CRUMBL CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIES (Copycat Recipe)

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

My family calls my copycat recipe for Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies “Better Than Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies” for good reason!   These bakery quality cookies are a chocolate trifecta – a thick and chewy chocolate cookie base is filled with rich cocoa flavor and studded with chocolate chips, and topped with a thick swirl of silky Chocolate Fudge Frosting.  So fast and easy to make, with a no-chill dough, it’s easy to see why these are always a favorite for special occasions and everyday treats!

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND CRUMBL COOKIES?

​Crumbl is an amazing cookie company that started in Logan, Utah, that specializes in GIGANTIC cookies in a variety of classic flavors and a weekly rotating menu of different and incredible cookies. In less than four years, they are considered the fastest growing cookie company in the world - and everyone loves seeing their signature pink boxes!
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If you don’t have a Crumbl near you, or if your love of Crumbl cookies is turning into an addiction, these copycat cookies are just like the real thing, but so much more affordable - and you can have fresh baked and incredible flavors of Crumbl from your own kitchen, at a fraction of the cost, anytime you want!

We were so happy when Crumbl opened up so close to us - we're able to sample new cookies every week and I'm happy trying to recreate our favorite cookies here at home to share with you!

​WHAT ARE THE CRUMBL SPECIALTY FLAVORS?

Every Sunday night Crumbl announcing a new weekly menu of cookie flavors for the week on social media, which is brilliant on their part!  People crowd into their stores to try new flavors as they are rolled out, and to pick up their favorites when they are available to freeze for a rainy day. 

It truly is hard to decide which is our favorite - and it's fun to share new cookies and revise our "favorites" list!  Will it be Birthday Cake, Snickerdoodle Cupcake, Cookies 'n Cream, Pink Velvet, Cinnamon Bun, Key Lime, Chocolate Caramel, Sea Salt Toffee, Ultimate Peanut Butter, Berries & Cream, or Chocolate Cake Cookies... Crumbl, you're killing us!  Good thing I love to tinker in the kitchen to create and share copycat recipes!

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

FOR PERFECT COOKIES EVERY TIME, USE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS:

For gourmet cookies, only the best ingredients will give you the texture, richness and depth of flavor we all crave. Make sure to use fresh ingredients for the best results!

• Butter:   I recommend using a good quality unsalted butter for this recipe.  I use Kerrygold or Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter and avoid generic/bargain brands of butter, which often contain water.  Make sure that the butter is softened for your cookie dough, and icy cold for the streusel. 
• Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar:  This recipe uses a mixture of sugars in the cookie dough.  I recommend Domino Pure Cane Sugar and Domino Pure Cane Dark Sugar. For caramel-like sweetness, I use dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown sugar as well!
• Eggs:  For the best cookie dough, always use large eggs, and at room temperature.  
• Pure Vanilla Extract:  Always use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor in cookies.  For something different you can also use Vanilla Bean Paste for an extra depth of flavor in this recipe.  Rodelle is my preferred brand for Pure Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Bean Paste - both are made with the highest-quality Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar. 
• Flour:  King Arthur All Purpose Unbleached Flour is my favorite for cookies (it contains more gluten than other brands).  Pillsbury All Purpose is my back-up, but weighs differently – make sure to adjust as necessary.  (For reference, King Arthur is 120g per cup, Pillsbury is 129g per cup.)
• Cocoa Powder:  Always use Dutch-processed premium unsweetened cocoa for the best chocolate cookies!  Valrhona Pure Cocoa Powder, Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa or Ghirardelli 100% unsweetened Ground Cocoa are all wonderful!
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate:  For the best gourmet cookies, Guittard and Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are the ones to use!
• Espresso Powder:  If your cookie recipe calls for it, don’t skip the espresso powder! It helps enhance the flavor of chocolate without adding an intense coffee flavor. I recommend King Arthur Espresso Powder.
• Milk Powder:  The secret ingredient in these cookies!
• Baking Soda:  Make sure to use fresh baking soda when baking for the best leavening.
• Salt: To avoid a tinny flavor, never use iodized salt in cookies, cakes or brownies.  Morten Non-Iodized Table Salt is my preferred brand for cooking and baking.  For sea salt flakes, I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.  

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

MILK POWDER IS THE KEY TO BETTER COOKIES, BROWNIES & CAKES:  

• The best thing about baking homemade treats is that you can make hundreds of different delicious things using the same few ingredients.  Cakes, cookies, pastries and brownies all start more or less the same way – with flour, sugar, eggs and butter.

 

• Making perfectly textured cakes or crisp and chewy cookies is usually more about baking technique than about ingredients, but there is a secret ingredient that can make almost every baked good taste better – Milk Powder!

 

• Milk powder, which is also called powdered milk (and should not be confused with malted milk powder) is essentially milk in its most concentrated form. It adds fat, protein and flavor in a way that doesn’t mess with the liquid portion of your baking, and adds a bonus layer of richness, sweetness and creaminess to pretty much anything you bake.  It’s the “secret weapon ingredient” that works magic when it’s added to a recipe – it makes frostings and ice creams creamier, denser and silkier, and cookies and brownies chewier.  It helps breads rise higher, and flatbreads and pastry more tender. 

 

• Adding just a tablespoon of nonfat milk powder to your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, before you combine them with softened butter, sugar and eggs, adds depth to baked goods.  If you are using cocoa powder or chocolate chips in your recipe, it intensifies the flavor of chocolate – making regular chocolate taste more luxurious and vanilla flavor more magical. It is the secret ingredient in these Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies!

