Creme Brûlée Cookies
Let Me Tell You a Thing About These Cookies
Okay, so you know how sometimes you want something kinda fancy, but honestly, you’re mostly in it for the sugar rush? That’s me every single time I make these Creme Brûlée Cookies. The first batch happened by accident (classic me: meant to make regular sugar cookies, saw the torch on the shelf, and there we were). They’ve turned into the crowd-pleaser I bring to potlucks, and, true story, my neighbor once bribed me with her good olive oil for the recipe. If you’re hoping for a posh French patisserie experience, well, this isn’t that. But if you’re after something with crispy caramel on top and gooey vanilla cookie inside, buddy, these are right up your alley.
Why You’ll Love Making (and Eating) These
I throw these together whenever I want to impress without any actual hard work. My family goes absolutely bonkers for the creamy, vanilla kick (and, let’s be real, the caramelized sugar shell that you get to whack with a spoon—seriously satisfying, tell me I’m wrong). I make them when it’s rainy out because cracking that caramelized top feels weirdly warm and cozy, almost like you’re breaking into a happy little edible secret. And every now and then, I forget the torch, and broil the cookies instead—it’s not the same, but nobody’s ever left a crumb, so I guess it’s fine. (Pro tip: Don’t expect leftovers. These go quick, and yes, I hide two for myself.)
Ingredients (aka what actually ends up in the bowl)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use salted if that’s all I have, just skip the extra pinch of salt)
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (I usually toss in coconut sugar if I’m feeling wild—it works fine too)
- 2 large eggs, room temp (or just slightly chilly, if I’m impatient)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Honestly, store brand’s fine. My grandma swore by the fancy stuff, but I can’t taste the difference.)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (have swapped in baking soda in a pinch, not quite the same bite but nothing tragic)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (skip it if you used salted butter or—my own sin—a touch more when I forget the butter’s salted)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar for topping
- Optional: a sprinkle of ground nutmeg or orange zest for a twist
- 1/2 cup custard chips (if you can find them; otherwise—white choc chips work, kinda)
How I Actually Make These (with a few meandering detours)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Or just about there, my oven “runs hot,” so who really knows.
- Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar together until it looks pale and fluffy—like frosting, basically. This is where I usually sneak more than a taste. Blame the butter. Then, add your eggs and vanilla and mix until smoothish (chunks are bad, streaks are fine).
- Dump in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until barely combined. Don’t overmix (I read somewhere it makes the cookies tough. Probably true?). Chuck in those custard chips, if you’ve got them.
- Scoop out big-ish balls of dough (I use a heaping tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop). Plop them 2 inches apart on your tray—lined with parchment if I’m feeling fancy, or just greased if not.
- Flatten the tops a smidge with your fingers (clean, please) or the bottom of a glass. Not pancake flat, just… sort of squished.
- Bake for 9–12 minutes. You want the edges just golden, centers still soft. If one batch takes 13 min and another 10, just roll with it (every oven’s a snowflake, trust me).
- Cool on the tray; they’re fragile when hot. Here’s where you can wander away, maybe sweep up the flour you spilled earlier, come back when they’re room temp.
- Sprinkle a nice layer of that topping sugar on each cookie’s top. Grab your kitchen torch—now’s when you feel like a kitchen wizard. Torch the sugar till it’s deep golden and crackly—if you burn a few edges, join the club. Alternatively, stick ’em under a broiler on high, but watch like a hawk. It can go form golden to scorched in seconds.
- Let the caramelized tops cool. They set pretty quick—about 5 min—enough time to hide a couple for later (not joking).
Little Notes from the Cookie Trenches
- Once, I put them in the fridge overnight before torching. Actually, I find it works better if you torch them straight after they cool—otherwise, sometimes the sugar sweats a bit.
- Too much sugar on top can pool and get sticky, which is, honestly, a mess to clean off your baking sheet. Whoops.
- I still get nervous with the torch; don’t hold it too close or you’ll get black patches (which, okay, some people like?).
Variations That’ve Surfaced (and One Burnt Disaster)
- Tried subbing almond extract for half the vanilla—came out perfumey but tasty. My sister loved it, I wasn’t so sure.
- A sprinkle of instant espresso powder in the dough is surprisingly good, though not very brûlée, more like coffee-shop cookie.
- I tried using brown sugar for the topping once. Nope. Not the same. Stays sticky, doesn’t crack, looks muddy—wouldn’t bother.
What If You Don’t Have All the Tools?
You really do feel cool waving a torch around, but if you don’t have one, the broiler works in a pinch. Just stick the tray under it for a minute or so and hang around—not a step to multitask during (learned this the vaguely charred way!). No fancy mixer? A wooden spoon and strong arm does the trick, and anyway, it builds character (and biceps).
Storing What’s Left (As If)
Technically, you could stash these in an airtight tin, and they’d probably last 2–3 days at room temp. Or possibly you could refrigerate them and re-torch before serving, but honestly, in my house, they never make it past the first evening—someone always finds my stash, though I haven’t figured out who.
How to Serve ‘Em Up (Family Style)
I like handing out warm cookies with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream—melts into the cracks, kind of lush. Sometimes, for brunch (don’t judge), I put one alongside black coffee. At Christmas, mum likes hers with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, and we all roll our eyes, then try it and admit she’s right.
Pro Tips, aka My Tiny List of What Not to Do
- I tried rushing the caramelizing step once—bad call. The sugar just gets patchy and the whole top won’t shatter. Give it a minute, let it get proper golden.
- Don’t skip cooling—straight-from-oven cookies are too airy and liable to collapse (speaking from experience—didn’t affect the taste, though!).
FAQ—Stuff Friends (and the Internet) Have Asked
- Does it really taste like creme brûlée? Kinda! It’s not a custard, but it does have that rich vanilla flavor and the crackly top, which is what counts in my book.
- Can I freeze the cookie dough? Absolutely. Roll into balls and freeze—then you can bake off a couple anytime. Just add a minute to the bake time from frozen.
- My sugar didn’t get crunchy, what gives? Usually it’s either not enough heat or too much sugar. Next time, thin layer and more time with the torch. And don’t hover too close—just a gentle, even sweep.
- Can I make these gluten-free? I haven’t tried personally, but a friend said a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend did the trick. On second thought, maybe add an extra egg yolk for richness.
- Is the torch safe? Mostly! Just be sensible with it. Don’t let your dog near the counter (yep, that happened to me).
Anyway, there you have it. Creme Brûlée Cookies, folks. They won’t win you a Michelin star, but they will disappear faster than you can say, ‘just one more.’ If you work out where my missing cookies go, let me know. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
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1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
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3In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and heavy cream until well combined.
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4Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
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5Scoop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden.
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6Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar on top of the baked cookies. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden and crackly. Let cookies cool before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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