Indulgent Creme Brulee Cookies
- So soft they melt in your mouth
- Classic soft sugar cookie base
- Ultra rich, perfectly balanced frosting
- Crunchy sugar topping
- A little mix of simple and out of the box like these brown butter salted caramel cookies, Taylor Swift chai cookies, and New York cheesecake cookies
Looking for more frosted holiday desserts? Try soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, frosted eggnog cookies, or pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
How to Make Creme Brulee Sugar Cookies
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate small bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar, add the wet ingredients, and beat until all is incorporated.
- Finish the cookie dough, stopping to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to drop the dough a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Make the cream cheese frosting.
- Frost the cookies and cover the frosting in a generous sprinkling of sugar. Melt the sugar with a blow torch until you have a crispy caramelized sugar coating.
Molly’s Tips
- Use a kitchen blow torch and get it about an inch away from the cookie so it melts and caramelizes the sugar quickly. The frosting can melt quickly!
- 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 of they can become dry and crumbly.
- Make sure you have enough powdered sugar in the frosting for it to be firm and hold it’s shape. It melts slightly under the torch, so you want it pretty solid to start.
Storage Instructions
Storage: Baked and frosted creme brulee cookies will last up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.
Freezing: 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.
This recipe is sponsored by American Dairy Association Mideast. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to brands like theirs who believe in our mission and recipes so we can continue to share free ones with you. Visit their website for nutrition facts, and cooking tips, and to learn about dairy farming.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Holiday Cookies
Creme Brulee Sugar Cookies
Save this Recipe!
Ingredients
Creme Brulee Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (100g) 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 (118ml) heavy cream
- 2 ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed (Note 1)
Cream Cheese Frosting and Caramelized Sugar Topping
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces (113g) full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups (300-360) powdered sugar sifted
- Granulated sugar for topping the cookies (about 1 teaspoon per cookie)
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.1 cup (2 sticks; 226g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 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.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon almond extract, ½ cup (118ml) heavy cream
- 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!1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- 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 of 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.6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, 4 ounces (113g) full-fat cream cheese, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 1/2 – 3 cups (300-360) powdered sugar
- 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.Granulated sugar for topping the cookies
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQs
You’re probably wondering..do I really need a kitchen torch for this recipe? And ultimately the answer is yes! You can get one on Amazon for under $20 (just make sure to buy the fuel too).
You can throw them under the oven broiler for a few seconds, but you risk melting the frosting before you achieve the burnt sugar topping. Buy a kitchen torch and store it to make these cookies year after year!
Regular white sugar is best! I’ve seen some use coarse turbinado sugar too, but I have not tested that on these cookies.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Hey Amber! I haven’t tried this, but I think it should be fine! Let me know how they turn out if you do. Thanks!
When I try to print a recipe it goes blank and will not print.
Hey Gigi! Do you have a pop-up blocker on or anything? Thanks!
Could you use the broiler instead of a torch?