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Are y’all ready for some football? I hope so because today I’m teaching you how to make a Football Cookie Cake – an easy recipe you can use with almost ANY cookie recipe!

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How to make a Football Cookie Cake! Use any cookie recipe or dough to make an easy football cookie cake!


Honestly? If I’m being truthful, I’m never ready. Football just kind of…exists for me. For my husband? It’s a whole ‘nother ballgame. He’s, like, down with the football. Football is Mel’s thang. And I’m just the wife who sits back, scolds the kid for rolling her eyes, and downloads extra books on her kindle from September-January.

Every year I make some sort of special FOOTBALL shaped treat for the playoffs and Super Bowl. This year it’ll be a Football Cookie Cake!

This cookie cake is easy and delicious – and you can make it with almost ANY of my cookie recipes.

Really, the recipe is just the method for how to make the football cookie cake.

Table of Contents

How to make a Peanut Butter Football Cookie Cake Recipe

Seriously, you can make this football cookie cake with any cookie recipe. Almost any of my cookie recipes can be turned into a cookie cake. Here’s the rule of thumb:

If a recipe has 1/2 cup butter or 3/4 cup butter then you can bake it in a 9-inch round pan.

If it calls for 1 cup or more of butter, then it’s best baked in TWO 8-inch or one 9×13-inch pan.

Now, the cookie as shown is a peanut butter cookie, but you don’t have to make it that way. You can use any of the following recipes and bake them using the method I explain in the recipe.

I learned this method of football cookie cake making from my friend Ashton over at Something Swanky. A few years ago I made 13 football cookie cakes for a bar mitzvah, using her method and my chocolate chip cookie recipe.

How to make an easy football cookie cake recipe

1. Pan: Bake your cookie cake in a 9″ round pan. Let it cool completely. Make sure you’ve lined the pan with foil or parchment for easy removal.

2. Cut: Make two slices off-center of the cookie, 1″ apart. Discard the 1″ strip. (i.e. eat it)

3. Form: Melt some chocolate chips. Use a knife to coat the inside cuts with chocolate, then press the halves of the cookie cake together. Voila! You have a football.

4. Decorate: Pour the rest of the chocolate on top and spread to the edges. Let it dry, then use white chocolate or frosting to make the laces.

5. Eat.

You can also use chocolate frosting for the topping instead of melted chocolate.

Peanut Butter Football Cookie Cake Recipe

This will last for 2-3 days on the counter in an airtight container. Or you can freeze the cookie for up to a month.

Peanut Butter Football Cookie Cake Recipe

What flavor football cookie cake will YOU make?

Other Football Treats

I’ve made Peanut Butter Football Cookies, Football Brownie Pies, Peanut Butter Football Dip, and Nutalla Brownie Footballs, to name just a few.

Football Cookie Cake on parchment paper

Football Cookie Cake

5 from 2 votes
Celebrate game day with a football cookie cake! It’s easy to make from your favorite cookie recipe!

Recipe Video

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

Use the following recipe for the cookie cake itself or choose one linked in the notes:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¾ cup peanut butter
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped peanuts optional

To assemble the cookie cake (with an 8-inch or 9-inch round cookie cake):

  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or shortening
  • 1 tablespoon White frosting or melted white chocolate
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Instructions

  • Cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, about 1 minute. Add egg, vanilla, milk, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Slowly add flour and mix until dough just comes together, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and nuts.
  • Line a 9” round cake pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Press dough into pan.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Bake for about 18-22 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely before continuing.
  • To make the football: make two cuts in the cookie cake, 1” apart right on each side of the center. (It’s like you’re cutting it in half but you’re making two long cuts just off center.) Remove the 1” cookie piece.
  • Melt remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips with oil or shortening in the microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring between each. (The oil is to help keep the chocolate from seizing.)
  • Use a knife or offset spatula to spread some melted chocolate inside the cut halves of the cookie, then press them together to seal. Once the chocolate hardens, the cookie will stick together. You now have a football shaped cookie cake!
  • Pour the remaining chocolate over the top and spread evenly. Chill to set the chocolate, then pipe on the laces using white frosting or melted white chocolate.

Recipe Notes

Other Cookie Recipes to use:

If you don’t want to top the cake with melted chocolate, use chocolate buttercream frosting.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 301mg | Potassium: 282mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 388IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Click here to see more PEANUT BUTTER recipes!

Click here for my ultimate Football Party Menu!

overhead shot of cookie cake decorated like a football with words on photo

A Football Cookie Cake is super easy to make with just a regular round cookie cake. Use any cookie cake recipe to make this easy football shape!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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29 Comments

  3. My husband was freaking out because he thought he wouldn’t be able to watch college football here.  It almost brought him to tears, but thank God for satellite dishes!  Also, can I have the middle piece please?

    Reply

  4. I can’t stand football, but my husband loves it too! And he would definitely love this football cake. This is so creative, Dorothy!

    Reply

  5. Football season means that I get to spend Sunday mornings wrangling three kids alone while my husband plays football for three hours. I mean, he’s the quarterback, so I have to let him go. But arg. And then he spends the afternoon tuned out while football is on. So I’m the one rolling my eyes here, not the kids. 🙂
    Maybe if I make this cake, I’ll feel better! Yep, not even a “maybe,” because it looks so good. And…Mel ate it! Another win!

    Reply

    1. Ugh, I remember feeling like that when Jordan was an infant. Now he tapes most of the games and watches them at night, thank goodness! If only we lived closer, we’d do Sunday baking days!!

      Reply