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 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
Could I cook this on a sheet pan if I double the recipe like a 9×13?
Hi Marina, that should work well, or you might enjoy these M&M Cookie Bars baked in a 9×13-inch pan instead (you can swap the M&Ms for more chocolate chips).
Can I do this with two layers with buttercream in-between? Like just take two cakes, stack them, etc.?
Hi Eleanor, Yes that should work!
Hi Sally! I’ve prepared this recipe three times and it´s delicious. It turnes out great out of the oven but after cooling it always sinks in the middle leaving a crackly-looking top. How could i fix this?
Hi Mariana, that is normal! The buttercream covers it up nicely if you’re decorating.
I have the same experience so I guess we aren’t doing anything wrong. Love the recipe and great taste: so much better than store bought.
Hello! Is brown butter able to be substituted in this recipe? If so, how would I go about that?
Hi Rachel! 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.
Fantastic! Thank you so much!
I would love to make these in individual 4” pans. Any suggestions? Bake time?
Hi Carol, we’re unsure of the exact time needed for small cookie cakes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness; if it comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs, it’s done.
Made this cookie cake for my son’s 4th birthday party and it was a big hit. Absolutely delicious and highly recommend.
Hello! I’m wondering if you can make this ahead of time and freeze it and then defrost it. If so, would you recommend thawing at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight?
Hi Sara, yes, you can freeze the baked cake for up to 3 months. We’d recommend thawing overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Hi! I’ve made this many times before and it’s amazing! Do you think I can get it all ready and bake next day? I want it to be fresh for a bday. Thank you!
Hi Tina! We don’t recommend mixing the wet + dry ingredients and then letting them sit overnight, but you could mix together the dry ingredients and cover, and then do the rest the next day. Or you can bake this cookie cake the night before and leave it tightly covered at room temperature until serving the next day, or you can store in the refrigerator if you prefer and bring back to room temperature before serving.
I’ve made this cake so many times and it’s been a huge success every time! So thank you
Just made it actually and the birthday celebration got cancelled last minute… Have you ever tried to freeze it?
Hi Michal, yes, absolutely! The baked cookie cake will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
There was previously a “Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie” recipe on your website that was baked in a cast iron pan – I can’t find that recipe any more – is it still available somewhere? It was delicious with chocolate and peanut butter chips added in.
Thank you!
Hi Donna, we recently removed that older recipe from the website, but we would be happy to share a copy with you. Just send us an email at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com and we’ll get that to you!
Hi Sally, Diana Summers here!
Question is can I use a 9 inch spring form pan to make this chocolate chip M&M chocolate chip cake? Will also ask in our community forum since my grandson is wanting this for his birthday tomorrow, I’m making it today since I have to work .
Hi Diana, that should be fine, yes. Hope your grandson enjoys it!
Thank you so very much for your response. I’m in the kitchen now in the middle of my prep.
Hi! I was thinking of using half cake and AP flour (1 cup each) for this recipe for a softer texture. Would that work? Thanks!
Hi Bianca, all purpose flour is best for this cookie cake!
Would this recipe work for cookie cake cups (mini cupcake pan)?
Hi AT, absolutely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time. It will be much shorter for mini muffin pans.
Frosted the cake with chocolate buttercream and for a fudgy soft chocolate cookie taste. Lost the chocolate chip cookie vibe but still delicious.
Any idea time and temp for 4 4” heart pans?
Hi Katie, we’re unsure. Let us know how they go!
Hi Sally! How would this work out to roll out and use cookie cutters with? My daughter wants to make heart shaped chocolate chip cookies and I’m wondering if this recipe would hold more shape over a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks!
Hi Delaney! This dough would spread too much. You could try adding mini chocolate chips to our sugar cookie dough, or you could use cookie cutters to cut our hearts from baked cookie bars!
Hi! Would this work in an 8-inch heart cake pan? Thinking of last-minute Valentine’s Day ideas. 🙂
Hi Linsey, this may be just a bit too much dough, but you can fill your pan about half way and then use the leftover dough for a few cookies on the side. Hope you enjoy it!
Ok, I’ll try it! Thanks.
I was reading the recipe and couldn’t find out how much backing powder and cornstarch to put in? Could you help me with this?
Hi Caitlin, To see the full written recipe you can either scroll down until you see it in the light gray box, or use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page to get there faster. You will need 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder). Hope this helps!
Love this cookie cake, my family requests it weekly haha I want to try the chocolate icing BUT can I still leave out for 3 days? Or should I use the icing as i cut individual slices daily?
Hi Candace! The frosting will be fine at room temperature for a few days.
Hi, I noticed the recipe doesn’t have a measurement for granulated sugar but in the video on YouTube granulated sugar was added in. Was granulated sugar taken out of the recipe?
Hi Taylor, you may be thinking of the chocolate chip cookie pizza which uses both brown sugar and white granulated sugar. The recipe here, for the cookie cake, uses only brown.
Ohh! Yes I was.
Another question – is there a difference between mixing your egg in a separate bowl before adding it to the mixture vs adding the whole egg in and then mixing it?
Is this batter enough for a 1/4 sheet cake size pan? Do I need to double or lessen the recipe?
Hi Laura! 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.
But what is the difference? Aside from the sugars what is the difference/distinction between the two recipes? How do they differ in texture and taste?
Hi Katherine, the chocolate chip cookie pizza is flatter and spreads more (white sugar helps with cookie spread), while the cookie cake is thicker and chewier.
I was thinking of making this in a silicone heart shaped pan. Do I need to make any adjustments the time?
Hi Terri, that would depend on the exact size of your pan, but the bake time should be about the same if it’s around 9 inches. Happy baking!
I’ve made this cookie cake for my husband’s birthday for many years in a row, and it is always super delicious, but this latest updated version (updated 11/2025) is the BEST YET. I’d give it 100/10 if I could!
The cake came out perfect baking and cooking wise except for one thing, it wasn’t sweet. Ik brown sugar isnt as sweet as granulated but I didn’t taste any sweetness after the first bite
Could I add in more mix ins? Do you have recommendations on proportions? Trying to make a pecan turtle inspired cake!!
Hi Hannah! You can add any mix-ins you prefer – just keep the total amount to 1 and 1/2 cups.
Sally
What is the function of the cornstarch in this cookie recipe?
Hi Kelley! Cornstarch creates an exceptionally soft and thick cookie cake.
Love and trust your recipes Sally, but my son and I made this for my birthday and it looks great, but it is brick hard and we didn’t even get to make the icing for it yet. I put it in the refrigerator overnight to store, but it was hard even before, so much so we can’t even cut it. I’m hoping that if it comes to room temperature it may soften up, but this may be a complete waste and total loss. Oh well, happy birthday to me.
I’m so sorry that happened, especially on your birthday. That’s incredibly frustrating! If it was already very hard before refrigerating, it does sound like it may have over-baked. Cookie cakes can firm up quickly if left in the oven a bit too long or if the oven runs hot. Letting it come to room temperature should help soften it, and adding the icing can also add moisture. For next time, I’d check it right at the earliest bake time and pull it when the edges are set but the center still looks slightly soft. Thank you for the feedback, it’s helpful!
Any adjustments needed for high altitude? I live in Colorado at 8,600 ft and want to try this cookie cake. Thanks!
Hi Casie, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Can i divide this into 4 inch pans?
We’re sure you could, N! We’re unsure of the baking time needed for smaller cookie cakes.
Did you try the 4 inch pans, did they turn out?
Hi there!
I’m a cookie enthusiast. Can this recipe be chilled for flavor and texture purposes? Most of my cookie recipes are chilled for 24-72 hours and I find the flavor much richer when doing so. I don’t want to risk drying up the dough as I will be making this cookie cake as a gift. Thank you in advance
Hi Giselle, you can chill the dough if desired. Hope it’s a hit!
This didn’t turn out at all for me. A 9 inch pan was far too small and completely overflowing with the dough. It spilled all over the sides of the pan even after I took 1/3 of the dough out and took twice as long as stated to cook. Very frustrated with the recipe.