Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip taste like a mash-up of a chewy brownie, a soft cookie, and a tangy cheesecake all on one game day platter. This recipe suits anyone who wants a fun, kid-friendly Super Bowl dessert that comes together in about 45 minutes from start to finish. I test-baked these during a preseason game and ate three before halftime, strictly for research, of course.

Why Make This Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip at Home

You control the chocolate level, the sweetness, and the texture, so the cookies never taste dry or bland. You also skip weird preservatives and shape the cookies into footballs that actually look like footballs, not mystery ovals.

You also prep everything ahead, so you only plate and serve once the game starts. The cream cheese frosting dip sits in the fridge and waits patiently while you yell at the refs.

“These Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip disappeared before the second quarter even started, and my guests asked for the recipe on the spot ★★★★★”

Ingredients You Need

Unsalted butter
- 1 stick (1/2 cup), melted and slightly cooled
- Use real butter, not margarine, for best flavor. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt by half.
Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
- Keeps the cookies chewy and not cakey.
Light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup
- Adds moisture and a hint of caramel flavor. Dark brown sugar also works and gives a deeper taste.
Large egg
- 1, at room temperature
- Room temp egg mixes more easily and keeps the dough smooth.
Vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons
- Use pure vanilla if possible. I like Nielsen-Massey or the Costco pure vanilla.
All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups
- Spoon and level the flour so the cookies stay tender and not dry.
Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup
- Use natural cocoa for a classic chocolate cookie or Dutch-process for a deeper, richer flavor.
Baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon
Fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
- Table salt also works, just use a scant 1/2 teaspoon.
Mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
- 1/2 cup
- I like mini chips because they distribute evenly in the small football shapes. Use semi-sweet or dark.
Milk or cream (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons if the dough feels too dry to shape
- Add only if needed.

Cream cheese frosting dip

Cream cheese
- 8 ounces, full-fat block style, softened
- Avoid whipped tubs because they stay too loose.
Unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup), softened
Powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups, sifted for a smoother dip
- Start with 1 1/2 cups and add more if you want a thicker, sweeter dip.
Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon
Pinch of salt
- Balances the sweetness.
Milk or heavy cream
- 1 to 3 tablespoons to thin the dip to your preferred consistency

Football lace icing (optional but fun)

You can use some of the cream cheese frosting dip for the laces or mix a quick white icing.

Powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup
Milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons
Vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon

Or use store-bought white cookie icing in a squeeze bottle as a shortcut.

Equipment list

Large mixing bowl and medium mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking sheets
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Cookie scoop (1 to 1.5 tablespoons) or tablespoon
Small offset spatula or butter knife for shaping footballs
Piping bag or zip-top bag with a small tip cut off for the laces
Serving bowl for the cream cheese frosting dip
Wire cooling rack

Tips & Mistakes

Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes so the football shapes hold during baking and the cookies stay thick.
Scoop small portions of dough so the cookies bake evenly and keep a clear football outline.
Shape the dough with slightly damp fingers to smooth cracks and sharpen the pointed ends.
Avoid overbaking or the cookies turn dry; pull them when the edges look set and the centers still look soft.
Use parchment or silicone mats so the cookies release easily and keep their shape.
Soften cream cheese and butter fully for the dip or you get lumps that refuse to smooth out.
Add powdered sugar to the dip gradually so you control sweetness and thickness.
Keep the dip slightly thicker than regular frosting so it clings to the cookies and does not slide off.
Let cookies cool completely before you pipe the laces or the icing melts and runs.
Taste the dough and the dip and adjust salt and vanilla so the flavors pop and do not taste flat.

How to Make Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F so it heats while you mix the dough. This timing keeps the butter from firming up too much.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted, slightly cooled butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture looks glossy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again until the mixture looks thick and creamy.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until no cocoa streaks remain. This step keeps pockets of cocoa from hiding in the dough.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until the dough comes together. If it looks crumbly and dry, add milk or cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until it forms a soft, thick dough.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate until they spread evenly through the dough. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so no dry bits hide.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. This short chill helps the dough firm up and hold the football shapes during baking.

Shape the football cookies

Scoop about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and roll it into a ball between your palms. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each one.
Gently pinch two opposite sides of each ball to form a football shape with pointed ends. Use slightly damp fingers or a small offset spatula to smooth the top and sharpen the edges.
Flatten each football slightly so it looks like a plump, flat oval with points. Aim for about 1/2 inch thick so the cookies bake through but stay chewy.

Bake the cookies

Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes. The edges should look set and the tops should look slightly matte, but the centers should still look soft.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes. This rest time lets the centers finish cooking without drying out.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Cool cookies hold the icing laces and dip better and taste chewier.

Make the cream cheese frosting dip

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and softened butter with a hand mixer until the mixture looks smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything blends evenly.
Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix on low speed until it incorporates. Increase to medium speed and beat until the dip looks creamy and thick.
Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt and mix again. Add milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dip reaches a thick, dippable consistency that holds soft peaks.
Taste the dip and adjust sweetness with more powdered sugar or balance with another tiny pinch of salt. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and chill it until you serve.

Add the football laces

In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla for the lace icing until it looks thick but pipeable. Add milk drop by drop if it feels too stiff.
Spoon the icing into a piping bag or a small zip-top bag and snip a tiny corner. Practice a line or two on parchment so you gauge the flow.
Pipe one long line down the center of each cooled cookie. Then pipe three or four short crosswise lines over the center line to mimic football laces.
Let the icing set for about 15 minutes so the lines firm up. Arrange the cookies around the chilled cream cheese frosting dip on a platter.

Variations I've Tried

Peanut butter chocolate football cookies
Swap 1/4 cup of the butter for 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter and add a pinch more salt. The cookies taste like a peanut butter cup in football form.
Mint chocolate version
Add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough and 1/4 teaspoon to the dip. Sprinkle crushed chocolate mint candies over the dip for extra crunch.
Cookies and cream dip
Crush 6 to 8 chocolate sandwich cookies and fold them into the cream cheese frosting dip. The dip turns into a cookies-and-cream situation that kids attack first.
Gluten-free option
Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that includes xanthan gum. Chill the dough a bit longer so the cookies hold their shape.

How to Serve Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip

Pile the Super Bowl Chocolate Football Cookies with a Cream Cheese Frosting Dip on a big platter and tuck the dip bowl right in the center so everyone can reach. Add some fresh strawberries, apple slices, or pretzel twists around the edges for a mix of textures and a little balance. Serve with cold milk, hot chocolate, or sparkling water so guests can switch between sweet bites and sips. Set the platter on the coffee table during the pregame show and watch everyone slowly migrate toward it.

How to store

Room temperature
Store plain, undecorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Keep them away from direct sunlight and heat.
Fridge
Store decorated cookies and the cream cheese frosting dip in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let cookies sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so they soften slightly.
Freezer, cookies
Freeze baked, undecorated cookies in a single layer on a sheet until firm, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and add laces fresh.
Freezer, dough
Shape the dough into footballs, freeze on a sheet, then store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F and add 1 to 2 extra minutes of bake time.
Freezer, dip
Skip freezing the cream cheese frosting dip because the texture turns grainy. Mix a fresh batch of dip while the cookies thaw for the best texture and flavor.