Put a huge smile on everybody’s face by giving them these Smiley Face Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are impossibly soft and chewy and will surely turn any frown upside down.
It’s hard not to smile when faced with a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, especially when they are smiling back at you.
Something about these Smiley Face Chocolate Chip Cookies, just melts my heart.
I brought them to a family dinner along with some other desserts, and they were the first things to get gobbled up, which wasn’t a surprise as I used the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I’ve ever made from Cook’s Illustrated.
There are lots of variations of chocolate chip cookies from thin and crispy to ooey gooey and I can’t say I’d complain about eating any of them, but I really prefer these bakery style cookies. They are nice and thick, gooey on the inside, especially when hot out of the oven, have crispy edges, and a really wonderful buttery flavor with hints of caramel.
My family would have been perfectly content with plain cookies and I’m sure they all would have enjoyed eating them, but I do think that these smiley face chocolate chip cookies might have just helped to elevate the mood in the room.
I made really large cookies and used Jumbo 3/4 inch Candy Eyes, you can make your cookies any size and use smaller eyes, if you prefer, but having one big cookie for dessert is filling and fun.
Take a delicious chocolate chip cookie to the next level and add a cute smile to it!
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/8 cup all purpose flour unbleached is best
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 36 Jumbo Candy Eyes
- 4 ounces dark confectionery coating melted
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Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for about a minute until well blended. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
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Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients.
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Fold chocolate chips into the batter.
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Scoop out 16-18 cookies, about 1/4 cup of dough for each. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 12-16 minutes. The cookies should begin to set around the edges, be light golden brown, yet still be soft in the center.
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Allow cookies to cool completely.
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Attach two candy eyes to each cookie using melted confectionery coating. Pour remaining coating into a squeeze bottle or small zip top bag. Pipe smiles onto cookies. Let candy coating harden.
How to make Smiley Face Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together then incorporate it into the wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop out 16-18, 1/4 cup size dough balls. Place dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for an hour. By doing this you get nice thick cookies that wont spread too much.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake cookies one tray at a time, for 12-16 minutes. The cookies should begin to set around the edges, be light golden brown, yet still be soft in the center.
Allow cookies to cool completely.
Attach two candy eyes to each cookie using melted confectionery coating. Pour remaining coating into a squeeze bottle or small zip top bag. Pipe smiles onto cookies. Let candy coating harden.
These really aren’t much more work than plain cookies, and they look so adorably cute.
Items used to create this project are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)
More Happy Smiling Desserts
from Hungry Happenings
White Chocolate Cupcake Wrappers
If you liked this Kid’s Recipe, then you need to check out these other fascinating recipes that your little ones will love!
These are so perfect…such a great idea Beth!!
Thanks for sharing with your followers, Jill!
GAAAAHHHHH! i LOVE them Beth!! absolutely and undeniably! :>D!
It's fun to do something so easy that turns out so cute. You and I both know how much work goes into a lot of our edible crafts, but this one couldn't be simpler.
Oh Beth… these made my Monday. (And it's only 8:32 a.m!) Adorable.
I'm happy to help start Monday off on the right foot!
Love it! Now I know what to make for my kids teachers to hand out on the last day of school 🙂
Oh, great idea. I'm pretty sure teachers everywhere would enjoy a nice smiley face chocolate chip cookie on the last day of school.
Lol, those are too cute! They made me so smile as soon as I came onto your website! Such a simple but inventive idea, love it.
I'm happy to hear these cookies made you smile. That is their job:)
Beth, You've done it again! These cookies are so cute, simple and fun! Love them! Time to share on fb and share on Pinterest:)
Thanks for sharing, Sue:)
I haven't had a chocolate chip cookie in such a long time I want one now with a smiley face! 🙂
I just ordered some of these candy eyes from your Amazon link. Love this idea!! Thanks so much for sharing.
The jumbo eyes are so much fun. This is the first time I've used them, but plan to use them a lot from now on. Thanks for using the link to make your purchase:)
I have to say, these are absolutely perfect:@)
These are too cute – saw them at Two Cup Tuesday! Got them pinned!
Kyra @ Caramel Potatoes
Thanks for stopping by and for pinning:)
Beth, these are the cutest chocolate chip cookies EVER! So creative, pinning!
These are so, so cute, Beth! I love how fun they are but still pretty simple to put together. And as much as I love all kinds of treats, there really is just something about a good chocolate chip cookie, isn't there? It's tough to beat. Thanks so much for linking up at The Makers!
These are so adorable! My kiddos would LOVE them. I'd be thrilled if you'd link up at this week's Off the Hook!
Those are so cute! As soon as my kitchen is done I am making these! They remind me of cookie monster. Love that you put a extra little something into an old favorite.
Chocolate chip cookies make me smile … eyeballs make me laugh … these must be the happiest cookies ever 🙂
Oh my goodness..these are awesome! The cute factor is off the charts..plus the fact that they are so easy to decorate just make them extra sweet in my book.
Many times I struggle (and fail) to get that all important great shot for my post. Every one of your photos here are really great!
Thanks, Karen. I too struggle with photography. Some things are easier to capture on film than others and I love when I can get nice pictures without a lot of effort.
I loved your cookie idea and tried to do them and they all just melted!!! 🙁 And i have no idea why!
What melted? You need to allow the cookies to cool completely before piping on the smiles? If they melted then your cookies were still too warm.
No! When i took the cookies out of the oven they were melted like a big thin surface :/. (And wasn't because of baking powder).
I just rechecked my recipe to make sure it was correct, and it is, so I have no idea what would have caused that. My cookies always turn out really thick using this recipe. I hope you give them another try. The recipe really does make the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had .
Stopping by from Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday link party. These are so cute! I need to make them for my son's class asap! Thanks for sharing. Pinning 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Melinda. Have fun baking:)
These are adorable! Can't wait to make them. Great photo!
Well slap me silly, aren't these just so much fun?? I love it! I have a bunch of sugar eyes begging to be chocolate glued to cookies now 🙂
so many happy desserts here 🙂 I would love a smiley face cookie!
So cute! Love this
Those are too cute and so delicious looking!
ok- this is just the cutest thing ever! I am so buying these jumbo candy eyes. If you have a chance, hop over and share with Motivation Monday, too-thanks
http://writtenreality.com/motivation-monday-linky-party/
I'm sure these are going to be lovely, but not being based in the USA (I'm in the UK), I can convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade OK, but I've no idea what 'cups' are! Can anyone please supply the measurements in grams? Thanks!
Here are the conversions –
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened = 170 grams
1 cup packed brown sugar = 220 grams
1/2 cup granulated sugar (white sugar) = 100 grams
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract = 8 grams
2 1/8 cup all purpose flour (unbleached is best) = 272 grams
1/2 teaspoon salt = 2 grams
1/2 teaspoon baking soda = 2 grams
12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips = 340 grams