Why head to Crumbl when you can make their Salted Caramel Cheesecake Crumbl Cookie at home? A soft graham cracker cookie topped with creamy cheesecake frosting, a gooey salted caramel drizzle, and a touch of sea salt—it’s the perfect bite! I’ve got all my best tips in this recipe so you can make these bakery-favorite cookies right in your own kitchen. You’re going to love them!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why You’ll Love Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies
Why wait for Crumbl to bring back their Salted Caramel Cheesecake Crumbl Cookie when you can make it anytime at home? This cookie was last seen on the Thanksgiving menu, but with this recipe, you don’t have to wait a whole year to enjoy it again. Plus, at nearly $5 per cookie at the bakery, making your own saves serious cash—and trust me, these are even better!
I took the same tried-and-true principles that made my Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe a smash hit (with over 65,000 saves across social media!) to create this one. People love that recipe for its soft, chewy texture, giant size, and bakery-quality flavor, and you’ll find all of that in this Salted Caramel Cheesecake version too. It’s my mission to make these cookies as good—if not better—than the real deal!
Crumbl’s ever-changing menu has so many mouthwatering flavors to love, but recreating them at home is faster, cheaper, and just as fun! This recipe hits all the right notes with a soft graham cracker-inspired cookie, creamy cheesecake frosting, gooey salted caramel, and just a touch of sea salt. That sweet-and-salty combo is seriously irresistible. If you’re a fan of my Chocolate Chip, Oreo, or Crumbl’s signature Frosted Sugar Cookie copycat recipes, this one’s going to knock your socks off!
And if you are a fan of cheesecake then try this Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake, Strawberry Phyllo Cheesecake Cups, White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake (in the Instant Pot – whaattt!) and this Pumpkin Cheesecake Fluff Dip.
Take your eggs, cream cheese, and butter out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to starting the recipe, this will allow them to come to room temperature.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookie Ingredients
- Butter: Real butter makes all the difference in flavor and texture in your baking. Try European* butter for an extra buttery flavor and fluffy texture, easily found at your grocery store.
- Sugar: This recipe will need granulated and brown sugar, giving it a distinctive, chewy texture. I use organic, all-natural cane sugar.
- Eggs: I use room temperature large eggs in my baking. If you forget, submerge the eggs in warm tap water and allow them to sit for 5 minutes.
- Vanilla Extract: Use the good stuff!
- All-Purpose Flour: I use unbleached organic all-purpose flour in my baking; I like the texture it yields.
- Graham Crackers: I used Annie’s Organic Graham Crackers; use your favorite brand; gluten-free will also work. You will need enough for the recipe and for rolling the cookie dough.
- Cheesecake Frosting: Additional (real) butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and plain cream cheese, softened and at room temperature.
- Caramel Sauce: Use a quality storebought salted caramel sauce (my favorite), or go one step above and make my Salted Caramel Bourbon Sauce. Oh my! You may also use caramel dip softened in the micro.
- Flaky Sea Salt: I love fleur de sel, or Maldon’s flaky sea salt, just the right zing! Coarse sea salt may be subbed.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake Crumbl Cookie
Step 1 – Prep Ingredients
Remove ingredients from the fridge, allow them to come to room temperature (30 minutes before baking), and measure out dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C) and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Crush graham crackers into a fine crumb using a food processor (my favorite way) or by placing them in a thick baggie and using a rolling pin to crush the crackers into fine crumbs.
How Many Graham Cracker Sheets Make a Cup
- You will need about 16 full-sheets graham crackers to yield 1 ½ cups of crumbs for the recipe, plus enough for rolling. For other measurements, check out this handy table for How Many Graham Crackers Make a Cup of Graham Cracker Crumbs
Step 2 – Making Crumbl Graham Cracker Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cream for 2-4 minutes on medium speed, scrape sides of the bowl once until light, fluffy and creamy. I use all-natural cane sugar in my baking which is a bit more coarse, so I always cream on the longer side.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for one minute. After each addition, add in vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the flour mixture, 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until just combined, scraping sides and bottom if needed.
