• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Eileen
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Let's Go Shopping
      • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Let's Go Shopping
      • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Lifestyle
    • About
      • Let's Go Shopping
        • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Cotton Candy Cookies

    Published: Feb 7, 2023 · Modified: May 26, 2025 by Eileen Murphy Kelly

    Jump to Recipe
    A Pinterest pin with text overlay for a cotton candy cookie.

    These Cotton Candy Cupcakes are so stinkin’ cute and perfect for any party! They are fluffy, pink, and blue like cotton candy, and the best part is that they actually taste like cotton candy too! This is the perfect copycat for the cookies at a large cookie chain.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Eileen Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Similar recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • These Cotton Candy Cookies are fluffy and have a great cotton candy flavor.
    • And, they're perfect for any party or get-together.
    • They are also easy to make and don't require any special ingredients.

    Ingredients

    • unsalted butter, room temperature
    • canola oil
    • granulated white sugar
    • confectioners sugar
    • large egg
    • heavy whipping cream
    • cotton candy extract
    • all-purpose flour
    • corn starch
    • Kosher salt
    • baking powder

    Cotton Candy Frosting

    • unsalted butter, softened
    • confectioners sugar
    • heavy whipping cream
    • cotton candy extract
    • pink gel food coloring
    • sky blue gel food coloring
    • pink nerd candy
    • purple nerd candy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Equipment

    • Disposable Piping Bags
    • large round decorating tip
    • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
    • silicone baking mat
    • Cookie Scoops
    • food scale, optional

    Instructions

    This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.

    Steps to make cotton candy cookies.
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats.
    2. Beat the butter, oil, sugar, and confectioners' sugar until combined.
    3. Mix in the egg, cotton candy extract, and heavy whipping cream until combined
    4. Mix dry ingredients.( flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder)
    5. Beat the dry ingredients into the wet and continue beating until a dough forms.
    6. Using a medium cookie scoop and food scale (optional)scoop out a small amount of dough and weigh it. You want your dough to be 2.2oz or close to make 12 equal size cookies.
    7. Roll the cookie dough into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet, pressing into a thick disk.
    8. Repeat steps until you have 6 even-sized cookie dough disks on your cookie trays. Bake for 10 minutes.
    9. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire cooling rack while you make the frosting.

    Cotton Candy Frosting

    1. Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, heavy whipping cream, and cotton candy extract until creamy.
    2. Split the frosting between two small bowls.
    3. Mix in 3 drops of the pink gel food coloring into 1 bowl of frosting,
    4. Mix in 3 drops of the sky blue gel food coloring into the second bowl of frosting.
    5. Scoop the pink frosting onto 1 side of the piping bag and the blue frosting onto the other side of the piping bag.
    6. Then pipe swirls around each cookie and sprinkles some pink and purple nerd candies on top.
    7. Cookies are ready to serve.
    Copycat Crumbl Cotton Candy Cookies in a pile.

    Storage

    Store these in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days.

    You can also freeze these cookies. I like to freeze them without the frosting, and then thaw and add the frosting when I’m ready to serve them.

    To Freeze: place cookies on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour. Then place them in a freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months.

    Thawing: Place frozen cookies on the counter for 30 minutes, then add the frosting.

    Eileen Tips

    • If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
    • If the frosting is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
    • Be careful not to overmix the dough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
    • I use a small cookie scoop to get evenly-sized cookies. If you don't have one, you can use a tablespoon or your hands to roll the dough into balls.
    • For perfectly even cookies, you can weigh the cookie dough with a food scale to ensure the cookies are all the same size.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does the cotton candy cookie taste like?

    These cookies have a light and fluffy texture with a sweet vanilla flavor. The cotton candy frosting is slightly tangy and has a strong cotton candy flavor.

    Do I need to use a cookie scoop?

    No, you don't need to use a cookie scoop, but it does make the cookies more uniform in size.

    What is the best cotton candy extract?

