These Creme Brulee Cookies are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a soft, frosted cookie. The vanilla bean cookie and cream cheese topping make a winning combination, but the bruleed sugar on top of the cookie is what really sets them apart. Imagine your favorite classic creme brulee in cookie form!
Tips for making Creme Brulee Cookies:
- Do I really need a kitchen torch? Use one for best results, just like traditional creme brulee, or you risk the frosting melting under the broiler in the oven.
- You may be wondering, “What’s the best sugar to use for creme brulee?” And that would be regular white sugar! I’ve seen some use coarse turbinado sugar, too, but I have not tested that on these cookies.
- Do not overbake them or they can become dry and crumbly.
- Make sure you have enough powdered sugar in the frosting for it to be firm and hold its shape. It melts slightly under the torch, so you want it solid to start.
- Keep the kitchen torch close to the sugar while you brulee the top. This gives you the caramelized topping quickly before the frosting melts.
Looking for more delicious holiday cookie ideas? Try bright green Grinch Cookies, melt-in-your mouth Vanilla Ricotta Cookies or classic Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles.
Creme Brulee Cookies
- 25 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 55 minutes
- 24 cookies
Ingredients
Creme Brulee Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup heavy cream
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramelized Sugar Topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Granulated sugar for topping the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
- Beat the wet ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract then beat well, until the yellow streaks are gone. Add the heavy cream and beat again until it's incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium bowl. With the mixer on low, add half of the dry ingredients, then turn the speed up to medium to incorporate it fully. Repeat the process with the second half of the dry ingredients. The cookie dough will be wet; this is what you want!
- Bake the cookies. Use a heaping tablespoon or medium cookie scoop to drop the dough a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are set and no longer look wet. The cookies will spread out first then start to rise.
- Cool cookies. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting. Beat together the softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and all the lumps are gone. Add 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar and beat on medium speed to incorporate. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat until combined and the mixture is smooth. Finish by adding the last 2 cups of confectioners' sugar and beat well until smooth.
- Frost the cookies. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and cut off the tip. Swirl the frosting onto the cooled cookies. Alternately, dollop about 1 Tablespoon of frosting on top and use the back of a spoon to spread it out.
- Top with sugar and brulee. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar on top of each cookie and use a torch to melt and brulee the top of the cookies. Keep the torch close to the cookie (about 1 inch away). This should take 2-3 seconds per cookie. The frosting will melt slightly—this is ok. Allow the frosting to set again before serving.
Storage Instructions:
Baked and frosting cookies will last up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the baked cookies before you frost them. Layer them with parchment paper in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and follow the directions to frost and caramelize the top as directed.
