Sweet Victory Football Cookies

Chocolate Football Cookies are the quintessential game day treat, masterfully crafted as rich chocolate sandwich cookies, elegantly shaped and adorned to resemble miniature footballs. With their delightful double-layered design, they promise double the flavor and double the enjoyment! Whether you’re a die-hard fan glued to every play or simply reveling in the festive atmosphere of the big game, this sandwich cookie recipe is your guaranteed touchdown for a perfectly sweet halftime snack. Prepare to delight your guests with a dessert that’s as fun to look at as it is to eat, making every bite a celebration of both chocolatey goodness and gridiron excitement.

The air is electric with anticipation as the ultimate football showdown approaches! While our favorite teams might sometimes be out of the running, the spirit of competition and camaraderie never fades. This shift allows us to trade pre-game tension for pure culinary creativity, filling our kitchens with an array of delectable game day dishes and Super Bowl Desserts. These exquisite chocolate football cookies stand out as a truly delicious and festive game-day indulgence, perfect for sharing the joy of the sport with friends and family.

Why These Chocolate Football Cookies Are Your Game Day MVP

When planning your game day menu, you want treats that are both delicious and visually exciting. These chocolate football sandwich cookies check all the boxes, making them an absolute must-bake for your next football gathering. Here’s why they’ll be the MVP of your dessert spread:

• Effortless Elegance: You don’t need advanced cookie decorating skills to create these impressive treats. With a simple piping technique for the laces, even novice decorators can achieve a professional-looking finish that will garner compliments.
• Irresistible Flavor Combination: Imagine rich, dark chocolate cookies embracing a luscious filling of smooth vanilla buttercream and gooey, sweet caramel. It’s a symphony of textures and tastes that will have everyone reaching for more than just one. This classic pairing is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, satisfying both chocolate lovers and those with a penchant for caramel.
• Perfectly Themed for Any Football Event: Whether you’re hosting a lively tailgate party, enjoying the game from the comfort of your home, or bringing a thoughtful dish to a Super Bowl potluck, these football cookies are the ultimate themed treat. They instantly elevate the festive atmosphere, showcase your team spirit, and become a delightful conversation starter.
• A Crowd-Pleasing Delight: These cookies are not just for football fanatics. Their universally loved chocolate and caramel combination ensures they’ll be a hit with guests of all ages, from children to adults, making them a fantastic, inclusive addition to any celebration. Their visual appeal alone is enough to draw everyone in.
• Make-Ahead Convenience: To reduce game day stress, the cookie dough and even the baked, unfrosted cookies can be prepared in advance. This allows you to focus on game day festivities and simply assemble and decorate closer to party time, ensuring fresh, delicious treats without the last-minute rush.

My own journey to perfecting these cookies started with a touch of hopeful ambition. Though my usual cookie decorating endeavors are often quite basic, I was determined to pipe those iconic laces onto football-shaped cookies. With fingers and toes crossed for success, I embarked on the task, using melted white chocolate to carefully create the distinctive lines. To my pleasant surprise, most of them turned out remarkably well, looking quite authentic and much better than I anticipated. The true test came when my family, who are undoubtedly major football fanatics, saw them. Their impressed reactions were all the validation I needed, proving that even simple techniques can yield fantastic and visually appealing results, especially when passion is involved.

The deliciousness, however, was off-limits for a brief period! I had to hold them captive until after I finished a couple of morning segments for our local Fox and CBS stations, a small sacrifice for such a delectable reward. To make them even more tempting and utterly irresistible, I took these already charming chocolate football cookies to the next level. I piped a delicate wall of creamy vanilla buttercream around the perimeter of one cookie, creating a perfect, sweet dam. Into this well, I spooned a generous dollop of rich caramel sauce, allowing it to nestle in the sweet embrace of the buttercream. Finally, I topped it with a second cookie, gracefully adorned with its white chocolate laces, transforming them into magnificent chocolate sandwich cookies. While simple chocolate sugar cookies are undoubtedly delightful on their own, that luxurious addition of luscious frosting and a dab of gooey caramel truly elevates them to an unforgettable dessert experience! And if you’re seeking another adorable game-day sweet to complement your buffet, this charming Football Bark is an absolute winner, adding more themed fun to your spread.

