This thick, chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is the perfect treat to celebrate a special occasion or just an ordinary day of the week! It’s loaded with chocolate chips and decorated with frosting and the cutest sprinkles. Festive, incredibly easy to make, and oh so delicious, it’s guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Possibly the only thing better than a batch of chocolate chip cookies is one giant chocolate chip cookie topped with frosting and sprinkles! It takes everything you love about a classic cookie and turns it into a celebration-worthy centerpiece. Baked in a heart shaped pan, it feels extra cute without requiring any extra effort.
Making a cookie cake is just like making most cookie recipes, except you don’t have to chill the dough or scoop it out one by one. Simply press and spread the dough into your pan of choice and bake. The edges turn perfectly golden while the center stays soft and chewy, giving you that dreamy cookie texture in every slice. Because it’s baked as one giant cookie, you get thick, bakery-style bites that feel extra indulgent.
Every forkful is packed with melty chocolate tucked into a rich, buttery dough. The chewiness is next-level, thanks to the perfect balance of brown sugar and just enough bake time to keep the middle tender. It’s the kind of dessert that disappears fast at parties, and you might want to grab your slice early!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
- The perfect treat for celebrating a special occasion, especially Valentine’s Day! Baked in a heart-shaped pan and topped with frosting and sprinkles, it instantly feels festive and fun without any complicated decorating required.
- You can easily customize the texture to your liking. Slightly underbake it for an ultra-chewy, gooey center, or bake it a bit longer if you prefer a softer, more cake-like bite. Either way, the edges turn beautifully golden while the middle stays rich and satisfying.
- It’s basically a GIANT chocolate chip cookie. It tastes just like your favorite classic cookie (buttery, sweet, and loaded with chocolate chips), but on a grander, more shareable scale. Add a swirl of creamy frosting and a handful of colorful sprinkles on top, and you’ve got a dessert that looks as good as it tastes.
- It’s also incredibly easy to make. No chilling the dough, no scooping individual cookies. Just press the dough into the pan and bake. It slices beautifully, serves a crowd, and makes any day feel a little more special. Need I say more?
INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES
Flour – Regular All purpose flour is all you need.
Leavening Agent – This recipe uses baking powder to help the cookie dough rise up nicely and make the texture soft.
Salt – To balance the flavor!
Vanilla – A little bit of vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.
Butter – I like to use unsalted butter, but salted butter works too for the cookie dough. Make sure it’s soft at room temperature before you begin.
Heavy Cream – You’ll need this to make the buttercream. This can be substitute with half and half, whole, 2% or skim milk
Sugar – This recipe uses 3 types of sugar. Regular granulated sugar, brown sugar (light or dark), and powdered sugar.
Egg – You’ll only need one large egg! This is the binding agent for your cookie dough.
Chocolate Chips – Choose your favorite chocolate chips! Semi-sweet, milk, or dark works perfectly, but I’d suggest semi-sweet so it’s not too sweet.
Sprinkles – I hate sprinkles inside my cookies, but they’re cute! So, just a lil sprinkles on top of the cookie! This is totally optional.
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
8-inch heart cake pan or 6-inch round cake pan
Electric mixer (hand held or stand mixer)
Mixing bowls
Rubber spatula
Piping bag
Piping tip
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
(Be sure to check the printable recipe card below)
Cookie Dough:
187g (1+1/2 cups, spoon and level method) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
141g (1+1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
110g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
66g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
85g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips
sprinkles, optional
Simple Frosting:
113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanillla extract
a little pinch of salt
240g (2 cups) powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
gel food coloring, optional
STEP 1 – Make the Cookie Cake
Grease an 8-inch heart shaped pan (or a 6-inch round cake pan) with softened butter, making sure to get into all the details and crevices. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.
Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Switch to a silicone spatula and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan and add sprinkles on top (oe extra chocolate chips). Bake on the middle rack for about 20–23 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Remove from the oven and allow the cookie cake to cool completely in the pan before decorating or attempting to remove it.
STEP 2 – Make the Frosting
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Add the powdered sugar in two additions, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
Gradually add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. The frosting should be light, fluffy, and easily spreadable (or pipeable). Frost the top of the cooled cookie cake as desired.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
- Don’t overmix the dough. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cookie cake tough instead of soft and chewy. You want that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
- When measuring the flour, make sure to spoon and level the flour into your measuring cup. Do not scoop and pack the flour. By doing this, you will yield too much flour and make the batter dry. 1 cup flour = 125 grams.
- Press the dough evenly into the pan. Take a minute to spread the dough into an even layer, especially if you’re using a heart-shaped pan with curves and corners. This helps it bake evenly so you don’t end up with overbaked edges and an underbaked center.
- Let it cool completely before frosting. If the cookie cake is even slightly warm, the frosting will melt and slide right off. Patience pays off here.
- Use room-temperature butter! Softened (not melted!) butter will give you that smooth, fluffy frosting that pipes beautifully. It’s also mix so well with other ingredients when you make the dough.
- Have fun with the decorating! I like to pipe a simple border around the edges, and add extra sprinkles in the center.
HERE’S HOW TO STORE THE LEFTOVERS
- If the cookie cake is not frosted, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil.
- If your frosting contains a lot of cream or you simply prefer to refrigerate it, you can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure it’s well covered so it doesn’t dry out or absorb fridge odors. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to soften the cookie cake.
- Yes, you can freeze it! For best results, freeze the cookie cake unfrosted. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter before decorating. If already frosted, freeze it uncovered for about an hour until firm, then wrap carefully with plastic wrap.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
This thick, chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is the perfect treat to celebrate a special occasion or just an ordinary day of the week! It’s loaded with chocolate chips and decorated with frosting and the cutest sprinkles. Festive, incredibly easy to make, and downright delicious, it’s guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 187g (1+1/2 cups, spoon and level method) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 141g (1+1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 110g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 66g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 85g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips
- sprinkles, optional
Simple Frosting:
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanillla extract
- a little pinch of salt
- 240g (2 cups) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
STEP 1 - Make the Cookie Cake
- Grease an 8-inch heart shaped pan (or a 6-inch round cake pan) with softened butter, making sure to get into all the details and crevices. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined.
- Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Switch to a silicone spatula and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan and add sprinkles on top (or extra chocolate chips).
- Bake on the middle rack for about 20–23 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookie cake to cool completely in the pan before decorating or attempting to remove it.
STEP 2 - Make the Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar in two additions, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- The frosting should be light, fluffy, and easily spreadable (or pipeable). Frost the top of the cooled cookie cake as desired.