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Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Incredibly rich, perfectly chewy Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies made with lots of dutch process cocoa and white chocolate chips. They take only minutes to make, require no chill time, and are amazingly GOOD!

A giant chocolate chip cookie on top of other cookies and topped with lots of flaky sea salt.

There’s nothing not to love about these Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re soft, chewy and totally satisfy any craving for something sweet and chocolatey. The rich dark cocoa filled dough is studded with white chocolate chips and is a must make for any chocolate lover!

Fall flavors have been on my mind lately and since chocolate is always on my mind, I started thinking of my Double Chocolate Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. They feature warm cinnamon in the dough (cinnamon and chocolate are amazing together btw) and crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds. I used these cookies as the inspiration and the base of these inside out cookies.

WHAT ARE INSIDE OUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?

These are not just any chocolate chip cookies….these are inside out cookies. They’re called that because, instead of the typical lighter looking cookie with darker semi sweet chocolate chips, these cookies are made with a cocoa filled dough and white chocolate chips.

I love classic chocolate chip cookies, but it’s fun to mix it up and make a different type of ccc (ccc= chocolate chip cookie). 🙂 For another FUN ccc, definitely check out my sprinkle and chocolate chip filled Birthday Cake Cookies!

A rich chocolate chip cookie with a bite in it revealing lots of white chocolate chips.

In addition to providing that black and white color contrast, having both dark cocoa and white chocolate makes these SUPER chocolatey! Chocolate cookies are just the best and I’m totally drooling over these Double Chocolate Cookies from New York Times Cooking!

A close up of large, very chocolatey cookies with crinkle tops.

THESE INSIDE OUT COOKIES ARE:

  • EASY TO MAKE: They take just minutes to make and require zero chilling!
  • CHEWY: The centers are perfectly chewy and doughy while the edges are very slightly crispy. The brown sugar lends itself to that chewy texture and the recipe can be made with light brown or dark brown sugar. For that hint of molasses, definitely go with dark brown sugar!
  • LARGE: Instead of the usual rounded tablespoon size, these cookies are about 1/4 cup of batter each! 
  • FULL OF FLAVOR: I will get to the chocolate in a minute, but they also feature hints of warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla.
  • CHOCOLATEY: It’s worth mentioning again how chocolatey these are! I love the contrast of the dark cocoa with the ultra sweet white chocolate!
Inside out cookies filled with white chocolate chips in a stack with cocoa powder in the background.

HOW TO MAKE INSIDE OUT COOKIES

  1. Start by combining all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt). Just whisk them to combine then set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the room temperature butter and sugars on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly beat in the dry ingredients.
  4. Stir in 1 cup each of the chocolate chips, reserving the remaining ¼ cups to add to the tops.
  5. Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the batter or eyeball it. No need to roll or flatten the balls, just scoop them and place Place balls on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Top each ball with a few of the reserved chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt.
  6. Bake 13- 15 minutes until tops are just set. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Freshly baked double chocolate cookies packed with white chocolate chips.
A batch of super chocolatey cookies on top of each other and topped with white chocolate chips and flaky sea salt.

A FEW MORE TIPS FOR MAKING THESE COOKIES

  • USE AN ICE CREAM SCOOP: I use an ice cream scoop to measure and shape the dough balls. It makes scooping the dough less messy and they all come out the same size.
  • STICK SOME EXTRA CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON TOP: The dough is packed with chocolate chips and you’ll taste them in every bite! That said, I like to literally stick at least 3 chocolate chips (or more!) in the top of each dough ball. This will make sure people can see what’s inside each cookie.
  • TOP THEM WITH FLAKY SEA SALT: Top them with sea salt before or right after baking them. Why? That little sprinkle of salt gives your taste buds that super pleasurable salty-sweet contrast! Also, the salt balances out the sweetness from the chocolate chips. Need another reason? I think and I’ve heard it said that the salt brings out the chocolate flavors even more!

These Inside Out Chocolate Cookies are super chocolatey, loaded with flavor, and have a super indulgent texture. The hint of cinnamon make these my go to fall chocolate cookie but when is it not a good time for chocolate?!

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Inside Out Chocolate Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 34 minutes
  • Yield: 10 large cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Baking, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These inside out chocolate chip cookies are chewy, flavorful and deeply chocolatey! Dutch process cocoa and lots of sweet white chocolate chips make for a rich chocolate taste and warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla make them even more flavorful!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided

TOPPING

  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.

  4. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly beat in the dry ingredients.

  5. Stir in about 1 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the remaining ¼ cup to add to the tops.

  6. Form dough into balls about ¼ of batter each. Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the batter or eyeball it. Place balls on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Top each ball with a few of the reserved chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt.

  7. Bake 12- 14 minutes until tops are just set. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Keywords: chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chip, chocolate, cocoa, soft cookies, chewy

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies

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A chocolate chip peanut butter cooke with mini marshmallows in the center being pulled apart.

Say hello to these gooey, chewy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies! They’re soft, peanutty and studded with the most delicious mini add ins: mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. These super easy GIANT cookies are not your average peanut butter cookie yet are made with simple pantry ingredients!

CHOCOLATE, PEANUT BUTTER AND MARSHMALLOWS

This is my first time combining chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallows, but it seems I’m always baking with at least one of two of them!

FAVORITE CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES

I have so many favorite chocolate-peanut butter recipes but a few grandmother’s recipe for Peanut Butter Balls, my Peanut Butter Stuffed Salted Brownie Cookies, my Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies and these delicious No Bake Peanut Butter Butterscotch Bars.

