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Author: Sally
Published: 12/09/2012Updated: 07/10/2022
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These cake batter chocolate chip cookies are a cross between soft-baked chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle filled cake. This is the most popular cookie recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction and after baking a batch, you’ll taste why. If you like chocolate chip cookies and you like sneaking a taste of cake batter, you will love these fun cookies!

Today’s recipe for cake batter chocolate chip cookies is the most popular cookie recipe on my website. I’ve made them more times than any other cookie and even have the recipe memorized by now. They’re so well loved that they’re on the cover of my first cookbook, Sally’s Baking Addiction, and were featured on Good Morning America and in People magazine. They’re like chocolate chip cookies and vanilla cake in one!
Why You’ll Love These Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Soft-baked and chewy texture
- Crispy edges
- Colorful with lots of sprinkles
- Loaded with chocolate and white chocolate chips
- Sweet cake batter flavor
- Freezer-friendly
- A party in cookie form!

Overview: How to Make Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
The first few times I made this recipe, the cookies kept overspreading. They were thin, delicate, and tasted greasy. I worked to develop an even better, thicker version– and absolutely loved the result. Let’s review the process:
- Sift the dry ingredients together.
- Cream the wet ingredients together.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Then add the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
- Chill the cookie dough. This step is imperative. By skipping it, your cookies will spread into a greasy mess. Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours firms up the butter, allows the flour to absorb the wet ingredients, and helps prevent the cookies from overspreading. If interested, I wrote a post all about how to prevent cookies from spreading. Helpful to read before making ANY batch of cookies.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls. Use about 1.5 Tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. Shape your cookie dough balls to be taller than they are wide– see my tall cookie trick below.
- Bake. Bake the cookies until the edges are lightly browned. The centers will still appear very soft, but they’ll continue to set as the cookies cool. While the cookies are still warm, I like to press a few extra chocolate chips into the tops. This is just for looks!

Add Ins
- Cake Mix: These cookies are chocolate chip cookies and birthday cake in one. That’s why, for the dry ingredients, we’ll use *some* all-purpose flour and *some* cake mix. I usually reach for vanilla cake mix, but any flavor you love works. It’s important to only use some of the box. Some readers have had trouble with this recipe because they’ve used the entire box of cake mix. You only want to use 1 and 1/4 cup of dry cake mix.
- Chocolate Chips: The first few times I made this recipe, I used 1 and 1/2 cups of chocolate chips but that weighed down the cookie dough. I recommend using 1 total cup of chocolate chips, which is the perfect amount to keep the cookies thick. I love to use a mix of white chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips make them taste like regular chocolate chip cookies, while white chocolate chips taste like frosting– a true mix of cookies and cake.
- Sprinkles: Use your favorite sprinkles here! I used rainbow sprinkles today, but love switching them up for different holidays. You can customize these cookies with a mix of specific colors or holiday sprinkles. Have fun with them! 🙂
My Tall Cookie Trick
Before I leave you with the recipe, here’s one final tip. Use my favorite tall cookie trick to reduce excess spreading. Roll your dough balls to be taller rather than wider. This doesn’t necessarily mean using more dough per cookie– we’ll simply shape the cookie dough ball to be nice and tall, with a firm solid bottom to ensure the cookie doesn’t topple over as it bakes. This one trick gives us perfectly thick and chewy cookies every time.


You can even sandwich ice cream between them for a birthday cake-style cookie ice cream sandwich. Enjoy right away or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to eat.

Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
★★★★★4.9 from 43 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 24-30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These cake batter chocolate chip cookies are a cross between delicious, soft-baked chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle filled funfetti cake. If you like chocolate chip cookies and you like cake batter, you will love these soft & chewy cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cup (156g) all-purpose flour ()
- 1 and 1/4 cup (190g) yellow or vanilla boxed cake mix (not the whole box and you just need the DRY mix)*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180g) chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup ofwhite and 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup (80g) sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift flour, cake mix, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat on high until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low-medium speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Mix on low until the add-ins are evenly combined.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3-4 days. This step is imperative. The dough is fairly sticky, so chilling the dough is required in order to avoid the cookies from spreading too much. If you chill longer than 2 hours, make sure you roll the cookie dough into balls after the 2 hour mark. Place dough balls on a plate, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. You may also freeze the balls at this point for up to 3 months. (Then bake as directed adding 1 minute to the bake time without thawing.)