Step 3 – How to Make Crumbl Sized Cookies
You may choose to make giant Crumbl cookie-sized Salted Caramel cookies or smaller ones like Mini Crumbl cookies – just be sure to adjust the scoop size and baking times, notes in the recipe card.
To make similar-sized Crumbl cookies, use a large cookie scoop (½ cup, #8) and scoop a heaping scoop of cookie dough, roll quickly into a smooth ball with your hands, and roll cookie dough ball coating in bowl of graham cracker crumbs. Place six large cookie dough balls on each parchment-lined cookie sheet several inches apart.
Using the bottom of a flat measuring cup, gently press down, flattening the cookie dough into a hockey puck shape. It should still be about ½ inch thick. Do not skip this step. Bake for 11-13 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE; they should look dull on top but slightly underdone. They will continue baking as they sit on the baking sheet.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies completely cool on baking sheets while making the frosting.
Step 4 – Make the Cheesecake Frosting
In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer; beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar gradually until thoroughly combined, then increase the speed to medium-high until light, creamy and fluffy.
Step 5 – Swirl Cheesecake Frosting and Decorate
Scoop cream cheese frosting into a gallon-size baggie or large piping bag and snip off ½-3/4 inch of the corner tip or use a piping tip (I like this Wilton Starter Set) and pipe frosting onto cooled cookies in a swirl pattern. Or, if preferred, use a small cookie scoop and spread the frosting on.
Pour a little of the caramel sauce into a small ziplock baggie, seal, and then snip off a tiny tip of the corner. Drizzle the caramel over each cookie and sprinkle it with flaky sea salt. I encourage you to try sea salt on your cookies; it adds incredible flavor! Like on my pan-banging chocolate chip cookies.
For smaller cookies, use a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, #40) and scoop cookies as described above; you should be able to fit 9-12 on your baking sheet. Don’t forget to roll them in graham cracker crumbs and flatten them slightly. Bake for 7-8 minutes, cool for 2 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Frost, as directed above.
High Altitude Crumbl Cookie Adjustments
- Increase flour by 2 ¾ cups
- Increase graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups
- Decrease brown sugar to ⅓ cup
- Increase oven heat to 375°F (190°C) and bake on the middle rack, checking cookies on the lower side of the suggested time.
These cookies have been tested at high altitudes (5280 feet) and near sea level!
Why are my cookies flat?
Numerous factors contribute to flat cookies, and while flat cookies are still delicious, they are chewy and soft, typically that’s not the outcome you are looking for. Keep these tips in mind when baking cookies.
Ingredient Issues
- Butter was too soft – yes, there is such a thing, especially on a hot day or when you soften your butter near a stovetop. If this happened in your first batch of dough, stop the process, and rescue the rest by chilling your cookie dough for about 30-60 minutes to firm the butter back up.
- Creaming the Butter and Sugar too long – Overcreaming the butter and sugar can actually warm the butter back up. Cream just until the sugar granules aren’t obvious.
- You didn’t chill the cookie dough – In some recipes chilling the cookie dough is necessary to form the right cookie, like in my Scotch shortbread cookies. We don’t need to chill this graham cracker cookie recipe unless your butter is too soft. In which case, chill the cookie dough balls for 10 minutes before baking.
- Not enough flour – In America, we tend to dip our measuring cups into the flour which results in inaccurate measurements. Usually, we add too much flour, but in this case, it might mean you didn’t add enough.
- Granulated Sugar may also be the culprit, if you added more than necessary that could be the reason your cookies baked flat.
- Baking Soda or Baking Powder Expired – Be sure to check the expiration dates on your raising agents, this is a common reason.
Equipment Issues
- Your Oven is Too Hot or Cold – This is the top problem, most ovens are off by 25-50 degrees! Mine is consistently cool by 25 degrees, use an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven.
- Hot Cookie Sheets – Another common mistake, I have several baking sheets so that when one comes out of the oven, I don’t need it again until it has cooled. Hot trays will begin the baking process (i.e. melting the butter) before they are even in the oven. To cool your trays quickly, run them under cold water, dry and use them.
