Indulgent chocolate chip cookie cake is soft in the center, chewy on the edges, studded with chocolate chips, and decorated with chocolate buttercream. This fun dessert comes together quickly—no cookie dough refrigeration or dough shaping needed. This is the perfect (and easy!) cake for cookie lovers.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
One reader, Linda, commented: “Birthday cake? What’s that? This cookie cake is requested for every birthday in my family. I’m making one for my sister today. This has been my go-to recipe for years. And still today the tradition carries on. It’s the perfect cookie cake… the frosting is the perfect addition. Absolutely delicious. This recipe never fails me. ★★★★★”
Today’s chocolate chip cookie cake is adapted from 2 of my most popular cookie recipes loved by bakers around the world: soft chocolate chip cookies and chewy chocolate chip cookies. The result is soft-baked, chewy, chocolatey decadence.
I love baking “giant” cookies that serve only a couple people (looking at you, 1 giant monster cookie and 1 giant snickerdoodle), and this cookie cake is no exception. It’s essentially one really big cookie that feeds a crowd!
You’ll love how quickly and easy this cookie cake comes together. We’ll bake the cookie dough in a pan, so no cookie dough chilling required (just like my soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie bars). Garnished with chocolate buttercream and your favorite toppings, it’s a festive dessert recipe perfect for any celebration.
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Is:
- Soft-baked and chewy, but sturdy enough to eat with a fork
- Quick to make —you don’t have to roll a bunch of individual cookies, and you don’t have to chill the dough
- Baked in a pie dish or cake pan—so it won’t overspread
- Great for small parties or gatherings (serves 8–10)
- Easy to slice and serve
- Topped with the creamiest chocolate buttercream
- Perfect for chocolate chip cookie lovers, and anyone who prefers cookies over cake! (We put together a collection of fun desserts beyond traditional birthday cake!)
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base of this cookie cake.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch creates an exceptionally soft and thick cookie cake. I add it to my soft chocolate chip cookies—and to this cake, too! This soft-baked cookie cake will melt in your mouth.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the cookie cake rise.
- Salt: Salt brings out all the flavors and balances the sweet.
- Butter: Use room-temperature butter (remember it’s cooler than you think). You can use this trick to soften butter quickly or take the butter out of the refrigerator about an hour before you begin.
- Brown Sugar: Skip the granulated sugar and use all brown sugar for an ultra soft and moist cookie cake.
- Eggs: Taking what I learned from my chewy chocolate chip cookies, I use 1 egg and 1 egg yolk for the chewiest cookie cake. The extra egg yolk also adds tenderness and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor. Try homemade vanilla extract!
- Chocolate Chips: This cookie cake is studded with chocolate chips—1 and 1/2 cups (270g) total. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, try using dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips. Or swap half of the chocolate chips for M&Ms like we do in these soft M&M cookie bars.
How to Make It
This cookie cake dough comes together quickly with an electric mixer. Start by creaming the butter and brown sugar, then add the remaining wet ingredients.
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add them to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Finally, add in the chocolate chips.
No Cookie Dough Chilling!
Because we’re baking the cookie dough in a cake pan or pie dish, we don’t have to chill the cookie dough or roll individual cookies. Simply make the cookie dough and spread/press it into your baking dish. It’s really that simple:
The cookie will never overspread because it’s contained in the dish—simple and easy!
By the way, you could absolutely make this cookie cake with the dough from these double chocolate chip cookies. Same bake time as below.
Toppings for Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
While this cookie cake delicious on its own, chocolate buttercream and sprinkles are always a good idea… and turns this giant cookie into a true cake worthy of a celebration!
My favorite chocolate buttercream is far from basic; it’s incredibly creamy, silky, smooth, and rich. Even though it’s wonderfully creamy, it holds its shape beautifully. So it’s perfect for piping even the most intricate designs. I used a simple Wilton 1M tip for today’s cookie cake.
Have fun and get creative with your toppings: instead of chocolate buttercream, try peanut butter frosting, chocolate peanut butter frosting, vanilla buttercream, chocolate ganache, whipped cream, or ice cream.
This is the perfect recipe to make when you’re looking for something just as festive as a birthday cake but a little more exciting than chocolate chip cookies! You could also try my sprinkle-filled sugar cookie cake instead.
Yes! You can follow the same instructions on how to freeze cakes: cool completely, wrap in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the wrapping, then make the frosting fresh the day you plan to serve it.
Absolutely. You can replace some or all of the chocolate chips with M&Ms or mini M&Ms, or try peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, sprinkles… you get the idea!
You can double this recipe, but the layers will be quite thick. Instead, I recommend my chocolate chip cookie layer cake recipe. That recipe uses 6-inch cake pans, but see the recipe Notes if you’d like to use 9-inch pans.
More Favorite Chocolate Chip Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
- Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cake with Ganache Drip
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: one 9-inch cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
One of the best ways to eat a chocolate chip cookie: when it’s the size of a cake! Use this quick and easy homemade cookie dough and bake it in a cake pan or pie dish. No dough refrigeration required! Decorate with optional frosting and sprinkles, and then slice and serve.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (aka cornflour)*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (270g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: chocolate buttercream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the chocolate chips and mix for about 5 seconds or until evenly dispersed.
- Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 22–26 minutes or until the cookie cake is lightly golden brown all over the surface (could be up to 30 minutes, depending on your oven). Use a toothpick to test for doneness; if it comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done. You may want to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to avoid heavy browning around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookie cake is still warm, you can press a few more chocolate chips into the surface of the cake. This is optional and only for looks!
- Once cooled, use a sharp knife or metal spatula to loosen the sides of the cookie cake from the pan and transfer to a serving dish. (Or serve directly from the pan.)
- Make the chocolate buttercream, if using.
- Decorate the cooled cookie cake with frosting. Depending how much frosting you use, you may have some leftover. I used a Wilton 1M tip.
- Cookie cake remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Pie Dish or 9-inch Round Cake Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Tip
- Eggs: Make sure you don’t use 2 full eggs, which will result in a cakey texture—think more of a cake than a cookie. 1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk is best. Room-temperature eggs incorporate evenly into your cookie dough, which guarantees a uniform texture in each bite of the cookie cake. Simply set out the eggs when you set out the butter to come to room temperature. If you forget to set out your eggs ahead of time, place them into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes, then use.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch (aka cornflour) helps thicken the cookie dough and promises a softer cookie cake. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. No need to replace with anything.
- The chocolate buttercream topping is optional. You could also decorate with whipped cream or top with vanilla ice cream.
Reader Comments and Reviews
How can I make this a s’mores cookie cake? The link doesn’t work. Thank you.
Hi Alison, we recently removed that older recipe from the website, but if you send us an email at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com, we’d be happy to share a copy with you. Thank you!
Thank you very much I will do that!
I am using 4” square disposable pans to make mini cookie cakes. I will be making about 30. Will this work, and how many of this recipe will I most likely need? Thank you!!
Hi Joy, This will work, but we’re unsure of the bake time for individual cakes.
I need to make this cookie cake in a 12×12” square pan. I checked your pan conversion chart and there is no 12×12” pan listed. I measured liquid into the pan and it took 8 cups to make it 3/4” high. Eight cups is the same amount that the 8x8x2” pan says on the chart. So the larger pan (even though not going to be a 2” high cookie) seems like it should need more dough. Do you think that I should double the recipe or just make one?
Hi Kathy! The 8 cups measurement for the 8×2 inch square pan is for the WHOLE pan, but you don’t fill it all the way full. Your larger pan will need more cookie dough. We would make a double batch for a 12×12 pan.
Can this be made in a 9 inch springform pan?
Hi TK, We haven’t tried it, but it should work just fine in a 9-inch springform pan.
This is the best cookie cake recipe ever! Now I just need a fantastic buttercream recipe to top it off! Cake tastes just like GACC cookie cake. Absolutely delightful!
Most frequently asked dessert from my kids and neighbors! Plus super easy to throw together. Huge bonus – it’s even better warm with homemade ice cream!
Holy cannoli! I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday because my fiancée has never tried cookie cake. It was the perfect way to celebrate his birthday! I was skeptical at first since it takes no white sugar but I stand corrected! With the buttercream frosting on top, it doesn’t need the sugar. Brown sugar worked fine. I have a gas stove and it cooked perfectly in the 9 inch pan in 30 minutes. I will be using this recipe going forward! Thank you so much! My fiancée loved his very first cookies cake ❤️
Hi Sally,
First, I love this recipe! It is always a hit. My question is, how would I adapt it to make a stacked cookie cake with thinner cookies? Would this recipe work for that type of cookie cake? I want to make an 8 layer stacked cookie cake for a friend’s bday. Thanks!!!
Hi Barbara, check out our Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake recipe!
If I wanted to use this recipe for a 4” pan, how long and at what temperature would you recommend?
Hi LittleRedBakery, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for that size pan (note that you’ll need to use more than one pan for this amount of dough), so keep a close eye on it.
Is it possible to shape the cookie dough on a baking sheet? Or will it spread too much?
Hi Jane, this isn’t the best dough for an intricately shaped cookie, but you may be able to do something simple like a large heart. It will still spread, so you can use a spoon or spatula to help gently re-shape it after it comes out of the oven. Enjoy!
This was absolutely delightful. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 13 inch round pan. I didn’t even need to increase the cook time. When tested with a toothpick it was done after about 20ish minutes. It came out BEAUTIFULLY. It stayed soft and chewy throughout. I will definitely be making this again.
I made this recipe exactly as is, except I split it between two 7″ cake pans and baked at 325 for 30 minutes. After they were done baking and mostly cooled, I took 1/2 cup nutella and 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted them together, and spread in a layer over one of the cakes, still in the pan. Then I took the second cake out and put it on top to form a layer cake. Highly recommend. 🙂
This recipe is delicious!
Birthday cake ? What’s that ? this cookie cake is requested for every birthday in my family. I’m making one for my sister today. This has been my go to recipe for years. And still today the tradition carries on. It’s the perfect cookie cake ..the frosting is the perfect addition. Absolutely delicious. This recipe never fails me. Thank you
So yummy!! I added a 3.4 oz package of vanilla pudding and baked in an 8×2 heart shaped pan for roughly 30 mins!! It was so cute and tasty!!
I made this recipe so many times and for sure it is better than store bought cookie cake. Now I am using a 12 inch pizza pan and I put it in the oven for less time. My only thing every time when I make it I still taste the baking soda. Can I use less baking soda next time or it will ruin the recipe?
Hi Mariam! If you can taste the baking soda, yours may be getting a little old. We would try again with fresh!
Can m&m’s be easily subbed for the chocolate chips? Mini or regular sized? Same amount?
Hi Stephanie, that should be fine! Either size.
Thank you Sally! I’ve made this twice for myhusband’s s and then son’s birthday. It’s a hit.
Can this recipe be increased to fit a larger pan, such as a 12 inch?
Hi Aubrey, absolutely. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling.
I have the same question. I read the cake conversions post. How many cups of batter is the cookie cake? I wasn’t sure if it would be different.
I tried this recipe but it came out a bit dry. The flavor is great! Is it the baking time that makes it dry? Did I leave it in too long? Any tips to make sure that doesn’t happen again?
Hi Cat, it sounds like the cookie cake may have been just slightly over baked. Even just a minute or two can make the cookie seem crunchier. For next time, try a slightly shorter bake time, and also be sure to spoon and level your flour to ensure just the right amount. Otherwise, too much flour could be making its way into your dough and drying it out. Hope this helps!
This recipe was great. I doubled it and put into a larger rectangle pan. These turned thicker than I wanted so next time I may use a larger pan or two smaller ones. The taste was amazing and fun to decorate!
I have a question about subbing the chocolate chips: I’d like to do a white chocolate macadamia cookie cake. Should I do 3/4 cup of each white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts for the 1.5 cup chocolate chips, or is there a better ratio? Thank you!!
Hi Jena, that will work! Keep the total amount of add-ins to about 1.5 cups.
Would chopped up Oreos work in this recipe ?
Hi Julie, absolutely. You could swap some or all of the chocolate chips for chopped Oreos. Keep the total amount of add-ins about the same.
Hi! If I need to make the dough for the cookie cake 2-3 days ahead of time, should I press the dough into the pie dish and cover and refrigerate? Or will the cookie cake not bake the same with the dough chilled?
Thanks!
Hi Rachel, you can absolutely chill the dough. Either chill as a ball or in the pan as you mention. Bake time may be just a minute or two longer. Enjoy!
its so good
This came out perfect for my son’s birthday. I only had a 10” spring form pan, so just watched for cook time which ended up being 15 minutes – perfect chewy cookie texture. My son loved it as his birthday cake. Even good leftover a few days later.
Love this recipe so much! I’ve also used it to make a batch of cookies and they were perfectly gooey and chewy
My second cookie cake in two days is in the oven right now! I made one yesterday to take to work for my husband’s birthday today, and it was gone from the breakroom before lunchtime. We each only got one tiny slice, so I decided to make another one for us to enjoy at home over the weekend. I usually pick up a cookie cake from Great American Cookie or Sam’s Club, but I’ve moved this year and don’t have either option anymore. I don’t know why I’ve never tried to bake one myself until now – it’s SO easy and it tastes SO much better! Paired with the chocolate buttercream, it’s perfection. A coworker even requested one for his birthday next month! I used a 10″ springform pan because it’s all I have, and 15 minutes in the oven is perfect.
Hello! I am looking for a recipe that I can scale up to bake in a 13” x 18” baking sheet. Do you think this would work if I doubled / tripled? Thank you 🙂
Hi Anna, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Okay, so my son and I tried this recipe and it took us literally an hour for the cook time. Not sure why this recipe says 20-25 when our took twice as long. Anyone else have this issue?
Hi Tanya, are you using a smaller dish? (Which would make the cake much thicker.) That’s a very long time for a cookie cake.
This happened to me just now too! The texture in the middle is like pudding. Cooked for 25 minutes and no structure. Triple checked that my pan was the right size too. It seemed like too much in the pie plate but I did everything right so I assumed it would work out.
Hi Hannah, I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out well for you. Did you use a metal 9-inch round cake pan for this, or a glass pie dish? It sounds like it likely needed a little longer to bake. Ovens can vary, and sometimes need to be recalibrated. An oven thermometer can show you whether your 350F is actually 350F. I hope your next bake turns out much better!
hi there! i wanted to try this recipe out as a giant ice cream sandwich and was wondering if the cookie would be too tough if frozen after baking? i see you have an ice cream sandwich recipe, would that be preferred over this one? and i’ll just make one big cookie rather than individual ones? any help would be appreciated!
Hi Francesca, you can use this recipe to make a large ice cream cookie sandwich. Assuming you’re following the recipe as written and baking 2 of them, I recommend slightly underbaking to ensure the large cookies are nice and soft after freezing.
How much of the chocolate buttercream mix do we need from the recipe you’ve linked to to do round the edge?
Hi Justine, a half batch should be fine.