- Once dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (always recommended for cookies).
- Scoop rounded balls of the cold dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, use about 1.5 Tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. Shape your cookie dough balls to be “taller” than they are wide, as pictured above. Make sure to keep dough chilled when working in batches.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. The centers will still appear very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. You can press a few more chips into the tops of the cookies at this point (the chips will stick because the cookies are still warm).
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Cake Mix: You can use funfetti cake mix and leave out the sprinkles called for in this recipe. I usually use vanilla cake mix. Remember, you only need 1 and 1/4 cups of dry mix. Not the whole box. Gluten free cake mix is not recommended.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
Keywords: cake batter chocolate chip cookies
PS: Try them with Christmas sprinkles during the holidays!


FAQs
What is the difference between cake batter and cookie batter? ›
Typical cookie dough is 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, and 1 part sugar. Cake batter is 2 parts each flour and liquid, 1 part each egg, fat, and sugar, plus 1 teaspoon baking powder per cup of flour.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies so cake like? ›Why Did My Cookies Come Out Cakey? When cookies are too cakey, there are two main culprits: too much leavening (baking powder or baking soda) or too much egg. If there is too much baking powder or baking soda in the dough, the cookies will rise too much when baking, creating a cakier structure.
What makes chocolate chip cookies go flat when baking? ›If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.
Why add baking soda to chocolate chip cookies? ›Baking soda also serves another important purpose when it comes to cookies: It encourages spreading by raising the mixture's pH, which slows protein coagulation. This gives the dough more time to set before the eggs set, which results in a more evenly baked cookie.
What makes cake batter taste like cake batter? ›Buttery notes are among the most prominent in cake and cake batter flavors, and can be easily created with flavor ingredients such as Advanced Biotech's Natural Iso Butyraldehyde.
Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›Baking soda is most commonly used in cookie and muffin recipes. Baking powder, however, already contains an acid and a base and has a more neutral taste, which works great when baking cakes and bread.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies crunchy instead of soft? ›Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.
Why are my chocolate chip cookies puffy instead of flat? ›Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.
Why do my cookies get hard after they cool? ›Why Do Cookies Get Hard? Like all baked treats, cookies are subject to getting stale. Over time, the moisture in the cookies evaporates, leaving them stiff and crumbly. It's the same thing that happens to breads, muffins, and other baked goods.
Why do my chocolate chip cookies always get hard? ›The most common reason that cookies are tough is that the cookie dough was mixed too much. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten begins to form. Gluten helps hold baked goods together, but too much gluten can lead to tough cookies.
What does baking soda do in cookies? ›
Through the chemical reaction created by combining baking soda with liquid, acid, and heat, carbon dioxide is created. These tiny CO2 gas bubbles allow for soft and airy baked goods such as cookies, pancakes, and cakes. Baking soda also increases pH levels while reducing gluten.
What happens if you use baking powder instead of baking soda in chocolate chip cookies? ›While baking soda will create a coarse, chewy cookie texture, baking powder will produce a light, fine cookie texture. To achieve the best cookie results, use a double-acting baking powder as a substitute.
What happens if you use baking soda instead of baking powder in cookies? ›If you accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to baked goods, they won't rise because there is not enough acid. To fix this, add about one tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar for every half teaspoon of baking soda to the liquids before mixing with the dry ingredients.
What happens if I put baking powder in chocolate chip cookies? ›Baking powder simply adds carbon dioxide to the equation, providing a more forceful pressure that encourages a dough to spread up and out. Without the well-developed elasticity of a bread dough, the strands of gluten in cookies would sooner snap than stretch, cracking along the surface.
Should cake batter sit before baking? ›The air beaten in slowly escapes, eventually resulting in a shorter and denser cake. The raising agents (baking powder and baking soda) will also finally become inefficient and affect the cake rise. What is this? So for the best results, try to refrigerate the cake batter for a few hours, or at least overnight.
What makes a box cake mix better? ›- Add an Extra Egg. If you only use one tip from this story, this one should be it. ...
- Add Milk, Coffee, or Soda. ...
- Use Butter Instead of Oil. ...
- Add Instant Pudding. ...
- Up the Flavor with an Extract or Citrus Zest. ...
- Top the Cake with Homemade Frosting.