CHOCOLATE AND MARSHMALLOWS

Chocolate and marshmallows also make a pretty perfect pair……I mean…s’mores, right?! My gooey, ultra chocolatey S’mores Brownies are just….amazing! My Chocolate Brownie Meringue Cake is also pretty unreal if you’re a chocolate lover! Oh and what’s hot chocolate without marshmallows?! These Hot Chocolate Cookies are hot chocolate in cookie form!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

I have a couple of yummy peanut butter cookie recipes for you to definitely check out! These Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies are total classics, complete with the fork indentations. These Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Peanut Butter Buttercream are also totally to die for.

PEANUT BUTTER AND MARSHMALLOWS

Peanut butter and marshmallows is a less common yet must-try combination! They’re both sweet and creamy. They’re delicious as is, I decided to throw a little chocolate in these cookies since it goes so well with both peanut butter and marshmallows.

THESE PEANUT BUTTER MARSHMALLOW COOKIES ARE:

  • GIANT: I use a 2 ounce ice cream scoop to measure and shape the the cookies. As you can imagine, an ice cream scoop makes each cookie monster sized!
  • SOFT AND CHEWY: I used both brown sugar and granulated sugar. I love the flavor and moisture that brown sugar adds and granulated sugar adds a nice texture.
  • FLAVORFUL: Peanut butter and vanilla make these peanutty and incredibly delicious. The chocolate chips and marshmallows add sweetness and flavor!
  • EASY: Based on how cool looking and delicious these one of a kind cookies are, you’d think they’d be a bit harder to make. Truth is they couldn’t be easier! The fact that you probably have everything to make them makes making a batch of these even more convenient!

HOW TO MAKE THESE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Start by creaming the peanut butter, room temperature butter and the brown and granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla followed by the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.

SCOOPING THIS CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER MARSHMALLOW COOKIE DOUGH

Scooping and shaping these cookies is simple and straightforward. I like to use my large ice cream scoop to measure and shape the cookie dough. No need to roll the dough into balls or press down on them. Just scoop, place them on the baking sheet and leave them in their original dome shape. This dome shape will help the cookies stay nice and thick once baked.

It’s a good idea to scoop the cookies before chilling. I forgot to do this once with my Birthday Cake Cookies and literally broke my ice cream scoop when I tried to scoop from the bowl of chilled cookie dough! Lesson learned. Rather than placing the bowl of cookie dough into the fridge, scoop the dough onto a small baking sheet and place it in the fridge.

A FEW MORE TIPS FOR MAKING THESE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Some of the marshmallows will bake inside the cookies and some might end up on top. Don’t be surprised if the marshmallows on top have peanut butter on them. If you want the cookies to bake with some golden/non peanut butter coated marshmallows on top, stick a few into the dough after you’ve scooped it and before you chill it.

Regular size chocolate chips can be used in place of the minis. I liked the mini chocolate chips because I like how they look with the mini marshmallows. I also think it’s cool that they’re giant cookies with cute little mini add ins!

I haven’t tried this, but you could also swap the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips and take the peanut butter flavor all the way! Definitely sounds yummy to me!

Their giant shape, thick, chewy texture and delicious flavor makes me want to call these Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies bakery style cookies! The gooey marshmallows, sweet chocolate and, of course, all that peanut butter make them totally irresistible. I hope you treat yourself to a batch today!

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giant peanut butter cookies with gooey mini marshmallows and lots of chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 13 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
  • Yield: 12 large cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Peanut butter lovers: you’ll love these Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cookies! Made with brown sugar and loads of peanut butter and studded with BOTH mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips! They have a simple list of ingredients, are super easy to make and are irresistibly delicious!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES

  •  1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
  •  1/4 cup  granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup mini  chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  2. In the bowl of a hand held or stand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown and granulated sugar until combined and creamy. Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chips followed by the marshmallows until they are incorporated into the dough.
  3. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop dough into domes and place them on a small baking sheet to chill. Chill for an hour. Cookies are large and will spread as they bake, so bake 4-5 cookies per baking sheet. 
  4. Bake at 350 F for 11-13 minutes, until edges are light golden brown.
  5. Let cool on the baking sheet for five minutes then transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

If you’re making the cookies regular sized (1 tablespoon of dough), reduce baking time by around 3-4 minutes. 

Keywords: peanut butter, cookies, giant, monster, marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, soft cookies

Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies

by

Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies. Soft, chewy, and packed with caramel popcorn, and a mix of dark and milk chocolate. Topped off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Delicious, easy, and fun to make and eat, these cookies will have you anticipating every bite until the cookie disappears!

CARAMEL POPCORN

Have you ever had a food just drop into your life that you never knew you needed? That happened to me recently with Caramel Popcorn! I saw a recipe for it in one of my grandmother’s old cooking magazines and instantly felt the need to make it.

It took a few attempts to get it just right since I wanted to make a recipe without corn syrup. Brown sugar and honey made the perfect healthier (er…less unhealthy) substitute!

I used 3 cups of my caramel popcorn recipe for these cookies. It’s the best option, in my opinion, because you can make the caramel popcorn as a treat to enjoy and still have enough to add to these cookies!

Caramel popcorn couldn’t be easier to make! You just mix up a simple caramel, mix it with fresh popcorn, and bake it for about 20 minutes.

OTHER POPCORN OPTIONS

  • Store bought caramel popcorn: I haven’t used store bought, but I think it’d be fine.
  • Cracker Jacks! Since Cracker Jacks are basically caramel popcorn with nuts, this would definitely work especially if you like nuts.
  • Plain or buttered popcorn. I haven’t used buttered popcorn yet, but I’m so curious to try it in these cookies! Buttered popcorn chocolate chip cookies, anyone?!

Popcorn Cookies

I came up with the idea for these cookies because, honestly, I just wanted another way to enjoy this caramel popcorn! Popcorn and cookies sounded fun together and I knew the textures and flavors would be DELICIOUS!

