If you need chocolate cookie crumbs for a recipe, there's no need to go to the store or even make chocolate cookies first. These cookie crumbs are very chocolatey, easy to make, and perfect for pie crusts or as a topping or mix-in!
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Why this recipe works
- Chocolate cookie crumbs are easy to make with common ingredients
- Very chocolately, these cookie crumbs taste great as a chocolate pie crust or as a recipe mix-in
- No need to go to the store or even bake chocolate cookies first
Does your recipe call for chocolate cookie crumbs, but you don't have chocolate cookies at hand? Want to make a chocolate pie crust, but can't get to the store?
Not to worry! You can make your own Chocolate Cookie Crumbs using common ingredients. Making tasty homemade chocolate cookie crumbs is fast and easy, and you don't even have to make the chocolate cookies first!
These cookie crumbs hold their texture well, and aren't too hard or gritty. They've got a wonderful chocolate flavor that can be a nice complement or counterpoint to other flavors.
Now you can have chocolate cookie crumbs for whatever purpose suits your fancy whenever you need them. No chocolate cookies or shopping trip needed!
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My pie crust came out beautifully. A grasshopper pie to die for. The CRUST is the STAR of that show!
- Randy
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this chocolate cookie crumb recipe:
Ingredient Notes
You just need some common ingredients to make this cookie crumb recipe: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, butter, and salt. That's less than what you'd need to make the cookies themselves!
Cocoa powder: You can use any type of cocoa powder, regular or Dutch process. For a deeper chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate cocoa powder.
Flavorings: In the picture above, I was making mint cookie crumbs (for a mint chocolate ice cream recipe), but generally speaking use vanilla extract to flavor the cookie crumbs. You can also vary the flavoring for the cookie crumbs with different extracts - just replace the vanilla with ⅛ teaspoon of your desired flavor, like mint, almond, orange, or Fiori di Sicilia extracts.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
Step 1: Make the dough
The process starts like you're making cookies, except the dough is much drier (there's really no liquid being added besides that in the butter).
Cream the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (photo 1).
In a small bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together to remove any lumps. Whisk in the salt.
Add the flour mixture and any extract (if using) to the butter mixture. Use a spatula to just combine, then stir with the mixer on low speed until the crumb mixture is uniform, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The dough will be dry and crumbly (photo 2).
Step 2: Bake the crumbs
Pour the crumb mixture onto a half sheet baking pan lined with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper and spread it to approximately ½-inch thick (don't press them down - just leave them loose).
Bake the crumb mixture at 350˚F for 10 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the crumbs around so they bakes evenly (photo 3).
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes (photo 4). Cool the crumbs on the pan for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Process the crumbs
Break up the larger chunks, then transfer the crumbs to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they are a small and uniform, about 20 seconds (photo 5).
Storage instructions
Since these crumbs are dry, they store well in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, and freeze well in a ziplock bag.
A single recipe makes 1½ cups of cookie crumbs, enough to mix into ice cream or make a small cookie pie crust.
How to make an easy chocolate pie crust
You can use these chocolate cookie crumbs to make a delicious chocolate pie crust using the same method as you would for a graham cracker pie crust. Here's how:
Ingredients
- For a 7-inch pie pan: Make a single recipe of the cookie crumbs recipe and use 1½ tablespoons of melted and cooled butter
- For a 9-inch pie pan: Make a double recipe of the cookie crumbs recipe and use 3 tablespoons of melted and cooled butter
Instructions
- After crushing the cookie crumbs you made in the food processor, transfer the crumbs to a bowl.
- Stir in melted and cooled butter. The crumbs will feel slightly wet.
- Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of your pie pan, forming a uniform crust.
- For a no-bake crust: Chill the pie crust in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up the melted butter. Fill as desired.
- To blind-bake the crust: Baking the crust gives a toasty flavor to the crust, but be sure to have the crumb mixture tamped down really well so the final crust holds together. Place the crust in a preheated 375 °F oven for 15 minutes until the crumb mixture is set. Remove the pan from the oven, and gently tamp down the crust if it puffed up in the oven. Cool on a rack if your recipe calls for that, and fill as desired.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
Beyond the usual cookie pie crust, you can use cookie crumbs as a mix-in for trifle or ice cream, sprinkle them on pudding or mousse, or as a coating for truffles and rum balls. You can even use them to rim your glass for your favorite chocolate cocktail!
The cookie crumb recipe as written (using 1½ tablespoons of melted and cooled butter) will fit a 7-inch pie pan. Double the recipe to make a 9-inch pie pan (using 3 tablespoons of butter).
