M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

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This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is covered in peanut butter M&Ms to make a super fun basketball dessert! This easy cake recipe is perfect for players and fans alike!

If you’re a fan of cookie cakes, you have to try my Rocky Road Cookie Cake too!

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake slice on a plate

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

One of my least favorite things is doing dishes. There are always so many of them. Dishwashers are a wonderful thing, but then there’s the sorting of the silverware as you take it out of the holder. Not my favorite. Yes, I know I’m sounding very lazy, but it’s the truth. The silverware can sometimes still be wet so then there’s drying involved. I mean, really.

And the hubs really doesn’t like dishes or emptying the dishwasher. In fact, he purposely avoids it. I finally asked him why he hated it so much the other day and he said it was the silverware sorting. Clearly a solution was needed for both of us.

So the hubs came up with a super useful idea. Of course as soon as he told me he had a great idea that would make emptying the dishwasher better, I immediately was afraid. Surely it would be some crazy thing that actually was more work than help.

But I was wrong. Maybe you’ve already thought of it, but if not, it will change your life. Wait for it…sort the silverware as it goes into the dishwasher.

I know, it’s a crazy breakthrough.

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake on a plate
M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with a slice removed

But seriously, why had we not thought of that before?! We have 5 slots in our silverware holder and 5 types of silverware – big and little forks, big and little spoons and knives. Now we put them in their appropriate slot as we fill the dishwasher and now emptying it is a breeze! It’s genius, I tell you!

Seriously, if you are like us and have never thought of this before, you have to do it. It saves at least 3 minutes of sorting time and over a year that’s probably several hours of your life you get back. Just sayin.

And now we like emptying the dishwasher so much, we fight over who gets to do it! Who knew?!

Ok that last part is a total lie. But I’m sure you knew that already. Who argues over emptying the dishwasher? Nobody.

We will, however, argue over the last piece of a cookie cake. We decided to be nice and split the last piece this time, but I could see a look in his eye when we got down to that piece. Surely he was concocting some new idea to solve our problem that would involve him getting the last piece to himself. 🙂

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake overhead view
M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake slice on a plate

On a more serious note, this basketball cookie cake is so darn cute and easy to make.

I’m not really the biggest basketball fan. When it comes to basketball watching, I’m there for the food. And if I’m going for the food, there should definitely be a tasty dessert. This cookie is perfect.

How to Make This Cookie Cake

The cookie cake itself is super easy to make. I used a springform pan so that it was easy to remove after baking. Once the dough is pressed into the pan, you’ll add the M&Ms in the pattern of a basketball (prior to baking). I used peanut butter, but you could use any kind of M&Ms.

Once important thing to note – you don’t want to over bake the cookie. This should be a nice, soft, chewy cookie. There can be differences in ovens, but you shouldn’t need much more than 20 minutes. The edges will be a little golden. It will probably look a little underdone in the center, but it’ll continue to cook and firm up as it cools. Make sure to let it completely cool in the pan. Because it’s very soft in the center, if you try to move it out of the pan too soon, the center might break. I like to line the bottom of my pan with parchment paper, so I don’t have to worry about it sticking.

Once it’s baked, you can add some icing around the edges and your work is done! Then you can eat it all yourself share it with your friends and watch some basketball. 🙂

Overhead view of M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake next to a slice removed and on a plate
Overhead view of M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Similar Recipes You Might Like

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rocky Road Cookie Cake
Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake
Gooey Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Print
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M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake overhead view close up
Recipe

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes
  • Total Time: 43 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is covered in peanut butter M&Ms to make a super fun basketball dessert! This easy cake recipe is perfect for players and fans alike!


Ingredients

COOKIE CAKE

  • 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 12 oz bag peanut butter M&Ms (or similar size)

VANILLA ICING

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 12 tbsp water
  • yellow and red icing color (or orange, if you have the right shade of orange)

Instructions

COOKIE CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
6. Press the dough evenly into the cake pan.
7. Top cookie dough with M&Ms, using the orange and brown ones to make the pattern of a basketball.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the cake pan, then remove to cake plate.

VANILLA ICING

1. Beat the shortening and butter until smooth.
2. Slowly add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
3. Mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water.
4. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.
5. Add icing color until you get the right shade of orange. I used red and yellow and slowly added it in small amounts. I used a tad more red, than yellow, to get the right shade of orange.

Notes

I had just enough orange and brown M&Ms in my bag. If you get a smaller bag, you might want to get 2 to ensure you have enough of those colored M&Ms.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 589
  • Sugar: 53 g
  • Sodium: 291.8 mg
  • Fat: 32 g
  • Carbohydrates: 71 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Cholesterol: 42.2 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

M&M Basketball Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake collage

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20 Comments
  1. M

    Hi-what amount of salt is needed? It’s in the directions, but not ingredient list. Also, any advise on how to keep the middle from sinking? I made this using equal parts salt & baking soda. It tasted awesome, but my husband said it looked like a deflated basketball 🙁 Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      I used salted butter, so you wouldn’t want to add any additional salt. If you use unsalted, then I’d add about 1/2 tsp salt. The cookie does have raised edges after baking and cooling.

  2. shawn

    be on the lookout for halloween colored m&ms so you also don’t have to sort those! go the day after halloween when candy is half price and stock up. (mom trick for any holiday so you have what you need for baking projects or chore bribes, um, incentives, all year long.) you’re welcome. 🙂

  3. Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel

    this reminds me of cookie dough so much. i love that you made a basketball out of the candies, its really clever.

  4. Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction

    You just changed my dishwashing experience! Why have I never thought of that?! Love this cookie cake! So fun!

  5. Tanya+Schroeder

    I totally admit, it never occurred to me to sort silverware as it goes in! Ah I’m totally doing that. This cookie cake is too good! It is so good,that I know I would spend more time with my eye on this cake than any basketball game!

  6. Julianne @ Beyond Frosting

    I totally use emptying the dishwasher as a bargaining chip. But then I have to spend 15 minutes moving all the dishes that were put away in the wrong spots. Love this cookie cake, it’s pure genius!

  7. Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures

    Delicious! The next time I watch a basketball, I want a big slice of this cookie! Thanks for the dish washing tip too 🙂

  8. Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes)

    Ok I am such a big basketball fan so I am all the way in love with this. I seriously need to make this for the playoffs.

  9. heather @french press

    my son is going to love this cake – and that sorting thing…pure genius! I never would have thought o do that

  10. Diane

    Although sorting your silverware when putting it into the dishwasher seems like a great idea, you may find that the individual pieces “nest” together and don’t get completely clean. Sorry to rain on your parade.

    Your cookie cake looks like another winner!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I’ve actually had that happen without sorting the silverware, so I’m always on the lookout. 🙂 Thanks Diane!

  11. Johlene@FlavoursandFrosting

    Love the colors of this cookie cake Lindsay! ps. I dont understand why you scratched out the part where you said you can eat it all by yourself? 😉 🙂

  12. Mir

    That’s kind of fascinating. I must be an automatic pre-sorter, because I’ve always done that. I also load my groceries onto the checkout belt sorted by freezer, perishables (meat, then fish, then dairy, then veggies/fruits) and boxed/packaged items. Maybe I’m just a total weirdo. But then everything is together in the bags and it’s easier to put it all away.
    Okay, so here’s a new favorite. I am in love here. And not just because it’s cute. It’s PEANUT BUTTER and cute. I’d be fighting over this one!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      omg, such a great idea at check out! It’d be especially interesting for me, since I pretty much always have two separate orders (personal and blog). 🙂

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29