DARK AND MILK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate = GOOD! Dark and milk chocolate = EVEN BETTER! I happen to love both and I also like how they taste together. Also, since my husband prefers dark and I prefer milk chocolate, there’s something for everyone.

If you love combining milk and dark, check out my Brown Butter Toffee Cookies with Mixed Chopped Chocolate. If you love white chocolate, you could even add some chopped white chocolate!

I used more dark chocolate here since I’m using caramel popcorn which is already pretty sweet. I usually use Lindt bars and just chop them up. I usually get the 70% dark bars. Use all of one type of chocolate, or combine them to make 1 cup like I did.

OTHER CHOCOLATE OPTIONS

  • Chocolate Chips: Instead of the cup of chopped chocolate, you could use 1 cup of chocolate chips! Use dark, semisweet, or even white chocolate! (By the way, I have so many chocolate chip cookie recipes for you to try! I’ll start by recommending two of my most popular which are these Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies and Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips!
  • Chocolate Chunks: These would also be delicious and I think would be amazing texture-wise!

FLAKY SEA SALT

Speaking of chocolate, I should mention that these chocolatey cookies are finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Why did chocolate remind me of sea salt? Because salt intensifies the chocolate flavor! It also balances out the sweetness from the milk chocolate and caramel popcorn.

Add the sea salt to the dough balls just before they go into the oven or sprinkle it on as soon as you take them out.

Ok…that was a lot about the add ins! The caramel popcorn and chocolate are so important and so GOOD in this recipe, so I had to be sure to share all the details.

HOW TO MAKE POPCORN COOKIES

The cookie dough itself doesn’t need as much explaining since it’s pretty much your standard chocolate chip cookie…butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.

I like to use dark brown sugar and some granulated sugar. The dark brown sugar helps the cookies get their nice chewy middles and adds a tasty molasses flavor! I prefer dark, but you can also use light brown sugar.

Once the dough is mixed, fold in the popcorn and chocolate. The popcorn will break a little but that’s okay! You’ll end up with some whole pieces and some smaller pieces of popcorn.

These are definitely MONSTER popcorn cookies which is how I like my cookies these days. To scoop them onto the cookie sheet, I use a large ice cream scoop (size 16). You can also measure out 1/4 cup of dough and form it into balls. If you prefer smaller cookies, be sure to reduce the baking time by a few minutes.

No need to flatten the dough and no chill/rest necessary with this dough. Bake until the edges are golden brown.

I have never seen a cookie more fun or delicious tasting than these Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies! They’re made with lots of vanilla and brown sugar, packed with caramel popcorn, dark chocolate and milk chocolate and topped with flaky sea salt. When you taste how good they are, you’ll realize why they needed to be monster sized!

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Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 32 minutes
  • Yield: 1 dozen 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Made with homemade caramel popcorn and both dark and milk chocolate, these Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies have a soft, chewy texture and are full of flavor!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar (preferably dark), packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups popcorn caramel popcorn (or buttered or plain popcorn, air popped or microwave)
  • 1 cup chocolate (dark and/or milk, chopped or chocolate chips)
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat an additional minute. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the popcorn followed by the chocolate.
  4. Use a large ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup, scoop out the dough and place balls onto prepared baking sheets. Top with flaky sea salt and bake Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges turn golden brown. Allow to cool for five minutes on baking sheet before eating or transferring to a rack to cool completely. 

Keywords: popcorn, cookies, caramel popcorn, chocolate, chopped chocolate, dark chocolate, popcorn cookies, chocolate chip cookies

Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Candied Fruit

by

Rectangular shaped lemon shortbread with bits of chopped hazelnuts and candied fruit.

Simple yet pretty and flavorful Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Candied Fruit. Buttery, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies flavored with lemon juice, lemon zest and candied lemon. Candied cherries add chewiness and pops of color while toasted hazelnuts adds even more flavor along with some crunch. So simple to make, rustic looking and delicious. The best cookie to bake this summer.

ABOUT THIS SHORTBREAD COOKIE RECIPE

Everybody needs a good recipe for shortbread cookies and this one’s mine! It’s sturdy yet crumbly and rich and yet light. It has an amazing flavor and texture on it’s own, but tastes even better with add ins!

Speaking of add-ins, if you love chocolate, check out my Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips! They so remind me of Chips Ahoy even though I didn’t set out to make them that way!

The other recipe I came up with using this dough is my Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. They get their crunch from chopped pistachios, have a burst of fresh juice from pomegranate arils, and are dipped in white chocolate. They are as amazing as they sound!

Crumbly, tender cookies studded with candied cherries, lemon and chopped nuts.

WHAT ARE THE ADD INS IN THESE COOKIES?

CANDIED FRUIT

Since it’s summer, I definitely wanted all the lemon flavor which meant using both lemon juice and zest in the dough. For even more of a lemony taste and for some chewy texture, I added some candied lemon peel and that vibrant pop of red you see in the cookies comes from candied red cherries!

Paradise Fruit Company sent me their candied fruit to try out and I love how it tastes in these cookies. I’ve made candied lemons and oranges before, but having it ready made for these cookies saves a lot of time. I also love that the lemon peel comes already chopped. This makes it easy to just toss into my dough. The cherries can be halved or quartered. I chose to quarter them so that they’re about the same size as the bits of lemon peel.

TOASTED HAZELNUTS

For more flavor, but more so for it’s crunch, we have some chopped toasted hazelnuts. I use my food processor rather than a knife since I like the hazelnuts to be pretty fine bits. The shortbread dough is on the delicate side and I find more finely chopped nuts work better.

Colorful cookie dough rolled in a rectangular log and covered with plastic wrap.

ABOUT THE DOUGH

This recipe can’t not taste good since it starts with two sticks of butter and some powdered sugar. The dough is very easy to make and to shape. Shape it into a 10″ rectangle, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

BAKING THESE DELICIOUS COOKIES

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the cookies about 1/4 inch thick and lay them about 1 inch apart.

A batch of lemon shortbread cookies sliced in rectangles on a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies until the edges begin to turn light gold brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Freshly baked, lightly golden cookies cooling on a baking rack.
A close up of buttery lemon cookies with bits of candied lemon and hazelnuts nearby.

DECORATING THE COOKIES

Once cooled, you could definitely decorate the cookies. I thought about it, but didn’t want to risk covering it up the cool pattern the candied fruit and hazelnuts give these cookies! I also like the simplicity of their natural and sort of rustic vibe.

ROLL THE DOUGH IN COARSE SUGAR

I think next time, I will try coating the dough in some coarse sugar. I know it won’t add color, but it will add a little crunch and sweetness and it’ll dress up the cookies a tiny bit.

DIP THEM OR DRIZZLE THEM WITH CHOCOLATE

These cookies taste amazing when dipped in or drizzled with melted chocolate! I dipped my Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies in White Chocolate. The chocolate was delicious and I even used it as a glue to sprinkle more toppings onto.

Drizzling chocolate over the cookies is also fun to do! If you like that idea, check out my Chocolate Almond Toffee Slice and Bake Cookies for some inspo!

Buttery rectangular shaped cookies with chopped hazelnuts, lemon and cherries.

And there you have it! These Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Candied Fruit are so simple to make. They turn out with a simple yet pretty look to them and are super flavorful. You’ll love the buttery shortbread in combination with the fresh lemon, crunchy hazelnuts and delicious, chewy candied lemons and cherries! They’re pretty much the perfect cookie for any time of the year!

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Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Candied Fruit

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 12
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: About 2 dozen 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Lemon Shortbread Cookies with Candied Fruit recipe is made with a delicious, rich buttery shortbread. They’re tender and are full of lemon flavor and a chewy, crunchy texture thanks to candied fruit and toasted hazelnuts! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup dried red cherries, quartered
  • 1/4 cup candied lemon peel, diced
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, chopped

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice followed by the egg yolk. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the hazelnuts, cherries and lemon peel.
  2. Turn the dough out onto the counter top and form the dough into a 10 inch rectangle. Roll it in plastic wrap and chill the dough for about 2 hours or until firm.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the cookie dough into rounds about 1/4″ in size. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ” apart and bake 10-12 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Almond Toffee Slice and Bake Cookies

by

chocolate slice and bake cookies decorated with chocolate, chopped nuts and toffee bits

There’s just so much to love about these rich, nutty, chocolate almond toffee slice and bake cookies. The buttery shortbread is flavored with vanilla and almond extracts and packed with mini chocolate chips, crunchy chopped almonds and sweet toffee bits. Each cookie is drizzled with melted chocolate and sprinkled with more toffee and almond. It’s a delicious, easy cookie recipe with bakery style looks and flavor!

EASY SHORTBREAD RECIPE

My pantry and my shortbread cookies with mini chocolate chips were the inspiration for this recipe. I wanted to use this shortbread recipe because it’s simple and foolproof which is what most people (myself included) are looking for these days!

A white bowl filled with chopped almonds, toffee bits and some mini chocolate chips.

The dough for these easy slice and bake cookies is so versatile and easy that I also used this shortbread recipe as the base for my Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies. If you’re a fan of lemon and white chocolate, definitely give them a try!

SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

  • BUTTER: Two sticks, unsalted.
  • POWDERED SUGAR
  • 1 EGG YOLK
  • EXTRACTS/FLAVORING: Vanilla and almond extract
  • DRY INGREDIENTS: Just flour and salt
  • TOFFEE BITS
  • MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS: I like the minis because they are closer in size to the bits of almond and toffee but you can definitely use regular chocolate chips instead of the minis.
A mixing bowl filled with cookie dough and a small bowl with ingredients next to it.

HOW TO MAKE THESE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

  • MAKE THE DOUGH: Comes together in just minutes.
  • FORM IT INTO A LOG: Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and easily form it into a 10″ log. Wrapping the dough in plastic wrap will help you shape it further. Seal it up and stick it in the fridge for at least two hours.
A log of shortbread cookie dough wrapped in plastic wrap.
  • SLICE: Place the log on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice the cookies into 1/4″ slices.
  • BAKE: Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-14 minutes.
Chocolate chip shortbread cookies sliced and on a baking sheet ready to be baked.

DECORATING THE COOKIES

The last step is, decorating, is the most fun! Gather your melted chocolate, chopped almonds and toffee bits and get creative. Drizzle or dip the cookies in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with the toppings.

Whatever way you top them, they will look adorable and will taste amazing! Even the cookies I thought I messed up with the drizzle on, turned out looking so good.

A batch of shortbread cookies topped with drizzled chocolate, almonds and toffee.
Some slice and bake cookies next to dishes of almonds and toffee bits.
A tower of shortbread cookies with toffee, almonds and chocolate in front of some milk.

FOR MORE COOKIE RECIPES, CHECK OUT MY:

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Chocolate Almond Toffee Slice and Bake Cookies

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 34 minutes
  • Yield: About 2 Dozen 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These easy Chocolate Almond Toffee Slice and Bake Cookies are buttery and delicious! Filled and topped with sweet toffee, nutty almonds and lots of chocolate, they make the perfect treat! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup toffee bits
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1–2 tablespoons almonds, finely chopped
  • 1–2 tablespoons toffee bits 

Instructions

FOR THE COOKIES

  1. Sift together the flour and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, followed by the egg yolk. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  2. Turn the dough out onto the counter top and form the dough into a 10 inch log. Roll it in plastic wrap and chill the dough for about 2 hours or until firm.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the cookie dough into rounds about 1/4″ in size. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ” apart and bake 12-14 minutes until the edges just begin to turn golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to racks to cool completely.

