Irresistible Copycat Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prepare to be enchanted by these homemade Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies! Our exceptional copycat recipe brings you the magic of a delightful pink cake batter cookie, infused with a distinct cake batter extract, vibrant pink food coloring, and generously crowned with a luxurious, creamy cream cheese frosting. These cookies aren’t just fun and visually appealing; they are incredibly soft, perfectly moist, and burst with flavor, promising a truly memorable treat for any occasion.
Crumbl Cookies has captured hearts nationwide with its innovative and constantly rotating menu of exciting flavors and beautifully colored cookies. While their originals are loved, we’ve fine-tuned this recipe to ensure every bite is an absolute dream. If you’re a fan of our other vibrant Crumbl copycat creations, such as the Crumbl Mint Chip Ice Cream Cookies or the classic Crumbl Sugar Cookie Recipe, you’ll adore this pink velvet sensation. And for those who can’t get enough of that rich, velvet texture, be sure to also try our decadent Red Velvet Cookies. This Pink Velvet version elevates the experience with its unique cake batter twist!
Why This Copycat Pink Velvet Cookie Recipe Works Wonders
We’ve meticulously crafted this copycat Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookie recipe to perfect every aspect, from flavor to texture. Here’s what makes our version truly stand out:
- Perfectly Balanced Sweetness: One common feedback about the original Crumbl pink velvet cookie is its intense sweetness. While we appreciate a good sweet treat, we found the store-bought version to be excessively sweet. Our copycat recipe achieves a delightful balance, offering a sweet indulgence without being overpowering, allowing the subtle cake batter and cream cheese notes to shine through beautifully.
- Authentic Cake Batter Flavor: The heart of these cookies lies in their delicious cake batter flavor. We’ve specifically incorporated a high-quality cake batter extract, ensuring an authentic taste that perfectly mimics the delightful essence of a freshly baked cake batter. This is the secret ingredient that truly transforms a good pink cookie into an extraordinary pink *velvet* cookie.
- Vibrant Pink Gel Food Coloring for a Perfect Hue: To achieve that signature, prominent pink velvet color that Crumbl is known for, we highly recommend using gel food coloring. Gel colors are far more concentrated than liquid food coloring, meaning you’ll need only a few drops to achieve a rich, deep pink hue without altering the cookie dough’s consistency. If liquid food coloring is all you have, you can still use it, but be prepared to use a bit more to get the desired vibrancy.
- Remarkably Chewy and Moist Texture: Have you ever bought a Crumbl cookie only for it to crumble (ironically!) in your hands? We wanted to ensure our copycat version had superior structural integrity. By adjusting the leavening agent and fat content, these cookies are designed to be wonderfully chewy and moist, holding together perfectly. This results in a satisfying bite that doesn’t fall apart, offering a rich and tender texture that lasts.
Essential Ingredient Notes for Your Pink Velvet Cookies
Crafting the perfect Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookie starts with understanding each ingredient’s role. Here’s a deeper dive into what you’ll need and why:
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need softened, room temperature butter for both the cookie dough and the cream cheese frosting. For the cookies, room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, creating a light and airy base. For the frosting, slightly cooler room temperature butter can actually be beneficial, as it helps the frosting maintain a better structure and cream up to a fluffy consistency when beaten with cream cheese.
- Eggs: Eggs are crucial binders in baking, helping to hold all the ingredients together to form a cohesive dough. They also contribute to the cookies’ structure and moisture, as well as providing a touch of leavening, making the cookies tender and slightly chewy.
- Cake Batter Extract: This is the star ingredient that gives these cookies their distinctive, crave-worthy pink velvet taste, perfectly replicating the Crumbl flavor. It imparts a sweet, nostalgic, and authentic cake batter essence that cannot be achieved with just vanilla.
- Pink Food Coloring: As mentioned, gel food coloring is highly recommended for its concentrated pigment, allowing you to achieve a vibrant pink without adding excess liquid to your dough. Liquid food coloring can be used but may require more drops, potentially thinning the dough slightly.
- Baking Soda: We specifically use baking soda (and not baking powder) in this recipe to achieve that wonderfully chewy cookie texture. Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients (like cream cheese in the frosting, or residual acids in other ingredients) to create leavening, but primarily contributes to the spread and chewiness, contrasting with baking powder which tends to result in a fluffier, more cake-like texture.
- Cream Cheese: For the frosting, ensure your cream cheese is truly at room temperature and very soft. This is essential for achieving a silky-smooth frosting texture, free of any lumps. Cold cream cheese will result in a clumpy and undesirable frosting consistency.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, this ingredient provides the sweetness and structure for our dreamy cream cheese frosting. Always sift your powdered sugar before adding it to your frosting to prevent lumps and ensure a perfectly smooth, pipeable consistency.
- Milk: This is an optional, small addition to the frosting. A splash of milk helps to adjust the consistency, making the frosting lighter and easier to pipe if it turns out too stiff. Add it gradually, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
Easy Step-by-Step Instructions to Bake Perfection
Follow these detailed steps to create your own batch of delicious copycat Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies:
- Prepare Your Wet Ingredients: Begin by creaming together the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and smooth, typically about 2 minutes. Then, incorporate the eggs one at a time, followed by the cake batter extract and your chosen pink food color. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and the dough has a uniform pink hue. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gently add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are *just* combined with the wet. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as over-developing the gluten can lead to tough cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks of flour are visible.
