Circus Animal Sugar Cookies (Crumbl Copycat)

These whimsical Circus Animal Sugar Cookies start with homemade buttery cookie dough studded with crunchy sprinkles and frosted animal crackers. Once baked, the cookies get doused with melted white chocolate and topped with a frosted animal cracker. These are my take on the popular sugar cookies by Crumbl except these taste WAY better!

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Crumbl Copycat Circus Animal Cookies

Note: The printable and sharable recipe can be found at the end of this article.

Servings: 12 large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Tools Needed

• Mixing Bowls (medium and large)
• Whisk
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula
• Large Cookie Scoop
• Baking Sheet w/Rack
• Parchment Paper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract on low speed until well combined.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Gently fold in the nonpareil sprinkles and crushed animal cookies using a spatula.
7. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. See notes for chilling longer than an hour.
8. Use a cookie scoop to drop equally sized-dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and slightly golden.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
10. Melt the white chocolate and canola oil together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Depending on the type/brand of white chocolate you use, it’ll take anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes so watch it carefully.
11. Spread the top of each cooled cookie with melted white chocolate. Place frosted animal crackers on top of the wet chocolate.
12. Garnish with additional sprinkles.
13. Let set completely before serving.

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Tips and Notes

Chilling The Dough
Aim to chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too thin, resulting in chewier cookies. However, if you plan to chill the dough for longer than an hour, it will become too firm for scooping. Here’s what you can do:

Make the dough balls first. Before chilling the dough, portion it out into balls using a large cookie scoop. This way, you can easily place the pre-shaped balls on the baking sheet after the dough has chilled. Let the dough soften slightly. Take the chilled dough out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before scooping.

Cookie Size
This recipe yields roughly 12 large cookies. If you prefer smaller cookies, use a smaller cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies.

Spread
The cookies will spread during baking. To prevent them from becoming one giant cookie, leave space between each dough ball on the baking sheet.

Nonpareil Sprinkles
You can substitute rainbow sprinkles for the nonpareil sprinkles if desired.

Crushed Animal Cookies
The amount of crushed cookies can be adjusted to your preference. Add more or less crushed cookies to the dough per your liking.

Melting Chocolate
Keep a close eye on the white chocolate when melting it in the microwave. It can burn easily. Use short intervals (15-30 seconds) and stir frequently.

Storage
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing Baked Cookies
– Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
– Freeze the cookies for 30 minutes to an hour on the baking sheet to prevent them from sticking together.
– Once firm, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag.
– Frozen baked cookies will keep for up to 2 months.
– Thaw frozen cookies in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

Freezing Cookie Dough
– Portion the dough into balls.
– Freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet for 30 minutes to an hour.
– Once firm, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag.
– Frozen cookie dough will keep for up to 3 months.
– Thaw frozen dough balls in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before baking.