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
Truly perplexed why this is a 4.8 recipe instead of a 5. It’s INCREDIBLE. The best cookie cake I’ve ever had and will ever continue to make. Nothing else comes close!
I know it’s supposed to be a cookie cake, but it came out particularly cakey (as opposed to the insomnia cookies “cake,” which is chewy and moist). I prefer my cookies like the latter. Next time, would probably add less flour and bake for less time.
Hi! This looks amazing! I am hoping to use this recipe for a 12inch pan- should I double the recipe? How would this effect baking time? Thanks!
Hi Huck! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes. Otherwise you may enjoy our cookie pizza recipe. Enjoy!
I have made this for my twins’ birthdays going on three years in a row. Another awesome variation is you can make the recipe into cupcakes pretty easily – just shorten the cook time! Appeases both of my kids in different ways.
Hello. My daughter is currently baking this and she added 1 cup of butter instead of 3\4 cups. Will this change the cake or bake time?
Hi Cassie! It’s hard to say exactly what will happen, the cookie cake may taste a little greasy but the bake time shouldn’t change much. Hope you still love it!
Have made this several times-always delicious! I have several to make for Father’s Day-will this recipe be ok to double and split into 2 pans? I would think so, but just want to be sure.
Hi Leah, absolutely!
I was so excited to make this for my son’s birthday cookie cake after reading the reviews and always loving everything from this blog….. this was a flop. I followed everything to a tee, it came out beautifully!- when it was time to eat….. it was just okay, honestly cookie dough in a roll would have been better. I’m so bummed.
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to get started making this cake!
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! I was not expecting that!
I have just two more questions: Should I spray down the glass pie dish with nonstick spray or is that only with metal dishes? And do you have a preferred nonstick spray?
Thanks again for your help!
Hi Gunter, We do use nonstick spray, even on glass pans. Any nonstick spray will work!
Hello, I am trying to bake this cake and there is something I do not understand. On the recipe it says to use a pan to cook the cake in, but in your video (0:33) there does not seem to be a pan, just a glass mixing bowl. Is that what you put in the oven? I am just very confused. This recipe looks delicious, and I really want to make it.
Thank you very much
Hello! You can bake this cookie can in a pie dish or a cake pan – in the video tutorial we used a glass pie dish. Hope you enjoy it!
I have this in the oven as we speak – curious if it can be frozen as I was just asked to delay bringing it to the recipient by a few days- has anyone baked and frozen?
Hi Sylvia! Yes, you can definitely freeze this cookie cake for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
I loved this recipe so much
Hi! I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I want to bring it to a friends party this weekend but some people have egg allergies. Is it possible to get rid of the egg? Or is there any substitutes other than a flax egg? Hope someone can help!
Hi Isabella, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you do give anything a try. If you’re interested, here are all of our naturally egg-free recipes.
I’m not sure if this was asked, are you able to bake this in a disposable pan? Thanks in advance!!
Absolutely!
I am wanting to try this in a 10 inch pan. Would doubleing the recipe and then splitting it into 3 cookie cakes work? Im assuming they will be a bit thicker but that is ok with me 🙂
Hi Sally! I’ve made this cookie cake before and for some reason it sunk in the center and was super underbaked… Do you have any tips to avoid this in the future? I’m thinking about making this again for my brother’s birthday and also was wondering if I could substitute Reese’s Pieces for half of the chocolate chips. He’s a serious peanut butter lover! I also wondered if your Peanut Butter Frosting might pair well in place for the chocolate buttercream 🙂
Hi Sarah! Sounds like your cookie cake was simply underbaked – make sure to use a toothpick to test for doneness! Reeces pieces would be delicious, and peanut butter frosting would be fantastic as well. You may also love this peanut butter skillet cookie. Happy baking!
I experimented with this recipe to get ready for my granddaughters upcoming birthday. I baked until done as tested with a toothpick. It resulted in a very crunchy cookie. The photo and video appear to show a soft, moist cookie. What did I do wrong? Thank you?
Hi Elisa! 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!
Can you bake this in a throw away aluminum pizza pan? Thanks!
Hi Tabitha, absolutely. You can bake this in a 9 inch aluminum pan. Enjoy!
Are you able to make these up in advance? And if so how would you store them so that they stay fresh?
Hi Holly, absolutely. Cookie cake remains fresh covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I just made in a heart-shape baking pan for my grand-daughter birthday tomorrow. Looks amazing!! I hope it is as good as it looks. Does not look as soft. Looks a little crumbly, I think. We shall see tomorrow. Thanks a bunch!!
I made this but opted for Chocolate Ganache instead of Chocolate Buttercream. It was the best decision ever!
Can this be made ahead and either refrigerated or frozen for a couple of days (after baking it)?
I want to make this in 4” pans. How many will this recipe make? Thanks!!
Hi Gina! I’m sure this recipe would yield around 4 cookie cakes that size. I’m unsure of the best bake time.
Can you make this cookie dough ahead of time put it in the fridge for 1-2 days before baking?
Definitely! The bake time will be slightly longer. Hope you love it!
Can I replace the eggs with applesauce or Greek yogurt? My son is allergic to eggs and I’m nursing so no eggs for us.
Hi Blossom, we haven’t tested any egg substitutes in this cookie cake. A “flax egg” might be a suitable replacement – let us know what you try!
We use Vegg as our egg replacer. It’s fantastic in this recipe!
I have not made this yet, but wanted to bake it in a jelly roll pan. Do you think I should double the recipe or recipe and a half?
Hi Teresa, We haven’t tested it in that size, but if it’s a 10×15 inch pan doubling recipe should work. Let us know what you try!
Wanted to see if anyone has had any luck with this! I need to double for my son’s birthday.
Thanks!
Hi Sally! Could this be made in a “Springform” pan, or would the butter leak?
Hi Renee, A 9 inch springform pan should work just fine here.
Hello, I made this cake twice, and it was delicious. However, both times I had a problem with the cake becoming depressed in the middle, and higher on the sides. What could I be doing to cause this? I did not change anything about the recipe. Thank you!
Hi Maya, It’s completely normal for the middle to sink a bit more than the edges, you can really see how ours turns out in the video. It’s an easy fix with some frosting along the edges!
I’m planning to try this recipe today- you mentioned a video, but I’m not seeing it. I’ve looked all through the post several times. I see some ads, but no video of the recipe being made. Am I missing it??
Hi Amy! It’s closer to the top of the post, under the heading “Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Video.”
Hi, what’s the difference between this and your chocolate chip cookie pizza?? I’m hoping to make a DIY cookie cake kit to decorate for Valentine’s day and I just wondered if there was a major difference between these two recipes before I decide which one to try!!
Hi Rochelle, give this recipe a try for what you’re looking for. You’ll bake this in a cake pan or pie dish rather than a pizza pan. Let us know how it turns out!
Hi Michelle, I was hoping to shape it like a heart. I was thinking of cutting it out and baking it on a sheet pan because I don’t have a heart cake pan. Do you think that would still work?
Yes, that should work!
Great, thank you!!
Hi! If I were to brown the butter and then refrigerate until solid again before using (like in your brown butter cookie recipe), would I need to make any other modifications to this recipe? i.e., add more fat of some kind like milk? I just really love that brown butter flavor lol Thanks so much in advance!
Hi Sam, You can actually use that cookie dough to make a cookie cake (follow the baking directions for this recipe) for a brown butter cookie cake
Okay so would not recommend trying to make this cake with the brown butter recipe.. wasn’t cooked even at 30 mins. I think that browned butter cookie recipe made a larger batch than this cookie cake recipe so either you need a larger cookie cake pan or need to plan on longer cooking time!
Approx. how many people does this serve?
Hi Andrea! It completely depends on how thick you make your slices – You could get 6-8 good sized slices or cut smaller wedges to feed more.
I plan to make this for a birthday but I am considering adding cocoa to “choclatize” the dough. Maybe a 1/4 cup?… In addition to the flour or should I slightly lessen the flour by 1/4 cup?
Hi David! We recommend using our chocolate cookie dough recipe instead. You can use chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips. Same bake time.
This is my go to for all our birthdays. My sons request this cake every year for their birthdays. I make it for my birthday also. Better than any chain cookie place out there. Easy to make also.
Thank you Sally…
I never comment on posts like this (on any website because I rarely find something amazing. HowEVER. I made this for my daughter’s birthday party today because, unfortunately, we live in the middle of nowhere. We are 6 hours away (roundtrip) from the nearest Great American Cookie Company and my daughter wanted a cookie cake for her party. Her little brother is anaphylactic to egg and dairy so we probably couldn’t order from GACC anyway. I doubled this last night (and substituted the egg and egg yolk with 2 flax eggs for my son), flattened it across a large cookie sheet, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. Never made this recipe before. I had MULTIPLE families saying they wanted this recipe; that it is “much better” than our local bakery’s cookie cakes (and this bakery is where everyone goes because their cakes are quite good). This is absolutely delicious. We have made a few different cookie cake recipes, too. This is fabulous and now all 20 kids at the party want cookie cakes
Thanks for writing a review. I’m doing a party with 30 kids and this review was super helpful. I made this cake for my son’s birthday but I will double it for this party! It is so good! Perfect crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.