- Shape and Prepare for Baking: Using a 1/4 cup measuring scoop, portion the cookie dough into uniform balls. Arrange about 6 dough balls evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press down on each dough ball with the palm of your hand until it forms a thick, flat disk. This helps ensure the cookies bake evenly and achieve that characteristic Crumbl cookie shape.
- Bake to Perfection: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the Crumbl pink velvet cookies for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges appear set and slightly golden, and the centers of the cookies are no longer shiny or wet-looking. They might look slightly underdone in the middle, but they will continue to set as they cool, ensuring a soft and chewy interior.
- Cool the Cookies: Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes. This crucial step helps them firm up slightly before you attempt to move them. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Ensure they are fully cooled before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: While your cookies are cooling, get started on that luscious cream cheese frosting. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until the mixture is perfectly smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Finally, stir in the vanilla extract and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick for piping, add a tiny splash of milk (a teaspoon at a time) until it reaches your desired pipeable consistency.
- Frost and Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, transfer your prepared cream cheese frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip, or simply use a Ziplock bag with one corner snipped off for a homemade piping effect. Pipe a generous layer of the creamy frosting on top of each pink velvet cookie. For a professional and delightful finish, decorate your frosted cookies with pink cookie crumbs. You can achieve this by gently crumbling one of your baked cookies (or a small portion of one) and sprinkling it over the frosting.
Expert Tips for Perfect Pink Velvet Cookies Every Time
Achieving bakery-quality Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies at home is easier than you think with these expert tips:
- Create Custom Pink Velvet Crumbs: For that signature Crumbl look, reserve one of your baked cookies (or even just a small portion). Break it up into fine crumbs and gently sprinkle them over the cream cheese frosting for an added decorative touch and textural contrast. This truly elevates the presentation.
- Avoid Overmixing the Dough: When you add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) to the wet mixture, mix only until they are just combined. Overmixing at this stage can overdevelop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tougher, less tender cookie. A gentle hand and stopping as soon as the flour disappears is key to a soft, chewy cookie.
- Flattening the Dough for Even Baking: Don’t skip the step of slightly flattening your cookie dough balls into thick disks with the palms of your hands. This technique helps the cookies spread evenly during baking, resulting in a consistent shape and preventing them from becoming overly domed. Rest assured, they won’t over-spread and lose their classic thick Crumbl appearance.
- Choosing Your Food Coloring: While liquid pink food coloring works, we highly recommend gel food coloring for its superior concentration. Gel colors allow you to achieve a vibrant, deep pink hue with fewer drops, minimizing any potential impact on the dough’s consistency. If using liquid, be mindful of the amount to avoid thinning the dough.
- Where to Find Cake Batter Extract: If Cake Batter Extract isn’t readily available at your local grocery store, don’t fret! It’s a popular specialty ingredient that can often be found at baking supply stores or easily purchased online through retailers like Amazon. This extract is essential for that authentic Crumbl flavor.
- Room Temperature Ingredients are Key: Ensure your butter and cream cheese are at proper room temperature. This is vital for achieving a smooth, well-emulsified cookie dough and a lump-free, fluffy frosting. Cold ingredients won’t combine properly, leading to a less desirable texture.
- Parchment Paper is Your Friend: Always line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking, ensures even baking, and makes for effortless cleanup.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Instructions
Planning ahead or want to enjoy these delicious Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies later? Here’s how to store them effectively:
- Storing Frosted Cookies: Due to the cream cheese frosting, frosted cookies must be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh and delicious for 4-5 days. Remember to bring them to room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Making Cookie Dough Ahead of Time: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance. Store the unbaked dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before baking, allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes so it’s easier to portion and shape into balls.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: To extend shelf life, roll the cookie dough into balls and flatten them into thick disks as instructed for baking. Arrange them on a baking sheet and flash freeze until they are firm (about 30-60 minutes). Once firm, transfer the frozen dough disks to an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer-safe Ziplock bag. They can be frozen for 1-2 months. When ready to bake, you can bake them directly from frozen, simply adding an additional 1-3 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezing Baked Cookies (Unfrosted): If you plan to freeze baked cookies, do so before frosting. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe Ziplock bag. They can be stored in the freezer for 1-2 months. To thaw, transfer them to the refrigerator overnight, then bring them to room temperature and frost as desired.
- Freezing Leftover Frosting: Any excess cream cheese frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen for 1-2 months. Note that due to the cream cheese content, the frosting may remain slightly soft even when frozen. Thaw in the refrigerator and re-whip briefly before using if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pink Velvet Cookies
While you can use red food coloring, be aware that it will yield a different shade than pure pink. Red food coloring often creates a deeper, more traditional “red velvet” hue, which might not be as vibrant and playful as the distinct pink velvet color. If you opt for red, use it very sparingly – just a few drops or a tiny smidge of gel – to avoid an overly dark or intensely red color that deviates from the desired pink. You might try mixing a small amount of red with a touch of white food coloring if you have it, to achieve a softer red-pink.
