Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size)
How I Found Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size) The first time I tried to recreate those big, pillowy Crumbl sugar cookies at home, I thought I was asking too much of my little oven. But once I tweaked a few things, I realized you can get that soft center and delicate crunch at the edges…
How I Found Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size)
The first time I tried to recreate those big, pillowy Crumbl sugar cookies at home, I thought I was asking too much of my little oven. But once I tweaked a few things, I realized you can get that soft center and delicate crunch at the edges without a commercial kitchen. I call this one Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size) because the dough makes a generous batch and the cookies keep that bakery look—big, pale, and just begging for that glossy, lightly pink frosting.
I keep the ingredient list simple in my head: 3/4 cup (166g) salted butter softened, 3/4 cup (173g) granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 1/3 cups (354g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. For the frosting I use 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter softened, 1 1/2 cups (161g) powdered sugar, 1/8 -1/4 tsp almond extract, 1 -3 tbsp heavy whipping cream, and pink food coloring for that classic look. Writing it out like that makes it feel simple, but it is the technique that does the heavy lifting.
If you like cookie experiments, you might also enjoy my friends’ takes on pastries like these brown sugar pop tart cookies where they flip the idea on its head brown sugar pop tart cookies.
The Secret Behind Perfect Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size)
Start right from the oven prep. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Set aside. That little pause to preheat and line the sheet saves so much stress later because these cookies spread and you want an even surface.
Cream together the butter and sugar with either an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 1 minute until light and fluffy. I always scrape the sides once mid-way so nothing gets left behind. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. It sounds basic, but that one-minute cream plus the careful incorporation of eggs is what keeps the texture tender and not cakey.
Add in the flour and baking powder, mix until a soft dough forms. The dough should be soft but not sticky; if it is tacky to the touch, a sprinkle more flour will help, but be cautious—too much flour makes them dense. Portion out your dough using 1 1/2 tbsp of dough for each cookie. Roll into a ball and then flatten just slightly. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. The cookies will expand and spread while baking. I use a 1 1/2-tablespoon scoop—it gives a consistent size so they all cook evenly.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9-11 minutes, the cookies will spread and puff up and the centers will no longer look wet in the center when the cookies are ready to come out of the oven. Pull them out before they turn brown. That moment—when the edges are set but the centers still look just slightly underdone—is when they turn into the soft, squishy cookies I love once cooled.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan. If you try to frost while still warm you’ll get a melty disaster.
The Part I Look Forward To Every Time
Once the cookies are completely cool, make the frosting. Use your electric hand mixer to cream the butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the extracts and the heavy cream until all of the powdered sugar has been incorporated. The frosting should be smooth and thick. Use pink food coloring to dye the frosting. (I don’t even use one drop of gel food coloring, I put a toothpick into the food coloring and then wipe the toothpick off in the frosting to achieve the light pink color.), Frost each of the cookies and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving., Serve chilled.
I know that parenthetical bit about the toothpick sounds quirky, but it gives such a pale, lovely pink without turning the frosting neon. I learned it from a friend who hates gel dyes. The texture of the frosting matters: it should be spreadable but not runny so it holds that gloss.
A Few Small Tricks I Swear By
A tip I always follow is to keep my butter softened but not greasy. If it is too warm your cookies can spread too thin in the oven. If you forget to take butter out, I pat it into small pieces to speed up softening. Another tip is to chill the scooped dough on the baking sheet for 10 minutes if your kitchen is especially warm; it helps control spreading. I also find that rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time gives you even color across the batch.
I once baked a whole tray and got distracted; the cookies browned slightly at the edges. They still tasted fine, but they lost that classic Crumbl look. That’s how I learned to pull them out the moment the center no longer looks wet. If you want to make these ahead, you can freeze the unbaked dough balls spaced on a sheet, then transfer to a bag. Bake straight from frozen adding a minute or two.
If you enjoy variations, there are fun swaps. You could add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the dough and swap part of the vanilla for lemon extract for a lemon-scented version. Another option is to fold in a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for a subtle chocolate twist and pair it with a vanilla frosting. For a more decadent frosting, add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and reduce the butter slightly for tang and stability.
When It’s Done Right and What to Pair It With
You know these cookies are done right when the tops are pale, the edges look gently set, and the centers are barely glossy. The interior should feel soft and tender when you press a corner. The aroma is simple but intoxicating: warm butter and vanilla, with that sweet powdered sugar perfume from the frosting once chilled.
I love serving these with a cold glass of milk or a frothy latte. They also pair surprisingly well with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent dessert plate. For a party, arrange them on a platter with colorful decorations and they feel instantly festive.
If you want inspiration for other cookie adventures, check out this delightful cream cheese sugar cookies with strawberry buttercream frosting I tried recently and loved cream cheese sugar cookies with strawberry buttercream frosting. And if you are in a red velvet mood, there is a great Crumbl copycat red velvet cookies recipe that is a nice companion Crumbl copycat red velvet cookies recipe.
A Note on Leftovers and a Little Memory
Leftovers keep surprisingly well. I store frosted cookies in a single layer in a shallow airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you want to freeze them, chill the frosted cookies first so the frosting firms up, then layer them in a container separated by parchment. When I lived in a tiny apartment and needed sweets for guests, I made big trays of these and kept a few in the freezer; when someone dropped by I’d pull them out and they thaw beautifully.
A small, sentimental thing: these cookies remind me of an afternoon in college when my roommate and I tried to replicate bakery cookies for a study break. We burned the first tray, laughed about it, and on the second try we nailed the texture. Baking with someone makes mistakes feel like part of the story. That’s why I love sharing this recipe—it’s forgiving, nostalgic, and reliably comforting.
Conclusion
If you want a step-by-step version from another home baker who inspired my approach, I often refer back to Cooking With Karli’s Copycat Crumbl Chilled Sugar Cookies for comparison and extra tips.
Crumbl Sugar Cookies (Catering Size)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- Cream together the butter and sugar for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Scrape sides once.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined.
- Add flour and baking powder; mix until a soft dough forms.
- Portion out dough using 1 1/2 tbsp for each cookie, roll into a ball and flatten slightly.
- Place on the cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9-11 minutes. The edges should be set, and the centers should not look wet.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the pan before frosting.
- Cream the softened butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with almond extract and heavy cream.
- Use pink food coloring to dye the frosting to your preferred shade.
- Frost each cooled cookie and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.
