If you love Crumbl’s confetti cake cookies, you’ll enjoy making this copycat version at home. These Copycat Crumbl Confetti Cake Cookies are thick and soft, speckled with sequin sprinkles, and finished with a creamy pink cream cheese frosting swirl that captures the flavor and look of the bakery original.
The key flavor is princess cake emulsion, which lends a floral-vanilla bakery note that makes these cookies instantly familiar. If you can’t find the emulsion, a careful substitute of almond and vanilla extract comes close. Once you taste the combination of the soft, pillowy cookie with the tangy pink cream cheese frosting, you’ll understand why this treat is so popular.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic flavor — princess cake emulsion plus cream cheese frosting recreate the signature Crumbl taste.
- Bakery-style texture — thick, soft centers with gently crisped edges.
- Attractive presentation — a piped pink frosting spiral and bright sequin sprinkles make each cookie look special.
- Straightforward method — easy dough and simple frosting, no advanced techniques required.
- Generous yield — makes roughly 18 to 22 large cookies, great for sharing.
What Is Princess Cake Emulsion?
Princess cake emulsion is a concentrated baking flavor that gives cakes and cookies a rich, slightly floral vanilla note with a hint of almond. It’s different from regular vanilla extract—more complex and bakery-like. If you can’t source it, use 1 teaspoon almond extract plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract as a substitute for every 2 teaspoons of princess cake emulsion called for in the recipe.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
Unsalted butter — 1½ cups, softened.
Granulated sugar — 1½ cups.
Egg whites — 6 large egg whites (no yolks).
Princess cake emulsion — 2 teaspoons (or substitute 1 tsp almond + 1 tsp vanilla).
Vanilla extract — 2 teaspoons.
All-purpose flour — 4½ cups, spooned and leveled.
Baking powder — 2 teaspoons.
Salt — 1 teaspoon.
Sequin sprinkles — ½ cup, folded into the dough (disc sprinkles hold color and shape best).
Pink Cream Cheese Frosting
Unsalted butter — 1 cup, softened.
Cream cheese — 8 ounces, fully softened.
Powdered sugar — 6 cups, sifted for smoothness.
Milk or heavy cream — 1 tablespoon to thin slightly for piping.
Vanilla extract — 1 teaspoon.
Pink food coloring — gel recommended for vibrant color without thinning.
Sequin sprinkles — to finish each cookie.
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla extract, princess cake emulsion (or substitute), and the egg whites. Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until just combined—avoid overmixing.
5. Fold in the sequin sprinkles so they’re evenly distributed.
6. Portion the dough with a large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop onto the prepared sheets, leaving space for spreading.
7. Bake 12–15 minutes, until edges are just turning golden and centers are set but still soft. Do not overbake.
8. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet before frosting so the frosting won’t melt.
Make the Pink Cream Cheese Frosting
9. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and lump-free.
10. Add half the powdered sugar, the vanilla, and the milk. Mix on low until combined.
11. Add the remaining powdered sugar, mix on low to incorporate, then increase speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
12. Add pink food coloring a little at a time until you reach the shade you want.
Frost and Decorate
13. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip or cut a small opening in the bag for a simple spiral.
14. Pipe a spiral starting from the outer edge toward the center on each cooled cookie.
15. Immediately top with sequin sprinkles before the frosting sets.
Tips for Success
- Use only egg whites. This keeps the cookies light and tender; yolks would create a denser, more yellow cookie.
- Don’t skip the princess cake emulsion. It provides the bakery-style flavor that distinguishes these cookies.
- Choose sequin (disc) sprinkles. They retain color and shape during mixing and baking better than standard jimmies or nonpareils.
- Cool completely before frosting. Large cookies stay warm inside longer—wait at least 30 minutes on the pan.
- Soften cream cheese fully. Soft cream cheese whips smoothly; cold cream cheese causes lumps.
- Pipe frosting just before serving. These cookies look and taste best freshly frosted; if making ahead, store frosting and cookies separately.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Refrigerator: Store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow refrigerated cookies to come to room temperature 15–20 minutes before serving for a softer frosting texture.
Make ahead: Dough can be portioned and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Frosting can be made and refrigerated; re-whip briefly before using. Keep cookies and frosting separate until ready to serve.
Freezer: Unfrosted baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and frost before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What creates the Crumbl-like flavor? The princess cake emulsion in the dough and the tangy cream cheese frosting together recreate the familiar bakery profile.
Where can I find princess cake emulsion? It’s sold at baking supply shops and many craft stores; if unavailable, use 1 tsp almond extract plus 1 tsp vanilla extract as a substitute.
Can I use whole eggs? The recipe uses only egg whites to achieve the soft, cloud-like texture. Whole eggs will change the texture and color.
Why might cookies turn out flat? Overly warm or melted butter and excessive mixing after adding flour are common causes. Use softened but not melted butter and mix just until combined.
Can I make smaller cookies? Yes—use a smaller scoop and reduce bake time to about 9–11 minutes, checking early for doneness.
More Recipes
- Copycat Crumbl Strawberry Shortcake Cookies — a soft strawberry sugar cookie with creamy strawberry frosting.
- Copycat Crumbl Golden Oreo Cookies — thick cookies studded with Golden Oreo pieces and a vanilla cream cheese frosting.
- Copycat Crumbl German Chocolate Cake Cookies — rich chocolate cookies topped with coconut-pecan frosting.
- Dirt Cake Cookies — an Oreo-studded, pudding-flavored cookie for a playful twist.
- Birthday Cookie Cake — all the confetti cake flavor in one large celebration cookie.
Skip the bakery line and make these at home: soft, thick, studded with sequin sprinkles and crowned with a dreamy pink cream cheese frosting that captures the Crumbl confetti cake cookie experience.