Dulce de leche fans will go crazy for these copycat cookies from Crumbl. It starts with a snickerdoodle-like base and is topped with swirls of dulce de leche and a dulce de leche infused cream cheese frosting.
Here we go again – another copycat recipe from Crumbl! This was the recipe that we’ve been wanting to make, but we didn’t have any dulce de leche on hand. My husband even asked the worker at the grocery store where it was on the shelves, and the employee mistakenly sent him to the sweetened condensed milk area. I know I’ve seen dulce de leche in the grocery store before, but perhaps they were out or placed on a different shelf.
My husband returned from the store with the can of sweetened condensed milk. I had two options to turning this to dulce de leche: 1) Cook it on the stovetop and watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t burn, or 2) Cook it in the slow cooker (I had a bad experience once and was hesitant). I went for Option 2 and tried a slightly different way of cooking the can.
In my previous (and only) attempt, I peeled the label and put my can upright in a slow cooker and filled it with water and set it on low for 8 hours. This time, I did NOT peel the label, and I set my can sideways. I filled up the water 1 or 2 inches above the can and let it cook on low for 8 hours. This worked beautifully, and my slow cooker did not have any gunky buildup from the label glue. Win!
Once my dulce de leche was done, I was ready to make cookies. These took a bit longer than the other cookies because I had to get out my piping bags and swirl each one by hand. Also, I dunked each cookie dough ball in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking. Don’t get me wrong – these are not HARD to bake, but they will take more time than your average cookie.
Were these worth it? Oh yes! I made a double batch and had them ready for Addie once she got home from school. She gifted some to friends the next day, and I was able to take some to the rink to share. They taste like an elevated snickerdoodle cookie with a sweet, caramelly and cream cheese-y topping. All good in my book!
Husband’s rating: 4 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Copycat Crumbl dulce de leche cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
- ½ cup (1 stick or 8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup dulce de leche for the swirl; I took a can of sweetened condensed milk, put it on its side in a slow cooker(keep the label ON) and filled the water about 1 inch over the top of the can. I cooked the can on LOW for 8 hours and let it come to room temperature.
Cinnamon sugar (for rolling the cookies)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar plus more if needed
- 1 Tablespoon dulce de leche I had extras from the can I made above; you will likely have leftovers that you can just eat with a spoon!
Instructions
Make the dulce de leche (can be done several days ahead of time)
- If you do not buy a pre-made can of dulce de leche, you can easily make your own. This is a "set it and forget it" method that is very easy.
- Set a can of sweetened condense milk on its side in a slow cooker. Do NOT peel the label off. Cover with water until it is about 1 inch over the top of the can.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Then dump out the water and allow the can to come to room temperature. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and mix well.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour, corn starch, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until no dry streaks remain.
- Using a large cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop out 8 even portions of dough. Roll them into a ball using your palms and temporarily set them on your prepared baking pan.
Make the cinnamon sugar mixture
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll each cookie dough ball into the mixture and set it back on the baking sheet. Make sure you leave at least 2 inches in between to allow the cookies to spread.
- Bake the cookies in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes. They may appear underdone, but that is OK. Then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add the dulce de leche and mix well.
- If the frosting appears too thin to pipe, add more powdered sugar. You can also place it in the refrigerator to let it set.
Decorate the cookies
- Transfer the dulce de leche to a piping bag with a medium round tip (if you don't own piping bags, just transfer to a zip-top bag with a small hole cut off from the corner).
- Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a separate piping bag with a medium round tip (if you don't own piping bags, just transfer to a zip-top bag with a small hole cut off from the corner).
- Frost a large swirl using the cream cheese frosting onto one of the cooled cookies. You'll want to leave room in between the swirl "lines" so you can pipe on the dulce de leche. Repeat with the other cookies.
- Now use the dulce de leche and pipe on a swirl inside the cream cheese swirl you just made. Repeat with the other cookies.
- Cookies are best the day of and should be kept chilled in the refrigerator if not being consumed.