An easy giant chocolate chip cookie cake recipe that you can bake in a skillet or springform pan to serve on a cake plate. This makes a fun family birthday tradition that your kids will love like ours do! For even more great recipe ideas like this, head over to the Simple Cookie Recipes page.
This recipe for a giant chocolate chip cookie “cake” is one of our favorite family birthday traditions and I’m so happy to share it with you! Even as our kids have gotten older, they still ask for this cookie cake for their special days.
Our tradition started back when our son was little and I didn’t want to make another traditional cake for his actual birthday dinner. We’d usually celebrate with a big party that included family and friends on a weekend near the birthday with a big cake that I would decorate to feed the crowd.
I didn’t want to make another typical cake just for our family dinner on the actual birthday (which is another of our family traditions where the birthday person gets to choose the menu). So when I found this recipe in our local newspaper I knew it would be perfect.
I adapted it a bit, added an easy birthday greeting with melted chocolate chips, and served it with vanilla ice cream. Needless to say, it was a hit and it’s been asked for every year since.
Sometimes I’ve baked it in a cast iron skillet and served it warm with the ice cream melting in the middle like a Pizookie. We just grabbed forks and started digging in, which of course the kids loved, too. But mostly I serve it on a cake plate with a greeting written in chocolate so we can use candles and sing.
The best part is, this is SO easy and takes just minutes to make and bake. I think you’re going to love it if you haven’t tried it yet.
Make Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
The ingredients are the same as chocolate chip cookies, you’ll just need a lot less of them:
- butter
- brown sugar
- white sugar (I’ve tried it with just brown sugar, but we like it best with the combo)
- egg
- vanilla
- flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
- baking soda
- salt
- chocolate chips
It takes just minutes to stir everything together and press it into the pan or skillet, then an additional 20 minutes to bake. It’s so quick it can be done even on busy weeknights if that’s where the birthday lands.
Of course, this giant cookie is great any time of the year – and makes a fun dessert for guests when baked in a cast iron skillet and served with a scoop of ice cream as a homemade Pizookie (a pizza-cookie combo made famous by BJ’s restaurants).
But melting a few chocolate chips in a baggie, clipping the corner and piping a birthday greeting on the giant chocolate chip cookie? There’s your new family tradition right there.
I typically cut the cookie into 10-12 pieces, making each piece about a tablespoon of sugar (well, minus the chocolate chips!), which is actually pretty good for a special occasion dessert.
I sure hope this becomes the fun tradition for your family that it has for ours – or that you just enjoy creating your own restaurant-worthy dessert for your guests. Only we’ll know how easy it really is.
Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake (Pan or Skillet Baked)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour* (1/8 cup = 2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, about 9 ounces**
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted (optional for decorating)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan or a cast iron skillet (no need to oil a well-seasoned skillet, though).
- Beat butter and sugars in the bowl of a mixer until well-blended. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Add the chips, mixing by hand if needed.
- Using the back of a spoon or a wet hand, spread the dough evenly in the pan or skillet.
- Bake 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on a rack.
- If using a skillet: serve right in the pan (preferably with a scoop of ice cream in the middle).
- For a springform pan: run a knife around the edge and then release the sides of the pan, removing the bottom of the pan (or not - it's up to you) and place on a serving platter or cake stand to serve. It can be made up to a day ahead using this option.
Optional Birthday Greeting Directions:
- Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave at 30 second intervals, or in a saucepan and then transfer to a small baggie.
- Push all of the melted chocolate to the corner of the baggie and snip off a tiny portion of the corner.
- Hold the baggie while twisting the top to push the chocolate out to write the birthday greeting on the cookie. Don't worry - it doesn't have to be perfect!
Notes
Nutrition
Other Easy Desserts to Try:
No-Churn Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Ice Cream
Foolproof Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
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AndiW says
Wow! What a FUN idea-the giant cookie cake!! Your recipe is very similar to mine and I’m interested in trying it (with 1/4 c less flour and 3/4 t more soda). Wish I’d seen this 20 years back. Still, a fun addition to life now and forward! Thank you, Jami!
Jami says
I think it’s sweet that the kids still like it – and everyone else who tries it because, hello, chocolate chip cookie! 🙂
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
Elizabeth-
It is yummy, and I must add much better as leftovers than cake!
Hope someone “surprises” you with it. 🙂
elizabeth says
Oh. My.
Al I have to say is MY birthday is coming up next around here. This link will be emailed to all parties concerned!
haha!