Cake Mix Magic: Crumbl Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies

Are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of homemade Crumbl Copycat Cookies? The sheer variety of flavors is truly inspiring, and my recipe list just keeps growing! Today, I’m thrilled to share one of my absolute favorites: these incredible **Easy Copycat Crumbl Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies** made effortlessly with a cake mix. Imagine a perfectly soft, graham cracker-infused cookie, generously topped with a rich, homemade cheesecake frosting, and then elegantly drizzled with sweet and salty salted caramel. This giant, decadent cookie is not just a treat; it’s an experience that will undoubtedly become a cherished family favorite in your home.

Craving more amazing copycat cookies? You’ll love our Easy Copycat Crumbl Twix Cookies With a Cake Mix!

Why These Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies Are a Must-Bake!

If you’re a fan of Crumbl’s unique and delightful cookies, you know the magic they bring. Now, imagine recreating that magic right in your own kitchen with this simple yet sensational recipe. Here’s why these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies deserve a spot on your baking list:

• **Authentic Crumbl Experience at Home:** Say goodbye to long lines and delivery fees! With this copycat recipe, you can enjoy the signature taste and impressive size of Crumbl cookies from the comfort of your own home, anytime you desire.
• **Effortless Baking with a Cake Mix Base:** We start with a vanilla cake mix, which makes the cookie dough incredibly easy to prepare. This shortcut doesn’t just save time; it ensures a consistently soft, tender, and perfectly textured graham cracker cookie every single time. It’s baking simplified, without compromising on flavor.
• **Irresistible Flavor Harmony:** The combination of a chewy graham cracker cookie base, a velvety cream cheese frosting, and a generous drizzle of salted caramel creates a symphony of flavors and textures that is truly out of this world. Each bite offers a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy notes.
• **Generous, Shareable Size:** Just like the originals, these cookies are wonderfully large! They are big enough to satisfy even the strongest sweet cravings, and ideally sized for sharing with a friend or loved one (though we won’t tell if you decide to enjoy the whole thing yourself!).
• **Impressive Results for Any Occasion:** Whether you’re baking for a party, a potluck, a special gathering, or just a cozy night in, these cookies are sure to impress. Their professional look and decadent taste will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Essential Ingredients for Your Crumbl Copycat Creation

Crafting these delectable Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies requires a few key ingredients, thoughtfully divided into the cookie base and the luscious frosting. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving that signature Crumbl taste and texture.

For the Soft Graham Cracker Cookie Base:

• **Vanilla Cake Mix (15.25 ounces):** This is our secret weapon for speed and consistency. It forms the perfect, tender foundation for our graham cracker cookie, making the dough incredibly easy to work with and ensuring a wonderfully soft result.
• **Brown Sugar (¼ cup, packed):** Adds a rich, molasses-like sweetness and contributes to the chewy texture of the cookie, enhancing its depth of flavor.
• **Graham Cracker Crumbs (1 ¼ cups):** The star of our cookie base! These crumbs infuse the cookies with that distinctive, comforting graham cracker flavor, essential for a cheesecake-inspired treat.
• **Butter (½ cup, melted):** Provides moisture and richness, helping to create a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Always use good quality butter for the best flavor.
• **Eggs (2 large):** Act as a binder, holding the dough together, and contribute to the cookie’s structure and lightness, ensuring a perfectly baked, fluffy interior.

For the Decadent Cheesecake Frosting & Topping:

• **Cream Cheese (16 ounces, softened):** The heart and soul of any great cheesecake frosting. Ensure it’s full-fat and thoroughly softened to room temperature for a smooth, lump-free, and delightfully tangy frosting.
• **Marshmallow Fluff (7 ounces):** This unique ingredient is key to achieving that amazing, slightly sticky, and incredibly creamy cheesecake texture and flavor in our frosting. It adds a wonderful lightness and sweetness.
• **Powdered Sugar (2 cups):** Essential for thickening the frosting to the perfect consistency and adding a delicate sweetness that balances the tang of the cream cheese.
• **Salted Caramel (¼ cup):** The crowning glory! Drizzled over the top, it provides a luxurious finish with its irresistible blend of sweet and salty notes, tying all the flavors together beautifully. Store-bought or homemade, just ensure it’s a good drizzling consistency.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Own Crumbl-Style Cookies

Get ready to bake! Follow these simple instructions to create your own batch of irresistible Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies. Precision and patience are your best friends for these giant delights.