Score Big with Your Game Day Menu: Moving the Tailgate Indoors

With the exhilarating NFL finale always just around the corner, or perhaps a crucial college game on the horizon, it’s time to shift our focus to crafting the ultimate game day spread. Halftime isn’t just for player strategy; it’s prime time for refueling and enjoying an array of delicious eats that keep the energy high. Classic munchies are always in high demand, from crispy chips and an assortment of dips to savory wings, and a hearty pot of chili remains an undisputed classic, warming bellies and spirits alike on a chilly game day.

In many regions, especially as winter deepens, outdoor grilling might not always be a viable option. When the Big Green Egg is blanketed in snow or frozen shut, we turn to the warmth and comfort of our indoor kitchens. But fear not, the colder weather presents a fantastic opportunity to explore an abundance of terrific indoor game day menu options that are just as satisfying and crowd-pleasing as any grilled feast. Think slow-cooker wonders, oven-baked delights, and stove-top sensations that fill your home with irresistible aromas and flavors.

I absolutely adore creating a show-stopping dessert for game day, something that ties into the theme and brings an extra layer of festivity. This could be as simple as vibrant M&M cookies highlighting our team’s colors, or a more elaborate football-shaped creation like a savory cheese ball or these irresistible chocolate football cookies, generously filled with both creamy buttercream and gooey caramel. These delightful treats offer a perfect blend of rich flavor and playful presentation, ensuring they’re a memorable part of your celebration. If you’re still feeling stymied about your complete game day menu, don’t worry! I have even more fantastic suggestions and recipes listed below to inspire your culinary playbook and ensure your gathering is a resounding success, whether you’re looking for appetizers, main courses, or more sweet finishes.

How to Make Perfect Sandwich Cookies: A Detailed Guide

Creating delicious sandwich cookies, especially themed ones like these chocolate football delights, is a rewarding process that’s easier than you might think. Follow these detailed steps to ensure your cookies turn out beautifully, taste incredible, and impress all your game day guests:

1. Prepare Your Dough and Bake Even Numbers: Begin by preparing your cookie dough according to the recipe instructions. For best results and easier handling, it’s often recommended to chill the dough thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or even up to a few hours, especially if it’s a soft dough. This prevents spreading during baking. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin, then roll the dough to an even thickness (typically between ⅛ and ¼ inch is ideal for crisp-tender cookies). Using your favorite cookie cutters (football shapes for this recipe!), cut out an even number of shapes. This is crucial for creating pairs for your sandwich cookies. Carefully transfer them to baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and ensure even baking. Bake for the recommended time until the edges are just set and the centers look firm.
2. Cool Completely for Best Results: Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes to firm up before gently transferring them to a wire rack. It’s absolutely essential that your cookies cool completely to room temperature before you attempt to fill or decorate them. Warm cookies will melt your frosting and caramel, leading to a messy situation and potentially soggy cookies. This patience here pays off significantly in the final presentation and taste.
3. Craft Your Irresistible Filling: The heart of any sandwich cookie is its filling. Whether you opt for a classic buttercream frosting, a rich chocolate ganache, or a gooey sauce like our caramel, ensure it has the right consistency – not too runny, not too stiff. If using a thinner filling like caramel sauce, a smart trick is to pipe a “dam” or “wall” of thicker frosting (such as buttercream) around the perimeter of one cookie. This creates a secure barrier that prevents the softer filling from oozing out when the top cookie is placed, ensuring a neat, contained, and undeniably delicious sandwich.
4. Assemble with Care: Once your cookies are thoroughly cool and your filling is ready, it’s time for the enjoyable assembly process. Take one cookie (preferably one without laces if you plan to decorate only the top ones) and spread a generous amount of your chosen filling onto its flat side, staying within the buttercream dam if you created one. Ensure the filling is evenly distributed. Then, carefully place a second cookie on top, aligning the edges as perfectly as possible. Gently press down just enough for the filling to spread evenly to the edges without squeezing out the sides. Repeat this process until all your cookies are paired and beautifully filled.
5. Decorate to Impress: Now for the fun part – decoration! For these chocolate football cookies, use melted white chocolate (mixed with a touch of vegetable oil for smooth piping) and a small, fine-tipped piping bag to draw the iconic laces onto the top half of your assembled cookies. You can create one long line down the center, followed by three to four shorter perpendicular lines. You can also experiment with different decorative elements like festive sprinkles in team colors, edible glitter for a touch of sparkle, or even use edible markers for more intricate designs or to add player numbers. Let any piped designs set completely before storing to prevent smudging.
6. Store for Lasting Freshness: To maintain their optimal taste and texture, store your finished chocolate football cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. If your filling requires refrigeration (e.g., cream cheese frosting or certain dairy-based ganaches), store them in the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature briefly (about 15-20 minutes) before serving for the best flavor and texture. This allows the cookie to soften slightly and the filling to become creamy.

