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
Would this work on a 12-14 inch pizza pan? Assuming it would need lesser time. I looked at the conversion chart and didn’t see it mentioned.
Hi Annette, absolutely. This cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for scaling.
Pretty tasty and not too sweet! I used 70% chocolate.
I’m so confused. I have had this pin saved for years…for the Smores Pie. Why has this recipe entirely changed? Do you still have that recipe available? My pinned picture reflects the correct dessert but the actual recipe does not. Thanks!
Hi Heather, are you looking for this s’mores brownie pie?
Can you use a fluted pan with a removable bottom?
Hi Judith, that should work.
I scoured the internet for a decent cookie cake recipe to make for my daughters birthday, and I should have known to just start here! I can always depend on this site to have something reliable and delicious!
Would it be possible to brown the butter in this recipe? If so, would I use the same amount of butter, and just let it come to room temperature after browning?
Hi Kait! You certainly could. You’ll need to brown extra butter to make up for the moisture lost in the browning process. You can read more about that in our How to Brown Butter post.
Do you have a chocolate version of this cookie-cake recipe?
Hi Mary, we’d recommend using this chocolate cookie dough instead. You can use any leftover dough for a few cookies on the side. Enjoy!
Came together easily. Delicious beyond words. Made the buttercream- yummy creamy chocolate goodness. My family and friends gave rave review. Will definitely make this again. Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
Came together easily. Delicious beyond words. Made the buttercream- yummy creamy chocolate goodness. My family and friends gave rave review. Will definitely make this again. Thank you Sally for another great recipe.
Meg says:
June 5, 2025
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Good morning
I read 1 of the reviews about using 6” cake pan you responded to use the full recipe the rest for cookies
How far up should I fill the 6” cake pan
Thx
Hi Meg! Around 1/2.
Made this tonight for my daughter’s 17th birthday. She requested a cookie cake and I knew you’d have a recipe we’d all love so I came searching and there it was! It was so good! Rich, soft, chocolatey and so delicious! Love all of your recipes I’ve made! Always a hit and this one was no different!
Just made this and it is so good. I put it in a pie dish, and it worked great.
Would this work as a skillet cookie using a cast iron skillet? Also, I thought there is a layered version of a chocolate chip cookie cake I saw on your website?
Hi Aly, you can use a cast iron skillet for this recipe. Same oven temperature and about the same bake time. And here is our chocolate chip cookie layer cake!
Would you double the recipe to make a half sheet tray? 18X13 sheet tray.
Hi Jenny, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
My grandson likes cookie cake for his birthday on fathers day. How much dough would i need to make a cookie in a full cookie sheet?
Hi Toni, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions. Hope this cookie cake is a hit for your grandson’s birthday if you give it a try!
Looks great, my kids will love this. Would a spring form pan work or is the pie dish key to the success?
Hi Amanda, We haven’t tried it, but it should work just fine in a 9-inch springform pan.
Hello! How does this recipe differ from the Skillet Cookie baked in a 10″ cast iron pan? Will this still work if I use the cast iron for this dough? Cant wait to try this one! Thanks!
Hi Lauren, the M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet yields just a bit more dough. However, you can use this cookie cake dough in a skillet too—it still yields a nice, thick cookie!
Hello! Question, would it be ok if I brown the butter?
Hi Sarah, yes! You will need softened butter for these cookies; if you brown the butter, you’ll need to wait for it to solidify before using in this recipe. We also recommend adding a couple Tbsp of milk or cream to the dough to make up for the loss of moisture that occurs when browning the butter, otherwise the cookie cake might taste dry. Or you could simply start with an extra 2 Tbsp butter before browning to end up with the right amount for the dough. Hope this helps!
I baked this last year for my teenager’s birthday and baking it again this year! I made a double batch and spread it out as evenly as possible in a standard cookie sheet pan. It yielded a generous thickness. I made a simple buttercream recipe to pipe stars on the border and wrote Happy Birthday. I am not the greatest at decorating cakes but this recipe was such a hit with the teens and adults. Word of advice: follow this recipe down to the letter. I left in for longer so it would brown more and it made it a bit hard in my opinion.
Hello would I double this recipe for a 10×15 jelly roll pan ?
Hi April, here’s everything you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Can the cookie dough made in advance overnight and kept in the fridge and bake the next day? If yes how long the cookie dough needs to stay at room temperature the next day before baking? Thanks
Hi Helina, You can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator overnight. The bake time may be a few minutes longer. Hope it’s a hit!
AMAZING
Delicious!!! Made this cookie cake today and topped with Sally’s Chocolate Buttercream. Everything turned out great. The only thing I changed was I used a 9″ springform pan and a small 4/7″ glass pan to use all the batter. You can make it in just the 9″ but it will be thick. This is definitely a must try recipe. So happy that I stumbled upon it.
I LOVE this recipe and wanted to see if you thought I could use this recipe for the mini chocolate chip cups you make in the mini muffin tins?
Hi Dana, yes, absolutely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time.
This recipe is for a deep dish cookie cake. I followed the recipe to a tee, useing a 9in spring form pan and pressing the dough evenly into the pan. The cake ended up being 1.25″ tall. Use a bigger pan or divide the dough for a traditional, thinner cookie cake.
I used dark brown sugar and the result was not as light as her picture or video. Use light brown sugar (maybe even half white sugar?) for a result like the picture.
What can I substitute the egg & egg yolk with due to an egg food allergy?
Hi Trina, we don’t have much experience with egg-substitutes in baking, so we’re unsure of what would work best here. We’d do a quick search online to see what others might recommend. Here are all of our naturally egg-free recipes if you’re interested in browsing.
We deal with an egg allergy here too and I have found that Bobs Red Mill egg replacer is the best for baking! I use it in all of my recipes (including those from here) and it tastes almost the same and rises well. I would probably just halve the amount needed for the egg yolk part. Two tips – whisk well when you’ve added water to the replacer. And make sure to let it sit for a minute or so before adding to the mixer.
I broke my spatula making this cookie cake, but definitely worth it!
I made this for a picnic and it was the first desert gone! this cookie cake recipe is easy to follow and fun to make. I definitely recommend!
Question: If I double this recipe, would it work in a 9×13 pan? Needed it to serve more people
Hi Jan! Here’s our chocolate chip cookie bars baked in a 9×13 pan (you can sub more chips for M&Ms).
If I wanted to make this into a rectangle 1/4 sheet cake or 1/2 sheet cake, how much would I need and would I need to adjust baking time and temp?
Hi Maggie! A quarter sheet cake is 9×13 – you could use this cookie bar recipe (baked in a 9×13) instead! You can use all chocolate chips instead of some M&Ms.