This recipe came about during the holiday season when I wanted a festive dessert to feed 10 people staying in our home who love desserts. I tested this originally without the cocoa but decided I wanted it to be a little richer for my chocolate-loving French in-laws. So I continued testing it, and now it’s a Valentine’s Day-themed cookie cake. What’s great is that you can tailor it to any holiday or enjoy it as a birthday cake.

3 squares of the cookie cake cut and placed on a white place, surrounded by a few valentine red and pink m & ms.

My kids actually loved it, along with the Frenchies… so I’m wondering if this will be their next birthday cake!

If you are not making for a big group, consider making a half batch, as it is a rich and dense cake, so it’s pretty satisfying after a few small bites!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Ingredients

For this double chocolate chip cookie cake, you will need the following: 1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks), 1 cup packed brown sugar, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 3 T vanilla, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, keep 1/2 cup on the side for topping,1 bag of M&Ms, keep 1/2 cup on the side for topping, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda.

How to Make this Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Start by setting out the butter and eggs to bring them to room temperature. This allows the butter to reach a temperature that will be easier to mix. You may want to consider getting them out an hour or so before making the dough.

Next, preheat the oven to 325°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and the granulated sugar. Combine using a mixer on medium speed.

Butter, brown sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl

Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until the ingredients are fully blended together.

Brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and butter mixed in a mixing bowl

Slowly mix in the bowl of dry ingredients. You may need to increase the speed as the dough thickens with the flour mixture. Once mostly mixed together, start to mix in the chocolate chips.

Deciding how many chocolate chips and M&M’s go in is a “choose your own adventure” situation. I put aside 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips for the topping and put in the rest. For the chocolate lovers in my life and me, it was perfect, but decide for yourself. For the M&Ms, I held back about 3/4 cup for the topping and poured in the remaining. Continue mixing the dough until all of that chocolate deliciousness is combined.

Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish. The cake is decently thick, and I like how this dish keeps the cake from turning too crunchy on the bottom. It has the perfect amount of crunch.

Using a spatula, scrape the dough into the dish into a nice heaping pile of chocolate. Pardon how this looks, it’s really just a lot of chocolate!

Heaping pile of chocolate cookie dough in a baking dish

Place a large piece of plastic wrap over the top and mold that pile into roughly the shape of the pan (Parchment paper could work, but it tends to stick to the dough more). If the baking dish is rectangular, try to shape your dough into a rectangle. This helps when you start to work it out to the edges. Now, start to press the cookie dough out to the edges and try to make it even across the top.

Cookie cake dough pressed into baking dish with plastic wrap over the top

Once it’s mostly flattened, you can use the side of a glass to press it out flatter. Make sure it’s pressed into the corners. Then peel off the plastic wrap, making sure it doesn’t pull the dough up.

Add the desired amount of additional chocolate chips and M&Ms to the top of the cookie cake.

Cookie cake ready to bake with m & ms and chocolate chips on top.

Place the dish in the oven preheated to 325°F and cook for 30 – 35 minutes, or until desired softness. Use a toothpick or sharp knife to test when it’s cooked. If it comes out clean, it can be pulled out. If it’s undercooked, the consistency will be more brownie-like. I love soft brownies, but tend to like this cooked a little more than a brownie. It should be more like a fudgy consistency vs. brownie, but cook till your heart’s desire.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Tips and Suggestions

This dessert stays fresh covered on the countertop for 4-5 days.
If you love this recipe and other chocolate treats, check out these other yummy recipes: Simple & Rich Chocolate Mousse, Best Chocolate Cake Ever, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cocoa- Oatmeal Cookies, Black Cherry Chocolate Martini
If serving right away, cut into 15-20 squares. If not, leave them in the dish uncut and covered tightly to stay fresh longest.
Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top for some extra sweetness!