While the dessert franchise has locations nearby, recreating their treats at home can be a fun study break
By LORENA ALVAREZ — arts@theaggie.org
Crumbl Cookies is a dessert franchise well-known for its weekly flavor rotation that was established at the end of 2018 by Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. According to the Crumbl Cookies’ website, the two spent thousands of dollars trying to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, eventually turning to public surveys on cookie preferences for guidance.
While the company rotates and introduces new flavors weekly, they have their classic chocolate chip and pink sugar cookies year-round. The changing menu allows the company to experiment with different flavors and create unique “classics” as well as seasonal favorites. The downside with this rotation is that flavors are not repeated often, leaving customers longing for their favorite cookie and attempting to recreate it at home. The following are some Crumbl-inspired cookie recipes and my reviews of the “Copycat Crumbl Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie” recipe.
Customers who enjoy Crumbl’s lemon glaze cookies may be pleasantly surprised by “Easy Crumbl Lemon Glaze Cookies.”. Like Crumbl’s version, this cookie’s lemon frosting hardens, leaving a zesty and sour aftertaste, which is a shift from their usual creamy frosting. Unlike Crumbl’s cookies, which average 700 calories per cookie, this recipe’s cookies are each 408 calories, suggesting that while the cookies may be similar in taste, they will not be identical.
Brownie lovers can indulge in chocolate bliss when eating Crumbl’s Cosmic Brownie
Cookies. Their chocolate ganache covered in rainbow sprinkles is similar in appearance to Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies and might remind customers of their childhoods and times free of adult responsibilities. When this cookie is not available at Crumbl, bakers can try to recreate the beloved treat using Chahinez’s “Better than Crumbl Cosmic Brownie Cookies” recipe.
Another recipe worth trying is Lifestyle of a Foodie’s Crumbl-inspired “Pink Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.” Unlike red velvet cookies made with cocoa powder, these cookies are made with vanilla and almond extract. While Crumbl’s version is usually sold around Mother’s Day, this cookie’s vibrant pink color and creamy cheesecake frosting is something you can recreate at home for any occasion. And, a great thing about remaking cookies is that you can add your own twist to each recipe. Bakers willing to stray from the recipe can try using strawberries to make their frosting pink, transforming the recipe into a strawberry pink velvet cookie.
A signature of Crumbl is its creamy cream cheese frosting. Bakers at home cannot go wrong with these Snickerdoodle cream cheese sugar cookies, or as the recipe calls them, “Snickerdoodle Cupcake Cookies.” This sugar cookie is made with cinnamon and vanilla cream cheese frosting. For this recipe, the most important step is setting up a timer, so your cookies do not overbake and lose their crumble.
Last but not least is my personal favorite, “Copycat Crumbl Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies.” The cookie features crushed graham crackers, cream cheese and fresh raspberry jam, effectively making it taste like a cheesecake.
I recreated this cookie after loving Crumbl’s version and realizing that I would not be able to enjoy this treat on a regular basis. While my attempt at recreating one of Crumbl’s savory cream cheese cookies did not exactly meet my very high expectations, they were nonetheless a delicious way to tide me over until the original rotates back into the weekly menu.
Having tried one of these recipes, I have a couple of suggestions for those recreating the cookies. To achieve Crumbl’s texture, take the cookies out of the oven as soon as the cookies no longer appear wet or raw to maintain a soft texture.
“The heat from the cookies, as well as the heat from the baking sheet, will continue baking them,” Lifestyle of a Foodie noted.
I would also suggest that new bakers try to make smaller cookies than the size many copycat recipes call for because the recipes are trying to achieve Crumbl’s signature large cookies. Making smaller cookies may be a wise alternative because the larger the cookies, the more likely they are to turn into a single sheet cookie rather than individual desserts.
For those looking to enjoy a dessert similar to the cookie franchise’s without making the trek to a nearby location, there are plenty of copycat instructions out there that allow you to do so. Even better, following these recipes is a great excuse for taking a finals week study break.
Written by: Lorena Alvarez — arts@theaggie.org
