Soft & Chewy Cookies – Part 1 | Festival Foods Blog

I like to consider myself a cookie connoisseur. I have a few favorite flavors but will not pass up another variety when asked 🙂

When it comes to cookies, you can separate them into 2 categories – crispy and chewy. But that’s just my opinion! Sometimes I want a cookie that is thin and crisp and sometimes I want a cookie that is thick and chewy, just depends on the day! The cookies I want to share with you today are incredible soft and chewy, and they are a new favorite in my house. Here are the recipes:

Now let’s walk through how to make them. Each recipe makes 7-8 cookies, but they are decently sized cookies and can almost be shared based on how rich they are.

First up are the Soft & Chewy Birthday Cookies. These cookies are like a piece of frosted cake (think Funfetti) and will bring you back to your childhood. They are soft, sweet, coated in the most delicious cream cheese frosting, and topped with colorful sprinkles.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the softened butter, sugar, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together.

Add the egg, cake batter extract, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined – do not overmix!

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into 7 equally sized cookies. Use your hands to roll into balls.

Place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Press down slightly with the palm of your hand to flatten to about 1-inch thick. Bake for 10-11 minutes.

Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. I like to slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet and pull it directly onto the cooling rack. Then I don’t disturb the cookies with a spatula and the cookies don’t get lines on the bottom from the cooling rack.

Once cooled, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined.

Add the powdered sugar and cake batter extract and beat until well combined.

Add the frosting to a piping bag and snip the corner (or use a Ziploc bag). Pipe the frosting in a circular motion on top of each cookie. Alternately, you can use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cookies, it just won’t be as decorative.

Top with sprinkles and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Super yummy!

The recipe can be found here.

Next up are Soft & Chewy Dirt Dessert Cookies. These cookies are an explosion of chocolate! Think back to a dessert you most likely enjoyed as a child called Dirt Dessert. It was chocolate pudding with crushed Oreos and gummy worms. That’s essentially what these cookies are. The cookie with chocolate and is topped with a chocolate buttercream frosting, crumbled Oreos, and a gummy worm.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the hot water and instant coffee in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together.

Add the egg and slightly cooled coffee and mix until well combined.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined – do not overmix!

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into 7 equally sized cookies. Use your hands to roll into balls.

Remove the filling from the Oreos. You don’t need the filling for the recipe so you can either throw it away or be like me and eat it all 🙂

Place the Oreos in a Ziploc bag and crush into fine crumbs (or use a food processor). Pour the crumbs into a bowl. Roll each ball of dough in the Oreo crumbs. Set the remaining crumbs aside (these will be used as a topping later in the recipe).

Place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Press down slightly with the palm of your hand to flatten to about 1-inch thick. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Once cooled, make the frosting. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until melted. Set aside.

Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined.

Add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Top with the remaining Oreo crumbs and a gummy worm. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. So good!

The recipe can be found here.

Next up are Soft & Chewy Key Lime Pie Cookies. These are a twist on traditional key lime pie with a graham cracker cookie that is topped with key lime pie filling, whipped cream, and a lime wedge. They are incredible citrusy and will be a crowd favorite!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together.

Add the egg and vanilla butter emulsion and mix until well combined.

Add the flour, 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until just combined – do not overmix!

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into 8 equally sized cookies. Use your hands to roll into balls.

Place the remaining 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs into a bowl. Roll each back of dough in the crumbs to coat the outside.

Place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Press down slightly with the palm of your hand. Use a 1 Tbsp measuring spoon to make a well in the center of the dough. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a ¼ cup measuring cup to make a larger indent in the center of each cookie. Bake for an additional 2 minutes.

Once cooled, make the key lime filling. Add the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the well in each cookie. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to allow the filling to set. It’s easiest to move the entire cooling rack into the fridge so you don’t disturb the cookies while they chill.

Once chilled, garnish the cookies with additional graham cracker crumbs and a lime wedge. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Delicious!

The recipe can be found here.

Last up are Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies. They have a cinnamon sugar base and are topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting. More cinnamon is sprinkled over the top as decoration. These are perfectly spiced cookies, and you won’t be able to stop with just one!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

Add the flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix until just combined – do not overmix!

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the batter into 7 equally sized cookies. Use your hands to roll into balls.

Combine the remaining 3 Tbsp sugar and ½ Tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Roll each ball of dough in the mixture to coat the outside. Set the remaining mixture aside.

Place on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Press down slightly with the palm of your hand to flatten to about 1-inch thick. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Once cooled, make the cream cheese frosting. Add the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined.