Crumbl Copycat Caramel Pumpkin Cookies from Lifestyle of a Foodie

Crumbl Copycat Caramel Pumpkin Cookies - made dough October 19, 2025 from Lifestyle of a Foodie

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons caramel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon caramel extract, optional

pumpkin pie spice for dusting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add egg yolk, pumpkin puree and vanilla, mixing until combined.
3. Add flour, salt, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon, mixing on low speed until just combined.
4. Portion dough into 8 equal-sized dough balls. Cover and chill at least an hour.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Evenly space 4 dough balls per cookie sheet and evenly flatten to a 1" thickness. Bake, one sheet at a time,  for 12-13 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheets for 20 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter until well combined and creamy, about 3 minutes.
8. Add caramel, vanilla and powdered sugar, whisking until well combined and fluffy, for about 3-4 minutes. Using a piping bag or a ziploc bag with a corner snipped off, frost cooled cookies. Lightly dust with pumpkin pie spice before serving.

One recipe is supposed to make eight large cookies. I apparently like my cookies even bigger as I only got seven out of one batch. I'd had this recipe on my pinterest board for awhile but hadn't made them earlier because if you want the true Crumbl copycat experience, you have to frost them. And I didn't want to eat 7 frosted cookies.

Fortunately, my niece and nephew in law were having friends over so it gave me an excuse to try the recipe in all its frosted glory. The cookies baked up nicely, stayed thick and didn't spread too much. I made the frosting at my niece's house but since she had loaned me her Kitchen Aid mixer which was sitting back at my apartment, I ended up beating the frosting ingredients by hand. Which I did a little too much trying to get the butter and cream cheese lumps out. So the frosting ended up a little soft and runny. Oops.

I also tried to be authentic to the Crumbl version and sprinkled cinnamon on top and drizzled it with caramel. Normally I don't go to that kind of trouble when I just want a(n) unfrosted cookie but in for a penny, in for (a few more) pound(s).

This was delicious. The texture was just right and I liked the cinnamon and caramel. The frosting wasn't bad either but would've been better if I could've used a mixer to mix it properly without overbeating it to such a soft state. But again, First World problems. We move on.

As a side note, it's still hard for me to write these blogs posts as if the state of the country is normal when it so is not. But I read posts from a lot of thoughtful, intelligent, rational people and a common theme is not to let what's happening to our country take our joy away. It's okay and actually recommended, to find joy where we can, to not give in to despair or anger. Because that's how authoritarians win, when we're bowed under from the stress, frustration, despair, anger. Not letting them destroy our joy is key. To keep our happiness and our humanity and let that fuel our compassion, our persistence and our actions. So whether that's baking cookies and sharing them, "stress quilting" (I'm working on a new quilt), exercising, reading a good book or whatever replenishes you, do it. Fuel up and keep going.