This smooth and creamy frosting tastes like your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough, in frosting form! Pipe this cookie dough frosting onto your favorite brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and more.

A chocolate cupcake piped with cookie dough frosting.

This unique frosting combines two of my favorite recipes: my buttercream frosting and edible cookie dough.

Heat-treated flour is used in the frosting to provide structure as well as some brown sugar to give it that classic cookie dough taste and texture. There’s also two sticks of butter and powdered sugar in this recipe to keep it smooth and pipeable.

I love to add mini chocolate chips to this frosting, but you could easily use any mix-ins that you prefer. It’s delicious on top of brownies, cakes, cupcakes, and so much more!

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make chocolate chip cookie dough frosting.

Recipe Ingredients

  • All-Purpose Flour: Must be heat treated before being added to the frosting. This crucial step kills any lingering bacteria in the raw flour and makes the frosting safe to eat. As always, make sure that you measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife.
  • Butter: I highly recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe so that you can control the amount of salt. If you only have salted butter on hand, just omit the salt.
  • Brown Sugar: Adds texture and flavor to the frosting. I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar would be okay too.
  • Powdered Sugar: In order to avoid using too much brown sugar and ending up with a frosting that was really grainy, I opted to also use powdered sugar. This adds some additional sweetness and helps to thicken it so it’s easier to pipe.
  • Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla will deliver the best flavor.
  • Salt: A little salt balances out the sweetness of the frosting.
  • Heavy Cream: Thins the frosting slightly while keeping it creamy. If you don’t have any heavy cream, you can substitute it with half and half or milk.
  • Chocolate Chips: I prefer to use mini chocolate chips for this recipe, but regular chocolate chips or even chopped chocolate works great!
An overhead view of heat treated flour on a baking sheet.
An overhead view of beaten butter in a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment.

How To Make Cookie Dough Frosting

  1. Heat treat the flour: Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds, or until it reaches 160ºF. If you don’t own a microwave, you can bake it in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes instead. Once it’s heated, set it aside to cool while you mix together the frosting.
  2. Beat the butter until smooth: Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat it until smooth, this will make it easier to mix in the sugar.
An overhead view of a beaten brown sugar-butter mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment.
An overhead view of a beaten sugar-butter mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment.
  1. Add the brown sugar to the butter: Beat for two full minutes to make sure the brown sugar is thoroughly mixed together with the butter.
  2. Add the powdered sugar: Mix for about 30 seconds or until the powdered sugar is fully incorporated.
An overhead view of cookie dough frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment.
An overhead view of chocolate chip cookie dough frosting in the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment.
  1. Add the vanilla, salt, and sifted flour: Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed to ensure everything gets mixed together evenly.
  2. Add the chocolate chips: You can either mix the frosting on low speed or use a rubber spatula to incorporate the chocolate chips.
Piped edible cookie dough frosting in a glass jar.

Recipes to Pair with This Frosting

You can pipe, scoop, or swirl this edible cookie dough frosting onto pretty much any baked good. It’s delicious on top of my vanilla cupcakes or chocolate cupcakes, but also works great with my chocolate cake, vanilla cake, or chocolate chip cookie cake.

It also pairs really well with my brownie bites, small batch brownies, or homemade brownies!

A chocolate cupcake topped with a scoop of cookie dough frosting.

Recipe Tips

  • You MUST heat treat the flour or else the frosting will not be safe to eat. Do not skip this step!
  • The flour may clump together some after heating it, so make sure to sift it well before adding it to the frosting.
  • Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for something else like mini M&M’s, sprinkles, chopped nuts, or your favorite dried fruit.
  • If you plan to pipe the cookie dough with a smaller piping tip, I recommend leaving out the chocolate chips and adding them on top after piping. If you plan to use a larger piping tip or just want to spread it on top of your favorite dessert, then you can go ahead and mix them into the frosting.
A chocolate cupcake topped with cookie dough frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
This smooth and creamy frosting tastes like your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough, in frosting form! Pipe this cookie dough frosting onto your favorite brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and more.
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Ingredients

Servings: 3 cups
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (160 grams)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (230 grams; 2 sticks)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream (15 ml)
  • ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (90 grams)

Instructions
 

  • To heat treat the flour: Place the flour in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Test the temperature of the flour with an instant read thermometer, it needs to register at least 160°F. If not, microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s at the correct temperature. Alternatively you may bake the flour at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes or until the flour reaches 160°F. Set aside to cool completely.
  • To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
  • Add the brown sugar and continue mixing on medium speed for two minutes, stopping half way through to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix for another 30 seconds on low speed until all of the sugar is fully combined.
  • Add the vanilla and salt, then mix for another 30 seconds on low speed.
  • Sift in the flour and mix on low speed until just combined, then mix in the heavy whipping cream. If needed, stop and scrape around the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is fully mixed together.
  • Fold the mini chocolate chips into the frosting or mix them in on low speed until fully incorporated.
  • Use as desired.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Frosting may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
Freezing Instructions: Frosting will freeze well for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and mix well before using.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle Rye
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.

More Cookie Dough Desserts You’ll Love!

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Edible Cookie Dough

Cookie Dough Dip