These Cookie Dough Cookies are my copycat of the famous Crumbl cookie dough cookie: a thick, soft brown sugar cookie topped with a whipped frosting that really tastes like cookie dough, then finished with mini chocolate chips and little bites of egg-free edible cookie dough. No raw eggs, no raw flour, just cookie on cookie on cookie, served cold from the fridge the way Crumbl does it!
Crumbl Cookie Dough Cookies at Home!
I tested this recipe an insane amount of times before I was ready to share it. My first batch used less flour, and while the cookies were chewy with great flavor, they spread too thin and baked up way too big. Back to the testing table I went. I added more flour and a little cornstarch, the same trick I use in my Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies. Closer, but a little too dense. Along the way, I also played with chilling the dough, oven temperatures from 350°F to 375°F, and how thick to press each cookie. One more round, a smidge less flour, no chilling and a lower oven temperature, and ba-da-bing! These were the ones.
During all that testing, we had a friend working on our house and a fellow blogger working with me another afternoon, so everyone went home with cookies. Our friend kept coming back for “just one more,” and I always take that as the best review a cookie can get. And my blogging friend’s family said they were “spot on” to Crumbl’s; actually, she said they were better.
The real secret is the frosting. I whip soft brown sugar into butter with heat-treated flour, the same way I make my Edible Cookie Dough. It tastes like licking the batter off the beaters, with zero worry!
What Makes These Cookie Dough Cookies Special
- It’s cookie dough three ways. A brown sugar cookie, a frosting that tastes like you swiped it straight from the mixing bowl, and real bites of edible cookie dough on top. Cookie dough cookies topped with cookie dough frosting are most certainly a cookie dough lover’s dream!
- Curb the Crumbl craving. A little cornstarch keeps the centers pillowy and chewy, and a spoonful of molasses adds serious depth to the brown sugar flavor, just like the Crumbl cookie dough cookie.
- The frosting is the star. Plenty of copycats stop at plain vanilla buttercream. This one gets brown sugar and heat-treated flour, so it tastes like the real deal.
- Safe for spoon-lickers. The topping is egg-free, and the flour is heat-treated, so nobody has to give the “don’t eat that!” speech.
- No dough chilling. Scoop, smoosh, and bake. The only waiting happens after you frost them (and honestly, that’s the hardest part).
- High-altitude tested. Mountain bakers, I’ve got you covered with the tweaks that worked in my Denver kitchen.
Cookie Dough Cookie Ingredients
Brown Sugar Cookie Base
- Salted Butter | Room temperature, soft enough to leave a fingerprint but not greasy. Salted butter gives these a lovely salty-sweet balance. If using unsalted butter, increase salt by ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Light Brown Sugar | Fresh, soft light brown sugar. Packed, and plenty of it. This is where all that caramel-y, cookie dough flavor lives.
- Granulated Sugar | I use all-natural cane sugar, but regular white sugar works fine.
- Eggs | Room temperature, so they blend smoothly into the butter. I use large eggs in my baking.
- Vanilla Extract | Use real vanilla, or homemade vanilla extract if you have it.
- Molasses | Just 2 teaspoons, but don’t skip it! It makes the brown sugar flavor taste extra rich.
- All-Purpose Flour | I use unbleached. Measure carefully, using the spoon-and-level method, since too much flour makes cookies dense and dry.
- Cornstarch | My not-so-secret secret for soft, tender centers.
- Baking Powder | Gives the cookies their gentle puff. You won’t find baking soda here. Soda makes cookies spread and brown, and we want these thick and pale.
- Kosher Salt | Keeps all that sugar in check.
Cookie Dough Frosting
- Salted Butter | Room temperature, for a smooth, fluffy frosting.
- Light Brown Sugar | Fresh and soft is non-negotiable here. Organic, coarse, or rock-hard brown sugar means gritty frosting. Trust me on this one!
- Heat-Treated Flour | The key ingredient that makes the frosting taste like honest-to-goodness cookie dough (more on that below).
- Powdered Sugar | Sweetens and gives the frosting body.
- Vanilla Extract and Sea Salt | Just a pinch of salt makes the flavors pop.
