothly into the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: For an even more luxurious flavor, substitute vanilla bean paste or add the seeds of one vanilla bean.
- Torch or Broiler? If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place the cookies under the broiler for a few seconds to caramelize the sugar. Please watch closely to avoid burning!
Presentation Ideas
These cookies are already the star of the show, but why not take them up a notch? Here are some fun ways to serve Crème Brûlée cookies:
- With Fresh Berries: If you pretend to be healthy while eating dessert, a side of strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries would be perfect.
- With Ice Cream: Serve with a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream + fresh berries!
- On a Dessert Board: Throw these on a dessert charcuterie board with macarons, chocolates, and fruit. Perfect for impressing guests (or just treating yourself).
- Drizzled with Caramel or Chocolate: A light drizzle of caramel or melted chocolate makes these even more irresistible.
- Served Warm for Extra Gooeyness: A few seconds in the microwave softens the frosting and makes it taste like it just came out of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
I actually love making these the day before because the flavors get even better overnight. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature, and they’ll stay fresh for a few days.
Do I have to brûlée the sugar on top?
Technically, no. But if you skip the brûlée, you’re basically just making a fancy frosted cookie instead of embracing the full crème brûlée experience. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can use the broiler for a few seconds—just watch them closely!
Can I use store-bought frosting instead?
Technically, yes, but homemade frosting is always better. The vanilla cream frosting in this recipe is what gives these cookies their rich, decadent flavor.
How do I get that perfect brûlée topping?
A thin, even layer of sugar is key! If you pile on too much, it won’t caramelize properly. I learned this the hard way when my first batch had sugar lava running down the sides. Less is more here!
Crème Brûlée Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Vanilla cream frosting
- 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix (boxed)
- ½ cup cold milk
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream room temp
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar for brulee topping
Instructions
For the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, combine the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium/high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mix until combined.
- Add the dry mixture and fold in with a large spoon or spatula until completely combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out evenly sized cookie dough. Use your hands to roll each cookie into a smooth ball. Place 6 evenly spaced out on each of the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely while making the frosting.
For the frosting
- In a small bowl whisk together the pudding and cold milk until thickened.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Add the pudding and heavy whipping cream, mix until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a round piping tip, pipe in a spiral onto each cooled cookie.
- Place cookies in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the frosting has hardened. This will help it hold its shape while torching the sugar.
- Sprinkle each cookie with granulated sugar and use a kitchen butane torch to caramelize the sugar. Melt until it turns a golden brown color.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
How to Make Crème Brûlée Cookies (step-by-step photos)
Make Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, then mix in dry ingredients until combined.
Scoop dough into balls, place 6 per sheet, and bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Make Frosting:
Whisk pudding and cold milk until thickened. In another bowl, beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Add pudding, heavy cream, and powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.
Pipe the frosting:
Pipe frosting onto cooled cookies in a spiral. Freeze for 30 minutes to set. Sprinkle cookies with sugar and torch until caramelized and golden brown.
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: Keep your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your house is anything like mine, they won’t even last that long!
- Refrigerate: For longer storage, place them in the fridge for up to a week. The frosting will firm up a bit, but the flavor stays just as amazing. If your cookies have been in the fridge, let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.
- Freeze: You can freeze the baked (but unfrosted) cookies for up to 3 months. Just layer them between parchment paper in an airtight container.
- Thaw: When ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature, then frost and brûlée the sugar fresh for that signature crunch.
- Want to re-crisp the brûlée topping? A quick pass with a kitchen torch or a few seconds under the broiler will bring back that perfect caramelized crunch.
If you're on the fence, make these! So easy and I like them so much better than regular creme brulee. I like to have some "cake" or cookie dough with my creme brulee, so these are perfect. Just sprinkl them with lots of sugar to get that nice melted char on top.
Hi Melinda! I agree, these cookies are more "substantial" than a regulare creme brulee. 🙂
Delicious topping!
Thank you, Tammy! It's my new favorite way to make Creme Brulee! 🙂