The Best Crème Brûlée Cookies
Indulge in the most delicious Crème Brûlée Cookies! These soft, chewy sugar cookies are topped with a luscious vanilla pastry cream and finished with a perfectly caramelized sugar crust. If you love the rich flavors of classic crème brûlée, you’ll adore this easy and irresistible cookie version!
Why You’ll Love These Crème Brûlée Cookies
- Perfect texture – Buttery, chewy cookies with crispy edges.
- Rich vanilla flavor – Made with vanilla bean paste for a deep, aromatic taste.
- Caramelized sugar topping – Crack through the crisp brûléed layer for an authentic crème brûlée experience.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated 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 into cubes
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar (for rolling the dough)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar (for the brûlée topping)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until steaming. Reduce heat to low.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until smooth and pale yellow.
- Slowly whisk in 1/4 of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. Then, gradually add the rest and mix well.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly for 8-12 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat, add butter, and stir until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until fully chilled.
Step 2: Make the Sugar Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until pale and fluffy.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Scoop the dough into balls, roll in sugar, and slightly flatten each one on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges are set. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Step 3: Assemble and Brûlée the Cookies
- Transfer the chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Pipe a generous amount of pastry cream onto each cooled cookie.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar over each.
- Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar until golden brown and fragrant.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy immediately!
FAQs
How do I store these cookies? For the best texture, serve immediately after brûléeing. If making ahead, store the sugar cookies in an airtight container and add the pastry cream and caramelized sugar just before serving.
Can I use an oven instead of a kitchen torch? No, an oven broiler will melt the pastry cream. A kitchen torch is essential for achieving the signature brûléed topping.
Pro Tips for Success
- Measure flour properly – Spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off with a knife, or weigh it (1 cup = 125 g).
- Whisk pastry cream continuously – Prevents egg scrambling and ensures a smooth, creamy texture.
- Shape cookies after baking – Use a round cookie cutter to scoot around warm cookies for a perfect shape.
- Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy – Helps create the ideal cookie texture.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Cheesecake Cookies
- Pistachio Cookies
- Cornflake Oat Cookies
- Chocolate Cherry Cookies
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
If you make these Crème Brûlée Cookies, leave a rating and comment! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious treats! 🍪✨
These are the best creme brûlée cookies! They are chewy, buttery, soft sugar cookies with rich and creamy vanilla pastry cream topped with caramelized sugar.
If you’re looking for another cookie recipe, try my lemon cheesecake cookies, pistachio cookies, cornflake oat cookies, chocolate cherry cookies, chewy peanut butter cookies or Oreo cheesecake cookies!
creme brulee cookies on a marble tray
Why You’ll Love These Crème Brûlée Cookies
They have the best texture– These are chewy sugar cookies with crispy edges.
They’re topped with perfect vanilla pastry cream– I can’t even tell you how good this is. So creamy, so vanilla-y, so lush!
They have the perfect flavor- The dough and pastry cream is flavored with lots of vanilla bean paste for the ultimate vanilla taste.
They’re topped with crispy caramelized sugar- The best part of these cookies is cracking that perfectly caramelized sugar topping!
creme brulee cookie with bruleed sugar cracked
Ingredients for Creme Brulee Cookies
Unsalted Butter– used in the cookie dough and pastry cream
Granulated White Sugar– used to sweeten the cookies and pastry cream, and make the brûlée topping
Eggs– make sure they’re room temperature
Vanilla– I highly recommend using vanilla bean paste for the best flavor instead of vanilla extract since vanilla is the main flavor component of creme brûlée!
Milk– whole milk is used for the pastry cream
Cornstarch– a little corn starch helps the pastry cream to thicken
Flour– just the right amount of all purpose flour helps give these cookies their perfect texture
Baking Powder– used to just slightly leaven these cookies
Salt– brings out all the flavors in these cookies
creme brulee cookies on a marble tray
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including measurements and baking time!
STEP ONE: Make the pastry cream by heating the milk over medium-low heat just until it’s steaming. To a large bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and cornstarch and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color. (It will be thick at first but will get smooth as you whisk.) Add in about 1/4 of the heated milk while stirring vigorously. Then, add the rest in and stir to combine.
egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and cornstarch whisked together in a bowl
heated milk mixed in
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 heat. Add in the butter and mix to combine. Transfer it to a bowl and place plastic wrap right on top of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill it in the fridge until completely cold.
pastry cream in a pot after thickening
pastry cream in a bowl with butter on top
butter mixed into the pastry cream
pastry cream covered with plastic wrap
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then set aside.
STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl cream butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about two minutes. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
STEP FOUR: Add in the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
butter and sugar creamed together
egg and vanilla mixed in
STEP FIVE: Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the dough pulls together. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
STEP SIX: Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop, then roll into balls. Add sugar to a small bowl, then roll each cookie dough ball in sugar.
dry ingredients mixed in
cookie dough rolled into a ball and then in sugar
STEP SEVEN: Place the dough on to parchment-lined cookie sheets and slightly flatten each ball. (Bake 6 cookies at a time.)
STEP EIGHT: Bake the cookies then let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
cookie dough slightly flattened
cookie on a baking sheet after baking
STEP NINE: 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 and smells like roasted marshmallows. Yum!
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes after torching, then enjoy! (Add the pastry cream on top only when you’re ready to serve the cookies. The cookies do get soggy after a few hour so you’ll want to enjoy them right away.)
cookies with pastry cream piped on top
sugar sprinkled on pastry cream
cookies after bruleeing the sugar
brulee topping broken
FAQs
How do I store these cookies? I would recommend eating the cookies the same day you make them. If you plan to serve them the next day, wait to top them with the pastry cream. Store the sugar cookies in an airtight container. When ready to serve, pipe the pastry cream on top and brûlée the sugar.
Do I need to use a kitchen torch? Yes you do. The one I have is from Amazon. You can’t just use an oven broiler because it will melt the pastry cream right off the cookies!
creme brulee cookie with a bite taken out on a marble tray with other cookies around
Pro Tips
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
Whisk the pastry cream constantly while heating it. This will ensure the eggs don’t scramble on you.
When the cookies are straight out of the oven, scoot a circular cookie cutter around them to give them a perfect circular shape!
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.
Other Recipes to Try Next Time
White Chocolate Cheesecake
White Chocolate Cookies
Chantilly Cake
No Bake Cheesecake
If you make these cookies please, please leave a star rating! Tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ and follow me on Pinterest also for other dessert ideas!
creme brulee cookie with a bite taken out on top of other cookies
Creme Brûlée Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies Prep: 1hour hr 30minutes minsCook: 9minutes minsAssembly Time: 20minutes minsTotal: 1hour hr 59minutes mins
These are the best creme brûlée cookies! They are chewy, buttery, soft sugar cookies with rich and creamy vanilla pastry cream topped with caramelized sugar.
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
▢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
For the Sugar Cookies
▢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)
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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.
2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
To a large bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla and cornstarch and whisk until combined and a pale-yellow color. (It will be thick at first but will get smooth as you whisk.)
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
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.
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
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.
2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp salt
In a large bowl cream together the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
(You can also use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated white sugar,1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
1 egg,1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
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.
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough in)
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 and smells like roasted marshmallows. Yum!
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brulee topping)
Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes after torching, then enjoy!
(Add the pastry cream on top only when you’re ready to serve the cookies. The cookies do get soggy after a few hour so you’ll want to enjoy them right away.)