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More pie, tart, & cobbler recipes to try
Recipe
How to Make Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
Equipment
- hand mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
- 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted, see Recipe Notes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or another flavor extract, optional, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a half sheet baking sheet with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl medium bowl, cream 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) and ⅓ cup granulated sugar together using a hand mixer on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a small bowl, sift ½ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cocoa powder together to remove any lumps. Whisk in ¼ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Add the flour mixture and ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (if using) to the butter mixture. Use a spatula to just combine, then stir with the mixer on low speed until the crumb mixture is uniform, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The dough will be dry and crumbly.
- Pour the crumb mixture onto the baking pan and spread it to approximately ½-inch thick (don't press them down - just leave them loose).
- Bake the crumb mixture for 10 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the crumbs around so it bakes evenly. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool the crumbs on the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Break up the larger chunks, then transfer the crumbs to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they are a small and uniform, about 20 seconds.
- Storage instructions: Since these crumbs are dry, they store well in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, and freeze well in a ziplock bag.
- This recipe makes 1½ cups of cookie crumbs, enough to mix into ice cream or make a small cookie pie crust (see the Recipe Notes for how to make a cookie crumb pie crust).
Notes
- You will need the following ingredients:
- For a 7-inch pie pan: Make a single recipe of the cookie crumbs recipe and use 1½ tablespoons of melted and cooled butter
- For a 9-inch pie pan: Make a double recipe of the cookie crumbs recipe and use 3 tablespoons of melted and cooled butter
- After crushing the cookie crumbs you made in the food processor, transfer the crumbs to a bowl.
- Stir in melted and cooled butter. The crumbs will feel slightly wet.
- Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of your pie pan, forming a uniform crust.
- For a no-bake crust: Chill the pie crust in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up the melted butter. Fill as desired.
- To blind-bake the crust: Baking the crust gives a toasty flavor to the crust, but be sure to have the crumb mixture tamped down really well so the final crust holds together. Place the crust in a preheated 375 °F oven for 15 minutes until the crumb mixture is set. Remove the pan from the oven, and gently tamp down the crust if it puffed up in the oven. Cool on a rack if your recipe calls for that, and fill as desired.
Daphne Gooding says
Great recipe. I keep them on the shelf for my recipes.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Daphne, Glad you like the recipe! Thanks for sharing, and happy baking!
Nathia Urban says
Great recipe for my chocolate pie crust! Excellent
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Nathia, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing and happy baking 🙂
Randy Allen says
I'm givin' you 5 stars. Fabulous web with proportional ingredients.
As with any recipe, the reader needs to think a little about what is going on. In Instruction 5 do NOT pat the crumbs down into a cake when you spread on the sheet to bake (like I sort of did). Leave them LOOSE CRUMBS, and spread to no more than 1/2" thick. These were FABULOUS, EASY, and QUICK. I'm eating the leftovers with a spoon.
SOOOO glad I made Tammy's recipe instead of scraping Oreos for my chocolate pie crust.
Tammy - One minor thing. Instruction 9 says "this recipe makes 1 1/2 cups..." When I selected the 2x feature to double the ingredients, all ingredients DID double (thank you !) but instruction 9 remained at 1 1/2 cups. I suggest you say "the 1x recipe makes 1 1/2 cups..." or something similar. I checked the 1x and 2x so I did not make more than I needed.
Instruction 5, maybe emphasize to leave the crumbs LOOSE when you spread them before baking. Do NOT pat them down into a cake or cookie.
My pie crust came out beautifully. A grasshopper pie to die for. The CRUST is the STAR of that show!
Thanks for a great web and great recipe.
P.S. And I loved the way the recipe printed with larger or smaller font sizes. GREAT job you and your team!
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Randy, Thanks for your kind words & suggestions - I’ll update the recipe and make sure the yield scales up with the recipe. I’m so glad you made the recipe work for you. Happy baking!
Julianne says
These crumbs were super yummy. I snacked on them heavily so it was a good thing I doubled the recipe. I blind baked the crust and filled it with a heavenly chocolate mousse and had the best Pi Day ever! Thank you for this recipe; it made it way better crust than than the Nabisco Famous Wafer cookies ever did.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Julianne, I'm so glad you liked it. That pie sounds delish! Thanks for your kind words, and happy baking! 🙂
Ivy says
I'm not understanding,when I dbl the recipe what it means 3T. melted an cool butter when the 7" recipe calls for 3 1/2 T. to begin with..very confusing.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Ivy, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear in my instructions for making a cookie pie crust. You're to mix the cookie crumbs that you made from the recipe (a single recipe for the 7-inch pan or a double recipe for the 9-inch pan) with the amount of melted and cooled butter needed for the size pie pan you're using. I've updated the instructions in the post - thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Elizabeth says
Fun recipe, can't wait to see what fun thing you made with yours!
Tammy says
Thanks!