Easy Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins (Cake Mix Recipe)
Easy Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins start with yellow cake mix and feature crushed speculoos cookies, tender centers, and delicious crunchy tops.
If you love cookie butter and those deliciously crunchy speculoos cookies, you're going to enjoy these easy Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins! They start with a simple box of yellow cake mix, but a few additions turn that mix into golden, bakery-style muffins with lovely domed tops.
Cookie butter adds a subtle caramelized flavor to the batter, while crushed cookies provide little bursts of spiced sweetness throughout. And that crunchy cookie topping? It's the best part!
Why You'll Love These Muffins
These muffins are easy to make, require just a handful of ingredients, and come together in minutes. The sour cream and whole milk help create a tender crumb, while the cookie butter adds richness without the need for additional butter or oil.
They're perfect for fall baking, afternoon snacks, or enjoying with a hot cup of coffee.
Ingredients for Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins
You won't need anything fancy to make these muffins! Here's a quick look at what goes into them. You'll find the full measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Yellow cake mix: A 15.25-ounce box provides the foundation for these easy muffins.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the muffins a little more structure and helps create that bakery-style texture.
- Eggs: Hold everything together.
- Sour cream: Adds moisture and richness.
- Whole milk: Helps bring the batter together.
- Creamy cookie butter: Adds a subtle caramelized cookie flavor and richness.
- Speculoos cookies: Crushed and folded into the batter, with additional crumbs sprinkled over the tops.
How to Make Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins
These muffins couldn't be much easier to prepare!
Step 1: Prepare Your Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners.
Step 2: Mix the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, flour, eggs, sour cream, and whole milk. Stir until the ingredients come together.
Add the creamy cookie butter and gently mix it into the batter. The mixture will be thick, similar to brownie batter.
Step 3: Add the Cookies
Roughly crush the speculoos cookies and gently fold them into the batter. Save some finely crushed cookies for the topping.
Step 4: Fill the Muffin Pan
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops generously with the reserved cookie crumbs.
Step 5: Bake
Bake at 350°F until the muffins are golden brown, the tops are set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter. Begin checking around 16–18 minutes, adding more time as needed.
Step 6: Cool and Enjoy
Allow the muffins to rest in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy them plain or add an optional drizzle of warmed cookie butter for even more flavor!
Check out that interior, friends! Those gorgeous cookie pieces? They're delicious and add just the right amount of speculoos flavor!
Tips for the Best Cookie Butter Muffins
Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make muffins tough.
Keep the cookie pieces slightly chunky. Those little pockets of crushed cookies add wonderful flavor throughout the muffins.
Don't skip the topping. The finely crushed cookies create a delicious, lightly crisp finish as the muffins bake.
Want stronger cookie butter flavor? Warm 2–3 tablespoons of additional cookie butter in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds, until thin enough to drizzle. Spoon over the cooled muffins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Biscoff cookies in these muffins?
Absolutely! Biscoff cookies are a type of speculoos-style cookie and work beautifully in this recipe. Their caramelized flavor complements the cookie butter.
Can I use crunchy cookie butter instead of creamy?
Yes! Crunchy cookie butter should work, though it will add additional texture to the muffins.
Why isn't there any butter or oil in this recipe?
The cookie butter already contains fat, while the sour cream and whole milk contribute additional richness and moisture. This combination worked beautifully in the tested batch without added butter or oil.
How do I make the cookie butter flavor stronger?
For a more pronounced cookie butter flavor, drizzle a little warmed cookie butter over the finished muffins. This is especially helpful because the cookie butter flavor in the baked muffin itself is fairly subtle.
How should I store these muffins?
Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
More Easy Cake Mix Recipes
If you enjoy turning a simple box of cake mix into something special, check out these other recipes from Out of the Box Baking!
How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into Muffins
Discover how a few simple ingredients can transform ordinary cake mix into delicious homemade-style muffins.
Bring the flavor of the county fair into your own kitchen with these easy, sweet funnel cakes made from a boxed cake mix.
Thanks for Stopping By!
I hope you enjoy these easy Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins! They're golden, flavorful, and topped with a delicious layer of crunchy cookie crumbs. Sometimes the simplest recipes turn out to be the best.
Happy baking!
Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →
Easy Cookie Butter Crunch Muffins
Golden, bakery-style muffins made with yellow cake mix, creamy cookie butter, and crushed speculoos cookies. Finished with a delicious crunchy cookie topping, these easy muffins are perfect for fall baking.
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup creamy cookie butter
- 5–6 speculoos cookies, roughly crushed
- Additional finely crushed cookies for topping
- Optional drizzle:
- 2–3 tablespoons creamy cookie butter
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan or add paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, eggs, sour cream, and whole milk. Stir until combined.
3. Add cookie butter and gently mix until incorporated.
4. Fold in the crushed speculoos cookies.
5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups.
6. Sprinkle the tops with finely crushed cookies.
7. Bake at 350°F, beginning to check at 16–18 minutes. Continue baking until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without wet batter.
8. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
9. If desired, warm additional cookie butter until pourable and drizzle over cooled muffins.
Notes
* The batter will be thick and scoopable.
* No additional butter or oil is required.
* Cookie butter flavor is subtle in the muffin itself. The crushed cookies and topping provide more pronounced flavor.
* An optional cookie butter drizzle adds extra sweetness and flavor.
* Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