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

CRAVING CRUMBL COOKIES? MORE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE!

• ​Crumbl Sugar Cookies with Sweet Almond Frosting
• Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Crumbl Confetti Cake Cookies with Confetti Cake Cream Cheese Frosting
• Crumbl Brownie Batter Cookies
• Crumbl Blueberry Muffin Cookies
• Crumbl Muddy Buddy Cookies
• Crumbl Galaxy Brownie Cookies
• Crumbl Banana Cream Pie Cookies​

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

CRUMBL CHOCOLATE CAKE COOKIES (Copycat Recipe)

My family calls my copycat recipe for Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies “Better Than Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies” for good reason!   These bakery quality cookies are a chocolate trifecta – a thick and chewy chocolate cookie base is filled with rich cocoa flavor and studded with chocolate chips, and topped with a thick swirl of silky Chocolate Fudge Frosting.  So fast and easy to make, with a no-chill dough, it’s easy to see why these are always a favorite for special occasions and everyday treats!
​

Crumbl Chocolate Cake Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
CHOCOLATE COOKIE BASE:
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
3 large eggs (room temperature)
3-3/4 cups (450g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (100g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon (5g) milk powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups (319g) brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
 
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING:
¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup (100g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
6-8 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
 
HOW I MAKE THESE: 

1. Set eggs, butter and cream cheese out to come to room temperature (this helps them incorporate into the cookie dough better).
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
3. PREPARE COOKIES:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder and salt until well combined; set aside.
4.  In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, both sugars and espresso powder on medium speed until completely creamy and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).  
5. Scrape down the sides and add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between until each is fully mixed in.
6. Add corn syrup and vanilla extract; beat until well blended..
7. Scrape down the sides and add in the flour mixture, ½ at a time, mixing just until blended; add remaining flour mixture and again mix just until blended. 
8. Fold in the chocolate chips and stir until evenly mixed.  This cookie dough will be really soft and creamy!
9. Using a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size), scoop out cookie dough and roll into a ball with your hands.  Repeat with remaining dough.
10. Place six cookie dough balls on each baking sheet, leaving room between each cookie as the cookies will spread when they bake. 
11. Flatten the cookie dough balls by pressing gently with your hand to about ¾-inch thickness.
12. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the centers of the cookies have puffed up and are no longer glossy.  Every oven is a little bit different, so watch your first batch when baking and time accordingly.  DO NOT OVERBAKE, as these will lose their softness. 
13. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets.
14. PREPARE CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add softened butter and cream cheese, beating until light and fluffy.
15. Add cocoa powder and salt and mix until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
16. Add powdered sugar and slowly mix until well blended.  Add vanilla extract and ½ cup half & half or heavy cream and beat on medium until light, fluffy and well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
17. Add additional half & half or heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is piping consistency.  If your frosting is too thin, add a little bit of powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
18. FROST & DECORATE:  Spoon frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip (2D Wilton or Ateco tip).  
19. Once cookies have reached room temperature, pipe the frosting onto cookies, starting in the center of the cooking and piping in a circular motion until the cookie is covered evenly.
20. These cookies are best served at room temperature, or directly from the refrigerator if you prefer cool cookies.  You can also warm these up if you prefer warm cookies, but note that the Chocolate Fudge Frosting may melt slightly and loose it’s detail.
21. Once the cookies have completely cooled, chill in the fridge until ready to serve.  Allow decorated cookies to set completely before storing – keep parchment paper between each layer or place cookies in individual self-sealing bags for easy freezing and serving. 

YIELD:  Makes 30 (four-inch) cookies

RECIPE NOTES: 
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WEIGH INGREDIENTS CAREFULLY FOR BEST RESULTS:  If I can only share one baking secret with you, always use a DIGITAL KITCHEN SCALE.  You can use measuring cups and spoons for most recipes, but using a digital scale makes for the more consistent and efficient baking.  Take this from someone that bakes A LOT!

TO KEEP THESE COOKIES SOFT:  These cookies will stay soft and fresh in an air-tight container for 3 days at room temperature, or refrigerated for up to 7 days.

MAKE AHEAD TIP:  Baked and frosted cookies freeze well for up to 1 months.  You can also bake the cookies and freeze UNFROSTED for up to 2 months – simply defrost and then frost before you plan on serving. 

BEFORE FREEZING:  With frosted cookies, it’s important to freeze the cookie prior to placing them into a container so that the frosting remains intact.  Place all frosted cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. Once the icing is set and hard (usually an hour) or the cookies are frozen solid, the cookies can be frozen in containers with parchment paper between layers.

HOW TO THAW FROSTED COOKIES:  For frosted cookies or “served chilled” cookies, thaw them in the fridge and NOT at room temp. For chilled cookies, you need to maintain refrigeration throughout the thawing process up until the time you eat the cookie for food safety. To keep your cookies from getting soggy and frosting from losing its shape and texture, remove from the freezer and place the unopened container in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.  Cookies that are not frosted can thaw overnight UNOPENED on your kitchen countertop. 

FOR PARTIES:  I package cookies individually in self-sealing clear cellophane cello bags (Pack It Chic are my favorite brand).  Make sure cookies are completely set after decorating before packaging.  To make ahead, place individually wrapped and sealed cookies in a larger airtight container and refrigerate or freeze.  Thaw frozen cookies unopened in the refrigerator - you are trying to minimize moisture during defrosting, which can cause your frosting to soften too much and loose detail.

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes; published June 2022.
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