FOR THE TOPPING

  1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir well after every 20 seconds. Pour chocolate into a zip lock bag. Snip off a corner and drizzle the cookies with chocolate. Top with chopped almonds and toffee bits. 

Keywords: Toffee, toffee bits, chocolate, chocolate chips, shortbread, shortbread cookies, almond, almonds, nuts, cookies

Peanut Butter Stuffed Salted Brownie Cookies

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salted chocolate cookies with crackly tops and peanut butter in the middle.

Combine all the things you love about brownies and cookies and you get these delicious peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies! They’re cookie shaped and have cookie-like crispy edges and have the crackly tops and fudgy, chewy middles you love about brownies. A hefty pinch of flaky sea salt brings out all the chocolate flavor and the peanut butter middles takes these into dessert territory. They’re easy to make and are just so good!

ABOUT BROWNIE COOKIES

Who doesn’t love brownies?! Based on the the number of brownie recipes here on Parsley and Icing, my love for them is obvious! There are my creamy tahini brownies, avocado brownies (I know it sounds weird, but they’re sooooo good), and most recently these insanely good banana brownies!

Recipes for brownie cookies already exist, but I felt compelled to make my own for a couple of reasons. The first being that maybe some of my friends have not tried brownie cookies and I wanted to spread the word and share how to make them.

The second reason for this recipe was because I had to try stuffing brownie cookies with peanut butter! So glad I did! Since peanut butter and chocolate go so well together, the peanut butter only makes these cookies even more intensely flavorful!

Brownie cookies stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips and topped with salt.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROWNIE COOKIES

  • Butter: With salt added to the batter and sprinkled on top of the cookies, it’s best to use unsalted butter.
  • Chopped chocolate: I both chopped dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate. Use all of one or some of both like I did.
  • Chocolate chips: In addition to the melted chocolate, I like to add some semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. These add nice little chocolatey bites to the cookies once baked.
  • Cocoa powder: You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and or Dutch processed.
  • Baking powder: Use one teaspoon as a leavening agent.
  • Flour: I am running low on flour these days, so luckily these only take one cup!
  • Sugars: I used both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. I like dark brown for the extra molasses flavor, but light brown can be used too. Alternatively, you can also simply use all granulated sugar.
  • Eggs: Use two large room temperature eggs.
  • Sea salt: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie helps balance out the sweetness of the cookies. Sprinkle it on either just before or right after baking.
  • Peanut butter middles: Since peanut butter and chocolate are an amazing flavor combo, stir together some peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt for the yummiest stuffed cookies. These definitely remind me of my old fashioned peanut butter balls, but are a little less work. Cookies can be made without the peanut butter middles, but I highly recommend making them with peanut butter!
A batch of big chocolate monster cookies topped with flaky sea salt.

HOW TO MAKE BROWNIE COOKIES

In order to get those cool crinkly tops, you want to make sure to have all your ingredients ready so that the cookies can get formed and baked as soon as the dough is mixed.

The first thing you’ll do is prepare the peanut butter stuffing. Fix this first so that it has time to chill in the fridge. Chilling the little peanut butter ball mixtures easier to pick up and stick inside the cookie scoop.

Next, take care of the other usual items: preheat the oven, line baking sheets with parchment paper, whisk to combine the dry ingredients and melt the butter and chopped chocolate. I even like to measure out my chocolate chips so that I have them ready to mix in and don’t have to measure them out mid-mixing. Have your eggs at room temperature and within reach of your mixer.

Once you’ve got everything prepped, get your eggs, sugars and vanilla going in the mixer. Definitely let them mix for the full five minutes. After five minutes, fold in the butter and chocolate mixture, followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips (if using) til just combined.

Fill a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop half way with batter then drop a peanut butter ball in and fill the rest of the scoop with the brownie cookie batter. Drop the cookies on your baking sheet and top with a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake until the edges are set and the tops are crinkly. Let the cookies cool a bit (10-15 minutes) on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Salted brownie cookies cut in half with peanut butter in the middle.

These peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies are definitely bakery style looking and tasting! Enjoy them while they’re still warm or at room temperature. Either way, you’ll get crinkly, fudgy, chocolately, peanut buttery chewiness in every bite!

FOR MORE COOKIE RECIPES, TRY MY:

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Salted Brownie Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 17 cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Fudgy, chewy, chocolatey brownies in cookie form: these easy, peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies have a crackly brownie like crust and are full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor! 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened 
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

  1. In a small bowl, soften butter for a few seconds in the microwave. Ideally, the butter should be softened to the point that it’s easy to stir and mix in with the powdered sugar.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the peanut butter, softened butter, powdered sugar and salt. Mixture will be sticky, but you should be able to form it into balls. If it’s too sticky or liquidy, place it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until it becomes thicker and easier to work with.
  3. Form 17 balls the size of 1 teaspoon and place them on a small wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the balls in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chilling the peanut butter balls will make them easier to work with.

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Add the butter to a medium saucepan and heat it over medium low until it’s melted. Remove pan from the heat. Add the dark and semisweet chopped chocolate and stir until it’s melted and combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium high speed, mix the eggs, sugars and vanilla for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the melted chocolate-butter mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Remove bowl from mixer stand and use a spatula gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Add in the chocolate chips.
  6. Fill an ice cream scoop half way with batter. Place one peanut butter mixture ball in the scoop and fill the rest of the scoop with cookie dough. Drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 3″ apart.
  7. Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt and bake 10-12 minutes until the center is just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool.