- Greasing Cookie Sheets or Unlined – Baking directly on a greased cookie sheet will cause your cookies to flatten, they have nothing to hold on to when the heat hits them. Use parchment paper or use a Silpat or similar silicone mat.
Love caramel? Try my Browned Butter Sugar Cookie Bars with Salted Caramel Frosting, my Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake, my Fresh Peach Dump Cake and of course my Homemade Caramel Sauce.
Pro Tips for the Best Copycat Crumbl Cookies Recipe
- Use the best quality ingredients, especially for your butter, flour, and graham crackers.
- Real butter: Use real butter; my motto is, “if it is soft out of the fridge, it’s a blend and not real butter.” And your cookies won’t turn out the same.
- Preheat the oven beforehand and bring ingredients to room temperature; if you forget to take your eggs out, submerge them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5-7 minutes. Get an oven thermometer, your oven may be off by up to 50°F!
- Do NOT overbake: Overbaking is the number one reason for dry or cakey cookies. Remove them as they turn a dull color and have spread a bit. Trust the process, and do not overbake! Like this tried and true Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
- Do not overmix! Another big mistake is if your cookies come out cakey, you are overmixing the dough. Mix the dry ingredients until combined; the longer you beat your dough, the more gluten will be released, which can make a cakey cookie. Soft, chewy cookies are the best!
Gluten-Free Crumbl Cookies
YES! Make Gluten-Free Crumbl cookies, just like my Gluten-Free chewy chocolate chip cookies! Substitute the all-purpose flour with half almond flour and half Gluten-Free Cup for Cup All-Purpose Flour, and also use Gluten-Free Graham crackers.
Variations
- Sandwich Cookies: Make them into smaller cookies, and instead of putting the frosting on top, spread the frosting between two cooled cookies and enjoy! Like these Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies!
- Skip the Frosting: Think they are perfect without the frosting? I agree; so good! As they come out of the oven, sprinkle them with flaky sea salt, cool them, and dunk them with a tall glass of cold milk.
- Mini Crumbl Cookies: Use a medium cookie scoop to make mini cookies, just like Crumbl mini cookies! Reduce baking time to 6-7 minutes.
- Add-Ins: Make your cookie unique by adding milk chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, chopped nuts or even some flaky coconut.
Recommended Tools
- Stand Mixer | I recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe. Of course, a hand mixer gets the job done with a little elbow grease! Don’t forget your food processor to make easy graham cracker crumbs.
- Half Sheet Pans | A sturdy, heavy-duty cookie sheet is key! The USA brand is my favorite!
- Parchment Paper | Using parchment paper or silicone mats makes for easy clean up, and the perfect browning.
- Cookie Scoops | Use the largest scoops for authentic copycat Crumbl cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frostings freeze beautifully; yes, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and whip using a whisk or mixer to bring it to the right consistency.
Since you get the cheesecake aspect of these graham cracker cookies in the frosting, it is not an overpowering flavor, but more subtle, especially if you choose to frost your Crumbl cookies recipe lightly.
These cookies are not overly sweet or salty. They have an almost oaty flavor because of the graham crackers baked into the cookies, and the extra sea salt is just a sprinkling on the tops of the cookies, resulting in a lovely balance of sweet and salty.
Of course! To do so, follow my directions for making mini Crumbl cookies and bake less time! Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons), baking only 6-8 minutes, don’t forget to flatten them slightly.
Best Way to Store Crumbl Cookies
- These cookies will be fine stored in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days. For extended storage, freeze versus put them in the fridge; refrigeration tends to dry out baked goods. If you choose to refrigerate; make sure they are in an airtight container.
- If you like to eat your cookie chilled, go for it, I like eating mine right out of the fridge! But room temperature is also delicious, so pull them out and let them sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
- Freeze: The answer to can I freeze Crumbl cookies is, YES! These cookies freeze well and will stay fresher longer, extending their shelf life. To freeze frosted cookies, place them on a flat baking sheet and flash freeze for 1 hour or until solid. Transfer them into an airtight container, separate the layers with parchment or waxed paper, and freeze for 2-3 months. To thaw, place them in a single layer on a tray or cookie sheet and thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for an hour.