- Half-and-Half, Whole Milk or Cream | Add a little at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Edible Cookie Dough Topping
- Edible Cookie Dough | Half a batch of my Edible Cookie Dough, or grab store-bought edible cookie dough bites when you’re short on time. No judgment here!
- Mini Chocolate Chips | For sprinkling over the frosting.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Raw flour is the sneaky one. We all blame the eggs in raw cookie dough, but flour can carry bacteria like E. coli.
Heating it to 165°F kills it. Spread the flour on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway, until it reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let it cool completely before adding it to the frosting.
My Edible Cookie Dough post also walks through the oven method.
How to Make Cookie Dough Cookies
Step 1 – Make the Edible Cookie Dough Topping
Start here so the bites have time to firm up while you bake. Roll the dough into little logs, then pinch it into teeny balls just a little bigger than a pea, line them up on a tray, and tuck them into the freezer. (Try not to eat half of them. I said try.) While you’re at it, place the frosting flour on a microwave-safe plate and heat-treat it, so it has time to cool.
Step 2 – Make the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on medium-high for a full 4 minutes. Creaming just means beating them together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once. Don’t rush this part; it’s where the fluffy magic happens!
Add the eggs one at a time, beating about a minute after each, then stir in the molasses and vanilla. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients about ⅓ cup at a time, just until combined.
Step 3 – Bake
Scoop the dough with a #16 cookie scoop (about ¼ cup), roll it into a ball, and place 5 to 6 on each baking sheet. These are big-kid cookies, so give them room to breathe! Dip the bottom of a flat measuring cup or glass in flour and gently smoosh each ball to about ½ inch thick.
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and just barely spread, but not golden. Pale is perfect here! Let them rest on the pan for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely.
Step 4 – Cool and Decorate
Beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute, then add the brown sugar and beat for 4 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping the bowl twice. Use an electric mixer for this!
On low, add the cooled flour mixture, then the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the salt, then pour in and beat in the cream a little at a time, then whip on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, until light, fluffy, and totally spoon-worthy.
Pipe a big swirl of frosting onto each cooled cookie (or spread it with an offset spatula) and give it a pretty swoop with the back of a spoon. Shower with mini chocolate chips, then top each with 3 balls of cookie dough. Chill for 30 minutes before serving, Crumbl style, the same way they serve their famous chilled sugar cookies. That said, I doubt the Cookie Police will knock on your door if you dive right in.
Cookie Dough Cookie Tips for Success
- Don’t overbake. These go from perfect to overdone in the blink of an eye. Pull them while they’re puffed and pale, and they’ll finish baking on the hot pan.
- Scoop like you mean it. A #16 scoop keeps every cookie the same size, so they all bake evenly. No more one-too-brown, one-too-gooey batches.
- Smoosh before baking. These cookies don’t spread much on their own, so pressing them to ½ inch gives you that thick, classic Crumbl look.
- Patience before frosting. Frosting a warm cookie is a recipe for a melty, sliding mess. Let them cool all the way.
- Chill, baby, chill. Thirty minutes in the fridge sets the frosting. If they’ve been in there overnight, let them sit out for about 10 minutes so the frosting softens.
- No piping bag? No problem. Spoon the frosting into a zip-top bag and snip off a corner. Done!
- Mini Crumbl Cookie Dough Cookies: Just so we’re clear, when I say mini, I mean a normal-sized cookie. Mini is just what Crumbl calls them! Instead of the ginormous cookie (which we usually cut into fourths), scoop the cookie dough with a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, #40), proceed with the recipe, and only bake for about 6 to 8 minutes.
Cookie Dough Cookie Variations
- Birthday Cake: Fold rainbow sprinkles into the cookie dough bites and give each cookie a confetti shower. Instant party.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies: Fold ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips into the brown sugar cookie dough before scooping. You get chocolate in the cookie and on top.
- Holiday Color Swaps: Red and green mini M&Ms for Christmas, pastel sprinkles for Easter, orange and black for Halloween. Dress them up for any occasion!
- Ice Cream Twist: Swap the cream in the frosting for a few tablespoons of melted (but still cold) vanilla ice cream. Hello, cookie dough ice cream vibes!
