Giant chilled CRUMBL sugar cookies
How I stumbled into making Giant chilled CRUMBL sugar cookies The first time I tasted one of those enormous, pillowy CRUMBL sugar cookies, it felt like a small, joyful scandal—so much soft sugar and butter in one bite that I actually laughed. I wanted to recreate that slow-melting texture at home, the kind you sink…
How I stumbled into making Giant chilled CRUMBL sugar cookies
The first time I tasted one of those enormous, pillowy CRUMBL sugar cookies, it felt like a small, joyful scandal—so much soft sugar and butter in one bite that I actually laughed. I wanted to recreate that slow-melting texture at home, the kind you sink your teeth into and then press your thumb into the center to make room for frosting. Over a few experiments and a couple of late-night batches, this version became my favorite. If you are curious about other copycat-style bakes I tinker with, I once adapted a red velvet cookie into a CRUMBL copycat too that recipe, and the process taught me a lot about balancing moisture and tang.
The ingredients that feel like the real deal
I tell friends to gather everything before they start because once butter softens you do not want to be rummaging in the pantry. For the dough I use 1/2 cup butter (softened ), 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 2 tbsp powdered sugar, plus 1 egg (at room temperature) for richness. The flavor comes from 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp almond extract, and then the structure is 2 & 1/3 cup flour with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional, so if you don’t have it no worries!), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking powder. For the frosting I keep it simple and luxurious with 1/2 cup butter (softened), 2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp heavy cream (Cold), 1/4 tsp almond extract (Use another 1/4 tsp if you want more almond flavor), and 1 tsp vanilla extract, finished with Pink gel food coloring for that classic CRUMBL blush.
I know it looks like a lot of detail, but each measure matters: the oil helps keep the crumb soft even when the cookies are giant, and the powdered sugar in the dough gives that tender, almost melt-in-your-mouth quality.
A walk-through while we bake (yes, we preheat first)
Before anything else, Preheat the oven to 350F then line a baking sheet with parchement pape and set aside. It sounds minor, but a warm oven and a ready tray make the whole process feel calm. I start by creaming the butter, oil, sugar, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer until it’s light and a little cloudlike. Then I Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the creamed butter mixture and mix until combined, scraping the bowl so everything is incorporated.
Next comes the dry stuff: Add the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking powder and mix until combined. Because these cookies are meant to be giant and soft, I use a large cookie scoop (1/4 cup- 4 tbsp) to scoop out 9 equally sized cookie balls. I place them on the prepared baking sheet then using your hand flatten to about 1/2 inch in thickness. They look like little disks, and a lot of people worry they are too thick, but that’s deliberate. Bake for 9-10 minutes then cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack fully before frosting. Don’t worry if the cookies look underbaked, they will continue baking as they cool. After they have cooled, make the pink almond sugar cookie frosting and slather it on while the cookies are still slightly warm so the frosting melts into them in the most glorious way.
A little tip as we go: if your kitchen is warm and the dough feels sticky, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes; it firms up and is so much easier to scoop. Another thing I swear by is using cold heavy cream in the frosting — it helps you dial in the consistency without the frosting getting runny.
The secret behind the texture and a few confessions
I call these "chilled" mostly because I often make the dough the night before and let it rest in the fridge. Overnight chilling deepens the flavor—almond and vanilla become more pronounced—and chilling slightly helps the cookies spread less, giving you that coveted tall, soft center. If I am honest, sometimes I skip the overnight step when I am impatient, and they still turn out great because of the oil and powdered sugar trick. The cream of tartar is optional, but when I include it the cookies get a whisper of chew that I love.
How do you know it’s done right? When you press the center after baking it should feel soft but not liquid; the edges will have just a hint of color and the top will be matte, not glossy. They will look a bit underbaked, but remember they will continue baking as they cool. I always leave them on the baking sheet for the full 20 minutes—this is not the time to rush.
One more small confession: I sometimes sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the pink frosting. It makes the sweetness sing.
Little variations and what I serve these with
If you want to play with this recipe, there are a couple of easy variations that keep the spirit intact. For a citrus twist I swap out the almond extract for a quarter teaspoon of lemon zest and a drop of lemon extract; the bright tang cuts the sugar and feels springlike. For a chocolatey take I fold in a quarter cup of mini chocolate chips into the dough before scooping; they make the cookie more rustic but still soft. If you want to make a frosted sandwich, halve the dough balls into slightly smaller scoops and bake for a minute less; sandwich with frosting for a cookie that’s even more decadent.
I love serving these with cold milk on the weekend when friends pop by, and they are surprisingly lovely with a flat white if you want something less sweet. For a party I pile them on a platter with other tea cookies or try pairing with a tart fruit like sliced strawberries to cut through the richness. If you are exploring other flavor matches and frosting ideas, I also experimented with a cream cheese frosting on sugar cookies and wrote about that twist in another recipe that might spark ideas.
Little habits that make baking less stressful
One thing I do now is line two baking sheets before I start and keep one in the fridge with the extra cookie balls. If a batch comes out and everyone wants seconds, the second sheet is ready to go. For storage, once they are fully cooled and frosted I put them in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment between layers and they keep well at room temperature for two days and in the fridge up to a week. If I am making them ahead for a party, I freeze the unfrosted dough balls on a tray and transfer to a freezer bag; they thaw in the fridge overnight and bake almost like fresh. If you want inspiration for more cookie shapes and styles, I once made a playful pop-tart inspired cookie that combined brown sugar and flaky pastry textures that experiment and it taught me a lot about handling sticky dough.
Three quick tips I slip into almost every batch: make sure your egg is at room temperature so the dough emulsifies smoothly, use a light hand when mixing the flour to avoid overworking, and always let the cookies rest on the pan so they finish gently rather than collapsing.
Conclusion
If you want to compare this take on chilled CRUMBL-style sugar cookies to another copycat version, the recipe at Crumbl Sugar Cookies – Chilled Copycat Recipe – Lifestyle of a Foodie is a good reference for technique and flavor ideas, and it was one of the posts that nudged me toward developing my own giant, frosted rendition. Making these in your kitchen is like inviting a little bakery warmth into your home; they are forgiving, crowd-pleasing, and deeply satisfying when you share them with people who appreciate a thick, frosted sugar cookie.
Giant Chilled CRUMBL Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the wet mixture, mixing until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking powder.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop (1/4 cup) to scoop out 9 cookie balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten them to about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, then cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the frosting by mixing together the softened butter, powdered sugar, cold heavy cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
- Slather the frosting on the cookies while they are slightly warm so it melts into them.
