Frosting Filled Cookies

Two halves of a frosting filled chocolate chip cookie stacked on top of each other.

These frosting filled cookies combine creamy, not-too-sweet buttercream and buttery chocolate chip cookies. They are gourmet, bakery-style cookies that make a fun birthday cake alternative!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course cookie, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 1 12

Servings large cookies

Calories 505kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

Cookie dough

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
2 large eggs room temperature preferred
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
4 cups (450 g) cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon table salt
⅔ cup (120 g) mini chocolate chips (see note)
⅓ cup (56 g) semisweet chocolate chips
⅓ cup (56 g) white chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons (40 g) sprinkles or jimmies

Frosting filling

6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter softened (see note!)
1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons (26 g) sprinkles or jimmies

Instructions

Cookie dough

Combine butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until light, fluffy, and well-creamed (about 2 minutes on high-speed).
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well until combined.
2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4 cups (450 g) cake flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
With mixer on low-speed, gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined.
Add chocolate chips and sprinkles and stir until well incorporated into the batter.
⅔ cup (120 g) mini chocolate chips, ⅓ cup (56 g) semisweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup (56 g) white chocolate chips, 3 Tablespoons (40 g) sprinkles or jimmies
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before proceeding. Prepare the frosting filling.

Frosting filling

Place the butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth.
6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter
Gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.
1 ½ cups (190 g) powdered sugar
Add vanilla and lemon juice and stir well.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract or imitation vanilla, ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Gently stir in sprinkles until incorporated.
2 Tablespoons (26 g) sprinkles or jimmies
Scoop frosting onto 1 Tablespoon-sized scoops and place on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet or plate (you should get 15-16 scoops) and place in the freezer to firm up while the dough finishes chilling (if dough is already finished chilling, leave it in the fridge and let the frosting freeze for at least 15 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F (190C).

Assembly

Remove dough from refrigerator and scoop into ¼ cup portions (83g) (if it's still too sticky to manage, just refrigerate longer). Roll between your palms until smooth then use your thumbs to make an indent into the center of the dough ball. Remove a scoop of the frosting filling from the freezer and press it into the center of the dough, then form the dough back around the frosting and gently form into a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining dough and frosting (you may have a scoop or two of frosting left over, this is fine).
Place cookies at least 2” (5cm) apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and transfer to center rack of 375F (190C) oven. Bake for 12-13 minutes. When finished baking cookies will still be quite pale on top but the very bottoms will be beginning to turn a light golden brown. (note: for thicker, rounder cookies, chill the assembled cookie dough balls for 15 minutes or longer before baking).
Allow cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely before enjoying. If cut into while still warm, cookies will appear under-done in the center but will not if allowed to cool completely.

Video

Notes

Vanilla extract

Imitation vanilla will give you more of an artificial “Funfetti”/cake batter flavor whereas classic vanilla has a more, well, classic flavor.

Cake flour

I recommend cake flour for the best texture. If you use all-purpose, the cookies will not be as soft. If substituting all-purpose flour you will need 3 ⅔ cups or 450g.

Chocolate chips

I like to use a blend of white, mini, and semisweet chocolate chips, but you can mix and match these as you’d like.

Sprinkles

Sprinkles/jimmies or quins (flat round sequin-shaped sprinkles) work best here. Non-pareils will work but are less ideal as they could bleed through the batter.

Butter for buttercream

I preferred the taste of the frosting filling when made with salted butter, but if you opt to use unsalted simply add a rounded ⅛ teaspoon of salt in with the butter.

Storing

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cookie dough balls may also be prepared and frozen according to my instructions on how to freeze cookie dough. Cookies baked from frozen will not spread as much and typically will need a few minutes longer in the oven.

Nutrition