Leavening Agents
Breads, cakes, cookies, and nearly all baked goods require a leavening agent. These are the key ingredients that make a cake rise. There are two types of leavening agents, chemical (baking soda and baking powder) and biological (yeast).
"My golden rule for baking is make it cold and bake it hot," she said.
What is the world's most popular cookie? ›What is the best-selling cookie in the world? Oreo cookies. Since the brand's inception in 1912, more than 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold around the world, and are now available in more than 100 countries.
What is the best-selling cookie in the world? ›In 1912, Oreo introduced its own version of the Hydrox Cookie and soon surpassed Hydrox in popularity. These facts have remained true until today, making Oreo one of the oldest and most popular cookie brands in the country! Honestly, they're now the best-selling brand of cookies in the world.
What does less eggs do to cookies? ›
If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.
Is melted butter better than softened butter for cookies? ›In cookies, softened butter will result in a cakier and airier cookie than using melted butter. This is due to the fact that softened butter will create air bubbles that expand in the oven during baking. Melted butter will make your cookies delightfully dense on the inside and crisp on the edges.
What does cream of tartar do in cookies? ›What Does Cream of Tartar Do in Cookies? Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).
What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›Rest the Dough A secret baker's trick is to rest your cookie dough in the fridge. You can rest it for at least an hour, which will evaporate some of the water and increase the sugar content, helping to keep your baked cookies chewy.
Is it better to use butter or shortening in cookies? ›Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.
What do you increase if you want a softer cookie? ›Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.
How do you not overmix cookie dough? ›Blend in the eggs until well incorporated, as with the cookie dough, then add the flour and liquid, typically in alternating additions. Once both liquid and flour have been added to the mixing bowl, that's when you need to worry about over-mixing. Beat until the flour streaks disappear, but no more.
What happens if you put too little butter in cookies? ›Using too little butter won't kill your cookies, and they'll still be tasty, but it will make them lightweight. These cookies were most similar to the batch that included too much egg. These just puffed up differently — they had more of a muffin top.
What happens if you overmix cookie dough? ›Unless you want extra-crispy cookies, avoid overmixing your dough. "Overmixing your dough will result in flatter, crispier cookies," Cowan said. If you overmix, you will end up aerating (adding air to) the dough, which causes the cookies to rise and then fall, leaving you with flat cookies.
What temperature do you bake cookies at? ›Cookie temperatures fluctuate, with some recipes as low as 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and a few as high as 425 degrees Fahrenheit, but most recipes land on 375 or 350 to evenly bake the entirety of the cookie.
Why are my cookies hard the next day? ›
According to The Kitchn, this occurs when you over-mix the dough. Mixing the dough naturally causes gluten to develop in the flour, and while you do need a good amount of gluten to give your cookies structure, too much of it will result in hard cookies.
What is one trick that prevents humidity when storing crisp cookies? ›Keep those cookies crisp by storing them in an airtight container. Some people toss a piece of bread in with the cookies to help absorb any excess moisture. You could also re-crisp them by baking on a wire rack in a 300 degree F oven for a few minutes.
Should you squish cookies before baking? ›And there are no baking police: If your recipe tells you to flatten your cookies before baking, you just go ahead and do that however you want. So long as they end up evenly flat, that is; squashing cookies haphazardly under your palm means they may bake and brown unevenly.
Should you press down cookie dough? ›A lot of recipes will cook fine if you put the dough on the sheet in a ball, but I've also made kinds where I had to take the sheet out halfway through and smash each cookie flat with a spoon. That dough was very thick and soft and didn't have much leavening agent in it. It's something you just gotta get a feel for.
Do marshmallows keep cookies soft? ›My mom taught me to add a piece of bread to a cookie tin to keep cookies soft, but there's a different trick for brown sugar. Instead of a piece of bread, toss a marshmallow or two in with your brown sugar. The puffy treat will keep it soft without making a mess.
What is the best sugar for cookies? ›Granulated sugar
Using granulated white sugar will result in a flatter, crispier and lighter-colored cookie. Granulated sugar is hygroscopic, so it attracts and absorbs the liquid in the dough. This slows down the development of the gluten (flour), which makes the cookies crispier.
If you have a recipe that asks for baking soda and you leave it out completely, your cookies will likely be extremely dense as there was no chemical reaction to introduce those gas bubbles and give it rise.
What is the best flour for cookies? ›All-purpose flour is best used for: cookies, muffins, bread, pie crusts, pancakes, biscuits, pizza dough, and pasta.