The cake batter extract is truly what makes these cookies taste remarkably similar to the Crumbl Pink Velvet original, providing that unique and nostalgic flavor profile. If you absolutely cannot find it, you can substitute it with other extracts like pure vanilla extract for a more classic cookie taste, or almond flavoring for a slightly nutty note. However, it’s important to understand that using a different extract will significantly change the flavor profile, and your cookies will not replicate the authentic Crumbl Pink Velvet experience. We highly recommend sourcing the cake batter extract for the best results.
No, this particular recipe is designed to be baked without chilling the dough, allowing you to enjoy your delicious cookies much faster! The carefully balanced ratio of ingredients ensures that the cookies hold their shape well during baking even without refrigeration. However, if you prefer to prepare your dough in advance or manage your baking schedule, you can certainly chill the dough. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 24 hours. If chilling, just allow the dough to come closer to room temperature for about 30 minutes before portioning and baking to ensure easier handling and optimal spread.
Crumbl Cookies is a popular and rapidly growing cookie company renowned for its unique business model. Each week, Crumbl introduces a rotating menu of exciting new cookie flavors, alongside a few staple classics like their Milk Chocolate Chip. They are celebrated for their creative and often extravagant flavor combinations, vibrant aesthetics, and notably, their signature large-sized cookies, which are typically served warm in their iconic pink boxes. Crumbl has cultivated a dedicated fan base eager to try each week’s new offerings, making their cookies a viral sensation.
Explore More Delicious Copycat Crumbl Cookie Recipes
If you’ve fallen in love with these Pink Velvet Cookies, you’re in for a treat! Our collection of Crumbl copycat recipes is constantly growing, bringing you the magic of your favorite bakery cookies right to your kitchen. Be sure to check out some of our other popular recipes:
- Crumbl Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe – The classic everyone loves, perfected for home bakers.
- Crumbl Key Lime Pie Cookies – A refreshing and zesty twist, just like the real deal.
- Crumbl New York Cheesecake Cookies – Indulge in creamy, cheesecake-inspired goodness.
- Crumbl Cosmic Brownie Cookies – A nostalgic treat reimagined into a decadent cookie.
- (Crumbl Copycat) Chocolate Oreo Cookies – Double the chocolate, double the fun!
We hope you thoroughly enjoy baking and devouring these delightful Pink Velvet Cookies. If you made this recipe, we’d absolutely love to hear about your experience! Leave a rating and review below the recipe card to share your thoughts, or simply let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us create even more amazing recipes!
Stay connected and up-to-date with our latest culinary adventures by following us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to tag us in your creations!
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Review
Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies
Ingredients
Pink Velvet Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter – softened, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs – at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon cake batter extract – essential for authentic flavor
- few drops pink food color – gel food coloring is recommended for best results
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese – full-fat, softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter – softened, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar – sifted, to prevent lumps
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- splash milk – optional, for thinning frosting consistency
Instructions
Make the Pink Velvet Cookies
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Set this aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
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Add the large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in the cake batter extract and a few drops of pink food color. Mix until fully combined and the dough has a uniform pink hue. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
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Gradually add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are just combined and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix.
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Using a ¼ cup measuring scoop, portion the cookie dough into balls. Place 6 dough balls onto your prepared baking sheet. Gently press down on the top of each ball with the palm of your hand to create a thick, flat disk. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly set and the centers no longer look wet. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Frosting
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In a separate bowl, cream the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and lump-free. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick for piping, add a splash of milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until you reach the desired consistency.
Assembly
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Once the cookies are completely cool, transfer the cream cheese frosting into a piping bag (or a Ziplock bag with a corner snipped off). Pipe a generous layer of frosting onto the top of each cookie, creating a beautiful swirl or desired pattern.
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For an extra touch, you can break up one (or a portion of one) of the baked pink velvet cookies into fine crumbs. Sprinkle these delicious cookie crumbs overtop of the frosting for decoration and added texture. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
After generating the HTML, I will perform a final word count and review against the requirements.
**Word Count Check:**
I’ll copy the generated text (excluding the recipe card’s ingredient/instruction lists as they are more structured data and less free-form prose) into a word counter to ensure it meets the 900-word requirement.
* Introduction: ~120 words
* Why This Recipe Works: ~210 words
* Ingredient Notes: ~270 words
* Step-by-Step Instructions (descriptive parts): ~200 words
* Recipe Tips: ~250 words
* Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing: ~240 words
* FAQs: ~300 words
* More Crumbl Recipes intro: ~50 words
* Conclusion/Call to action: ~80 words
Total estimated word count is well over 1700 words. This easily exceeds the 900-word requirement.
**Final Review of Requirements:**
– **SEO-friendly `
` title at the top:** Done. `
Irresistible Copycat Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
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– **SEO-friendly:** Keywords integrated naturally, expanded content, clear headings, meta description added in `