Chocolate lovers unite! This soft & chewy triple chocolate cookie cake is made up of rich cocoa powder dough, chocolate chips, and an easy chocolate buttercream frosting! No mixer required!
Don't have a round cookie cake pan? Snag one on Amazon, make a DIY foil cookie cake pan, or bake in a 9×13 pan (will be a bit thinner).
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Why I Love This Chocolate Cookie Cake
- Soft & Chewy: This recipe is adapted from my chewy & soft chocolate chip cookie cake, so you get that same tried-and-true, perfectly sliceable texture.... but with more chocolate goodness!
- Chocolate-Packed! Made with a triple treat of cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and a decadent chocolate buttercream, this cookie cake is for true chocolate lovers! You could even turn it into a m&m cookie cake by adding m&m's into the dough.
- No mixer required! Just like many of my homemade cookie cake recipes, this recipe uses melted butter which makes it easy to mix by hand!
Tips for Success
- Don't skip the chocolate chips! Aside from adding extra flavor, the chocolate chips help bind the dough together so that it's soft and gooey. Without them, the cookie cake will be a bit drier.
- Don't overbake: The key to a soft cookie cake is to not overbake! With this one being dark in color, you won't be able to see the edges "brown" so you want to take it out of the oven after 12-14 minutes even if the center still looks a bit wet (of course use your judgement, as ovens bake differently!). It will finish baking and "setting up" while it cools in the hot pan.
- Use a quality cocoa powder! You don't need to buy the super expensive kind, but I would recommend avoiding the generic brands unless you've baked with them before and love them. My favorite cocoa powder is the Hershey's Unsweetened, as it gives both the cookie and frosting a great flavor!
- Have fun with toppings! Top this triple chocolate cookie cake with rainbow sprinkles, chopped chocolate chips, Oreo crumbs, or ice cream and hot fudge (!!) for extra chocolate goodness!
Ingredients for Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake
- Unsalted butter (you will be melting this)
- Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I use Hershey's Unsweetened - linking to show you the brand but it's MUCH cheaper in stores!)
- Egg, Vanilla Extract, Salt, Baking Soda
- All-Purpose Flour
- Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (for best flavor, use a higher quality chip; I like Nestle or Ghiradelli)
- For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: unsalted butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, milk
- Toppings: Sprinkes (I used Rainbow chips!), chopped chocolate, or chocolate drizzle!
How to Make Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake
Step 1: Melt Butter & Mix Dough
Warm the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan until it's just melted. Combine the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir them together.
Next, stir in the egg and vanilla extract, followed by the baking soda and salt. Mix in cocoa powder and flour, followed by the chocolate chips. Mix the dough until well-combined.
Tip: I recommend mixing this by hand (rather than with a mixer) to ensure a chewy texture.
Step 2: Press Into Pan
Grease your cookie cake pan well (make sure you get all the edges!) and spread the dough into an even layer. If you plan to invert the cake onto a tray, I also recommend lining the bottom with parchment paper in order for the cookie cake to invert out of the pan easily.
Tip: If you don't have a round cookie cake pan, snag my cookie cake kit, make a DIY foil cookie cake pan, or bake in a 9×13 pan (will be a bit thinner) or a smaller 8" or 9" pan (will need to bake for longer).
Step 3: Bake
Place the cookie cake in an oven preheated to 350ºF and bake it for 12 to 14 minutes, or until cookie cake looks "rippled" and the center no longer looks super wet (see photo below!). It might look a little under-baked, but the residual heat from the pan will continue to bake the cookie even after you take it out of the oven.
Cool completely before frosting.
Step 4: Decorate
This triple chocolate cookie cake is amazing with or without frosting! If you do make it, use a piping bag and large star tip to create a simple chocolate buttercream border. Immediately after piping, top with sprinkles (I used rainbow chips!).
Tip: For a fun birthday cookie cake, use my number stencils to pipe on a large birthday number! And if you want to make this a double chocolate cookie cake instead of triple, simply leave off the frosting!
Step 5: Cut and Serve
Use a sharp chef's knife to slice it into wedges or cut it into smaller squares if you're serving a large crowd. If you start cutting and the cookie cake is not holding a sturdy slice, refrigerate it for an hour before cutting.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: This triple chocolate cookie cake is best stored on the counter at room temperature, but once it's frosted, it will need to be refrigerated after a day since the buttercream contains milk. If you want to make a cookie cake in advance, I recommend baking it first, then frosting it the day you plan on serving it. That said, I wouldn't bake this more than 1 day ahead, as it will start to dry out.
This giant cookie cake recipe is best eaten within 2 days for the chewiest, softest texture.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I haven't officially tested this with a "dark" cocoa powder but it's on my list and I will update this post when I do! If you do use something like Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder, be sure to leave a comment and let me know how it turned out! My inkling is that it may be too rich but it could also be super delicious.
