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Creme Brûlée Cookie Bars have it all: they’re soft, chewy and fudgy, super vanilla-y, and they’ve got a crunchy sugary top, just like creme brulee!
These bars are so gooey and perfect – everyone raves about them!
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Easy Creme Brulee Cookie Bars
Do you like creme brulee? I absolutely adore it. I feel like I can’t get enough of it, but when I was thinking about the last time I had creme brulee I realized it was over 10 years ago. So I feel like I can’t say, “Oh, I’m so addicted to creme brulee!” because that would make me feel like a poser.
Seriously, guys, why has it been 10 years since I’ve eaten it? I was going back in my head over the nice dinners I’ve had and they kind of all run together since Jordan was born. I mean, all of my memories are kind of squished and compacted together and pieces of some fall into pieces of others. Like, I was remembering eating creme brulee on our anniversary while I was pregnant but I know that isn’t true, because in my mind I’m wearing a long sleeved black dress, but in July 2004 we lived in Arizona and there was no way I wore long sleeves in Arizona in July.
Can I blame my horrible memory on mommy brain 10 years later? Or maybe we need to invent something called “bloggers brain” because I think I have it.
Anyway, Creme Brulee Cookie Bars.
How to make Creme Brulee Bars Video
What’s In Creme Brulee Bars?
These Creme Brulee Cookie Bars have that sugary crunchy top, but it’s kind of a cheater version. I used toffee bits instead of browning sugar. Why? Because when you brown sugar on top of creme brulee it doesn’t last long: it’s meant to be eaten right then. But when you’re making cookie bars, especially at the holidays for parties and gift giving, you want the treats to last. Enter: toffee bits.
Also, when I made Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars with toffee bits, no one complained, so…there you go.
The crunchy top isn’t just why I called them “creme brulee” instead of toffee cookie bars. The bar itself is soft and chewy but also super fudgy and very, very vanilla-y, just like the real thing!
How to make Creme Brulee Cookie Bars
The recipe couldn’t be easier: you melt the butter and white chocolate chips together in a sauce pan, then stir that mixture into the rest of the ingredients. You don’t even need to worry about what order you mix things in, which makes this a totally foolproof recipe. I used McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract to amp up the vanilla flavor of these bars. Always use the best extracts in your baking because you want the best flavor. McCormick is (and always has been) my favorite!
Once you’ve baked the bars until they’re almost done, you top them with the toffee bits and then finish them off for a few more minutes. This allows the toffee bits to melt together and form that extra crunchy sugary top you’d expect from a good creme brulee.
Perfect Holiday Bar Cookie
The creme brulee cookie bars were a huge hit at both of my holiday gatherings this year. I had to make a second batch just to have enough for the second party! Between the richness of the vanilla and the fudginess of the bar, these make the perfect holiday (or anytime) treat. They’d also be pretty for a New Year’s Eve party (with champagne, of course).
Tips for Success
- People report the mixture is liquid. Once it bakes it will be VERY gooey. Let it cool completely before slicing.
- When in doubt, bake it longer.
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Creme Brulee Cookie Bars
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 12 ounces about 2 cups or 350g white chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups (155g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (149g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup toffee bits
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Alternately, you can use parchment paper that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or greased with butter or shortening.
- Place butter and white chocolate chips in a medium saucepan over low heat. Melt the two together, stirring almost constantly, just until melted. The mixture may appear curdled or be the consistency of Cream of Wheat. Remove from heat and cool while mixing other ingredients.
- Stir together flour, sugar, extract, salt, and eggs in a large bowl. Add white chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove pan from oven and sprinkle toffee bits evenly over the top. Return to oven and bake another 8-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. A toothpick in the center will still come out with batter on the toothpick, but it will be cleaner along the edges. Be careful not to over bake; it will brown more on the sides and bottom than on the top.
- Cool completely before slicing into bars. They will firm up as they set. If they seem to not firm up, chill them before slicing.
Recipe Nutrition
Creme Brulee Cookie Bars are a fudgy white chocolate blondie topped with toffee bits that taste like creme brûlée!
This post was sponsored by McCormick in 2015. All opinions are 100% my own, as always!
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Regarding the pooling butter, I have two suggestions. First, I had a little trouble when I used part baking bar and white chocolate morsels. Second, when you heat, just barely finish melting the chocolate and stir to finish if there are any tiny bits of morsels left. Then, make sure you cool it. It seems to start setting up. Then when it is all mixed in with the white chocolate, the butter shouldn’t pool.
I’ve never had creme brulee but these were amazing. I couldn’t find regular toffee bits, my store only had milk chocolate toffee. So, I made these with half milk chocolate chips and half white chocolate chips and tossed in a couple of espresso beans. Super yummy! Even better with vanilla ice cream!
I’m so glad you liked them!! Espresso beans, that sounds amazing!
Made these for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with my girlfriends a couple of weeks ago. In our circle, once the cocktails flow everything else (like food) becomes secondary…ok, tertiary. Especially dessert, though I always make something as a gesture. Well, these bars were a HUGE hit! They disappeared in what seemed like a flash, and I got raves the week after, which never happens with these broads (who are usually too busy rehashing the evening’s shenanigans to compliment baked goods).
The recipe was super easy, and I had no issues with butter pooling. They baked up perfectly. I have a new ‘go to’, so thank you!!!
I’m so happy you liked them!! Yay! I couldn’t stop eating these – I had to make two batches! 🙂
I had the same issue where the butter kept pooling at the top too. At first I tried tilting the pan to pour out the butter, but the whole thing shifted. So I just kept dabbing at it over and over and baked it longer. Not sure if that worked or not…lol.
So I made the creme Brulee bars this morning. I want to know if there is supposed to be a layer of butter seperated from the batter as it bakes?
Hm, that didn’t happen for me. I made these twice, and both times the batter stayed together. Did it mix together okay and look like a regular batter (brownie batter consistency) going into the pan?
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