Easy Crumbl cookie recipe for thick, soft peanut butter and jelly cookies with a frosting swirl and jam center, perfect for homemade treats.
There's nothing I love more than stunning cookies, and this Crumbl peanut butter and jelly cookie is that perfect example, especially with the swirly topping that tends to catch my eye whenever I view them on their site because it's not available in Montreal yet. One time my son peeked over my phone and was instantly intrigued, so I challenged myself to make a copycat recipe at home.
Recreating bakery cookies at home means figuring out why they look and taste the way they do. These ultra-thick cookies stay that way because of chilling the dough before baking and pulling them out while the centers still look slightly underdone. If you wait until they look fully baked, they keep cooking on the pan and flatten out. The heavy frosting swirl on top needs a sturdy base, so the cookie has to have enough structure to support all that topping without getting soggy or collapsing. I had to test the fruit-to-frosting ratio a few times because too much jam makes everything slide around, but just the right amount in the center gives you that classic flavor without overwhelming the base.
When I first made these and showed my son the finished cookies, his eyes got huge, and he asked if I'd somehow ordered them from the nearest store (which is two hours away LOL). After he tried one, he said they tasted even better than he imagined because the jam was "more jammy" than he expected.
Now whenever he sees me scrolling through Crumbl's rotating menu, he asks if I can make whatever catches his eye at home, and I love the challenge of recreating cookies that look bakery-perfect but taste homemade. The assembly part with piping the toppings is surprisingly fun too.
Ingredients
Peanut butter makes both the cookie and the frosting work. Creamy peanut butter works best because it blends smoothly and gives the cookies that soft, bakery-style texture. Natural peanut butter isn't great here because the oil separation can mess with how the dough bakes and how the frosting sets.
Cornstarch is small but important in the cookie dough. It softens the crumb and helps recreate that thick, tender center that Crumbl-style cookies are known for. Skip it, and you'll usually end up with a firmer cookie that doesn't have as much lift.
Brown sugar and white sugar together balance structure and moisture. Brown sugar keeps the cookies soft, while white sugar helps them hold their shape and bake evenly.
The peanut butter frosting uses both butter and peanut butter to keep it spreadable without being loose. This combination gives you a smooth finish that sits neatly on top of the cookie instead of melting into it.
Raspberry jam or preserves add the contrast that makes these cookies resemble an actual PB&J. Thicker preserves are better than jelly because they stay in place and don't soak into the frosting. Strawberry or grape is good too if you need a substitute, but raspberry keeps the sweetness from feeling heavy.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
How to Make Crumbl Copycat Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies?
These Crumbl copycat peanut butter and jelly cookies are thick, soft, and topped with a generous swirl of frosting and jam, just like the Crumbl version.
Prep the Oven and Pans
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside so the cookies don’t stick and bake evenly.
Make the Cookie Dough
Shape and Bake
Use a large ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Gently flatten each scoop into a thick disc.
Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the centers are set and the edges look lightly baked. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
Make the Peanut Butter Frosting
In a clean mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and set aside.
Prep the Jam
Fill a separate piping bag with the raspberry jam or preserves. This makes assembling the cookies cleaner and more controlled.
Assemble the Cookies
Once the cookies are fully cooled, pipe a thick swirl of peanut butter frosting around the top edge of each cookie, leaving the center open. Pipe the raspberry jam into the middle of the frosting swirl to finish the cookies.
Serve
Your Crumbl copycat peanut butter and jelly cookies are now ready to serve. Enjoy!
Storage
Store the assembled cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For make-ahead prep, you can bake the cookies in advance and store them unfrosted at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for up to 2 days. Prepare the frosting and jam separately, then assemble the cookies shortly before serving for the best texture.
Top Tips for Crumbl Copycat Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Don’t overbake the cookies: Pull them from the oven as soon as the centers are set. Overbaking makes them dry and takes away that thick, soft texture.
Use regular creamy peanut butter: Natural peanut butter can separate and change the texture of both the dough and the frosting.
Cool completely before frosting: Even slightly warm cookies will cause the frosting to melt and lose its shape, so give them time to cool fully.
Crumbl Copycat Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie base
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the frosting
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup raspberry jam or preserves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the peanut butter, butter and sugars. Cream until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix well.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, corn starch and salt. Mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides often.
- Using a large ice cream scoop, divide the cookie dough between the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten into a disc.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the centers are set. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- For the frosting - in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Cream until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and set aside.
- Fill another piping bag with the raspberry jam and set aside.
- To assemble - once the cookies are cool, pipe a large swirl of peanut butter frosting around the top of each cookie.
- Fill in the void of the swirl with the raspberry jam.
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