Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone who tries these Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies flips with the first bite! They’re sweet and chewy inside with a crisp outer shell and lots of melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate chips

Who in the world needs another chocolate chip cookie recipe? I sure didn’t think that I did. Actually, I felt like I had cracked the best-chocolate-chip-cookie code with these BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies and/or with these One Bowl Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. I mean, enough is enough, right? Well, maybe not. We can blame my brother, John for this one. He introduced us to Crumbl Cookies a few weeks ago. They’re fabulous cookies and I’ve been obsessed ever since with figuring out a few copycat recipes as we don’t have a Crumbl store anywhere nearby. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to these fabulous Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies!

What are Crumbl cookies?

Haven’t ever heard of Crumbl? I hadn’t either but, obviously, a lot of other people have as it’s the fastest-growing gourmet cookie company in the U.S. It was started in Logan, Utah in 2017 and has already spread to over 100 other locations across the United States. In addition to incredibly delicious cookies, Crumbl also sells cold milk and gourmet ice cream.

Crumbl cookies are large, super delicious and come in a variety of flavors. We haven’t had a chance to try all of their specialty cookies as their menu rotates each week to include 4 new flavors with the sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies a constant on the menu.

If you haven’t experienced Crumbl Chocolate Chip cookies, you might be wondering, what’s so great about them that would make me want to copycat them? Well, besides being incredibly delicious, these bakery-style cookies are large (actually enormous) and thick without being cakey. They have lots of texture on the outside with big crisp crinkles and cracks on top and an interior that’s moist, chewy and studded with melty milk chocolate chips.

No need to reinvent

I didn’t have to start from scratch with this copycat recipe as there are actually a number of Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies online. I took studied a bunch of them, then came up with my own simplified rendition.

To start with, I wanted my recipe to not require any special equipment other than a big bowl and a spatula or wooden spoon. I love a cookie recipe I can stir up quickly without having to pull out the heavy mixer. That being said, if you prefer to use a mixer, go for it!

An easy and convenient trick

The online Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip recipe with the best reviews calls for cake flour. Cake flour is a low protein, finely milled flour that is used to lighten baked goods and give them a delicate texture. I thought that was a great idea but cake flour is expensive and not readily available so I did a little swap.

A good substitute for cake flour is a combination of all-purpose with a small portion of cornstarch which helps creates that same delicate texture. I decided to try this little trick in my copycat recipe. It worked well and I love that I don’t have to stock cake flour in order to make a batch of these wonderful cookies!

Size options

As I mentioned earlier, Crumbl cookies are large, or maybe better described as HUGE. One of their cookies is plenty for 2-3 people and, though the Crumbl website doesn’t share nutritional information, Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies are calculated to have 640 calories a piece!

Personally, I like a little more portion control so I make my cookies smaller although still a generous portion for each cookie. I use a 3 or 4 tablespoon scoop for mine. Feel free to go smaller or larger according to your preference.

Milk Chocolate!

One interesting surprise in Crumble Chocolate Chip Cookies is the chocolate chips. In contrast to the majority of chocolate chip recipes which call for semi-sweet chocolate, Crumbl cookies are made with milk chocolate chips. Many of the copycat recipes call for premium Guitard chocolate chips. I tried both Guitard and Nestles milk chocolate chips in my testing and we actually preferred the Nestles chips, which are a little smaller (and much less expensive!).

How to get crinkly, crackly chocolate chip cookies?

One challenge in creating this recipe was how to get the signature Crumbl texture that I mentioned above. I went with an old Cook’s Illustrated trick of rolling the dough into balls, then pulling the dough balls apart and facing the jagged edges up.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, Scott took a few pictures to explain better how this is done:

It’s hard to describe how delicious these cookies are, but our many taste testers (friends, neighbors, men who have been working on projects at our house…) concurred that these cookies are amazing. One friend that I sent a plateful home with texted as soon as she got home; “That is one fabulous cookie!”

