Crumbl Copycat Dark Dream Cookies

If you love chocolate, these Crumbl Copycat Dark Dream Cookies are going to be right up your street! They’re big, thick, chocolatey cookies with plenty of chocolate chips mixed into the dough and even more pressed into the tops. They’re seriously rich, so if you’re a fan of anything double chocolate, I think you’ll love these.

I’ve always loved those big bakery-style cookies, but they’re actually really easy to make at home. You don’t need any fancy ingredients either, just a few baking basics, cocoa powder, and a good helping of chocolate chips. The dough comes together pretty quickly, and there’s no need to chill it before baking, which is always a bonus when you’re craving something sweet!

These are the kind of cookies that are lovely with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, although I certainly wouldn’t say no to one warmed up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! They’re great for sharing too, especially if you’ve got a family full of chocolate lovers like mine.

If you’re a fan of Crumbl cookies, I’ve got plenty more recipes for you to try! Have a look at my Crumbl Copycat Cookie Recipes for more of those big, bakery-style cookies you can make at home.

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric hand mixer – For creaming the butter and sugars together.
• Large mixing bowl – If you’re using a hand mixer.
• Large cookie scoop – Helps make those big, thick Crumbl-style cookies.
• Baking sheets – You’ll need a couple to give the cookies room to spread.
• Parchment paper – To stop the cookies sticking to the baking sheets.
• Spatula – For scraping down the bowl and folding in the chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened – Make sure your butter is nice and soft so it creams together easily with the sugars. I prefer unsalted butter so I can control how much salt goes into the cookies.
• ¾ cup brown sugar – This adds a lovely caramel-like sweetness and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy in the middle.
• ¼ cup sugar – Regular granulated sugar works perfectly here and helps give the cookies those slightly crisp edges.
• 1 egg – Helps bind everything together and gives the cookies their lovely soft texture.
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract – A generous amount of vanilla really brings out the chocolate flavor. I like to use pure vanilla extract if I have it.
• 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour is all you need. Be careful not to pack it too tightly into your measuring cup.
• ½ cup cocoa powder – This is what gives the cookies their rich, dark chocolate flavor. Unsweetened cocoa powder works best here.
• ½ tsp baking soda – Helps the cookies rise a little as they bake without losing that lovely thick, bakery-style shape.
• ½ tsp salt – Just enough to balance out all that sweetness and make the chocolate flavor stand out.
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided – Half go into the cookie dough and the rest are pressed into the tops before baking. I love how the extra chocolate chips make them look just like those big bakery cookies!

Step-by-Step Instructions

You can find a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars until light and smooth.

3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined, stopping to scrape the bowl for even mixing.

5. Fold in about half of the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

6. Use a large ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.

7. Gently flatten each portion into a disc, then press the remaining chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies.

8. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the centers are set. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets before serving.

Tips for Perfect Dark Dream Cookies

These cookies are pretty straightforward to make, but there are a few little things worth keeping in mind if you want them to turn out nice and thick with soft, chocolatey centers. Here’s what I’d recommend.

• Make sure your butter is softened. You want it soft enough to cream easily with the sugars, but not melted. If it’s too warm, your cookies might spread more than you’d like.
• Don’t overmix the dough. Once you’ve added the flour and cocoa powder, mix just until everything comes together. There’s no need to keep beating it.
• Use a large cookie scoop. These are supposed to be big, bakery-style cookies, so don’t be tempted to make them too small. Try to keep them roughly the same size so they bake evenly.
• Don’t flatten them too much. Just gently press the dough into thick discs. You still want them to have a bit of height.
• Save some chocolate chips for the tops. I think this makes such a difference to how they look! Pressing a few extra chips into each cookie before baking gives them that lovely chocolate-loaded finish.
• Keep an eye on the baking time. Chocolate cookies can be tricky because you can’t really tell when they’re done by looking at the color. The edges should look set, and the centers shouldn’t look wet.
• Let them cool on the baking sheet. They’ll still be quite soft when they first come out of the oven, so give them time to firm up before moving them. I know it’s tempting to grab one straight away!

Get Creative!

I love these cookies just as they are, but there’s no reason you can’t have a little fun with them! If you fancy changing things up, there are plenty of ways to add something different without messing around with the basic recipe too much.

• Try different chocolate chips. Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips. You could use a mixture of all three if you really want to go all out!
• Add some peanut butter chips. Chocolate and peanut butter are always a good combination, and peanut butter chips would be lovely mixed into the dough.
• Make them minty. Add a little peppermint extract instead of some of the vanilla for a chocolate mint version. Start with a small amount though, as peppermint can be quite strong.
• Throw in some chopped nuts. Walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts would add a bit of crunch to all that soft chocolatey goodness.
• Add a caramel surprise. Try pressing a soft caramel candy into the middle of each cookie dough ball before baking for a gooey caramel center.
• Make them extra indulgent. Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle a little melted chocolate over the tops. Not that they really need any more chocolate, but why not?

Serving & Storing

I think these cookies are at their best when they’re still just a little warm and the chocolate chips are lovely and melty. They’re delicious with a cold glass of milk or a cup of coffee, and if you really fancy treating yourself, try serving one warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So good!

They’re pretty big cookies, so you could even cut them in half if you want something a little smaller. Although, if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably end up eating the other half anyway!

If you’ve got any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4–5 days. Make sure they’ve cooled completely before putting them away, otherwise you can end up with condensation inside the container.

You can freeze them too. Once they’re completely cool, pop them into a freezer-safe container or bag, with a little parchment paper between them to stop them sticking together. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw at room temperature when you’re ready for another chocolate fix, or warm one gently in the microwave for a few seconds.

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