Keywords: brownie cookies, peanut butter, stuffed, chocolate, sea salt, cookies

Hot Chocolate Cookies

by

fresh chocolate chip cookies with cocoa, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows on a wooden platter.

Hot chocolate cookies are the perfect cookies to bake this weekend. Cocoa, dark brown sugar, vanilla, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. They’re soft, gooey and chewy and are basically hot chocolate in cookie form. Easy, delicious, and the sweetest kind of comfort food.

I thought it might be past the season to make hot chocolate cookies, but we woke up to snow twice this past week here in Ottawa. In addition to the snow and chilly temps, social distancing and spending almost all our time has me wanting comfort food like never before. Hearty soups seem to be my preferred savory comfort food and for sweets? Definitely chocolate.

These hot chocolate marshmallow cookies will definitely make you think you’re eating hot chocolate in a cookie form. They actually remind me a little of Italian hot chocolate which is even thicker and chocolatier than the Swiss Miss packets I grew up on in the US.

THESE HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES ARE:

  • a perfect comfort food (like a soothing, sweet cup of cocoa with marshmallows)
  • soft and chewy (thanks to a whole cup of brown sugar)
  • perfectly flavorful (loaded with vanilla and molasses flavor from dark brown sugar)
  • super chocolatey (full of both cocoa and chocolate chips)
  • gooey (chewy, tender with melty chocolate chips and soft, sweet mini marshmallows are baked on top)
  • easy to make (no chilling, simple ingredients and take less than an hour)

Because it’s always a good idea to bake chocolate chip cookies, especially when browned butter, pumpkin butter, and cinnamon sugar are involved.

HOW TO MAKE HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

Great news is that these comfort food cookies are just a few easy steps away! It’s a simple recipe made with basic ingredients. There are just a couple of ingredients that you may or may not have on hand, but I have substitutes for them.

  • Mini marshmallows: I like how cute and fun mini marshmallows look, but regular marshmallows could also be used. Just slice them in half or in thirds and plop one right in the middle at the same time in the recipe that you’d add the mini marshmallows.
  • Dark brown sugar: You can use light brown in place of dark brown sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar because it adds more of a molasses flavor, but both light and dark will work.
Chocolate cookie dough with chocolate chips in a mixing bowl with a paddle in it

MAKING THE COOKIE DOUGH

This is a pretty standard cookie dough. I like to whisk to combine the dry ingredients first and have my eggs and butter out at room temperature before I start. Using the stand mixer makes things easier, but a hand held mixer works too!

Once you have the cookie dough mixed up, form the balls and place them on the cookie sheet. I usually bake six cookies at a time. Before putting the cookies in the oven to bake, it’s nice to stick a few more chocolate chips into the balls. I say a few which originally meant three or four, but I found myself loading them on with each batch of cookies I baked!

a chocolate cookie dough ball on parchment paper studded with chocolate chips.

Freshly baked rich chocolate chip cookies with marshmallows.

ADDING THE MARSHMALLOWS

The marshmallows don’t go into the oven until the last minute or two. Once the cookies have baked and taken shape, take them out of the oven and quickly and gently press three or four mini marshmallows onto each cookie. Pop them back into the oven for a minute or two. This will give the marshmallows time to stick onto the cookies.

No need to press them down or cook them til they get color. That would make them more s’mores cookies and we want cute, fluffy white marshmallows.

cookies made with cocoa, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows next to a jug of milk.
Delicious freshly baked hot cocoa cookies with chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Hot chocolate marshmallow cookies on a cutting board next to a jug of milk.
A close up of delicious chocolatey cookies loaded with melted chocolate chips and mini marshmallows!

These hot chocolate cookies are not just for winter! They are perfect for anytime you are craving a chocolatey treat. They’re soft, chewy, gooey and are the ultimate comfort food cookie!

FOR MORE CHOCOLATE COOKIE RECIPES, BAKE THESE:

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Hot Chocolate Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 31 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Baking, Cooking
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy recipe for hot chocolate cookies makes chewy, chocolatey delicious cookies! Cocoa and chocolate chips add tons of chocolate flavor while marshmallows add gooey sweetness!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 21/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark), divided
  • About 1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until creamy and pale. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula then add the eggs one at a time with the mixer on medium speed. Add the vanilla.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
  5. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 3″ apart. Top each cookie with a 4-5 extra chocolate chips.
  6. Bake 9 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully stick 2-4 marshmallows on each cookie. Place sheet back in oven and bake another 1-2 minutes or until the center is just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool.

Keywords: hot chocolate cookies, hot chocolate, hot cocoa, chocolate, chocolate cookies, chocolate chips, marshmallows

Birthday Cake Cookies

by

cake batter cookies with mini chocolate chips and fun, colorful sprinkles

These birthday cake cookies are easy, delicious and FUN! Make them to celebrate a birthday or just for to add a little everyday cheer. Chewy, a little doughy, rich, and buttery, they are the perfect treat to make in place of or in addition to a birthday cake. Use your favorite sprinkles and chocolate chips and let the party begin with this from scratch, pantry friendly cookie recipe!

ABOUT THESE FUN BIRTHDAY CAKE COOKIES

My friend had a great idea and made these to celebrate one of her young son’s birthdays. It happened to be during quarantine, so the birthday party turned out to be a birthday parade. Instead of handing out cake to friends and family driving by, she handed out birthday cookies!

Whether you are celebrating a birthday or not, these birthday cake cookies are the perfect treat. They’re made from scratch and filled with lots of love, sprinkles and chocolate chips. These chewy, vanilla flavored cookies are colorful, delicious and FUN!