I think you’ll love them too! If you don’t have a Crumbl Cookie store near you or you like to make delicious baked treats yourself, pick up some milk chocolate chips and make a batch of these amazing cookies asap! You’ll understand why we all need just one more chocolate chip cookie recipe! Thanks, John! 💕

P.S. There’s one other Crumbl copycat recipe coming up that will be so perfect for spring. Be on the lookout!

Café Tips for making these Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies

• This recipe calls for milk chocolate chips rather than semi-sweet. Although it’s rumored that Crumbl uses Guitard chips I really like Nestles milk chocolate chips as they’re delicious but less expensive and not as huge. The smaller chips mean the chocolate is distributed better throughout the cookies. Also, I like to add a few extra chips to the tops of the cookies right when they emerge from the oven and the smaller chips make a prettier presentation.
• Because this recipe is now a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe, it’s important that your butter is very soft. You can let it sit at room temperature for a few hours or employ one of these tricks:
  • You can soften the butter in the microwave at a 10% power level. It works like magic. You’ll need to experiment a bit with your microwave though, as they’re all different. Start with 1 minute. Add 20 to 30-second increments until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft, but not melted.
  • Another technique I often use to soften butter is to put it in the microwave for an hour with the light on. To keep the light on in the microwave I put a folded paper towel in the door.
  • Boil a cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and get things nice and steamy. Leave the water cup in the microwave, add the butter and close the door. The warmth from the steamy water will help to quickly soften the butter.
  • Cutting the butter into small pieces helps it soften quicker.
  • Place the hard butter on a small plate. Fill a bowl with hot water. Wait 5 minutes then discard the water. Put the warm bowl on top of the butter. The warmth will help the butter soften.
  • Put the butter in the oven with the light turned on. This will take 1-2 hours.
  • The fastest way to soften butter is to put cold butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Turn it to the opposite side and microwave for another 10 seconds. It might be ready at this point, but if it’s not completely soft, add one or two more 5-second stints, turning the butter each time.
• Take the time to let these cookies chill before baking. That’s what will keep them from spreading too much in the oven. Give them an hour or up to 24 hours.
• This recipe makes a large batch of cookies so start with a nice big bowl.
• Don’t overmix the dough. Just mix until all the flour is incorporated. Do check to make sure there’s no loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
• Crumbl serves their chocolate cookies warm. They’re delicious at room temperature but warmed, oh my goodness, so amazing. I like to take a minute to rewarm these cookies before serving them. Each one takes 10-15 seconds in the microwave or you can pop them back in a 325˚F oven for 5 minutes.

Thought for the day:

There is none like you, O Lord;
    you are great, and your name is great in might.
Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
    For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms
    there is none like you.
Jeremiah 10:6-7

What we’re listening to for inspiration:

There is None Like You

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

4.84 from 6 votes

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Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone who tries these Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies flips with the first bite! They're sweet and chewy inside with a crisp outer shell and lots of melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate chips

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Copycat Cookies, Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies, Crumbl Cookies

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Servings: 24

Calories: 250 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup very soft butter see Café Tips above in the post.
• 1 cup brown sugar I like to use dark brown sugar but light will also work.
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2. Combine soft butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Mix with a sturdy rubber spatula until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until smooth and creamy.
3. Stir in the baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until well combined.
4. Add the all purpose flour and cornstarch and stir, just until all of the flour is incorporated. Make sure there’s no loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips. If desired, reserve a handful of chocolate chips to add after baking, for a pretty presentation.
6. Scoop the cookies into 3-4 tablespoon size scoops and roll each one into a ball.

7. Chill the dough balls for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

8. Just before baking, tear each ball in half and press back together with the jagged sides up. (See the picture in the post above.)

9. Place the cookies on the prepared sheet pans leaving 2-inches between each cookie. Bake for 12-16 minutes until golden brown. If desired, add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops of each cookie.
10. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.

Calories 250kcal

Fat 8g

Saturated fat 5g

Trans fat 1g

Cholesterol 34mg

Sodium 170mg

Potassium 44mg

Carbohydrates 25g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 13g

Protein 2g

Vitamin A 256%

Calcium 18%

Iron 1%