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Not a big fan of traditional cake? Try celebrating with a chocolate chip cookie cake instead! Top this big, chewy cookie with your favorite frosting and sprinkles to make any occasion special.
Back in the day when you’d go to the mall and walk around with your friends while snacking on an orange julius and a cinnabon, there was a store that sold these big cookie cakes.
These things were massive and were decorated for any and every holiday, sports team, and celebration you could think of.
Making this chocolate chip cookie cake totally reminded me of those.
This homemade cookie cake might not be as enormous as those were, but it is sweet and chewy and so fun and easy to decorate. So it might actually be better!
Celebrate with a big, chewy cookie cake
I love a good piece of cake, whether it’s a slice of the best chocolate cake or classic vanilla cake.
But I know not everyone is a big fan of cake. There are plenty of people who would rather have a cookie than a slice of cake. If you’re that person, this chocolate chip cookie cake is for you.
It took me a couple of tries to get this one right. You can’t really just take the dough from your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and toss it into a cake pan and call it a day.
But I finally cracked it. The cookie is thick and chewy and everything you love about regular chocolate chip cookies in a sliceable form.
Top this big ol’ cookie with your favorite frosting and sprinkles and it’s perfect as a birthday cake or for graduation parties, game day, baby and bridal showers, or just because!
I don’t think there’s a single celebration that couldn’t be made better with this cookie cake.
How to make a chocolate chip cookie cake
If you like making cookie bars because of how hands-off they are, you’ll like making this chocolate chip cookie cake recipe, too.Â
Ingredients you’ll need
For this recipe, you will need:
- ¾ cup melted unsalted butter
- ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
A combination of melted butter and brown sugar help make the cookie super chewy. If you’re out of brown sugar, make a quick and easy brown sugar substitute to use instead.Â
And make sure to check out my tips on how to soften brown sugar if yours hardened in the pantry.
Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Getting this step right will help your cookie cakes to come out perfect every time!
You can use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in this recipe. You could even use dark chocolate chunks if you want to make it feel a little more fancy!
Honestly, the cookie is so good that frosting and sprinkles are optional. But they’re always a fun addition for an extra celebratory flair!
Making this cookie cake
We are going to use a 9-inch springform pan for this recipe. This will make it easier to remove the cookie from the pan after baking.
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick spray.
To make the cookie dough, beat the melted butter and both sugars with a mixer for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for 1 more minute.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Add the chocolate chips and mix just until they are evenly dispersed throughout the dough.
Pat the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan. Cover and chill the cookie for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Bake the cookie at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the center appears to be set.Â
If you’d like, you can sprinkle the top with a bit of flaky salt when you take the cookie out of the oven.
Let the chocolate chip cookie cake cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, remove from the pan and decorate as desired.
Storage and freezing
Store the undecorated cookie in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze, wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil, for up to a month.
Once the cookie cake has been decorated, how you store it will depend on the frosting you use.
If you have used a buttercream frosting, it can stay at room temperature as long as your kitchen doesn’t get too hot. If you have used cream cheese frosting or a whipped cream frosting, make sure to store it in the refrigerator.
Decorating ideas
You can use any frosting recipes you want on this chocolate chip cookie cake. I think it’s pretty to use a piping bag to pipe around the edges, but you could add frosting to the whole top of the cake if you like a lot of frosting.
You can also use small piping tips to write on the top of the cake.
If you don’t want to make your own frosting, feel free to use your favorite store-bought frosting!
I like to add sprinkles to make the cookie cake extra cute. Rainbow sprinkles are always fun for a birthday party, but use specific colors for different occasions.
You could even use sprinkles in your school or team colors for a graduation party or game-day dessert.
Have fun and make this one your own!
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Line the bottom of (1) 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Add on the sides of the pan and clamp to secure. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat melted butter and sugars on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.
¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add in chocolate chips and mix until evenly incorporated throughout the cookie dough.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, 1 ½ cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
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Evenly pat the dough into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
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When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the cookie cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the cookie appears to be firm and set. If desired, top with a little flaky sea salt.
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Allow the cookie cake to cool completely on a cooling rack before removing from the pan and decorating as desired with frosting and sprinkles.
frosting and sprinkles
Slightly adapted from allrecipes.
Serving: 1slice (unfrosted), Calories: 383kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 250mg, Potassium: 178mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 386IU, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
