Cookie Crumbles Recipe

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.

Cut cold butter into flour

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, and fine salt until evenly combined. Cut the cold, cubed unsalted butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining (about 4–6 minutes).

Add wet ingredients

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla extract together. Pour the egg mixture into the crumbly dry mixture and gently stir with a spoon or spatula until dough starts to come together but remains loose and crumbly. Do not overwork — you want many small and medium crumbs.

Incorporate mix-ins (optional)

If using chocolate chips, nuts, or oats, fold them in now so they are evenly distributed among the crumbs.

Form crumbles on sheet

Using your hands or a spoon, scatter the crumbly dough across the prepared baking sheet in small clusters and loose crumbs rather than one compact mass. Aim for pieces about 1/2 to 1 inch in size and some finer crumbs between — this creates crisp, varied texture.

Bake until golden

Bake in the preheated oven for 12–16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges of the larger clusters are golden brown and the smaller crumbs are dry and lightly toasted. Watch closely in the last few minutes to prevent overbrowning.

Cool and crisp

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the crumbles cool completely on the sheet (about 20–30 minutes). As they cool they will firm up and become crisp. Break apart any clusters that have stuck together into the desired crumble size.

Transfer cooled cookie crumbles to an airtight container for storage. If desired, sprinkle the crumbles with a pinch of flaky sea salt and/or sanding sugar to enhance texture and flavor.

Serve the cookie crumbles as a topping for ice cream, yogurt, mousse, fruit crisps, or milkshakes; mix into parfaits; or enjoy by the handful as a crunchy snack. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze in a sealed bag for up to 1 month.