Ya’ll… these are the best cookies I have ever put in my mouth! I have been obsessed with them ever since my first time tasting them about 9 years ago. My friend brought them to a cookie exchange and when I put this tiny and adorable cookie in my mouth, I thought I had eaten a piece of heaven! Which is why I now named them “Heaven Melts”, because the name “butter wafer cookies” didn’t do their deliciousness any justice at all. And this truly is the world’s most delicious cookie recipe ever!
Note: There is a printable version of the Heaven Melts recipe toward the lower portion of this post.
I begged my friend for the recipe as it was a family tradition of theirs to make heaven melts at Christmas, and after some begging, and pleading, and some patience, she gave me the “secret” recipe. And now I’m going to share it with you, but only if you promise not to tell her. Deal? Deal.
Ok so I will start with this disclaimer. Usually when I share a craft or a recipe here I start by telling you how cheap and easy it is to make. Well, I am not going to say that about these cookies. They are a multi step process, it’s not easy, and it takes longer than it should. However, I did figure out how to cut out one step that makes the process faster for you, and also, these cookies are so delicious that they are far worth the time investment. So there. No one told you this was going to be fast and easy. Also, it’s not healthy. But it is incredibly delicious.
Ingredients Needed For Heaven Melt Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup softened butter (seriously, make sure it’s soft, and do not use margarine)
- granulated sugar (we like to use assorted colors! You will need about 1/2 cup)
Also, wax paper or parchment paper
Ingredients Needed For Heaven Melt Cookie Cream Filling
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cups softened butter (again, not margarine)
- 2 tsps almond extract (You can start with less and add to taste as desired, or even could substitute another extract here such as vanilla, mint, etc, but we love love love using the almond extract!)
- food color optional (we generally don’t use food coloring for the filling since we like to use colored sugar for the cookies. You’ll see.)
How To Make Heaven Melt Cookies
Start by mixing your flour, whipping cream, and softened butter for your cookie dough. Do not put sugar in the dough. Now you can cover the dough and put it in the fridge if you want to roll and cut these cookies OR you can do what we do.
Take wax paper or parchment paper and put the cookie dough on it. Roll it into a long tube, and it needs to be somewhat skinny. Make your fingers into an “ok” sign by making your first finger and thumb touch. See that circle? I would say that’s still a tad too big. The thing is, these cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but they are very fragile, so they can’t hold up if you make them very big. They HAVE to be quite small.
When you have the in your tube, roll it until it seems as perfect of a tube as possible. You’re basically making these into your own slice and bake cookies. This saves you a LOT of time and effort so you don’t have to roll and cut them, and also makes so you don’t lose any edges for scraps.
When you have your dough in the tubes (the recipe will make about 3 tubes) place them carefully in the fridge, as you want them to maintain their tube shape. They need 2 hours at least in the fridge to allow the butter to firm up again.
After the cookie tubes have been thoroughly chilled, take out just one at a time.
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Take your first tube and unroll the wax paper.
Use a sharp non-serrated knife to first cut off the end and discard. Then use your knife to slice your dough into your small round cookies.
You’ll want to slice each one about a quarter of an inch thick.
Slice slice slice until you get through the roll. You can use your fingers to shape the cookies a bit if they seem a little smashed on one side or something.
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Here is the fun part, and the part that makes them delicious! Put some granulated sugar in a bowl (it could be colored sugar, but it doesn’t have to be). Take each little cookie slice and press both sides into the sugar. The sugar will stick to the outside of the cookie dough, and you want the entire outside of the cookie covered in it.
I like to cover my cookie sheets with foil, shiny side down. Place each cookie on the foil. Take a fork and prick the cookie 4 times, pushing all the way through the cookie. If you have a 4 pronged fork, this will make 16 tiny dots on the cookie. Try to line them up nicely. It almost gives the cookie a cracker sort of look.
Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes, just until they’re set. You actually do not want them to turn brown.
Allow the cookies to cool completely, then use the cream to stick 2 of them carefully together like a little sandwich. You do have to be gentle or the cookies will break.
That’s it! Now experience a little piece of heaven by eating one! They’re rich and creamy and crumble in just the right way. My whole family is obsessed with these cookies and we make them every Christmas for sure but also on other special occasions. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Heaven Melt Cookies In All Different Colors!
This is a super handy recipe for different feasts and celebrations! They can be super beautiful and tasty using a variety of colored sugars.