1. **Prepare Your Baking Environment:** First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line several large baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. This prevents sticking and ensures even baking for your large cookies.
2. **Combine Dry Ingredients for the Cookie Dough:** In a spacious mixing bowl, combine the vanilla cake mix, packed brown sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly until they are uniformly combined.
3. **Form the Cookie Dough:** Add the melted butter and two large eggs to your dry mixture. Using either a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until a thick, cohesive cookie dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; stop once the ingredients are just combined.
4. **Shape and Bake the Cookies:** Using a ¼ cup measuring scoop, portion out the dough. Gently form each dough mound into a large, flat disc (about 3 inches in diameter). Arrange no more than 6 cookies per prepared baking sheet to allow for proper spreading. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set.
5. **Cool Completely:** Once baked, carefully remove the baking sheets from the oven. It’s crucial to allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. This helps them firm up and prevents them from breaking when handled. Continue this process until all of your cookie dough has been baked.
6. **Prepare the Cheesecake Frosting:** While the cookies are cooling, begin preparing your frosting. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and marshmallow fluff. Using a hand-held mixer, beat these ingredients together until the mixture is smooth and completely free of lumps.
7. **Finish the Frosting:** Gradually add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese and marshmallow mixture. Continue to mix until you achieve a wonderfully creamy, fluffy, and spreadable cheesecake frosting.
8. **Frost the Cookies:** Transfer the creamy cheesecake frosting into a piping bag (or a large zipper-top bag with the corner snipped off). Cut a large triangle from the end of the piping bag to create a wide opening. Pipe a generous amount of cheesecake frosting onto the top of each cooled cookie, starting from the outside edge and spiraling inwards towards the center. Continue until all cookies are beautifully frosted.
9. **Drizzle with Salted Caramel and Serve:** Finally, pour the salted caramel into a separate piping bag (or a small zipper-top bag). Snip a small triangle from the corner to create a fine drizzle. Artfully drizzle the salted caramel over the top of each frosted cookie. Your magnificent Copycat Crumbl Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies are now ready to be enjoyed!

Expert Tips for Crafting the Perfect Crumbl Cheesecake Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality cookies at home is easier than you think with these expert tips and tricks:

• **Finely Ground Graham Cracker Crumbs:** For the best texture and even distribution of flavor in your cookie dough, ensure your graham crackers are finely ground into crumbs. If you’re using whole crackers, a food processor works wonders to achieve a consistent, fine crumb.
• **Consistent Cookie Size is Key:** To truly replicate the Crumbl experience and ensure even baking, use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop out your dough. This helps every cookie be uniformly large and perfectly baked.
• **Shape for Success:** Before baking, take an extra moment to gently shape each portion of dough into a large, flat disc. This small step encourages the cookies to bake into a beautiful, round, and thick shape, just like the originals.
• **Patience with Cooling:** Resist the urge to frost warm cookies! Allow your cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before applying the cheesecake frosting. Warm cookies will cause the frosting to melt and slide off, creating a messy (though still delicious) result.
• **Embrace Salted Caramel:** While plain caramel works, using pre-made salted caramel saves you a step and ensures that delightful sweet-and-salty contrast without extra effort. If you only have regular caramel, a tiny pinch of sea salt added to it can work in a pinch.
• **Room Temperature Cream Cheese:** For the smoothest, lump-free cheesecake frosting, always start with cream cheese that has been softened to room temperature. This allows it to whip up beautifully with the marshmallow fluff and powdered sugar.
• **Don’t Overmix the Dough:** Once the wet and dry ingredients are just combined for the cookie dough, stop mixing. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tougher cookies instead of the desired soft, tender texture.
• **Consider a Cookie Scoop:** For even more precision and ease in portioning the dough, a large cookie scoop (about ¼ cup capacity) can be an excellent tool.

Frequently Asked Questions About These Copycat Crumbl Cookies

Have questions? We’ve got answers to help you master these delicious cookies!

How to store Crumbl Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies?

Due to the creamy cheesecake frosting, these cookies are best stored in the refrigerator. Arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container or cover them loosely with plastic wrap. Chilling not only preserves their freshness but also enhances their flavor and firms up the frosting, making them even more delightful when served cold. They will remain fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze these Crumbl Copycat Cookies?

Yes, these copycat cookies freeze remarkably well! For the best results, I recommend freezing the baked, unfrosted cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw the cookies at room temperature and then prepare and apply the fresh cheesecake frosting and caramel drizzle. If you prefer to freeze them already frosted, they will still freeze well, but the texture of the frosting might change slightly upon thawing. Ensure they are in a single layer in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn and damage to the frosting.

Can I make mini catering sized Crumbl Caramel Cheesecake Cookies?

Absolutely! Mini Crumbl cookies are incredibly charming and perfect for parties or dessert platters. To create a catering-sized version of this recipe, simply use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out your dough. Reduce the baking time to approximately 7-9 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden. All other steps, including frosting and drizzling, remain exactly the same – just on a smaller, cuter scale!

Can I use homemade caramel sauce?

If you have a cherished homemade caramel sauce recipe, by all means, use it! Homemade caramel can add an extra layer of deliciousness to these cookies. The key is to ensure your homemade caramel is smooth, not too thick, and has a good drizzling consistency once it has cooled slightly. A thick, sticky caramel might be harder to drizzle neatly. If it’s too thick, you can gently warm it slightly to achieve the desired flow.

What brand of Graham Crackers should I use?

I typically use Honey Maid Graham Crackers, and they work perfectly, but most other major brands of honey graham crackers will yield similar excellent results. A helpful tip for convenience is to purchase pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs, which are usually found in the baking aisle near pie crusts. This eliminates the need to crush whole crackers in a food processor, saving you time and cleanup and making the recipe even quicker to prepare.

Discover More Mouthwatering Crumbl Copycat Recipes!

If you’ve fallen in love with these Salted Caramel Cheesecake Cookies, you’re in for a treat! Explore more of our fantastic Crumbl copycat recipes, all made easy with a cake mix:

• Copycat Crumbl Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies Made with a Cake Mix
• Copycat Crumbl Pink Velvet Cookies with a Cake Mix
• Crumbl Birthday Cake Cookie Recipe made with a Cake Mix
• Crumbl Key Lime Pie Cookie Recipe made with a Cake Mix
• Easy Copycat Crumbl Churro Cookies with a Cake Mix
• Crumbl Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe made with a Cake Mix