These Crumbl Christmas sugar cookies are the copycat you bake when the line at the mall is too long and the craving is too real. Thick, pillowy, and barely golden at the edges, they taste like the ones in the pink box but come out of your own oven warm and smelling like butter and almond.
The secret is a chill-and-scoop dough that stays tall in the oven, plus a frosting that sets just enough to stack. I keep a batch of dough balls in the freezer all December, because someone always asks for cookies.
You do not need a stand mixer or any special pan. A bowl, a whisk, and a little patience while the dough chills will get you there.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
Softened means you can press a thumbprint into it but it still feels cool. If you only have salted butter, cut the added salt in the dough to a small pinch.
1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
Plain white sugar keeps the crumb light and pale. Do not swap in brown sugar here or the cookies will spread and taste like molasses.
2 large eggs, room temperature
Room-temperature eggs emulsify better and give a taller rise. In a hurry, rest them in a bowl of warm tap water for 10 minutes.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Use real extract, not imitation, for the bakery flavor. If you love almond, use 1 teaspoon vanilla plus 1 teaspoon almond extract.
3 1/4 cups (406g) all-purpose flour
Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off so you do not pack in extra. Bread flour makes an even chewier cookie if you have it.
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Baking powder, not soda, gives the gentle lift these thick cookies need. Check the date on the can, since old powder bakes flat.
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Fine sea salt dissolves evenly into the dough. Kosher salt works too, but use a slightly rounded half teaspoon.
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened, for the frosting
This is in addition to the dough butter. European-style butter makes a richer, glossier buttercream.
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
Sifting is not optional here, or you will get lumps in your swirl. If it is very humid, add an extra tablespoon.
2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
Whole milk works in a pinch, but cream gives a silkier set. Add it one teaspoon at a time at the end.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the frosting
A little almond extract swapped in for half the vanilla tastes just like the original.
1/4 cup holiday sprinkles, for decorating
Add sprinkles right after frosting so they stick. Buy jimmies, not nonpareils, which bleed color into the frosting.
Tips & Tricks
Chill the dough, do not skip it
Thirty minutes in the fridge firms the butter so the cookies bake tall instead of spreading into pancakes.
Weigh your flour if you can
406 grams is the target, and scooping straight from the bag can add 50 grams and dry out the cookie.
Do not overbake for softness
Pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone and barely set, then let them finish on the hot pan.
Frost when fully cool
Even a hint of warmth will melt the buttercream into a puddle, so wait the full 20 minutes.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Cream butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This step builds the air that keeps the cookies tall, so do not rush it.
2. Add eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, scraping the bowl between additions. The mixture should look glossy and smooth, with no curdling.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add it to the butter mixture on low speed and stop the moment the flour disappears.
4. Chill the dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until the dough is firm but still scoopable. Chilling prevents spread and deepens the flavor.
5. Heat the oven and scoop
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1/4-cup portions, roll into balls, and space them 3 inches apart.
6. Bake until barely golden
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden while the centers still look soft. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 195°F (90°C).
7. Cool on the pan
Let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely, about 20 more minutes. They firm up as they cool.
8. Whip the frosting
Beat the frosting butter with the sifted powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla for 2 minutes until light and spreadable. Add cream a teaspoon at a time if it feels stiff.
9. Frost and sprinkle
Spread a generous swirl of frosting on each fully cooled cookie and scatter sprinkles over the top immediately. Let the frosting set for 15 minutes before stacking.
Delicious Variations
Chocolate Christmas Version
Swap 1/2 cup of the flour for cocoa powder and use chocolate buttercream for a rich, dark holiday cookie.
Peppermint Twist
Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the frosting and top with crushed candy canes instead of sprinkles.
Lemon Snowdrop
Replace the vanilla in the frosting with lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice for a bright, snowy-white finish.
How to Store Crumbl Christmas Sugar Cookies
Refrigerator
Store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Freezer
Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet until solid, then bag them for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 325°F (165°C) for 15 to 17 minutes. Frosted cookies freeze well for 1 month in a rigid container.
Reheating
Warm unfrosted cookies in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes to bring back that fresh-baked softness. Never reheat frosted cookies, since the buttercream will melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes Crumbl cookies so thick and soft?
A high flour-to-butter ratio plus a chilled dough and a large scoop keep them tall and tender. Overbaking is the main reason copycat versions turn crisp, so pull them while the centers still look soft.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, the dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months as pre-scooped balls. Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking so it scoops and spreads evenly.
Q: Why did my sugar cookies spread in the oven?
Warm butter is almost always the culprit, so chill the dough and use cool sheets between batches. Also check that your baking powder is fresh and that you measured the flour by weight rather than packing the cup.
Q: How do I get the frosting to look like Crumbl's?
Use a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped and pipe a tight spiral, then smooth it with an offset spatula. Sift the powdered sugar first, since lumps are the one thing that ruins the swirl.
Q: Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Yes, just skip the added salt in the dough and reduce it to a pinch in the frosting. The flavor will be slightly saltier but still delicious, and many readers prefer it that way.
Bake a batch this week and watch how fast the plate empties, then tell me in the comments whether you went classic pink or peppermint. Happy cooking, and don't sweat the small stuff.
Crumbl Christmas Sugar Cookies
Crumbl Christmas sugar cookies are thick, soft vanilla-almond cookies crowned with silky pink frosting and festive sprinkles, ready in about an hour at home.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups (406g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened, for the frosting
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, for the frosting
- 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles, for decorating
📋 Instructions
- 1Cream butter and sugar — Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This step builds the air that keeps the cookies tall, so do not rush it.
- 2Add eggs and vanilla — Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, scraping the bowl between additions. The mixture should look glossy and smooth, with no curdling.
- 3Mix the dry ingredients — Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add it to the butter mixture on low speed and stop the moment the flour disappears.
- 4Chill the dough — Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until the dough is firm but still scoopable. Chilling prevents spread and deepens the flavor.
- 5Heat the oven and scoop — Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1/4-cup portions, roll into balls, and space them 3 inches apart.
- 6Bake until barely golden — Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden while the centers still look soft. An instant-read thermometer in the center should read about 195°F (90°C).
- 7Cool on the pan — Let the cookies rest on the hot sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack to cool completely, about 20 more minutes. They firm up as they cool.
- 8Whip the frosting — Beat the frosting butter with the sifted powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla for 2 minutes until light and spreadable. Add cream a teaspoon at a time if it feels stiff.
- 9Frost and sprinkle — Spread a generous swirl of frosting on each fully cooled cookie and scatter sprinkles over the top immediately. Let the frosting set for 15 minutes before stacking.
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