- Stuffed Cookie Dough Cookies: For edible cookie dough-filled cookies, tuck a frozen teaspoon of edible cookie dough into the center of each dough ball. Pinch it closed and flatten gently before baking. These cookie dough stuffed sugar cookies have a surprise in every bite! They’re a lot like my Biscoff stuffed cookies.
- Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Cookies: Swap the all-purpose flour in the cookie dough for 2 ¾ cups cup-for-cup gluten-free flour (I like King Arthur), ½ cup certified gluten-free oat flour and ¼ cup almond flour. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes so the flours can hydrate, then scoop and bake. At high altitude, use 2 tablespoons of extra gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the extra regular flour. For fully gluten-free cookies, use heat-treated gluten-free flour in the frosting and edible cookie dough, and make sure any store-bought dough bites are gluten-free, or just skip them. Don’t overbake them. Pull them when they’re no longer glossy, but before they turn golden.
Heads up: the variations above haven’t been tested yet, so let me know if they work!
How to Store Cookie Dough Cookies
Keep the cookie dough cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Please don’t stack them. Nobody wants a squished cookie dough bite!
If you’re planning ahead (or hiding a secret stash), flash-freeze the frosted cookies in a single layer on a sheet pan until firm, then move them to an airtight container with parchment between the layers. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in a single layer at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
High Altitude Cookie Dough Cookies
Baking at elevation is an adventure in itself! Here in Denver at 5,280 feet, I tested chilling times, temperatures, and tweaks. These baked up best at 350°F with just a few changes:
- Reduce the brown sugar to 1 cup.
- Add 2 extra tablespoons of flour.
- Reduce the baking powder to 1½ teaspoons.
- Add 2 teaspoons of water along with the flour.
If you’re closer to sea level, I’ve got you covered, too. Before this recipe went live, my team of volunteer recipe testers baked these exact cookies in their own kitchens, at all different altitudes from coast to coast. So rest assured, no matter where you live, these will bake up beautifully!
Cookie Dough Cookie FAQs
It comes down to a big ¼-cup portion, a dough that doesn’t spread much (thanks to the flour-to-butter ratio and cornstarch), pressing the dough into a thick disk before baking and pulling the cookies while they’re still soft.
Nope! Crumbl’s version is a brown sugar cookie topped with cookie-dough frosting and cookie-dough bites, which this copycat recreates exactly. If you’d like a stuffed version, see the variations above.
Yes! The edible cookie dough has no eggs, and the flour in both the topping and the frosting is heat-treated to 165°F. If you use store-bought cookie dough bites, check that the label says they’re safe to eat raw.
Spread the flour on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway, until it reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let it cool completely before using. My Edible Cookie Dough post walks through the oven method, too.
Nine times out of ten, the brown sugar is the culprit. Use fresh, soft light brown sugar and beat it with the butter for the full 4 minutes so it starts to dissolve. If it’s still gritty, allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes, then beat again for 3-4 minutes on high.
Yes, frosted and all! Flash freeze the cookies on a sheet pan until firm, then store them in an airtight container with parchment between the layers for up to 3 months. Thaw in a single layer at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
Once you’ve had one Crumbl copycat, it’s hard to stop at just one! Here are a few more from my kitchen.
- Copycat Chocolate Chip Crumbl Cookies: Same cornstarch trick, loaded with milk chocolate chips, and served warm and gooey instead of chilled.
- Pink Sugar Crumbl Cookie: If you love Crumbl sugar cookies, this is the almond one that started the whole craze.
- Oreo Crumbl Cookie: For the cookies-and-cream crowd.
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookie: Another chilled, topped Crumbl copycat.
- Biscoff Stuffed Cookie Butter Cookies: If the stuffed variation caught your eye, this one shows you how to do it.
- Half Baked Mini Skillet Cookies: Gooey, underbaked centers for anyone who would rather just eat the dough.
- Best High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies: For my fellow mountain bakers.