Check out the different variations we have tried with colors here:
- Mardi Gras Cookie Variation– purple, green, and yellow
- Valentine’s Day Cookie Variation– red and white
- Mary Cookies– blue
Heaven Melt Cookies Printable Recipe
When you click on the “print recipe” button in the recipe below, you will be taken to a new tab where you will be able to pick whether to have your recipe print with text only, text and some instructional pictures, or text and one picture.
Note: The printable recipe will not have any ads in it, even though some show up below.
World’s Most Delicious Cookie Recipe Ever (Heaven Melts)
Equipment
- Wax paper or parchment paper
Ingredients
Ingredients For Heaven Melt Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Heaven Melt Cookie Cream Filling Ingredients
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 - 2 tsp almond extract you can start with less and add to taste as desired
- food coloring optional
Instructions
Heaven Melt Cookie Cream Filling Directions
- Combine your powdered sugar, softened butter, and almond extract and mix until well blended and creamy.
Directions for Heaven Melt Wafers
- Mix flour, whipping cream, and softened butter until fully combined. (Do not put sugar in the dough.)
- Take wax paper or parchment paper and put the cookie dough on it. Roll it into a long tube, and it needs to be somewhat skinny. Make your fingers into an “ok” sign by making your first finger and thumb touch. See that circle? I would say that’s still a tad too big. The thing is, these cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but they are very fragile, so they can’t hold up if you make them very big. They HAVE to be quite small.
- When you have the dough in your tube, roll it until it seems as perfect of a tube as possible. You’re basically making these into your own slice and bake cookies.
- When you have your dough in the tubes (the recipe will make about 3 tubes), place them carefully in the fridge, as you want them to maintain their tube shape.
- Chill the dough for at least two hours.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F prior to removing your dough from the refrigerator.
- Take your first cookie dough tube and unroll the wax paper.
- Use a sharp non-serrated knife to first cut off the end and discard.
- Use your knife to slice your dough into your small round cookies about a quarter of an inch thick.
- Slice until you get through the roll. You can use your fingers to shape the cookies a bit if they seem a little smashed on one side or something.
- Put some granulated sugar in a bowl (it can be colored sugar). Take each little cookie slice and press both sides into the sugar. You want the entire outside of the cookie covered in it.
- I like to cover my cookie sheets with foil, shiny side down. Place each cookie on the foil. Take a fork and prick the cookie 4 times, pushing all the way through the cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 7-10 minutes, just until they’re set. You do not want them to brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely, then use the cream to stick 2 of them carefully together like a little sandwich. You do have to be gentle or the cookies will break.
Delicious Chocolate Cookie Recipes
Don’t miss my 15 perfect chocolate cookie recipes for chocoholics here. I love trying new cookie recipes using chocolate!
I use unflavored Dental floss to cut round cookies so they stay round.
Slide floss under log, cross ends and pull in opposite directions until sliced and separate. Repeat.
Also slide log into paper towel tube to maintain shape as it chills.
These are both fantastic ideas for these cookies! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I have been making these cookies for over 50 years. The original name is Creme wafers but we call them Bell Cookies. I have always rolled them out & cut them with a bell cookie cutter. It is a tradition in our family to have them every Christmas & we now have 4 generations getting together a few days before Christmas to make them. We usually make 4 batches at a time because everyone eats them so fast.
I am going to try your idea of rolling them! What a time & back saver!!!!
I know it’s a old recipe but soooo good glad to see it out there
Hi Lacy~
I was pumped to come across this wonderful cookie recipe on Pinterest! I’ve been making these “Cream Wafers” for years now and we all LOVE them, too! I make them with Friends at Christmas time, several dozen so as to not run out too fast once we break them out! They freeze well, too! I got the recipe out of my old 3-ring Betty Crocker Cookbook back in the mid 70’s! Thank you for the excellent tips regarding rolling the dough into “tubes” and then slicing after they firm up in the fridge; that does save much rolling and cutting! Happy baking!
So happy to find another fan of these cookies! Some of the best stuff comes out of those old cook books! Yes, if I had to roll and cut them I probably wouldn’t make them at all- I can be pretty lazy when it comes to baking lol
LOOKS YUMMY!!! CAN THIS BE USED IN A COOKIE PRESS?
I haven’t tried it but it seems like it would. If you try it come back and let me know!
What an awesome idea to roll dough into tubes and slice off! I’ve made these for over 40 years and always roll and cut out. This will save so much time. Thanks so much!
Yes, i have rolled out and cut with a pill bottle. Learned from my grandmother. These are the best cookies. So happy to see them on here!
These are actually Swedish Creme Wafers or aka Swedish Tea Cakes. This has been one of my favorite cookies for the past 50 years!!!
