9 Creative Things To Do With Broken & Crumbled Cookies!


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Whether you decide to buy your cookies or make them, there’s no worse feeling than having some broken cookies leftover that you can’t serve on the table. This is why I made a promise to myself that I’ll use every cookie that I have to its fullest potential without letting it go to waste!

What can you do with broken and crumbled cookies?

As a general rule, you can use broken and crumbled cookies to make an array of baked goods or baked desserts. You can use the leftover cookies as toppings and as crusts as well. If baking isn’t your thing, then you can also use them as an ingredient in various non-baked desserts.

For my household, there was always an inspection that came before any cookie purchase: “How many broken or crumbled cookies are there?” we’d ponder as we checked the outer packaging of cookies for any irregularities.

I say this in past tense because after a newly-purchased pack of cookies fell and broke most of the contents inside before we even had a chance to eat them, I soon found out through research and trial and error that there is a lot of treats you can make or spice up with broken and crumbled cookies.

*By the way, if you’re looking for some new cookie sheets/baking pans to replace for your kitchen, I recently came across the Perfect Nonstick Cookie Sheets / Baking Sheets Set that I got for myself and they work great! You can check out these Nonstick Cookie Sheet Set on Amazon!

From using cookies as mix-ins and dessert toppings to baking them into even better chunky cookies, that incident led me to discover a number of creative ways you can use broken and crumbled cookies to create desserts…

9 Things To Do With Broken and Crumbled Cookies:

  1. Use Cookie Crumbs as a Topping
  2. Use Cookie Crumbs to Make a Crust
  3. Make Baked Cookie Cups
  4. Blend Crumbled Cookies into a Milkshake
  5. Make Broken Cookies into Nanaimo Bars
  6. Use Cookie Crumbs to Rim a Glass
  7. Use Crumbled Cookies as Dirt for a Mississippi Mud Pie
  8. Use Crumbled Cookies as a Mix-In
  9. Make Chunk Cookies

If you have broken and crumbled cookies, and you aren’t going to use them soon, then I recommend storing them in your refrigerator. If you haven’t opened the package yet, then you can just directly place the cookies into your fridge.

However, if the package is open, then I recommend you put your cookies into a freezer bag or an airtight container before storing them in your refrigerator.

Cookies stored at room temperature can remain fresh for about two to three weeks, but cookies stored in the fridge can stay fresh for about two months.

*Side Note: You might also want to know How To Properly Store Cookies. I recently wrote an article that talks about all you need to know for Storing Cookies To Make Them Last, which you can check out here!

1. Use the Cookie Crumbs as a Topping

The easiest way to use broken or crumbled cookies is as a topping. Depending on how crumbled your cookies are, you may not even have to do any extra steps to use your cookies in this way besides transferring them on top of what you’re topping.

If, however, your cookies are crumbled, but they are still in relatively big pieces, then you may find that you want to break them down some more.

Broken Cookies On Top Of Ice Cream
Broken Cookies On Top Of Ice Cream!

When I use my crumbled cookies as a topping for hard ice cream, I prefer to have smaller cookie crumbles so that my dessert is easier to eat. To do this, I place the cookies I want to crumble into a freezer bag and hit them with a rolling pin.

Cookies give the ice cream a great crunchy texture!

If you do not have a rolling pin, then you can use another hard or sturdy object to crush the cookies. If you have a food processor, you can also follow the instructions of your processor to crumble your cookies using that method as well.

When using crumbled cookies as a topping for soft-serve ice cream, I prefer to use larger cookie chunks if I have them.

Ice cream isn’t the only sweet that’s made better by topping it with ice cream. I’ve used crushed cookies as a topping on cakes, pies, and shakes.

2. Use Cookie Crumbs to Form a Crust

You can do more than just top pies with cookie crumbs. You can also use the crumbs to make the crust of your pies too. While graham crackers are typically used to make pie crusts, you don’t have to narrow yourself down so narrowly.

I’ve used chocolate chip, peanut butter, and other types of cookies as the base of my pies and cheesecakes on numerous occasions, and the process to do so isn’t much different from using the traditional graham crackers.

The key to using cookie crumbs to form a crust is to crush your cookies as finely as possible. The reason you want to crush your cookies finely is so that your crust will stay together. This is easier to do with cookies that don’t have any mix-ins like peanut butter cookies.

The mix-ins in chunky cookies can be harder to crush if you don’t have a processor!

*Side Note: I can’t go a day without using my Food Processor in my kitchen. They are great for anything from making pie dough to crushing walnuts! I use the Cuisinart Elemental 8-Cup Food Processor that you can check out on Amazon!

Once your cookies are crushed into small pieces, then your next step is just to mix them with some butter. This will get your cookie crumbs to mold together.

After that, your final step is just to press your cookie crust into your pan, and once your cookie crust is set, then you can proceed with adding in your filling.

3. Make Baked Cookie Cups

To make this delicious dessert. You just have to line a cupcake tin similar to how you would a pan when making a pie crust.

Like in the steps above for using cookie crumbs to form a pie crust, to make this dessert, you need to crush your cookies into fine pieces and then mix them with butter.

When the pieces stick together and you can mold them freely, then you need to transfer enough of your crust mix into your individual muffin crevices and be sure to mold the crusts onto the sides as well. Your goal is to shape the crust into a little cup.