What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.
What does baking soda do to gray hair? ›Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.
What does cornstarch do to cookies? ›
When added to cake, cookie, pie filling and shortbread recipes, cornstarch helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture. Commercially, cornstarch is often used as an anti-caking agent.
Can I use cream of tartar instead of baking powder? ›Cream of Tartar
It is also an easy and convenient substitute for baking powder and can be found in the spice aisle at most grocery stores. Stick to a 2:1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda for best results.
Baking Soda: Can I Use Both? YES!!! Many cookie recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder, like this Chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe and these Funfetti Cookies.
Do all cookies need baking soda? ›Many recipes call for a leavening agent, such as baking soda, but it's certainly not necessary.
Which is better for chocolate chip cookies baking powder or baking soda? ›Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.
Why do my chocolate chip cookies come out cakey? ›Why Did My Cookies Come Out Cakey? When cookies are too cakey, there are two main culprits: too much leavening (baking powder or baking soda) or too much egg. If there is too much baking powder or baking soda in the dough, the cookies will rise too much when baking, creating a cakier structure.
What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? Incorporating air into the dough by creaming the butter and sugar as well as using adequate leavening agents helps make cookies fluffy when baked.
What is the difference between cookie dough and cake dough? ›Cookies and cake mix include fat, flour, sugar, and eggs. Cookies have a much thicker consistency, forming a dough that you can place, drop, spread on a tray, or make shapes out of in little amounts. In contrast, cakes have more liquids, so the mix is essentially a batter that you can pour.
What is the main difference between cookies and cakes? ›The main difference between cookies and cakes lies in the ingredients used to make them. Cakes are usually made with flour, eggs, sugar, and butter or oil, while cookies often use flour, sugar, butter, or margarine.
What is the difference between cookie batter and cookie dough? ›The difference between batter and dough is batters are thin and contain eggs, and doughs are thick and don't have to contain eggs. Because of their different consistencies and ingredients, you will mix and prepare batters and doughs differently.
What is cookie batter made of? ›
When made at home, common ingredients include flour, butter, white sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs. If the dough is made with the intention of baking, then leavening agents such as baking soda or baking powder are added. However, these are often excluded in cookie doughs that are designed to be eaten raw.
What makes cookie dough taste like cookie dough? ›Baking soda — Even though this cookie dough can be enjoyed raw (unbaked), by adding baking soda, it makes sure that you can bake the dough. It also adds flavor and makes it taste more like regular cookie dough. If you don't have it on hand, you can leave baking soda out.
Why does cookie cake taste different than cookies? ›Cookie cakes are thicker than regular cookies. They are more like bar cookies, so they tend to be a bit heavier and they retain their moisture. They also have less edge. The thin edges of baked goods taste different because of caramelization of sugars and the maillard reaction.
Are cookies just small cakes? ›In America, a cookie is described as a thin, sweet, usually small cake. By definition, a cookie can be any of a variety of hand-held, flour-based sweet cakes, either crisp or soft.
What is a person who bakes cakes and cookies called? ›A pastry chef or pâtissier (pronounced [pɑ. ti. sje]; the French female version of the word is pâtissière [pɑ. ti.
Why are they called cookies and not? ›Cookie: Is a small bit of information that travels from a browser to the web server. It was coined from the term 'magic cookies' that derives from a fortune cookie; a cookie with an embedded message.
Should I squish cookie dough before baking? ›And there are no baking police: If your recipe tells you to flatten your cookies before baking, you just go ahead and do that however you want. So long as they end up evenly flat, that is; squashing cookies haphazardly under your palm means they may bake and brown unevenly.
Does frozen cookie dough make better cookies? ›As little as 30 minutes in your fridge or freezer can help your cookie brown better, spread less, and develop a richer chewy texture.
Should cookie dough be rolled into balls? ›Roll your cookie dough into tall balls instead of perfectly round spheres. Taller balls of cookie dough ensure thicker cookies.
What is grandma cookies made of? ›Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Shortening (Palm And Canola Oil [with TBHQ To Preserve Freshness]), Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Natural And Artificial Flavors), ...
What is a wedding cookie made of? ›
Today, cookies like these are still made in countries across the world! At their most basic, Mexican wedding cookies consist of flour, butter, finely chopped nuts, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract.
What does cream of tartar do in cookie batter? ›What Does Cream of Tartar Do in Cookies? Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).