Feed your cookie monsters with easy, at-home takes on Crumbl bakes

Cookies are cool right now. Or are they hot?

At trendy bakeries like Crumbl, they’re both. They feature fist-sized cookies sometimes served warm from the oven with oozing melty chocolate or chilled to keep smooth frostings at a perfect cream-pie temperature.

But just like the cupcake shops that came before them, these shops can charge top dollar. They can be the kind of thing you get for a special occasion, not on a daily basis.

So if a $5 box of Oreos is more your cookie budget than $25 for half a dozen Crumbls in their signature pink box, are you just out of luck?

Not at all. You just need to embrace a little do-it-yourself magic to feed your inner cookie monster. And that does not mean you have to become a gourmet pastry chef.

Scratch-made cookies are delicious, but you weren’t going to the bakery because you wanted to dirty up your kitchen. You wanted something that was decadent and accessible. That’s still possible with a few shortcuts.

The first? Cake mix. With a box to use as your base, you can customize with stir-ins, frostings and toppings to get something to hit the spot — and you won’t have to wait for it to show up on the rotating menu to have it again and again.

We made three varieties of supersized, flavor-packed cookies perfect for fall. Each came in under $10 for a whole batch: s’mores, caramel apple spice and lemon cranberry.

These knockoffs are simple enough for beginners, fun enough for kids and impressive enough to make sweet gifts.

Basic cake mix cookie dough

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (the size that will make a 9- by 13-inch cake)

2 eggs

¹⁄₃ cup oil or butter (or a replacement for fat like applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin, etc.)

Directions

Mix in a bowl. You can chill it in the fridge while you make other components if you want, but it’s not necessary. It’s a very forgiving dough that takes on whatever flavors you want to add in or pile on.

These should be scooped into 1/4-cup portions. Depending on the additions and the weight of your cake mix, which can vary by manufacturer, you will probably get between eight and 12 cookies per batch. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. They will look underbaked. Trust the process.

One note on the replacement fats: If you use applesauce or other fruits instead of oil or butter, your cookie will have a more cakey texture, almost between a brownie and a muffin. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just something to think about as you’re making plans.

S’mores cake mix cookie

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (plus extra for topping)

Chocolate (I used three candy bars, but chocolate chips would work, too.)

1/2 cup marshmallow cream (or a cup of mini marshmallows)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, oil and graham cracker crumbs until a thick dough forms. Scoop large balls of dough and flatten slightly on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10–12 minutes until edges are set. Remove from oven and immediately top with chocolate. Cool completely, allowing the chocolate to melt.

Top with a spoonful of marshmallow cream or a scattering of mini marshmallows on each cookie. Sprinkle with extra graham cracker crumbs.

Caramel apple spice cookie

1 box spice cake mix

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 cup canned apple pie filling (chop the apples smaller before using)

1/3 cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Mix cake mix, eggs, applesauce and oatmeal until fully combined. Scoop dough into large balls and flatten slightly.

Bake for 10–12 minutes. Cool completely.

Spoon a small amount of apple pie filling on top of each cookie. Warm caramel sauce and drizzle generously.

^

Lemon cranberry cookie

1 box lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

For glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment.

Mix cake mix, eggs and oil until smooth. Fold in dried cranberries. Scoop dough into balls and flatten slightly.

Bake 10–12 minutes. Cool completely.

While cookies cool, whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice and zest. Note: You can replace lemon juice and zest with a teaspoon of lemon extract, but you won’t get the same puckery zing since extract only gives you the flavor of lemon without the acid. Still good, but different.

Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies and let set until firm, about 20 minutes.