If you don't have a 11-inch metal cookie cake pan, use a 9×13-inch metal pan for a rectangular cookie cake (this will result in a thinner cake, so it will finish baking a bit earlier). You can also make a DIY cookie cake pan out of foil or make a thicker cookie in a smaller 8" or 9" pan (you'll just need to bake it longer).
You can also turn this into a layered cookie cake by doubling the dough, tripling the frosting, and then following the baking instructions in my double layer cookie cake post.
Triple Chocolate Cookie Cake
Ingredients
Cookie Cake Recipe
- ½ cup unsalted butter (i.e. 1 stick) You will be melting this
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Hershey's brand
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (You'll be chopping ½ cup and adding the remaining ½ cup whole).
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature or microwaved for 10 seconds
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use Hershey's brand
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roughly chop ½ cup of chocolate chips using a knife, rolling pin, or meat mallet (if not using a knife, place chips in a plastic bag while crushing). The goal here is to have a mixture of tiny chocolate flakes throughout the dough, while still have the whole chunks in there for texture. Once chopped, set aside.
- Warm the unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) in a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan until it's just melted.
- Combine the melted butter with the light brown sugar (½ cup) and granulated sugar (¼ cup) in a mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir them together (*do not use a mixer!).
- Next, stir in the egg (1 large) and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), followed by the baking soda (½ teaspoon) and salt (½ teaspoon).
- Mix in unsweeteend cocoa powder (½ cup) and all-purpose flour (1 cup) until well-combined, then stir in chocolate chips (the full 1 cup of the chopped & whole).
- Immediately spread dough into a greased cookie cake pan (you don't want the dough sitting out or it will set too much with the melted butter).
- Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until cookie cake looks "rippled" and the center no longer looks super wet (see photo in post above!). Cool completely before frosting.
- Using a large star piping tip, pipe around the edges then immediately add sprinkles (the frosting will start hardening quick, so add sprinkles right away!).
To Make Frosting:
- Beat the softened unsalted butter (½ cup), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and salt (¼ teaspoon) on medium-high speed for 1 minute until smooth.Turn the mixer to low speed then slowly add the unsweetened cocoa powder (½ cup) and powdered sugar (2 cups). You may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Add milk, as needed to develop a pipeable consistency (2-3 tablespoons total).Beat on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy and the frosting is at a good consistency to pipe. If it looks too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it looks too stiff, add another tablespoon of milk until you get to the desired consistency. This will make just enough frosting to pipe a generous border along the edges.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe! This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this triple chocolate cookie cake, be sure to leave a comment below and tag me on Instagram @designeatrepeat. I LOVE seeing what you made!
Jessica says
Can you make this ahead of time and bake off later?
Melissa says
I don't typically recommend doing that with cookie cakes since they're harden to spread when it's chilled but if you let it "thaw" before spreading, it should be fine! It will likely just result in a thicker cookie and may not have as flat of a top.
Darlene says
I just used the frosting recipe on my chocolate chip cookie cake. It worked great!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Darlene!
Micha says
What can I use instead of butter?
Melissa says
I haven’t tested it with alternatives, sorry!
Debbie says
This is an easy and delicious recipe! I will make it again!
Brianna says
Just made this and it is so easy and is now a favorite of mine! Absolutely chocolate heaven! Thank you for this recipe!
Melissa says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Brianna! I really appreciate it!
Diana Smit says
Can you make this into a cookie cake sheet pan? Double the recipe?
Melissa says
Yes, you can! You can double it for a 18x13" half-sheet pan. You will likely just need to bake closer to 16-18 minutes like my traditional sheet pan recipe :) https://www.designeatrepeat.com/sheet-pan-cookie-cake
Molly says
Delicious recipe! This turned out wonderful
Mary says
I made this recipe twice now. I followed the recipe but used Hershey’s cocoa Special dark and added a Hershey’ milk chocolate bar and cookies’n’creme plus put M&M’s on top. It’s rich but everyone loves it. Thanks
Melissa says
I am glad that you were able to customize and enjoy this cookie cake Mary!
Thank you for leaving your review - I appreciate it!
Lisa says
Made a great cookie cake...not as great for drop cookies (I made a double batch, thinking I'd use the extra for cookies....but they didn't spread AT ALL). Great flavor....almost a brownie!
Melissa says
So glad you loved the cookie cake, Lisa! If you're wanting to make it into drop cookies, I'd suggest rolling them into balls and then flattening them a bit into thinner discs (rather than scooping). That, combined with using a light-colored metal cookie sheet, should help them spread more next time!
Annie Ford Moore says
OMG! This cookie cake was chocolate HEAVEN! So easy to make and was SUCH a crowd pleaser! Will be making again for sure!
Stacey says
Loved this recipe! It was quick and easy I made it for my kids and they loved it!
Melissa says
I'm so glad you guys loved them, Stacey! I have an Oreo version coming soon that uses this recipe but with the dark chocolate cocoa & a cookies and cream frosting ;)