These chocolatey cookies are definitely my favorite birthday cake cookies, but don’t ask me to pick a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe! There are my Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies which are super soft thanks to the sour cream and are loaded with chocolate chips! For a homemade version of a cookie similar to Chips Ahoy, I always go with my Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips!

HOW TO MAKE CAKE BATTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These cookies have a simple list of ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. I’ll try to give a few substitutes since I know getting to the store these days is not easy.

INGREDIENTS

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these fun cookies:

  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar makes a good substitute. Brown sugar makes the cookies chewy and flavorful.
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Flour
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Sprinkles: Use rainbow, chocolate, or a combination of the two!
  • Mini chocolate chips: Use regular sized or mini chocolate chips. Dark, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips can be used. I use 3/4 cup, but add a little more (around 1 cup) or a little less (around 1/2 cup) if you like!
A bowl filled with chocolate chip cookie dough loaded with rainbow sprinkles!
C

MIXING THE COOKIE DOUGH

This is a pretty simple recipe and your mixer, fridge and oven do most of the work. Start by combining your dry ingredients. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Cream your room temperature butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer until they’re creamy and combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.

Turn the mixer down to low and gradually pour in the dry ingredients followed by the sprinkles then the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

CHILL THE COOKIE DOUGH

One of the many things I love about these cookies is that they are nice and thick. Part of the reason for that is that the dough is chilled before it’s baked. Chilling the dough prevents it from spreading too thinly while it bakes.

Chilling the dough also enhances the flavor and has many other benefits. Check out this article by King Arthur Flour for more info on why it’s a good idea to chill cookie dough! Chill the cookie dough for at least an hour.

Before chilling the dough, you’ll want to pre-scoop it. If you wait to scoop it after chilling the dough, it’ll be way too hard to scoop. These cookies are monster sized which means they’re baked with about 1/4 cup of dough!

I like to use a 2 oz cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop. It makes the dough balls all the same size and makes measuring the dough out a lot easier.

Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. When they’re ready to bake, just pull the dough off the tray for each batch. Leave the remaining dough balls in the fridge while the first batch bakes.

Cake batter cookie dough scooped into balls on parchment paper!

MONSTER SIZED COOKIES

This recipe makes 18 giant cookies! Feel free to make them smaller if you like. You’ll just need to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.

A plate full of cookies packed with sprinkles and mini chocolate chips and some milk jugs!

You’ll know the cookies are done when the edges start turning golden brown. The middles will still be soft, but the cookies will set more as they cool. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool. Enjoy them while still warm or at room temperature!

A batch of soft, thick, chewy cookies with chocolate and rainbow sprinkles in a dish.

FROSTING BIRTHDAY CAKE COOKIES

These cookies are so cute and happy looking with their sprinkles and mini chocolate chips, so I could not bring myself to cover all that up with frosting! That said, what’s a birthday cake without frosting! They are delicious with a simple buttercream or even store bought frosting.

A tall stack of fun, delicious birthday cake cookies with milk jugs behind them!

These Birthday Cake Cookies are the perfect cookie to make for a birthday. Make them in place of or in addition to a birthday cake or just anytime you need a smile! You’ll love how soft, chewy, thick and flavorful they are! Get creative and choose your favorite sprinkles and chocolate chips or make them with the birthday girl or boy’s favorite flavors in mind!

FOR MORE COOKIE RECIPES, TRY MY:

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Birthday Cake Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 13 minutes
  • Total Time: 33 minutes
  • Yield: 18 cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These Birthday Cake Cookies filled with sprinkles and chocolate chips are super fun and easy to make! They are also buttery, chewy and delicious! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sprinkles of your choice
  • 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips (or regular sized semi sweet, white, or dark chocolate chips)

Instructions

  1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt Set aside.
  3. Cream the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until smooth and combined.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the eggs and blend well then add the vanilla.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients followed by the sprinkles then the chocolate chips.
  6. Use a 2 ounce cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 3″ apart. Cover the cookie dough balls with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour
  7. After chilling the dough for at least an hour, preheat oven to 375 F. Keep remaining balls in fridge while the first batch bakes. 
  8. Bake 11-13 minutes until edges have started to turn light brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Keywords: Cookies, birthday cake cookies, sprinkles

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

by

A close up of powdered sugar covered lemon cookies on a baking rack.

These lemon crinkle cookies are for you! Made with LOTS of lemon zest and lemon juice, they are perfectly tart-sweet. Their powdered sugar coating gives them both a delicious sweet exterior and their signature crinkle design! The cookies are super easy to make and are tender, melt in your mouth perfection.

WHAT ARE CRINKLE COOKIES?

This is my second crinkle cookie recipe. The first recipe was made with my other favorite flavor, CHOCOLATE…..actually lots of chocolate which is why they’re called Triple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!

Crinkle cookies get their cool appearance from being coated in powdered sugar before they bake. They’re impressive, but at the same time are super easy and have a homemade feel to them.

Yellow lemon cookies coated and covered in powdered sugar with a lemon next to them.

SO MUCH LEMON FLAVOR

These lemon crinkle cookies get their bright citrus flavor from over a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest and two tablespoons of lemon juice! These cookies have ALL the lemon flavor without being overwhelmingly tart. The sweetness of the powdered sugar balances out that tart flavor.

If you are a lemon fan, which something tells me you are, definitely try my Lemon Sour Cream Cookies! For a lemon flavored shortbread cookie, definitely try these Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookies!

Freshly grated lemon zest on a plate and a peeled lemon getting juiced.

