Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookies

You’ll fall in love with frosted chocolate chip cookies! They consist of chewy cookies covered in a layer of dreamy, super soft chocolate frosting. Sweet and homey, they are everything you crave in a good chocolate cookie with the addition of delicious icing in every bite.

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What are frosted chocolate chip cookies?

Frosted chocolate chip cookies are exactly what the name suggests: homemade chocolate chip cookies with a scrumptious chocolate frosting.

You might be thinking, “Chocolate chip cookies + frosting? That sounds a bit overindulgent.” I totally get that. But these cookies are addictively delicious, and it would be selfish of me not to share them with you.

I have a confession to make: These chocolate chip cookies are the absolute best. The texture is soft and chewy in the center, slightly crisp on the edges, and absolutely loaded with chocolate.

They are so good that I often bake a bunch, and we eat them straight from the baking sheet without any icing. Once my family smells warm cookies, it’s game over.

Still, if you can resist noshing them warm from the oven (it’s so hard, I know!), I highly recommend decorating them with my simple chocolate icing for cookies. You’ll end up with a treat that is rich and decadent in the best possible way.

I also love that the cookies dough is made in a single bowl and requires zero chill time. Which means you can have iced chocolate cookies in your belly fast.  

Why you’ll love frosted chocolate chip cookies

• Double chocolate action: We got soft, chewy sugar cookies stuffed with chocolate under a sumptuous layer of chocolate frosting. So good!
• Easy recipe: The cookies are made with staple ingredients, and the recipe is pretty straightforward.
• Festive cookies: The cookies are perfect for any occasion that calls for a special treat. Serve them for birthdays, parties, bring them to bake sales + potlucks, or holidays.
• Versatile: Get creative with the chocolate add-ins and use whatever chocolate chips or bars you have and like.

Ingredients

The ingredients for these frosted chocolate chip cookies are common and easy enough to find that you likely have most of them in your pantry. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.  

Chocolate chip cookies

The cookies call for your typical choc chip cookie ingredients, such as all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and butter. Here’s what you’ll need:  

• All-purpose flour: AP flour keeps the cookies light and fluffy. Unbleached flour works well.
• Sugar: You need a mix of white granulated sugar and brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar are both good options..
• Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter, that’s fine, too. Simply add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe.
• Eggs: 2 eggs hold the dough together and create a delicious, chewy texture.
• Baking powder: The leavening agent gives the cookies a rise and creates a super soft texture.
• Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract for a hint of warmth and sweetness.
• Chocolate chips: Any type of chocolate chips will work for this recipe. Try white, milk, dark chocolate chips, or chunks. I used semi-sweet mini chocolate chips and a chopped-up milk chocolate bar.

Chocolate cookie frosting

The chocolate cookie frosting consists of 3 simple ingredients. It firms up nicely, meaning you can stack the cookies, and the icing will stay intact and doesn’t get squished.  

• Powdered sugar: Powdered (confectioners’/icing) sugar gives the frosting sweetness and a smooth finish.
• Milk: A few tablespoons of milk help to adjust the consistency of the icing. Any type of milk is fine (e.g., full fat, skim, low-fat).
• Chocolate chips: Milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate will give the best chocolate flavor. You can also use white chocolate or colored candy melts if you prefer white or colored cookie frosting.

  Chocolate chip cookie decorating ideas Dress up your cookies with sprinkles, sugar pearls, nonpareils, chopped nuts, or chocolate shavings. If you’re making the cookies for a holiday, decorate them with sprinkles that relate to that holiday.   For example, use pink heart sprinkles for Valentines’ Day, red, white, and blue sprinkles for 4 of July and Memorial Day, or green and red sprinkles for the holidays.  

How to make frosted chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies with frosting taste amazing and will impress your family and friends. Plus, the recipe is really easy, making iced cookies a great dessert to add to any meal. Let’s go through the instructions step-by-step:  

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (baking paper) and set aside.

Bake the cookies

1. Mix liquid ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. You can do this step with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Stir in dry ingredients. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until the dough is combined. I recommend doing this step by hand so you don’t accidentally over-mix the cookie batter.
3. Add chocolate. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout
4. Form cookies. Using a 1-oz cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into balls. Place them 2-in / 5 cm apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
5. Bake cookies. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven when they are just starting to brown around the edges.
6. Cool cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix chocolate cookie frosting

1. Melt chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals. Use medium power as the chocolate might burn otherwise. Stir between each interval.
2. Mix powdered sugar and milk. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add the warm chocolate and stir until well combined. The frosting will thicken as you go.  

Ice the cookies

1. Frost cookies. Place a dollop of chocolate frosting on each cookie. Use a spatula or butter knife to spread out the frosting, leaving approximately 1/4 in / 6 mm around each cookie.
2. Decorate cookies. Optionally, decorate your frosted chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or sea salt flakes.  

Tips for success

• Use a cookie scoop to get a consistent cookie size and shape.
• Underbake the cookies slightly. Take the cookies out of the oven when they have risen, and the cookies barely start to brown around the edges. The cookies will continue to cook on the baking sheet as they cool.
• Let cookies cool before icing them. Otherwise, the frosting will melt and slide off the hot cookies.
• Rewarm the frosting in the microwave for a few seconds if it becomes too thick to spread.

FAQ’s

Do you need to chill the cookie dough?

Chilling the cookie dough isn’t necessary for this recipe. You can bake the cookies right away. However, if it’s a hot day and the dough seems very soft and sticky, chill it for 30 minutes to an hour.  

How many cookies does the recipe yield?

The recipe makes 24 to 30 frosted chocolate chip cookies, depending on how much dough you use for each cookie. With a 1-oz cookie scoop, you’ll get approximately 25 cookies. The cookies are pretty substantive, and I manage to only ever eat one at a time.  

What should I serve with these iced chocolate chip cookies?

The cookies can be as indulgent as you want. We love them with a tall glass of cold milk as a snack. You can also serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a delicious dessert.  

Storage instructions

• Room temperature: Let cookies cool to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper (baking paper) at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Freeze baked cookies: Allow the cookies to cool. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost on the counter for an hour to enjoy.
• Freeze cookie dough: You can also freeze the cookie dough prior to baking. Scoop the dough into balls, flash freeze on a lined cookie sheet, then transfer into a freezer container or zip-lock bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Bake the cookies directly from frozen. You may have to add a few minutes, so watch them carefully.
• Make ahead: Prepare the cookie dough. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap (cling film) and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to bake, scoop out cookies and bake as instructed.

More chocolate chip cookie recipes

Want more cookie recipes? Try are some of our other favorites:  

• Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Brown Sugar
• Ruby Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Matcha Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Butter Be Ready
• Miso White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Whisper of Yum