Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Copycat Recipe
Those giant, thick Crumbl chocolate chip cookies have a serious following, and for good reason. This copycat recipe gets you that same soft, doughy center with slightly crisp edges, all from your own oven.
The whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes, and you only need one bowl.
Why I Love This Recipe
The texture is what keeps me coming back. These are thick, almost cakey in the middle, but the edges have just enough structure to hold together when you pick one up.
The brown butter makes a real difference. It adds a nutty, slightly toasted depth that plain melted butter just doesn’t have.
The cookies stay soft for days because of the higher brown sugar ratio. That extra moisture in the dough works hard even after baking.
Recipe Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled, not packed; too much flour makes them dry
- 1 tsp baking soda – Gives rise without making them cakey
- 1 tsp fine sea salt – Fine salt distributes evenly; kosher works but reduce to 3/4 tsp
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter – Browned for flavor; salted butter works if you skip the added salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed – Keeps the cookies moist and chewy
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar – Helps the edges set and get a slight crisp
- 2 large eggs – Room temperature; cold eggs can make the dough seize up
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract – Use real vanilla if you can; imitation works in a pinch but the flavor is thinner
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips – A mix of chips and roughly chopped chocolate chunks gives better melt pockets
- Flaky salt for finishing – Maldon or any flaky salt; skip if you prefer without, but it really sharpens the flavor
Variations / Substitutions
- Milk chocolate chips – Sweeter and creamier result; works well if you find semi-sweet too sharp.
- Dark chocolate chips – Brings a slightly bitter edge that balances the sweet brown sugar dough.
- Browned butter skipped – You can use softened butter instead; the cookies will still be good, just milder in flavor.
- Gluten-free – A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill works here; the texture will be slightly less chewy.
- Dairy-free – Vegan butter (the stick kind, not spread) browns acceptably and keeps the texture close to the original.
- Extra vanilla – Bump it to 1 tbsp for a more pronounced vanilla note, which is closer to what Crumbl does.
If you like big, bakery-style cookies, you might also enjoy a copycat Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe.
How To Make Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Brown the Butter
Set a light-colored saucepan over medium heat and add the 1 cup of unsalted butter. A light pan lets you see the color change clearly. Swirl it occasionally as it melts, foams, and then begins to smell nutty. After about 5 to 7 minutes, the foam will thin out and you’ll see small amber-brown bits forming on the bottom of the pan. Pull it off the heat immediately and pour it into a large mixing bowl. Let it cool for 10 minutes before moving to the next step.
Those brown bits are the whole point. They’re toasted milk solids, and they carry a warm, almost toffee-like flavor into the finished cookie. If you skip the cooling time and add the eggs while the butter is still very hot, you’ll scramble them.
Step 2: Whisk in the Sugars and Eggs
Add the 1 cup packed light brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar to the browned butter and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the mixture looks smooth and slightly lighter in color. Add the 2 large eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then stir in the 2 tsp vanilla extract.
The dough should look glossy and a little ribbony when you lift the whisk. That’s the sugar dissolving into the fat, which helps give you that slightly shiny top on the baked cookie.
Step 3: Fold in the Flour Mixture
In a separate bowl, whisk together the 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined, meaning no visible streaks of flour remain. Don’t overmix; stop as soon as it comes together.
Overmixed dough develops too much gluten and the cookies come out tough rather than tender. A few folds after the last streak disappears is fine, but resist the urge to keep going.
Step 4: Stir in the Chocolate
Add the 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips and fold them through the dough with the spatula until they’re evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This rest firms up the butter, which means the cookies spread less in the oven and stay thick.
Step 5: Bake the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into balls of about 3 tbsp each, roughly the size of a golf ball. Space them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden but the centers still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool, so pulling them out a touch early is exactly right.
Step 6: Finish and Plate
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. While they’re still warm, scatter a small pinch of flaky salt over the top of each one. Arrange a few on a plate with one broken open to show the melted chocolate inside, and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use a cookie scoop if you have one. Uniform size means every cookie bakes in the same time, which matters more with thick dough than with thin cookies.
- Chill the dough seriously. Thirty minutes is the minimum. If you skip it, the cookies spread wide and thin and lose that signature height.
- Don’t crowd the pan. These cookies are large and they spread. Six per standard sheet pan is about right.
- If your cookies come out flat, your butter was likely still too warm when you added the eggs. Next batch, give the browned butter a full 15 minutes to cool, or even pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes.
Bake times by pan size (1 rack, 375°F / 190°C):
| Pan Type | Cookie Size | Bake Time |
|---|---|---|
| Light aluminum half sheet | 3 tbsp scoop | 11 to 13 minutes |
| Dark nonstick sheet | 3 tbsp scoop | 10 to 11 minutes |
| Insulated double-layer sheet | 3 tbsp scoop | 13 to 15 minutes |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They actually get a little softer on day 2. If you want to refrigerate the unbaked dough, it keeps well for up to 3 days covered.
- Reheating – Ten seconds in the microwave brings a room-temperature cookie back to that warm, just-baked feel.
What To Serve With Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookies
A cold glass of whole milk is the obvious move, but it genuinely works because the fat in the milk cuts through the richness of the brown butter dough and resets your palate between bites. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream pressed between 2 cookies also makes a strong case for itself, since the cold, creamy filling contrasts with the warm, chewy cookie in a way that’s hard to argue with. For something less indulgent, a plain black coffee or a flat white works well because the bitterness offsets the sweetness without competing with the chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes. Scoop the dough into balls, freeze them on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip-lock bag. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 14 to 15 minutes.
Why do Crumbl cookies taste different from regular chocolate chip cookies?
Crumbl uses a higher fat ratio and a thicker scoop than most home recipes. Browning the butter and resting the dough are the two moves that get you closest to their flavor and texture without a commercial oven.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, it doubles cleanly. Brown the butter in a larger saucepan and mix in a stand mixer bowl or a very large mixing bowl. Bake times stay the same.
My cookies spread too much. What went wrong?
The most likely cause is dough that was too warm going into the oven, either from under-chilling or from a warm kitchen. Try chilling the shaped dough balls on the sheet pan for 10 minutes before baking.
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Ingredients
Method
- Melt the 1 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until it turns amber and smells nutty. Pour into a large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar into the cooled butter for 1 minute. Add the 2 eggs one at a time, whisking after each, then stir in the 2 tsp vanilla extract.
- Whisk together the 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a separate bowl. Fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the 2 cups chocolate chips, cover the dough, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Scoop dough into 3 tbsp balls, space 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are golden and centers look just set.
- Rest cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack, and finish each one with a pinch of flaky salt while still warm. Serve with one broken open to show the melted chocolate.