Once your cookie cups are molded, then you want to bake them in the oven at 350°F (176°C) until your cookie cups are gently crispy on the outside but still soft and chewy on the inside.

Depending on the type of cookies you are using to make your cookie cups, you may need to bake your cups for about 10 to 14 minutes.

Once your cookie cups are fully baked to your liking, then take them out of the oven and let them cool. Once cooled to your liking, you can then fill your cookie cups with whatever you want.

I like to fill mine with ice cream topped with homemade whipped cream and a cherry on top!

I recently wrote an article breaking down How To Make Cookies Out of Cake Batter Step-by-Step. It talks about all you need to know about Making Cookie Dough Out Of Cake Batter! You can check out this article here!

4. Blend Crumbled Cookies into a Milkshake

If you have a blender, milk, and ice cream on hand, then you can blend your crumbled cookies into a yummy milkshake.

Making a broken cookie milkshake is one of my favorite things to do since adding the cookies will make the milkshake tastes like cookies and cream ice cream! (My favorite type of ice cream!)

In order to make the perfect shake, you’ll need a great blender! I’ve owned a Nutribullet Blender for years and can’t live a day without it. I have the 24 Ounces, 600 Watt Nutribullet and it will work great for making shakes! You can check out this Blender on Amazon!

Crumbled Cookie Milkshake
Crumbled Cookie Milkshake!

As an added bonus, you can sprinkle any leftover crumbled cookies on top of the milkshake as well!

5. Make Broken Cookies into Nanaimo Bars

This is a delicious no-bake dessert option that is worth its effort to make it. This traditionally Canadian treat is made up of three parts:

  • A base that’s made with cookie crumbs and chocolate
  • A middle layer that’s a custard-flavored icing
  • A top layer of a chocolate coating

To make this dessert, you can substitute your crushed cookies to replace the graham crackers that are typically used to make this fudge-like treat.

*Side Note: I’m surprised at how many people don’t know what a Cookie Swap is. I recently wrote an article that explains exactly What Is A Cookie Swap and How To Host One For Your Holidays!

6. Use Cookie Crumbs to Rim a Glass

While sugar or salt are often used to rim a glass. You can use cookies too. To rim a glass with cookie crumbs, you first need to crush your cookies into finer pieces. Next, coat the rim of your glass with melted chocolate, caramel, or nut butter.

Once the rim of your glass is coated with your sticky substance of choice, then you’re going to have to work fast. Quickly coat the rim of your glass with your cookie crumbs before your melted coating dries.

Crumbled Broken Cookies
Crumble The Cookies For Them To Stick To The Glass!

You can add the cookie crumbs to the rim of your glass by manually placing them if the pieces are big enough or by turning your glass upside and dipping it into a pile of your cookie crumbs if they are fine enough.

It is important to make sure that the melted coating you use to rim your glass isn’t too runny to ensure it stays in place on your glass.

7. Use Crumbled Cookies as Dirt for a Mississippi Mud Pie

If you have dark-colored broken or crumbled cookies, then you can crush or process them into fine pieces to use as dirt in your favorite Mississippi mud pie recipe.

I usually put the leftover crumbled cookies into a small ziplock bag, take out all the air from the bag, and begin to crush it using a rolling pin. Doing so will help the cookies turn into the real dirt-like texture that is required in a Mississippi mud pie.

Make sure not to overuse the rolling pin since you can turn the cookie dirt into cookie powder!

For this, I usually use a Classic Wooden Rolling Pin. I came across this rolling pin on Amazon and it works great for all my rolling needs since the handles stay in place when you roll it. This makes it so much easier to roll the pin!

8. Use Crumbled Cookies as a Mix-In

You can mix your crumbled cookies into your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt to add an extra bit of texture and taste to your favorite frozen treat.

In my opinion, you can add cookie crumbs to almost any dessert recipe!

Broken and Crumbled Cookies
Crush Them Even Smaller When Needed!

9. Make Chunk Cookies

My favorite way to use my broken or crumbled cookies is to make even better-tasting cookies.

To make chunk cookies, you first need to preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Then, in a mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar until they are well blended.

Next, add in vanilla extract and eggs, followed by your cookie crumbs. At this point, slowly blend in a sifted mix of flour, baking soda, and salt. Now, add in your slightly bigger cookie chunks, and then place your dough in your refrigerator for about an hour.

After taking out your dough, roll it into multiple balls and place them on your baking sheet. Bake your chunk cookies for about 12 to 15 minutes.

*By the way, I recently wrote an article about Why Your Cookies Might Not be Spreading. This article speaks about all the reasons your cookies will remain in a ball instead of spreading into a cookie shape. You can check out this article here!

To Summarize…

There are a lot of ways you can use broken and crumbled cookies. My go-to if I don’t make chunk cookies is just to use them as a topping or mix-in because that requires the least effort and still results in a tasty treat. Either way, you decide to use your broken cookies, make sure you don’t let any single crumb go to waste!

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Fainna

My name is Fainna! I've been baking desserts ever since I was 10 years old with my grandma passing her baking wisdom down to me with every passing day. I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful here at my little Baking Nook!

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