- Make-Ahead Salted Caramel Crumbl Cookies – Make and cool cookies, wait to frost them, and place them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frosting may also be; frozen; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More of Our Favorite Cookies
- Cool baking sheets: If you put cookie dough on hot or warm cookie sheets, your cookies will spread too quickly. If you need to quickly cool them (after the Crumbl cookies have cooled on them for 20 minutes), run them under cold water until cool to the touch—dry and reuse.
- Oven Temp: Most ovens are off by 25-50 degrees; check your range using an oven thermometer and adjust accordingly.
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Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter 1 cup, real butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar I use cane sugar, white sugar works too
- ½ cup light brown sugar reduce to ⅓ cup for high altitude (dark should should work too)
- 2 large eggs room temperature, if you forget to take out, sit in warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour add ¼ cup for high altitude, be sure to spoon and level or weigh your flour
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 sheets of grahams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup graham cracker crumbs for rolling the cookie dough in
Cheesecake Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened, room temp
- 4 tablespoons butter room temperature (½ stick)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ – 3 cups powdered sugar Use even less if a less sweet frosting is desired.
Toppings
- ⅓ cup salted caramel sauce to drizzle on top of the cookies
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Graham Cracker Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177° C (375°/190°C F for high altitude) and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Add the eggs, mixing for one minute, and scrape the sides if needed. Add vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and graham cracker crumbs (1 ½ cups, 2 cups for high altitude). Mix until just combined, scraping sides and bottom if needed. Do not overmix.
- Using a large (½ cup) cookie scoop, scoop up a heaping amount of cookie dough, shape it into a ball with your hands, and roll in graham cracker crumbs, lay our prepared baking sheet, repeat with the rest of the dough for 12 giant Crumbl sized cookies. See notes for how to make mini Crumbl cookies.
- Max of 6 on each baking sheet. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently flatten each dough ball into a hockey puck shape. Bake for 11-13 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE, they should be dull looking on top but still look a little underdone. They will continue baking as they sit on the baking sheet.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on baking sheets while making the frosting. Transfer to cooling racks after about 20 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer; beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar gradually until thoroughly combined, then increase the speed to medium-high until light, creamy and fluffy.
- Scoop cream cheese frosting into a gallon-size baggie or large piping bag and snip off ½-3/4 inch of the corner tip or use a piping tip (I like this Wilton Starter Set) and pipe frosting onto cooled cookies in a swirl pattern. Or, if preferred, use a small cookie scoop and spread the frosting on.
- Pour a little of the caramel sauce into a small ziplock baggie, seal, and then snip off a tiny tip of the corner. Drizzle the caramel over each cookie and sprinkle it with flaky sea salt. I encourage you to try sea salt on your cookies; it adds incredible flavor! Like on my pan-banging chocolate chip cookies.
Notes
- Increase flour to 3 ¾ cups
- Increase graham cracker crumbs to 2 cups
- Decrease brown sugar to ⅓ cup
- Increase oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake on the middle rack, checking cookies on the lower side of the suggested time.
Nutrition
Barbara
Delicious! Perfect texture.
Wonderful! So glad you loved them!
Debra
I can leave these frosted cookies on my counter for 3 days even though it uses cream cheese in the frosting?
They look delicious!
I do, Debra, but if you don’t feel comfortable they are just as delicious chilled!
Elizabeth
Oh wow!! This is an amazing recipe! Thank you so much for sharing. Can’t wait to give this a go!
Thank you!!
Shelby
These cookies are such a treat. I love the sweet and salty mix of flavors, plus the buttercream frosting is irresistible!
So irresistible!! Thanks, Shelby!
Kushigalu
Drooling over these yummy cookies. I can’t wait to try. Thanks for sharing.
Hope you love them!
Beth
Everything about these is making me hungry! I love the texture, and that frosting is divine!
So good!!
Kate
I love salted caramel, I love cheesecake, and I love Crumbl cookies so this is a WINNER!
Total winner!
Eliza
The most delicious, sweet, chewy, YUMMY cookies! That creamy cheesecake frosting is insanely good, and the caramel drizzle takes it over the top! So grateful for you and your wonderful recipes.
You are the best! Thank you dear, Eliza!