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These Crème Brûlée Cookies are a soft and chewy sugar cookie that’s frosted and covered with a crackly sugar top. They’re delicious, so fun and easy to make!
These crème brûlée cookies are such a fun and different cookie. The cookie is soft and chewy and the topping mirrors the crackly top of crème brûlée. Delicious! I love crème brûlée and have made various crème brûlée-inspired desserts, like crème brûlée cupcakes and crème brûlée cheesecake. These cookies may be my new favorite. They’re so easy!
I started this recipe with my soft and chewy sugar cookies, but reduced the sugar by a couple of tablespoons to help them spread a little less and be a touch thicker. The smaller size and thicker cookie is a little better for holding the frosting and not getting so soft they fall apart. They’re still super soft and chewy, though!
I anticipate these cookies becoming a regular in my baking rotation!
- The crackly top! The torched sugar top is what takes these from basic sugar cookies into special crème brûlée cookies. It’s just like the topping on a classic crème brûlée dessert.
- The frosting. These cookies are topped with a layer of cream cheese frosting. The tangy cream cheese is a great complement to the sweet sugar topping. It also helps the sugar stick to the cookie and prevents the cookie itself from burning when torched.
- SO soft and chewy. As I mentioned above, these cookies are based on my soft and chewy sugar cookies. I spent weeks perfecting that recipe, finding the perfect combination of ingredients for the best cookie. These crème brûlée cookies get all the benefits of that extensive recipe testing. They’re a little thicker for the frosting but just as soft and chewy!
Recipe Ingredients
These crème brûlée cookies use the same ingredients as sugar cookies, along with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream for the frosting. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Cookies
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it accurately. I recommend a food scale (especially for cookies), but the spoon and level method also works.
- Baking soda & baking powder – Using both leavening agents helps make these cookies perfectly chewy and thick.
- Salt – Adds depth so you can really taste the flavor of the cookies.
- Unsalted butter – I like to add salt to my baked goods separately, so I always opt for unsalted butter. It should be at room temperature.
- Sugar – Using granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons of brown sugar is one of the reasons these cookies are so irresistible. The brown sugar adds moisture and aids in creating a chewy texture.
- Egg – Be sure to use large, not medium or extra large eggs.
- Vanilla extract
Frosting and Topping
- Cream cheese – Using room temperature cream cheese will make it easier to mix so you don’t get l umps.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the cream cheese frosting.
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sugar – Added on top of the cream cheese and torched to create the classic creme brulee sugar topping.
These cookies are so fun and easy to make. The process is the same as making chewy sugar cookies, just with the addition of the frosting and torched sugar topping. The printable version of the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Make the cookies
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper (or silicone baking mats).
- Make the dough. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. It will be thick but it shouldn’t be sticky. I like to use a rubber spatula to help it come together into a more cohesive ball.
- Bake. Scoop 1 1/2 tablespoon balls of dough. Place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes. The edges should be just beginning to turn golden and the centers will look a bit puffy.
- Cool. Cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting and topping
- Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until smooth then mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- Add the sugar. Frost each cookie, then press them into a bowl of granulated sugar, coating the frosting with sugar.
- Torch the sugar. Carefully use a kitchen torch to cook the sugar on top of each cookie. It’s best to do this just after adding it to the frosting.
Oh No, The Frosting Melted!
The frosting can melt a bit as it’s being torched. As long as you don’t overdo it, it should be fine. If you’re having trouble with it, you can freeze the cookies for about 10-15 minutes after adding the frosting and before adding the sugar and torching so that the frosting doesn’t melt too much.
Keep these things in mind when making chewy crème brûlée cookies for the best results. They’re all super simple!
- Use room temperature butter. When butter is at room temperature, you should be able to easily press your finger into it and leave an indent. If there’s no indent, it’s too cold, and if your finger goes all the way through, it’s too warm.
- Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing cookie dough after combining the wet and dry ingredients can cause the gluten to over-develop. This leads to cookies that don’t spread as nicely. So be sure to mix until just combined!
- Use the right amount of flour. Small differences in flour can make a BIG difference – especially in cookies. Getting the right spread is a delicate matter. Be sure to measure your flour accurately or your cookies won’t spread and could be dry.
- Torch after adding the frosting. I’ve found that it’s best to torch the sugar right after adding it to the frosting. If it sits, the moisture from the frosting melts the sugar and it won’t caramelize with the torch.
- Toast just before serving. While I recommend torching the sugar immediately after adding it, I also recommend not adding the crackly top until it’s almost time to serve them. They’re best enjoyed just after torching the tops, as the moisture from the frosting will soften the top over time and you’ll lose the signature crack.
Proper Storage
While the cookies will stay soft and chewy for several days, these crème brûlée cookies are best served immediately after torching the tops.
At room temperature, they will stay crackly for about 2, maybe 3, hours. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days but the crackly top will start to soften. They still taste amazing, though!
Print
Recipe
Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
Yield: 32-34 cookies
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American
Description
These Crème Brûlée Cookies are a soft and chewy sugar cookie that’s frosted and covered with a crackly sugar top. They’re delicious, so fun and easy to make!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (207g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (28g) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting and Topping
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 1/4 cups (144g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons (78g) granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the butter and sugars to a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You should be able to see the change in color and texture happen and know it’s ready.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix. Once it’s well combined, use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
- Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Set the balls on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes. The cookies will spread and the centers will look soft, but should just look done. Remove just as the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t over bake. The cookies will be a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting and topping
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and well combined.
- Put the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Spread frosting onto the tops of each cookie, then turn them upside down and press them into the granulated sugar, to coat the frosting with sugar.
- Use a kitchen torch to cook the sugar on top, then set aside to cool. Torch the sugar just after adding it to the frosting. The tops are best toasted just before serving. Once the cookies are refrigerated, the crackly top starts to soften. At room temperature, they stay crackly for about 2-3 hours. Cookies are best if eaten when crackly, but will be good for 3-4 days and should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 5504
- Sugar: 450.6 g
- Sodium: 3252.7 mg
- Fat: 270.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 722.1 g
- Protein: 57.7 g
- Cholesterol: 903.1 mg