Creative Variations and Pro Tips for Your Football Cookies

While the classic chocolate and caramel combination for these football cookies is undeniably delicious and a true crowd-pleaser, there’s a world of possibilities to explore! Don’t hesitate to customize this recipe to suit your taste, match your team colors, or adapt it for other special occasions and preferences. Here are some ideas to inspire your cookie creativity:

• Experiment with Cookie Bases: Instead of the classic dark chocolate, consider using a rich peanut butter cookie base for a delicious nutty twist, a vibrant red velvet cookie for a striking color, or even a classic vanilla sugar cookie for a simpler, yet elegant, foundation. Each offers a unique flavor profile that pairs wonderfully with various fillings.
• Diverse Filling Options: The filling is where you can truly get creative! Beyond our recommended vanilla buttercream and caramel, think about creamy peanut butter frosting, rich chocolate ganache, tangy cream cheese frosting, or a vibrant fruit jam for a brighter contrast. Dulce de leche is another fantastic alternative to caramel, offering a deeper, milkier sweetness. For a seasonal touch, a pumpkin spice buttercream could be delightful during fall games.
• Team Spirit Decorations: Beyond the classic white chocolate laces, consider using food coloring to tint your white chocolate or buttercream in your favorite team’s colors. You could also add sprinkles in team hues before the chocolate sets, or use edible markers for more intricate designs, player numbers, or even small team logos (if you’re feeling ambitious!).
• Mini Football Cookies: For smaller, bite-sized treats perfect for a large buffet or if you want to offer a variety of options, use a smaller football cookie cutter. Just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly, as smaller cookies will bake faster.
• Make-Ahead Mastery: To lighten your game day workload, the cookie dough can be made several days in advance and stored tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to a month. Baked, unfrosted cookies also freeze wonderfully. Just thaw them at room temperature before assembling and decorating, ensuring fresh-tasting treats with minimal last-minute effort.
• Perfect Piping Consistency: When melting white chocolate for laces, a small amount of vegetable oil (or coconut oil) is key to achieving a smooth, pipeable consistency. If it seems too thick, add a tiny bit more oil (¼ teaspoon at a time) and stir until smooth. If it’s too thin and runny, allow it to cool slightly at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a manageable consistency. Practice on a piece of parchment paper first to get the hang of it before decorating your actual cookies!

More Game Day Delights You May Also Like

Planning a full game day spread means having a variety of delicious options to cater to all tastes! Here are some other fantastic recipes and ideas to round out your buffet, ensuring there’s something for every fan, from savory bites to more sweet indulgences:

• Pepperoni Pizza Football Cheeseball: A savory, crowd-pleasing appetizer shaped like a football – perfect for dipping crackers, pretzels, or pita chips! It brings a fun, thematic touch to your savory spread.
• 16 Desserts for Football Fanatics: An extensive collection of sweet treats to satisfy any game day craving from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen, offering plenty of inspiration beyond cookies.
• 20+ Best Game Day Recipes: A comprehensive list featuring a wide array of appetizers, main dishes, and snacks for your ultimate game day party, ensuring your menu is diverse and delicious.
• Easy Black Bean Chili: A hearty and flavorful chili that’s simple to make and always a warming hit on a cool game day. It’s perfect for a substantial meal or a comforting side.
• Layered Taco Dip: A vibrant and creamy dip layered with all your favorite taco fixings – beans, sour cream, cheese, salsa, and more – perfect for scooping with tortilla chips.
• Best Game Day Snacks: Discover a curated selection of irresistible bites and finger foods designed for effortless entertaining, from savory dips to crunchy delights.
• Million Dollar Dip (Bacon Cheddar Cheese Dip): An incredibly rich and addictive cheesy dip, packed with bacon, that truly lives up to its name and will disappear quickly.
• Mini Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers with Sausage: Flavorful and easy-to-eat bites, these stuffed peppers are a healthier yet satisfying option for your appetizer table.
• Plus, explore even more Cookie Recipes for every occasion and craving imaginable, from classic drop cookies to intricate cut-outs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Football Cookies

