Mermaid Crumbl Cookies
Thick, soft, buttery sugar cookies topped with a dreamy three-color mermaid frosting swirl in teal, aqua, and lavender. Decorated with mermaid sprinkles, pearls, and shimmer dust for the most magical cookies ever!
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 473kcal
Equipment
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Electric mixer
- Piping bag with round tip
- Plastic wrap
- Offset spatula optional
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Gel food colors teal, aqua, lavender or pink
Toppings
- mermaid sprinkles
- pearls
- shimmer dust
- tiny shells
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream 1 cup cold cubed butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- Add 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Scoop 1/4-cup dough balls (or 1/3-cup for extra-large cookies). Slightly flatten the tops.
- Bake 9-11 minutes for 1/4-cup cookies, or 11-13 minutes for 1/3-cup cookies. Edges should look set while centers stay soft and pale.
- Cool completely on baking sheets before frosting.
Make the Frosting
- Beat 1/2 cup softened butter until creamy.
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add more cream if needed.
- Divide frosting into three bowls. Tint each bowl: teal, aqua, lavender.
Pipe the 3-Color Frosting
- Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap. Spoon three stripes of frosting side by side: teal, aqua, lavender.
- Roll the plastic wrap into a log and twist the ends. Snip one end.
- Insert the frosting log into a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
- Pipe swirls or mounds onto each cooled cookie. Use an offset spatula to swirl if desired.
Decorate
- Add mermaid sprinkles, pearls, shimmer dust, or tiny shells while frosting is still soft.
- Chill 10 minutes for cleaner edges (optional).
Notes
Storage: Store frosted cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Freeze unfrosted cookies in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and frost when ready to serve.
Tip: Cold butter is the key to thick, soft Crumbl-style cookies. Don't soften it!
Tip: For a store-bought shortcut, use 2-3 tubs of vanilla frosting divided and tinted with gel food colors. Follow the same plastic-wrap piping method.
Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 747IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg