Sheet Pan Cookie Cake

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This thick and chewy Sheet Pan Cookie Cake is loaded with chocolate chips and decorated with a rim of creamy chocolate frosting. It’s an easy goodie that’s guaranteed to be the life of any party – it provides plenty of servings and everyone adores it!

The Best Dessert to Feed a Crowd

I’ve always been a huge fan of cookie cakes. From football tailgating to birthdays, we’ve enjoyed them all my life. And the possibilities are endless! But as fun as it is to play around with different cookie flavors, sometimes all you need is a classic bag of chocolate chips.

This easy sheet pan recipe takes my Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake to the next level of magnitude. It can satisfy lots of cookie lovers with minimal effort required on your part! It’s the perfect party dessert for those who aren’t overly fond of cake.

Nothing can beat the timeless comfort of a chocolate chip cookie paired with the melt-in-your-mouth richness of homemade chocolate buttercream. Anyone who isn’t a fan of frosting can simply grab a center slice! Once you sink your teeth into a piece of this soft and chewy cookie cake, you’ll want to set aside some extra servings just for you.

What You’ll Need

This epic dessert begins with a basic ingredient lineup. Check out the recipe card that follows this post for the full amounts.

For the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

• All-Purpose Flour: Or 1:1 gluten-free flour.
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter: Brought to room temperature.
• Light Brown Sugar: Packed into the measuring cup.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract: You’ll get the best flavor from a high-quality extract.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: While I prefer semi-sweet, you could also use another kind.

For the Chocolate Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter
• Powdered Sugar: If you’re making a gluten-free cookie cake, double-check that your powdered sugar is certified gluten-free.
• Cocoa Powder: Use natural and unsweetened – not Dutch-processed.
• Vanilla Extract
• Heavy Cream: Water or milk works too, but the heavy cream will make for a more creamy consistency.

How to Make Sheet Pan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

You can either use a sheet pan that’s 9 by 13 inches or one that’s 10 by 15 inches. The smaller sheet pan will make your cookie just under an inch thick, while the larger option will yield more servings and make a half-inch thick cookie cake. The same recipe is used for both sizes – the smaller one just takes a touch longer to bake since it’s thicker.

Make the Cookie Cake

Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease the sides of a 9×13-inch or 10×15-inch sheet pan. Place a fitted sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.

Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

Cream Butter & Sugars: Cream the butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until well combined before adding the next.

Add Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and mix just until well combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.

Add Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer Dough to Pan: Spoon the cookie dough into the prepared pan and press it in evenly. I use my offset spatula to spread it around in the pan since it’s sticky.

Bake: If you used a 9×13-inch pan, bake your cookie cake for 18-23 minutes, or until the top is just beginning to brown. If you used a 10×15-inch pan, bake the cookie for about 15 minutes, or until it just begins to brown on top.

Let Cool: Remove the cookie cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the sheet pan, then transfer it to a serving plate.

Remove From Pan: To remove this cookie from such a large pan, I recommend using a cooling rack and a cardboard cake rectangle (two cooling racks would also work). First, place the parchment-lined cooling rack against the top of the cake pan, then flip it over. Immediately place the cardboard cake rectangle on top of the cookie cake and flip the whole thing over using the cooling rack. Remove the cooling rack from the top of the cake.

Make the Frosting

Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.

Start Adding Powdered Sugar: Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.

Add Cocoa Powder, Vanilla & Cream: Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and two tablespoons of cream or water. Mix until well combined and smooth.

Add Remaining Powdered Sugar: Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Adjust Consistency: Add more water or cream to get the right consistency if needed.

Pipe Onto Cookie Cake: Add the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used Ateco 847) and pipe swirls of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.

Enjoy! Slice and serve.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

If you’d like to make your cookie dough a day or two in advance, you have two options. You could bake the cookie a day ahead and store it well-covered. Or you could make the cookie dough and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it. Just bring the cookie dough back to room temperature so that you’re able to spread it into the pan.

Tips for Success

Let’s make sure your chocolate chip cookie cake comes out absolutely flawless.

• Measure the Flour Properly: Never scoop up flour directly with your measuring cup – this causes it to get packed in, resulting in an over-measurement. Instead, spoon the flour into the cup a little bit at a time and level it off with a butter knife. You could also simply use a food scale to ensure precision.
• Don’t Over-Mix the Dough: If you over-mix the cookie dough, your cookie cake might come out dense and tough. Be sure to stop mixing as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined to ensure a soft and chewy result. Don’t forget to fold in the chocolate chips very gently.
• Chill the Finished Cookie for Easier Removal: I find it can be helpful to refrigerate the cooled cookie cake to further firm it up before I remove it from the pan. This helps it stay together while it’s flipped around.

Variation Ideas

Want to switch things up but need some inspiration? I’ve got you covered!

• Make a Funfetti Cookie Cake: Swap out 2 cups of the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate ones and substitute the remaining 1/4 cup for Jimmie sprinkles. Use Vanilla Buttercream instead of chocolate and dye it blue with gel icing color.
• Make a Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake: Instead of using 2 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, use 3/4 cup each of dark chocolate, peanut butter and white chocolate chips. Yum!
• Make It Festive: You can dress up this cookie cake for any occasion by getting creative with the frosting. Try making this Christmas Tree Cookie Cake or this equally stunning American Flag one!

How to Store Extras

Keep extras in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can return your cookie cake to the pan and keep it very well covered. Enjoy it within 3-4 days for the best results.

Can I Freeze This?

Go ahead! I recommend leaving off the frosting if you’d like to freeze your cookie cake. Wrap the cooled cookie in a tight layer of plastic wrap and freeze it in a heavy-duty storage bag. Thaw it out in the fridge and enjoy it within 3 months of freezing it, adding the rim of chocolate buttercream if desired.

Watch How To Make It

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