Searching for a great copycat recipe for Crumbl’s Kentucky Butter Cake Cookie? Look no further. This one is just like the original!
Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
I have tried and directed a lot of Crumbl Cookie Flavors. Trust me. I make weekly review videos and have tried every single flavor, every single week since I started.
Kentucky Butter Cake was one that I have been dying to try but haven’t had the chance, until this last week. Kentucky Butter Cake is one that everyone RAVES about, I have gotten the request for a copycat recipe over and over and over again.
Well, folks, I finally got my hands on one, tasted it and promptly melted into my seat. The cookie is something so unique and that buttery glaze on top makes the whole cookie.
Now you can make 12 in your own kitchen AND put on as much glaze as you’d like. Boom Shaka-laka.
Ingredients needed to make Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies
Cookie Base
- Salted Butter– I always use salted butter when baking because I really try to make your life easier and not have to purchase two kinds of butters. You’ll see below though, for the glaze, I suggest using unsalted. I’ll explain why in the glaze section, but for the cookies, use salted butter!
- Brown Sugar– This recipe uses far more brown sugar than granulated sugar. That was one of the first things I noticed when I tasted this cookie- it had a really strong brown sugar flavor that I loved!
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All Purpose Flour
- Yellow Cake Mix– Yes. Yellow cake mix. I used the brand Duncan Hines when testing this recipe. This is actually an ingredient labeled in Crumbl’s Nutrition facts, so YES, yellow cake mix definitely went into my copycat version.
- Corn Starch
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Buttery Glaze
- Unsalted Butter– Okay, hear me out. I have made the glaze with both unsalted and salted butter. Because this is a buttery glaze and it doesn’t have a ton of powdered sugar in it, the glaze made with the salted butter comes out a little salty. I actually really like it with the salty kick, but it doesn’t match Crumbl’s flavor exactly. Crumbl’s glaze is all sweet, with that buttery vanilla flavor. So can you make it with salted? Yes, it will be delish. If you want an exact Crumbl Replica, I’d suggest using unsalted butter.
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter Vanilla Emulsion– You’ll want the brand Lorann’s. I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby, you can also purchase it on amazon or directly from Lorann’s website. You can use plain vanilla if you’d like, it will taste a bit different but still delicious.
How to Make Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies at home
Making these cookies at home is not much different than making any other cookie. You’ll first combine the butter and sugars, next goes in the eggs and vanilla. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so everything is mixed together evenly.
Next goes in the dry ingredients- in this cookie that is flour, yellow cake mix, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. The cookie dough will be very soft.
Scoop a generous 1/3 of a cup of dough out for each cookie. You should end up with exactly 12 cookies. Arrange 6 on each pan. Roll the dough into a ball with your hands and then flatten the cookie dough just slightly. They will spread some, so keep the cookie dough about 2 inches tall.
Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes. The cookies will spread and the edges will turn golden brown. That’s when you’ll know its time to take them out of the oven.
As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, make the buttery glaze. To make the glaze, you’ll whisk together the butter and powdered sugar in a small sauce pan on the stove top over medium heat. Whisk, whisk whisk, until the powdered sugar and melted butter combine into a creamy glaze. Whisk in the butter vanilla emulsion and then use a pastry brush to brush the warm glaze onto the warm cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes, dust with powdered sugar if desired and then serve.
Can I make a smaller batch of cookies?
Yes! Just half the ingredients and make 6 cookies instead of 12!
How to store leftover cookies
Store in an airtight container. They will last for about 3 days at room temperature, for 1 week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer! I like to use either zip top bags or air tight large Tupperware containers.
How to reheat cookies
Place the cookies in a 350° oven for 3-4 minutes and you’ll have fresh out of the oven cookies again, just like when they first came out!
More Crumbl Cookie Recipes
- Buttermilk Pancake Cookies
- Waffle Cookie
- Twix Cookies
- Cosmic Brownie Cookie
- Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Crumbl Copycat Recipe Roundup
- Cadbury Egg Cookie
Copycat Crumbl Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cake mix
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Buttery Glaze + toppings
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter*
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp butter vanilla emulsion**
- powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, make the cookie dough by creaming together the butter and sugars.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Lastly, add the flour, yellow cake mix, corn starch, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. The dough will be soft.
- Portion the dough out into generous 1/3 of a cup portions. Roll into balls, flatten just slightly, and arrange on a baking sheet. Arrange 6 on each tray.
- Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes. Pull them out of the oven when the cookies have spread and the edges are turning golden brown.
- Immediately after pulling the cookies out of the oven, make the buttery glaze.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter and powdered sugar. Whisk until the powdered sugar combines with the melted butter in a creamy mixture.
- Add in the butter vanilla emulsion. Stir to combine.
- Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze on top of the hot cookies.
- Allow the glaze topped cookies to cool for 10 minutes before dusting with powedered sugar.
- Serve warm.
Annie Townsend says
Karli I love this Kentucky Buttercake Cookie! You knocked it out of the park…I made extra frosting (1.5x) and it was amazing. Cookies are even better the next day. Thank you so much…I am such a fan!
Next up…Oreo Cookies with Dark Cocoa….can’t wait to make them!
Tiffany says
This was a hit! Very easy. Thank you!
Meghan says
This was delicious! Just melts in your mouth.
Kristin says
My new favorite cookie! Probably one of the best cookies I’ve ever tasted. I’ve made them 3 times and they turn out perfectly. I make mine smaller than her recipe (regular larger cookie scoop ~3Tbsp.), because they spread like crazy. A hack if you don’t want to use the extract (which I still think tastes good) is browning salted butter in the glaze and adding 1/2 tsp vanilla. Still has the powerful butter flavor, without the butter extracty aftertaste. Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix tastes the best in this recipe. If you like butter cookies or vanilla cookies, you’ll love these. These are the best of the best. Bake them! You’ll be glad you did. Thanks to Karli! 🙂
Natasha says
These were delicious. The bake time was quite a bit longer for us but absolutely fantastic recipe!
amy says
These were DELICIOUS and not too complicated to make!
Nicole says
Oh my goodness gracious!! How good are these??? I am obsessed with “the real thing” but I honestly would not be able to tell the difference!! I’m so glad I gave this recipe a try AND bought the butter vanilla emulsion. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!!! 😍
Quinn says
These are SOO good! And Easy to make. My husbands new favorite cookie!
I’m looking to make these for a friend who is allergic to eggs. Any thoughts on how to sub the eggs out?
Rachel says
First off let me start of by saying these were so freaking good! Secondly I have made a few of your copy cat recipes and they are always a hit!
I have a question though. My cookies didn’t spread hardly at all. I live in the high desert of California, could that be why? My other cookies I have made that are supposed to spread do so I’m confused?!