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Video
Equipment
- Set of Cookie Scoops
Ingredients
Toppings
- ½ batch of my Edible Cookie Dough
- Or purchase store-bought edible cookie dough
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips for sprinkling
Brown sugar Cookie Base
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature, 232g
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed, (212g), for high altitude: reduce to 1 cup (167g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar I use all-natural cane sugar (120 g); if using white sugar it's 115 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract real or vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons for high altitude, spoon and leveled
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder reduce to 1 ½ for high altitude
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons water high altitude only
Cookie Dough Frosting
- ¾ cup salted butter at room temperature, 167g
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed (fresh, not organic)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour heat-treated and cooled*
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons half and half whole milk or cream
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- If making your own topping instead of buying store-bought, prepare the edible cookie dough first. Pinch into tiny balls, slightly larger than a pea, place on a tray, and freeze until ready to use.½ batch of my Edible Cookie Dough, Or purchase store-bought edible cookie dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Heat-treat your flour for the cookie dough frosting by spreading it on a microwave-safe plate and microwaving for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway, until it reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Set aside to cool while you prepare the cookies. Or see the Edible Cookie Dough post for how to heat-treat in the oven.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 4 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides once during mixing.1 cup salted butter, 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Scrape the sides again, add eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed for 60 seconds after each addition.2 large eggs
- Add molasses and vanilla extract; mix to combine.1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons molasses
- In a medium bowl, scoop and level the flour, then add salt, baking powder, and cornstarch. Whisk or stir well with a fork to combine.3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture ⅓ cup at a time, mixing just until combined.2 teaspoons water high altitude only
- Using a #16 cookie scoop (about ¼ cup), scoop the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands, then place it on the prepared cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a flat measuring cup dipped in flour, or the bottom of a glass, gently press the dough flat, about ½ inch thick, not too thick. I typically do 5 to 6 cookies per baking sheet.
- Bake at 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread slightly and puffed, pulling them from the oven before they turn golden. Do not overbake. These cookies can go from perfect to overdone in no time.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, make the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the *brown sugar and beat for 4 minutes, scraping down the sides twice.¾ cup salted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar
- Turn the mixer to low and add the cooled, heat-treated flour, mixing just until combined.½ cup all-purpose flour
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, then the vanilla extract. Once combined, start adding cream a little at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy, adding more as needed. Add a pinch of salt, then increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The frosting should be creamy, light, and fluffy.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 2-3 tablespoons half and half, Pinch sea salt
- Pipe a spiral of frosting onto each cookie, or spread it with an offset spatula, then use the back of a spoon to create a swirl pattern. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and 3 mini balls of edible cookie dough.¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- Cookies are best served chilled, like Crumbl. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving, but I doubt the Cookie Police will knock on your door if you dive right in.
Notes
- Brown sugar: Use fresh, completely soft light brown sugar. Organic, coarse or dried-out brown sugar will make the frosting gritty.
- Heat-treat the flour: Raw flour can carry bacteria, so don’t eat it raw. Spread the flour on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring halfway, until it reaches 165°F. Let it cool completely. For the oven method, see my Edible Cookie Dough post.
- Shortcut: Store-bought edible cookie dough works great for the topping. Just check that the label says it’s safe to eat raw.
- Serving: These are best served chilled. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. If they’ve been chilled overnight, let them sit out about 10 minutes to soften the frosting.
- Storage: Store in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Flash freeze on a cookie sheet, then transfer to an airtight container with parchment between the layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in a single layer at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Gluten-free (not yet tested): Replace the all-purpose flour in the cookie dough with 2 ¾ cups cup-for-cup gluten-free flour, ½ cup certified gluten-free oat flour and ¼ cup almond flour. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to hydrate before scooping and baking. At high altitude, add 2 tablespoons of extra gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular flour. Use heat-treated gluten-free flour in the frosting, too.
- Mini Crumbl cookies: Mini is what Crumbl calls a normal-sized cookie. To make them, scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, #40), proceed with the recipe, and bake for about 6 to 8 minutes.
- High altitude: Bake at 350°F with these changes:
- Reduce the brown sugar to 1 cup.
- Add 2 tablespoons of flour.
- Reduce the baking powder to 1½ teaspoons.
- Add 2 teaspoons of water along with the flour.
Nutrition
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