Okay, friends, let’s talk about something truly magical: Creme Brûlée Cookies! Seriously, imagine your favorite sugar cookie getting all dressed up with a creamy vanilla filling and that *crackly*, caramelized sugar topping that makes crème brûlée so irresistible. It’s like a fancy dessert decided to crash a cookie party, and trust me, everyone’s invited!
I’ll never forget the first time I had crème brûlée. I was, like, ten, and my parents took me to this super-fancy restaurant (fancy for *us*, anyway!). I felt so grown-up ordering it, and then, that first *crack* of my spoon through the sugar… pure bliss! I’ve been obsessed ever since. So, naturally, I had to figure out how to cram all that deliciousness into a cookie. And after, uh, a *few* tries (let’s not talk about the burnt sugar incidents, okay?), I finally nailed it. These Creme Brûlée Cookies are SO worth the effort, you guys. Get ready to impress!
Why You’ll Love These Creme Brûlée Cookies
Okay, so why should you spend an afternoon whipping up these Creme Brûlée Cookies? Well, let me tell you!
- You get the best of *both* worlds: sugar cookie goodness meets fancy crème brûlée vibes!
- That caramelized topping? Forget about it! It’s SO satisfying to crack.
- The creamy vanilla filling is like a little cloud of happiness in every bite.
- They LOOK super impressive, but honestly, they’re not that hard to make. I promise!
- And, helloooo, perfect for special occasions (or, you know, a Tuesday!).
Creme Brûlée Cookies Ingredients
Alright, let’s gather our goodies! Don’t worry, you probably have most of this stuff already. Here’s what you’ll need for these amazing Creme Brûlée Cookies:
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk – Gotta use the good stuff for that creamy texture!
- 6 large egg yolks – Save the whites for an omelet!
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar – For that perfect sweetness.
- 1/8 tsp salt – Just a pinch!
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste – Trust me, it’s worth it! But extract works too.
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch – This is our thickening agent, so don’t skip it!
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes – Cold butter helps it melt evenly!
For the Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled – This makes sure you don’t get too much flour in there!
- 1/2 tsp baking powder – Gives them a little lift.
- 1/2 tsp salt – Balances the sweetness!
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated white sugar – More sugar! We like sugar!
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened – Make sure it’s *actually* soft, not melted.
- 1 large egg – Adds richness and helps bind everything together.
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste – Because you can never have too much vanilla, right?
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough in) – For that sparkly, sweet crust!
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brulee topping) – The magic ingredient for that crackly top!
How To Make Creme Brûlée Cookies
Okay, ready to get baking? Don’t be intimidated! These Creme Brûlée Cookies might seem fancy, but I promise, if you follow these steps, you’ll be golden. Let’s do this!
Making the Vanilla Pastry Cream
First up: the creamy filling! In a saucepan, gently heat your milk over medium-low. We just want it steaming, not boiling, okay? Then, turn the heat *way* down to low to keep it warm while you work on the next step.
In a separate bowl, whisk together your egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch until it’s all combined and a pale yellow color. Now, slowly pour in about 1/4 of that warm milk while you’re whisking like crazy! This tempers the eggs, so they don’t scramble. Then, add the rest of the milk and stir to combine.
Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 8-12 minutes, whisking *constantly*. Seriously, don’t stop! We don’t want any lumps or scorching. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s nice and thick and soft peaks form when you lift your whisk. Take it off the heat and stir in the cubed butter until it’s all melted and smooth.
Pour that gorgeous pastry cream into a bowl, and press plastic wrap right on top of it – this is key to prevent a skin from forming! Chill it in the fridge until it’s completely cold. This usually takes a couple of hours, so plan ahead!
Baking the Sugar Cookies
Alright, while that pastry cream is chilling, let’s get to the cookies! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Don’t skip the parchment; it makes cleanup a breeze!
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set that aside. In a *big* bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until it’s light and fluffy – about two minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until it’s all pale and fluffy, another minute or two.
Now, slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Don’t overmix! Scoop the dough into balls using a large cookie scoop (or just roll them by hand!). Pour that extra sugar into a small bowl, then roll each cookie dough ball in the sugar. Place them on your prepared baking sheets and slightly flatten each ball. I usually bake about 6 cookies at a time, so they have plenty of room.
Bake for 9-10 minutes. You want them to be set but still a little soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembling the Creme Brûlée Cookies
Okay, the fun part! Once the cookies are cooled and the pastry cream is chilled, transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off works just fine!
Pipe a generous dollop of pastry cream on top of each cookie. Then, sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over each one. Now, grab your kitchen torch (carefully!) and brûlée that sugar until it’s golden brown and bubbly. Keep the torch moving to avoid burning! Careful, it gets hot!
Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes after torching so the sugar hardens up a bit. Then… dive in and enjoy those Creme Brûlée Cookies! They’re best enjoyed fresh, trust me!
Tips for Perfect Creme Brûlée Cookies
Want to make sure your Creme Brûlée Cookies are total showstoppers? Here are a few little secrets I’ve learned along the way!
- Don’t skimp on the vanilla! Use a good quality vanilla bean paste or extract for the best flavor in both the pastry cream and the cookies. Trust me, you can taste the difference!
- Keep an eye on those cookies in the oven! You want them to be just set, not browned or crispy. Overbaked cookies will be dry and crumbly, and nobody wants that.
- Make sure that pastry cream is *thoroughly* chilled before you start assembling. It’ll be much easier to pipe, and it won’t melt all over the place when you torch the sugar.
- Speaking of torching, watch that sugar like a hawk! It goes from golden brown to burnt *fast*. Keep the torch moving and don’t hold it too close.
Creme Brûlée Cookies Variations
Okay, so you’ve mastered the basic Creme Brûlée Cookies? Awesome! Now, let’s get a little crazy and try some fun variations! My favorite part is experimenting with different flavors, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
- Try swapping out the vanilla extract for almond extract in the cookie dough. It adds a lovely nutty flavor!
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the cookie dough for a warm, cozy twist. Especially great around the holidays!
- Use flavored sugars for the topping! Think lemon sugar, lavender sugar, or even a spicy cinnamon sugar. Yum!
- And, of course, you can *always* add chocolate chips to the cookie dough. Because chocolate makes everything better, right?
Storing Your Creme Brûlée Cookies
Okay, so you’ve got leftover Creme Brûlée Cookies? First of all, WOW! You have more willpower than I do! But seriously, these cookies are best enjoyed fresh. The texture changes pretty quickly once that pastry cream starts to soften the cookie. If you *must* store them, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. But honestly? They’re not going to be quite as amazing the next day. Just sayin’!
Frequently Asked Questions About Creme Brûlée Cookies
Got questions? I’ve got answers! Here are a few of the most common things people ask me about these Creme Brûlée Cookies.
Can I make the Creme Brûlée Cookies ahead of time?
Great question! You *can* definitely make the components ahead. Bake the sugar cookies and make the vanilla pastry cream, but hold off on assembling them until just before serving. That way, the cookies stay nice and crisp, and the brulee topping is perfectly crackly!
How do I store leftover Creme Brûlée Cookies?
Okay, so if you absolutely *must* store them (again, I admire your willpower!), your best bet is to store the cookies and pastry cream separately. That’ll keep the cookies from getting soggy. But honestly, they’re best enjoyed fresh!
Can I freeze the Creme Brûlée Cookies?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The pastry cream doesn’t freeze super well, and it can change the texture of the cookies. So, just whip up a fresh batch – they’re so worth it!
Nutritional Information for Creme Brûlée Cookies (Disclaimer only)
Okay, so, just a heads-up: the nutrition info for these Creme Brûlée Cookies can vary *a lot* depending on the brands you use and how big you make ’em. So, don’t take any numbers you see as gospel, okay?
Enjoyed These Creme Brûlée Cookies?
If you loved these Creme Brûlée Cookies as much as I do, please leave a comment and rate the recipe! And hey, share your cookie masterpieces on social media – I wanna see ’em!
Print
Creme Brûlée Cookies: 1 Unforgivable Baking Sin
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes chilling time)
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Creme Brûlée Cookies combine the classic dessert with a sugar cookie. You get a creamy vanilla filling and a crisp, caramelized sugar topping.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough in)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brulee topping)
Instructions
- For the Vanilla Pastry Cream: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming. Then, turn heat down to low until ready to use.
- To a large bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and cornstarch and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color.
- Add in 1/4 of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. Then, add the rest in and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat and cook for 8-12 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick and soft peaks form.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and transfer it to a bowl. Add in the butter and mix to combine. Place plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it in the fridge until completely cold.
- For the Sugar Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together.
- Scoop the dough into balls with a large cookie scoop. Roll into balls.
- Add sugar to a small bowl, then roll each cookie dough ball in sugar.
- Place the dough on to parchment-lined cookie sheets and slightly flatten each ball. (Bake 6 cookies at a time.)
- Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, then let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Assembling the Cookies: Transfer the pastry cream to a piping bag fit with a small circular tip. Once the cookies are cooled, pipe pastry cream on top of each cookie.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over each and use a kitchen torch to brûlée the sugar until it is golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes after torching, then enjoy!
Notes
- Add the pastry cream on top only when you’re ready to serve the cookies.
- The cookies get soggy after a few hours.
- Enjoy them right away.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