Lacy HELP! LOL My filling seemed runny 🙁
This is the same recipe from Betty Crocker, but they are called ‘Cream Wafers’. My mother got the recipe in a bag of flour in the late 1950’s. I still have the original recipe. She made them for us every Christmas. We didn’t know what they were actually called, so we would ask mom to make ‘Our favorite kind of cookies’. That’s what my family have always called them. Now, I am the only one who makes them in the family, and everyone expects them every Christmas. I am 66 years old, so I am going to make a video of me making them so the family can know how. (They have all tried to make them and they never turn out right! Also, my husbands side of the family loves them and expects me to make them some every Christmas. We all like them with pink icing because that’s the way my mom made them. These cookies are absolutely wonderful and a family tradition.
I found this recipe right before we started school… we just so happened to be learning the letter “H” so we made these “H”eaven drops! So tasty! My favorite thing about the recipe is how child friendly it is. They can help every step of the way and they absolutely loved that! Thank you for sharing!
My sister has been making these for Christmas for years! Love them and now I have the recipe!! The only difference is she adds cream of tartar to them. Thank you for the recipe!!
My grandma always made these cream wafer cookies for Christmas by rolling and using a small juice can to cut. I use a small cookie cutter. Your way sounds much easier with these delicious, delicate cookies. Thanks, I can’t wait to try it!
I used a cheese slicer to cut the dough worked amazingly thanks for a perfect slice of heaven
These sound a lot like what my Grandma made 30 plus years ago. I’ve always wondered what the recipe was. I can’t wait to make these today.
These sound delish by all the comments. I have a little tip for storing your roll in fridge. I use the cardboard roll from different foil, wax paper, clear wrap parchment paper etc. to put my cookie rolls in so they keep their shape. I always turn half way through frigerations time.
I have one question about your heavenly cookies. How do you store them and how long can they stay stored ?
Thanks and Happy Baking to All!
Is there a way to print the recipe without all the photos?? I couldn’t find a link.
If you have (or get) the Print Friendly addin, you can eliminate the photos or reduce the size, remove most of the extra text and reduce print size. HTH
I store recipes using Pinterest. It doesn’t remove the photos, but it is the easiest way to save and store your favorite recipes.
Toward the bottom of the post, there is now a printable recipe that will allow you to print the recipe without any pictures.
Angie, Catholic Icing Project Manager
We’ve been making these heavenly cookies for 50+ years…cream wafers from Betty Crockers cookbook. So flaky and yummy with almond flavored filling. We make a double batch so we have plenty as they seem to disappear in a split second. Might try your version this year, would be a great time saver. Thanks
I wanted to start a tradition with this since my family doesn’t make them. I had a tough time with them. I ended up breaking half of them and my rolls were far from perfect. Also, the almond flavor is really intense. Maybe it’s the almond extract I used? I’m going to have to try again. They have the potential to be so cute. I took the broken ones and mixed them with some of the icing, chilled and dipped them in white chocolate. Boom, truffles. lol
I am just wondering 2 tsp sounds like an awful lot of almond extract for such a small amount of sugar, is this a Mia print?
Not a mis-print BUT you can totally start with 1 tsp and then taste it before you add more. 🙂
Oh my goodness!! I mixed these up before thanksgiving, was going to make them for snacks after turkey lunch. Wrapped them tightly in parchment paper then in ziplocks. Put them in the fridge and canceled thanksgiving because of the virus. I just brought the tubes out today and tried baking them. They are amazing!!
New Christmas cookie tradition. Thanks
These cookies are delicious and look beautiful on a platter for any occasion. Made them when my children were still at home. They are in their 40’s now.
Have you ever frozen the dough? I don’t usually have much time to bake. So, I make m cookie dough, ball it up (or tube it up) and pop it in the freezer. When my cookie jar is empty, I take some cookie dough out and bake it.
How far in advance can I make these cookies and how to store them?
These have been my family/friends favorite Christmas cookies for 30 years. When I open the page in my Betty Crocker Baking Cookbook this page falls out, it’s been used so much! I’ve been rolling/cutting for years so now I can’t wait to try this ingenious idea of rolling the dough! I make the cookies ahead, freeze them in ziploc bags, and when ready to frost I make an assembly line and use a piping bag with a coupler only. No need for a piping tip as the coupler is just the right size. They freeze beautifully frosted as well for up to 2 months.
I know I’m not the first to say this, but we have been making these cookies since I was a kid. I have to hide them from my husband or nobody else will get any! I have always hated making them because of the process, but I love the idea of rolling them into tubes!!! I’m going to have to make a batch to try that out. Thanks for the tip!!