SOFT COOKIE RECIPE

These are probably the softest, most tender cookie recipe on my website! In addition to an egg, the dough has an egg yolk in it which makes these cookies so tender and moist that they will melt in your mouth. For another super soft cookie recipe, try my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES

  1. Cream the butter and sugar then beat in the egg and egg yolk.
  2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
  3. Finally mix in the dry ingredients.
A pretty lemon cookie batter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.

A FEW TIPS FOR MAKING THESE COOKIES

As with most cookie doughs, it’s important to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl a couple of times while mixing the dough together. This ensures that all your ingredients are fully incorporated.

Another important step is to let the dough chill before baking it. This helps the flavor develop, makes the dough easier to shape, and keeps the balls from spreading when baked.

FOOD COLORING FOR ADDITIONAL COLOR

I tend not to use food coloring very often, but did add three drops to this dough. Since lemon is the star of these cookies, I like the idea of making sure they have a nice yellow color. The yellow acts as a little hint to people as to the flavor of the cookies!

The food coloring is optional, but if you do want to add it, anywhere from two to five drops is a good amount. Add it to the dough after adding the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.

A ball of cookie dough coated in powdered sugar on a plate.

POWDERED SUGAR COATING

The final ingredient in these cookies is powdered sugar. Before putting them on the cookie sheet, roll each ball in powdered sugar.

Roll each ball around good and make sure it’s completely coated in powdered sugar. Resist the urge to shake the excess off before putting it on the cookie sheet!

Three cookie dough balls coated in powdered sugar on a baking sheet.
Freshly baked lemon and powdered sugar coated cookies on a cookie sheet.

BAKING THE COOKIES

Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. They’re done when they just slightly begin to turn brown and have a matte look to them. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

A batch of pretty lemon powdered sugar cookies on a cooling rack.

These soft, chewy lemon crinkle cookies are super flavorful and have bursts of lemon in every bite! They’re made with simple, everyday ingredients and are super easy to make!

FOR MORE EASY, DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPES, TRY MY:

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powdered covered lemon cookies on a rack

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 34 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Baking, Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Easy, from scratch lemon crinkle cookies made with lots of lemon zest and plenty of lemon juice! They are tender, melt in your mouth lemon perfection. Lemon lovers, these are your cookies! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 drops yellow food coloring

FOR THE COATING

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream the sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, food coloring and vanilla  and beat until combined.
  5. With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.
  7. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2″ apart.
  8. Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Keywords: lemon, lemon crinkle, crinkle, cookies, lemon zest, lemon juice, soft, citrus

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.

These tahini chocolate chip cookies are classic yet luxurious at the same time. All the familiar deliciousness of a chocolate chip cookie with the added healthy, flavorful richness of tahini. You’ll quickly find that one bite and even one cookie will NOT be enough!

Tahini has elevated these chocolate chip cookies the same way it did when I added it to brownies! It adds its pretty, cool, beigy color, a rich, nutty flavor and a soft, tender texture!

Tahini, brown sugar, granulated sugar and a stick of butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

These tahini chocolate chip cookies aren’t just my favorite tahini cookies, they are now my all time favorite chocolate chip cookies! I made a few different versions of them and kept adding more tahini and more chocolate until I got them just right!

TAHINI

These cookies have three fourths of a cup of tahini which means they actually taste like tahini rather than just having a hint of it. Tahini has a nutty flavor but isn’t sweet. To sweeten the cookies, you’ll add granulated sugar plus a little brown sugar (for added chewiness and flavor).

CHOCOLATE

They also have a full cup and a half of chocolate chips which ensures chocolate in every bite! I used semi sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate is also amazing here. If you want to mix it up, feel free to use chocolate chunks or chopped up chocolate bars in place of chocolate chips!

SEA SALT

Before popping them in the oven, sprinkle them with some flaky sea salt! You can wait and add it after they bake, but it sticks better if added before baking.

They don’t taste super salty, you just get little flecks of salt which are nice in contrast with the sweetness. The salt also really makes them taste even more chocolatey!

Cookie dough loaded with chocolate chip cookies in a bowl.

MAKING THE COOKIES

Without repeating the whole recipe here, I’ll just say they’re super easy to make. You’ll first mix the tahini, butter and sugars then add the eggs, vanilla and dry ingredients. Use an electric mixer to do all of this until you add the chocolate chips. I recommend stirring those in with a spatula.

Scoop the cookies in 2″ balls and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I bake about six at a time.

Cookie dough balls filled with chocolate and topped with flakes of sea salt.

TEXTURE

These cookies are thick, soft and chewy thanks to the tahini and brown sugar. IF you want a flatter, crispier cookie, flatten the balls with the palm of your hand before baking them.

I tried the chewy and flat version. They taste the same, but I definitely preferred the chewier, non flattened version!

A batch of cookies studded with lots of chocolate chips on a cooling rack.
Chocolate chip cookies topped with flakes of sea salt!
A delicious chocolate chip cookie with a bite taken out of it!

COMFORT FOOD COOKIES

I hope these tahini chocolate chip cookies bring lots of flavor, fun and comfort to you! They’re a treat to your senses flavor and looks wise and they’re fun and easy to make!

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A close up of a cookie loaded with chocolate chips and topped with sea salt

Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Total Time: 52 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy recipe for salted tahini chocolate chip cookies makes the most delicious, chewy, chocolatey cookies! The tahini adds nutrition and flavorful richness while the sprinkle of sea salt brings out all the chocolate flavor! 

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup tahini, well stirred
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1 /2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark)
  • sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, tahini, and sugars for about three minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula then add the eggs one at a time with the mixer on medium speed. Add the vanilla. 
  4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 2″ apart. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt. For crispier cookies, flatten the unbaked cookies with your palm before baking. For chewier cookies, leave them as mounds/balls. 
  6. Bake 9-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Keywords: tahini, cookies, sesame, chocolate chips, chocolate chip cookies, dessert