I tried the Crumbl semi sweet chocolate chunk cookie from the store before making my own version at home.
These cookies were enormous, thick, and dense in a way that regular homemade cookies never are.
And their edges have a slight crispness but the center stays almost underbaked and gooey, and the semi-sweet chocolate chunks throughout give you bittersweet pockets rather than just sweet ones.
The second thing I noticed was that they aren’t overly sweet.
That is what separates the semi-sweet chocolate chunk from Crumbl’s milk chocolate chip version.
When I made mine at home, I got very close to that.
What Makes Crumbl’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookie Different
Crumbl has over 300 rotating flavors but only two cookies have a permanent spot on the weekly menu: Milk Chocolate Chip and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk, they alternate each week.
The semi-sweet version is the more sophisticated of the two, It uses semi-sweet chocolate chunks rather than milk chocolate chips, which gives the cookie a richer, less sugary flavor.
These cookies are made large, around the size of your palm, and are baked to be soft and thick rather than crispy throughout.
Making them at home costs a fraction of what Crumbl charges, and you can bake them any time, not just when Crumbl has them on the weekly rotation.
Ingredients
Makes 10 large bakery-size cookies (or 18 to 20 regular size).
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250g, spoon and level, do not pack)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (this is the ingredient that keeps the cookies thick and soft. It holds moisture in the dough and prevents the cookies from spreading flat. This is what makes the texture genuinely close to Crumbl’s)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227g, room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream (adds richness and keeps the center soft)
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks (255g, use actual chocolate chunks or chop a good quality semi-sweet bar into rough pieces. Crumbl uses chunks, not chips. Chunks give you bigger pockets of chocolate and melt differently than chips)
Optional but recommended:
- Pinch of flaky sea salt per cookie before baking
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty version
On the chocolate: Ghirardelli semi-sweet chunks or Guittard semi-sweet baking chips are both reliable. Belgian chocolate chunks from most grocery stores also work well.
Avoid cheap chocolate chips since they have stabilizers that prevent proper melting and give the cookies a waxy flavor.
Want even more depth? Brown the butter before using it. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until it turns golden and smells nutty.
Let it solidify in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes before using, this will add a caramel-like richness.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Swap all-purpose flour for a 1:1 GF baking blend with xanthan gum, the texture will be slightly denser.
- Vegan: Use vegan butter and replace the egg with 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water (rest for 5 minutes), replace heavy cream with oat milk.
- No heavy cream: Whole milk works as a direct swap, the center won’t be quite as rich but still good.
- Coconut sugar: You can replaces brown sugar 1:1 but it will gives a little darker dough and a more earthy flavor.
How to Make Crumbl Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Set aside.
- Sift the flour if it looks clumpy.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars
- Beat the softened butter with both sugars in a large bowl or stand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks pale yellow and fluffy.
- Properly creamed butter and sugar creates air pockets that help the cookies stay thick and lift slightly during baking.
Step 3: Add Egg, Vanilla, and Cream
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and heavy cream.
- Mix on low until it get combined and become smooth.
- The dough should look creamy with no lumps.
Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture.
- Mix until no flour streaks remain, then stop.
- Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cookies tough instead of soft.
- A few extra stirs with a spatula to catch anything at the bottom of the bowl is enough.
Step 5: Fold in the Chocolate Chunks
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, and then add a chocolate chunks and fold with a spatula.
- If you’re adding nuts, they go in now too.
Step 6: Portion the Dough
For bakery-size cookies like Crumbl: use a ½ cup scoop per cookie. You’ll get about 10 cookies.
Place only 2 to 3 per baking sheet since they spread.
For regular size: use a ¼ cup scoop. You’ll get 18 to 20 cookies.
Place a few extra chocolate chunks on top of each ball of dough.
It makes them look more like what you’d get from a proper bakery and gives you more chocolate on the surface.
Step 7: Chill the Dough
Chill the portioned dough balls on the baking sheet for 30 minutes in the fridge.
This is not optional if you want thick cookies.
Cold dough spreads slowly, which gives you that tall, bakery-style cookie instead of a flat one.
If you have time, chill for up to 24 hours for a deeper flavor.
Step 8: Bake
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 11 to 13 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and set, but the center still looks underdone and glossy.
The cookies will look almost too soft when you pull them.
Crumbl circle trick: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a large round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter over each one and move it in a gentle circular motion around the cookie.
Step 9: Cool and Finish
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them.
- They continue cooking on the hot pan during this time.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top while they are still warm if using.
Thing That makes these Cookies Perfect
- Do not skip the cornstarch: This is the ingredient most homemade chocolate chip cookie recipes leave out and it is what makes the difference between a good cookie and one that actually resembles Crumbl’s. Two tablespoons is the right amount for this recipe.
- Pull them early. The center should look underdone and glossy when you take them out. They set up fully as they cool. Waiting until the center looks baked means they will be overcooked by the time they cool.
- Chill the dough: 30 minutes minimum, cold dough gives you thick cookies. Room temperature dough gives you flat ones.
- Press extra chunks on top before baking: It costs nothing extra and makes the cookies look like they came from a bakery.
Variations
Brown butter version: Cook the butter until golden and nutty smelling before using. Let it solidify, then proceed with the recipe. Adds a toffee-like depth that makes these noticeably better than the standard version.
Sea salt dark chocolate: Swap the semi-sweet chunks for 70% dark chocolate and add a generous pinch of flaky salt on top. Richer and less sweet than the original.
