Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This brown butter chocolate chip cookie cake was inspired by those Nestle Toll House cookie cakes that seemed to be all the rage when I was a kid. Unlike the Nestle cookie cake, my version bakes up extra thick, soft & gooey, and loaded with various sizes of melty chocolate chips. 

Oh and the brown butter make this cookie cake absolutely irresistible. I went with a simple buttercream piping decoration, but you can absolutely go all out with colored buttercream and sprinkles. It's basically a giant chocolate chip cookie, making it perfect for birthdays, festive parties, or just because!

For more celebratory bakes, try Small Vanilla Cake, Fudgy Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes, Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Brownie Blondies.

Why you'll love this cookie cake

• Soft & Gooey Texture: Unlike store-bought cookie cake, this version bakes up with a soft texture & gooey center, just as any homemade cookie should be!
• Notes of Brown Butter: Just when you thought the combination of flour, butter, and sugar couldn't get any better... The depth of flavor that brown butter brings to this cookie cake is unreal. 
• Customizable Toppings: Decorate this cake however your heart desires! Pipe your favorite buttercream on top, add sprinkles or candy, top with ice cream - the options are endless. 

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you'll find notes on why I chose certain ingredients, as well as ingredient substitutions. 

• Butter: You'll need 170g of brown butter, so start with a couple extra tablespoons to account for the water evaporation. Keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter. 
• Flour: Use high-quality, unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Leavening: All you need is baking powder to give this cookie cake the perfect rise and texture.
• Sugars: You'll need 1 cup of dark or light brown sugar and ½ cup of granulated sugar for the batter.
• Large Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature quickly by placing it a bowl of warm water. An extra egg yolk will add a dense, chewy texture!
• Vanilla: Use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract to round out the flavor of this cookie cake.
• Chocolate: I used a variety of chocolate for visual appeal and a balance of chocolate flavors. I recommend Guittard bittersweet chocolate chips, Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and Enjoy Life semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. A mix of dark and milk chocolate chips would also be delicious!

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this giant chocolate chip cookie cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Start by browning the butter, then placing it in the fridge to cool down to room temperature.

STEP 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted, cool brown butter & sugars, then mixing in the eggs & vanilla, and folding in the dry ingredients. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.

STEP 3: Pour the cookie dough batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top with an offset spatula, and sprinkle more chocolate chips on top. 

STEP 4: Bake for about 35 minutes until evenly golden. Allow to cool completely in the pan and before transferring to a serving platter and decorating. 

Expert Baking Tips

• Start with an extra couple tablespoons of butter, since water evaporates as it browns. Also, keep in mind that European-style butter has less water content, so if you're using American-style butter you might want to start with even more butter.
• Don't add ingredients to the hot brown butter. Chill it in the fridge for about 15 minutes to bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
• I recommend using a variety of chocolate chip sizes, as well as a mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet for visual appeal and balance of chocolate flavor. 
• Be sure to let the cookie cake cool completely in the pan and before decorating or the frosting will melt!

Decoration Ideas

I used leftover swiss meringue buttercream to decorate this cookie cake, but you could use store-bought frosting or any of these recipes:

• American Vanilla Buttercream
• Meringue Topping
• Pumpkin Swiss Meringue Buttercream
• Mascarpone Frosting

Storage Tips

Store this chocolate chip cookie cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x