The Recipe:

Chocolate Football Sandwich Cookies

Prep Time
30 minutes

Cook Time
10 minutes

Total Time
40 minutes

Yield
Approximately 12-18 sandwich cookies (varies by cutter size)

Delightful chocolate sugar cookies generously filled with a creamy buttercream and rich caramel sauce! These football-shaped treats are absolutely perfect for celebrating any game day or Super Bowl party, offering a winning combination of flavor and festive charm.

Ingredients

For the Rich Chocolate Cookies:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed for deeper color)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the White Chocolate Laces:

• 3 ounces high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil (or coconut oil)

For the Creamy Buttercream and Caramel Filling:

• ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (plus more if needed)
• 1 tablespoon of milk (or cream)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Jarred or homemade caramel sauce (about ½ cup)

Instructions

1. Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until they are fully incorporated and the mixture is well combined.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated. Do not overmix the dough.
4. Roll and Cut Cookies: Lightly dust your work surface with a little extra cocoa powder (instead of flour, to maintain the dark color) and roll the cookie dough evenly to about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. Using a football-shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes and carefully place them onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
5. Bake to Perfection: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The baking time will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of your cookies. Cookies are done when the edges are set and the centers look firm. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft.
6. Cool Completely: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes to firm up slightly. Then, gently transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. This step is crucial before decorating or filling to prevent melting or smudging.
7. Prepare White Chocolate Laces: Once half of your cookies are cool, sort out the best-looking ones to become the “top” cookies that will display the laces. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped white chocolate and vegetable oil. Microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring well after each, until the mixture is smooth and completely melted. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate.
8. Pipe the Laces: Transfer the melted white chocolate mixture into a small piping bag fitted with a very fine round tip (like Wilton 1 or 2) or simply snip a tiny corner off a quart-sized Ziploc bag. Pipe one long horizontal line across the center of each selected “top” cookie, then add 3-4 short vertical lines across the long one to create the football lace design. Allow the white chocolate laces to set and harden completely at room temperature (or briefly in the fridge).
9. Prepare Buttercream Filling: While the laces set, prepare the buttercream. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, then beat in the milk and vanilla extract until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy. If you prefer to completely fill your cookies with buttercream, you may want to double or even triple this buttercream recipe. The amount specified here is perfect for creating a perimeter “wall” for the caramel.
10. Assemble the Sandwich Cookies: Take the remaining half of the cookies (the “bottom” cookies without laces) and flip them so their flat bottom side faces up. Using a piping bag (with a round tip or snipped corner) filled with buttercream, pipe a thick, even layer around the entire perimeter of each bottom cookie, creating a protective wall.
11. Add Caramel and Top: Carefully spoon about ½ to 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce into the center of the buttercream wall on each bottom cookie. Then, gently place one of the laced “top” cookies over the caramel, pressing down lightly until the filling spreads to the edges. Repeat for all cookies.
12. Serve and Enjoy: Allow the assembled cookies to set for a few minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Enjoy your delicious Chocolate Football Sandwich Cookies!

Notes

The total yield of cookies from this recipe will vary depending on the size of your football cookie cutters. Typically, you can expect between 12-18 sandwich cookies.

For an even easier version, these cookies can be filled entirely with a simple buttercream frosting (vanilla, chocolate, or even flavored) instead of the buttercream and caramel combination. Simply skip the “buttercream wall” step and spread your chosen frosting generously between two cookies.

Ensure all ingredients, especially butter, are at room temperature for the best results when creaming and making buttercream. This helps achieve a smooth, lump-free consistency, leading to a better cookie and frosting texture.

When rolling out the dough, if it becomes too warm and sticky, place it back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up. This will make cutting the shapes much easier and prevent the cookies from spreading excessively during baking.

Recommended Products

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• Football Cookie Cutters Set
• USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
• Disposable Piping Bags and Tips Set

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12-18 cookies

Serving Size:

1 sandwich cookie

Amount Per Serving (estimated):
Calories: 285Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 4g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results.

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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