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These pumpkin crème brûlée cookies are crispy, chewy, creamy, and have the most delicious crackly caramelized sugar topping. They’re made with a lightly spiced pumpkin cookie, homemade vanilla pastry cream, and a thin layer of sugar that’s torched right before serving.
Love pumpkin desserts? Check out these pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin cake!
Table of Contents
I’m not going to lie, this recipe sort of kicked my butt the first time I made it! My first batch of pastry cream turned into scrambled eggs, and the pumpkin cookies were way too cakey and fluffy. They tasted fine, but they weren’t at all what I had envisioned.
I really wanted the base to taste like an actual cookie, not pumpkin cake in cookie form. I was going for crispy edges, a chewy center, and a cookie that wasn’t overly sweet because the pastry cream and brûléed sugar add plenty of sweetness on their own.
After a little trial and error, I finally got exactly what I wanted. The final cookies were crispy, chewy, perfectly spiced, and SO good with the cold, creamy pastry cream and crunchy caramelized sugar on top. My entire family loved these!
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Pumpkin Purée – Make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Butter – I use melted unsalted butter. Let it cool slightly before mixing it with the other ingredients.
- Brown Sugar – You can use light or dark brown sugar. Brown sugar helps give the cookies that chewy texture.
- Cinnamon – Two teaspoons give these cookies plenty of warm cinnamon flavor without overpowering the pumpkin.
- Egg Yolks – You’ll need six egg yolks for the pastry cream. Save the whites for another recipe!
- Whole Milk – I recommend whole milk for the richest, creamiest pastry cream.
- Cornstarch – This thickens the pastry cream so it’s sturdy enough to sit on top of the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar – You’ll use this in the cookies and pastry cream, plus a little extra for that signature brûléed topping.
Top Tips
- Don’t overmix the cookie dough once you add the flour. Mix just until you don’t see any dry streaks.
- Make sure your melted butter isn’t piping hot when you add it to the other ingredients otherwise the egg can scramble.
- When making the pastry cream, add the hot milk to the egg yolks very slowly while whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs and prevents them from scrambling.
- Whisk the pastry cream constantly while it’s on the stove, especially as it begins to thicken.
- Let the cookies cool completely before adding the pastry cream.
- For the best crispy crème brûlée topping, torch the sugar shortly before serving. The caramelized sugar will gradually soften as it sits on top of the pastry cream.
Make Ahead
You can definitely do some of the work ahead of time. The pastry cream can be prepared in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.
You can also bake the pumpkin cookies ahead of time and store them separately. I recommend waiting to add the pastry cream and brûléed sugar until you’re closer to serving so you get the best contrast between the chewy cookie, creamy filling, and crunchy sugar topping.
Why did my pastry cream turn into scrambled eggs?
The milk was most likely added to the egg yolks too quickly or the mixture got too hot. Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolks while whisking constantly. Once everything goes back into the saucepan, keep whisking as the pastry cream cooks.
Can I make these without a kitchen torch?
For this particular recipe, I highly recommend using a kitchen torch. It gives you much more control over caramelizing the sugar without heating the pastry cream and cookie underneath.
Storage
Once topped with pastry cream, these cookies need to be refrigerated because the pastry cream contains milk and egg yolks.
For the best texture, store the plain cookies separately and keep the pastry cream refrigerated in an airtight container. Assemble and brûlée them when you’re ready to serve.
Watch How I Make This Recipe…
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Pumpkin Creme Brûlée Cookies
Equipment
- Kitchen Torch
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter , cubed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Pumpkin Cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup pumpkin purée, NOT pumpkin pie filling!
For the Brûléed Topping
- Granulated Sugar, as needed
Instructions
Make The Pastry Cream First!
- Add the milk to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot and steaming, but do not bring it to a full boil.
- While the milk heats, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl until completely smooth.
- Slowly pour a small amount of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Continue adding the hot milk very gradually while whisking until fully incorporated. Adding the milk slowly will temper the eggs and prevent them from scrambling.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low to medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and begins to gently bubble.
- Once it thickens, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter.
- For an extra-smooth pastry cream, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled and set.
For The Pumpkin Cookies…
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg and pumpkin purée and mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet (about 3 tbsp of dough for each cookie), leaving some space between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before assembling.
Assemble and Brûlée
- Right before serving, spread or pipe the chilled pastry cream over the completely cooled cookies.
- Sprinkle an even, thin layer of granulated sugar over the pastry cream.
- Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar until golden brown and crisp.
- Let the sugar cool for about 1 minute, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before adding the pastry cream.
- If you’re making these for a party or holiday gathering, prepare the cookies and pastry cream ahead of time but store them separately.
- Spread or pipe the pastry cream onto the cookies right before serving. If the pastry cream sits on the cookies for too long, the cookies can absorb moisture and become soggy.
- Torch the sugar immediately before serving. Once brûléed, the cookies should be eaten right away for the best crisp, crackly topping.
- Keep the pastry cream refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the cookies.
- When tempering the egg yolks, add the hot milk very slowly while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