White chocolate swirl: Add ¼ cup of white chocolate chips alongside the semi-sweet chunks. The contrast of sweet white chocolate against the semi-sweet gives you a more complex bite.
S’mores version: Fold in ¼ cup mini marshmallows with the chocolate chunks. The marshmallows melt into gooey pockets during baking.
Espresso dark chocolate: Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the dry ingredients and use dark chocolate chunks. Makes the chocolate flavor significantly more intense.
What to Serve with Copycat Crumbl Cookies
Cold milk: The classic. Semi-sweet cookies and cold milk is hard to improve on.
Hot chocolate: A warm mug of Williams Sonoma Hot Chocolate alongside one of these warm cookies is a proper indulgence. Or try the Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mocha for a coffee-chocolate combination.
Vanilla ice cream sandwiches: Press a scoop between two slightly cooled cookies, the gooey center softens further against the cold ice cream.
On a cookie platter: These look great alongside Girl Scout Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies and Pepperidge Farm Milano Milk Chocolate Cookies for a proper variety cookie spread.
With Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: If you’re putting together a chocolate dessert table or movie night spread, these two together cover the cookie and candy angles perfectly.
Nutrition
Per large cookie (based on 10 bakery-size servings):
- Calories: approximately 280
- Fat: 15g
- Carbs: 32g
- Protein: 3g
- Sugar: 18g
Based on regular size (20 cookies): approximately 140 calories per cookie.
FAQs
Does Crumbl use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks?
Crumbl uses semi-sweet chocolate chunks in this particular cookie, not chips. Chunks give you larger, more irregular pockets of melted chocolate than chips do.
For the closest copycat, use actual chocolate chunks or chop a semi-sweet chocolate bar into rough pieces rather than using standard baking chips.
What is the secret ingredient in Crumbl cookies?
Cornstarch. It holds moisture in the dough and prevents the cookies from spreading flat during baking.
This gives you a thick, soft, chewy texture that regular chocolate chip cookie recipes without cornstarch don’t achieve.
Two tablespoons per batch is the right amount.
How many calories are in a Crumbl semi-sweet chocolate chunk cookie?
A standard Crumbl semi-sweet chocolate chunk cookie contains approximately 280 calories.
The homemade version using this recipe comes out to roughly the same amount per bakery-size cookie.
If you make them at regular size (¼ cup dough each), the calorie count drops to around 140 per cookie.
What brand of chocolate does Crumbl use?
Crumbl has not publicly confirmed the exact brand, but based on the appearance and flavor of the cookies, most people believe they use Guittard semi-sweet baking chunks.
For the copycat, Ghirardelli semi-sweet chunks or any good quality Belgian chocolate chunks work well.
Why are my cookies spreading too flat?
Almost always because the dough was not chilled, cold dough spreads slowly and gives you a thick cookie.
Room temperature dough spreads fast and gives you a flat one.
Chill portioned dough balls for at least 30 minutes before baking. Also check that your butter was not too warm or melted when you creamed it.
Can I make these the same size as Crumbl?
Yes, Use a ½ cup scoop per cookie (about 5 oz of dough).
This gives you roughly 10 cookies per batch at the same oversized Crumbl scale.
Only put 2 to 3 on a baking sheet at this size since they need room to spread. The bake time stays the same at 11 to 13 minutes.
How do I get perfectly round cookies like Crumbl?
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a large round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter over each warm cookie and move it in a circular motion around the edges.
The cookie is still soft enough to be nudged into shape, let it cool in that position and it will set perfectly round.
Can I freeze the cookie dough?
Yes, Portion into balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag.
They keep for up to 3 months, bake from frozen with 1 to 2 extra minutes added to the bake time.
Crumbl Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies Copycat
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250g
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (227g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150g
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar 150g
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks 255g
- Pinch of flaky sea salt per cookie optional
Instructions
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugars
- Beat softened butter with both sugars for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Step 3: Add Wet Ingredients
- Add egg, vanilla, and heavy cream.
- Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Add Dry Ingredients
- Mix dry ingredients into wet on low speed until just combined.
- Do not overmix.
Step 5: Fold in Chocolate
- Fold in chocolate chunks with a spatula.
Step 6: Portion
- Use ½ cup scoop for bakery-size (10 cookies) or ¼ cup for regular (18 to 20 cookies).
- Press extra chunks on top of each ball.
Step 7: Chill
- Refrigerate dough balls for 30 minutes minimum.
Step 8: Bake
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 11 to 13 minutes until edges are golden and center still looks slightly underdone.
Step 9: Shape and Cool
- Use a round cookie cutter in a circular motion around each warm cookie to make them perfectly round.
- Sprinkle sea salt while warm.
- Cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving.
Notes
- Cornstarch is essential for the thick, soft Crumbl texture.
- Pull cookies when the center looks underdone.
- Use the round cookie cutter trick immediately after baking for the Crumbl look.
- Freeze dough balls for fresh cookies anytime. Bake from frozen with 1 to 2 extra minutes.
I’m a self-taught home cook who turns everyday ingredients into comforting, café-style recipes. I test everything in my own kitchen (sometimes more than once), tweak flavors how I like them, and share only what I actually enjoy.
Most of my recipes are chocolate-based or have a creative twist, and I keep them preservative-free, beginner-friendly, and fun to make.
If you love cozy drinks, healthier desserts, or bold flavor combos — you’re in the right place. [Read full story]