    I get a lot of questions about what brand of cotton candy extract I use, and the answer is Lorann Oils. It’s a concentrated oil, so a little goes a long way. You can find it on Amazon or at your local craft store.

    Variations

    • If you want to change up the flavor of these cookies, you can use any extract in the frosting.
    • You could also change the food coloring in the frosting to make it any color.
    • You can make these cookies without the frosting.
    • Add sprinkles to the dough before baking.

    Serving Suggestions

    • Linguine with White Clam Sauce
    • Simple Arugula Salad
    • Strawberry Iced Tea
    Cotton Candy Cookies on a plate.

    Similar recipes

    • Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
    • Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
    • Heath Bar Cookies

    I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below.

    Keep up to date with recipes by following me on:

    FACEBOOK  INSTAGRAM PINTEREST TWITTER

    Thank you for your continued support. I am forever grateful.

    Eileen  xo

    If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card, you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

    Made this recipe? Please give it a review and 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    📖 Recipe

    Save the Recipe?

    Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox to view anytime. Plus the bonus of regular recipes to you for inspiration!

    Cotton candy cookies stacked up.

    Cotton Candy Cookies

    Enjoy this copycat cookies Cotton Candy Cookie recipe from a popular cookie chain at home any time. These cookies are pretty, sweet, and crunchy.
    Print (Email Required) Rate
    Course: Baking
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cotton candy cookie, cotton candy cookies, crumbl cotton candy cookie
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    cool time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 cookies
    Calories: 481kcal
    Author: Eileen Kelly

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

    Equipment Needed:

    • As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
    • Disposable Piping Bags
    • large round decorating tip
    • Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
    • silicone baking mat
    • Ice Cream/Cookie Scoops, various sizes
    • food scale, optional

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
    • ¼ cup canola oil
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
    • 1 teaspoon cotton candy extract
    • 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder

    Cotton Candy Frosting

    • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
    • 2 cups confectioners sugar
    • 4 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    • 3 teaspoon cotton candy extract
    • pink gel food coloring
    • sky blue gel food coloring
    • pink nerd candy
    • purple nerd candy

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F, line two cookie sheets with silicone baking mats.
    • Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, sugar, and confectioners sugar until combined.
    • Beat in the egg, cotton candy extract, and heavy whipping cream until combined
    • Mix dry ingredients; in a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, salt, and baking powder.
    • Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the wet and continue beating until a dough forms.
    • Using a medium cookie scoop and food scale (optional)scoop out a small amount of dough and weigh it. You want your dough to be 2.2oz or close to make 12 equal size cookies.
    • Roll the cookie dough into a ball and place it on the cookie sheet, pressing into a thick disk.
    • Repeat steps until you have 6 even-size cookie dough disks on your cookie trays Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
    • Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire cooling wrack while you make the frosting.

    Cotton Candy Frosting

    • Use a standing mixer with beaters attached, beat the butter, confectioners sugar, heavy whipping cream, and cotton candy extract until creamy.
    • Split the frosting between two small bowls.
    • Mix in 3 drops of the pink gel food coloring into 1 bowl of frosting,
    • Mix in 3 drops of the sky blue gel food coloring into the second bowl of frosting.
    • Scoop the pink frosting onto 1 side of the piping bag and the blue frosting onto the other side of the piping bag.
    • Pipe swirls around each cookie and sprinkle some pink and purple nerd candies on top.
    • Cookies are ready to serve.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 823IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

    More Cookies

    • A tray of red, white and blue cookies shaped like rockets on a red and white checkered napkin with a whisk on the side of the tray of cookies.
      Bomb Pop Cookie Recipe
    • Oreo Smores cookies with a marshmallow and a hershey.
      Oreo S'mores Cookie Recipe
    • Coconut Macaroon Nests
    • Butterfinger cookies stacked on a plate.
      Butterfinger Cookies

    Thank you for sharing!

    245 shares
    • Share21
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Shop with me
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Everyday Eileen, Eileen Murphy Kelly

    245 shares