A simple cookie base studded with M&Ms and topped with buttercream frosting, this Easter Cookie Cake is rich, chewy, and delicious. It’s super easy to make and so pretty featuring springtime colors.

A spatula serving a slice of cookie cake

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Easy Easter Cookie Cake Recipe

Looking for something different for your Easter dessert table? While nothing beats classic carrot cake, this Easter Cookie Cake is delicious, fun, really simple, and pretty!

It features a cookie cake base studded with M&Ms that’s topped with a rich, smooth buttercream frosting and some festive sprinkles. It’s chewy, decadent, and super easy to make. Even easier than making individual cookies. All you need is some basic cookie ingredients, a springform pan, and 25 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Easter Dessert

Here are a few reasons this recipe has become a hit in our house:

Quick & easy! The dough takes just minutes to prepare and it only needs to bake for 20 minutes.
Great for making ahead. You can easily bake this the night in advance.
Soft, chewy M&M cookie base. This is basically an M&M cookie cake with an Easter twist, so you get the soft, chewy goodness of your favorite M&M cookies.
Easily adaptable. This recipe can easily be adapted for any holiday or occasion.

Ingredients Needed

This fun Easter treat uses the same ingredients as your favorite cookies, plus a few additional ingredients to make the frosting.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for measurements and details.)

Butter – Unsalted, softened butter is used in both the cake and frosting.
Sugar – You’ll need both brown sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe.
Eggs – Provides structure to the batter. Bring them to room temperature first.
Vanilla extract – A splash of vanilla for additional flavor.
All-purpose Flour – Use the spoon and level technique for accurate measuring.
Baking soda – Helps provide the cookie cake with a tender texture and some lift.
Salt – Balances out the sweetness.
Mix-ins – Pastel M&Ms, walnuts, and pastel sprinkles are all added to the cookie dough.
Shortening – Helps keep the frosting sturdy and hold its shape.
Powdered sugar – The base of the frosting.
Pink food coloring – For dying the frosting.
Milk – To thin the frosting as needed.

Process shots of how to make an M&M cookie cake

How to Make An Easter Cookie Cake

This Easter dessert recipe comes together in just a few steps. It’s even easier than making cookies!
(Don’t miss the detailed printable recipe card and video below.)

Make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet mixture. Mix until combined. Fold in the M&Ms and chopped walnuts.
Bake. Transfer the dough to a 12-inch spring-form pan greased with butter. Press the dough evenly into the pan. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Cool. Remove from the oven, press a few more M&Ms on top, and let cool completely.
Make the frosting. Cream the butter and shortening until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until creamy. Add milk if needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Then add 2-3 drops of food coloring.
Frost the cookie cake. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a star-tip nozzle. Remove the cookie cake from the pan. Pipe the frosting around the edges of the cake. Top with sprinkles, slice, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Variations

If you’ve never made a homemade cookie cake, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind, as well as a few simple variations.

What if I only have a 10-inch pan? This is fine, but you might need to bake it a couple minutes longer, since the cookie dough won’t have as much surface area.
Don’t overbake the cookie cake. You want the dough to be fully cooked and golden brown, but the center should still be soft. Just like a regular cookie, it will continue to cook and firm up a bit more as it cools.
Switch up the mix-ins. Not a fan of walnuts? Leave them out. Feel free to add chocolate chips or swap the M&Ms for Reese’s or white chocolate chips.
Use a different color frosting. I went with pink frosting to complement the pastel M&Ms and sprinkles but you can make it any color you want.
Make sure the cake cools completely. The M&M cookie cake needs to be completely cool before you add the frosting, otherwise it will melt.

A slice of Easter cookie cake on a white plate

Video: Easter Cookie Cake

Serving Suggestions

Slice this Easter cookie cake into wedges, just like you would a pie, and serve. This dessert is best served at room temperature and also goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Proper Storage

Counter. Keep your Easter cookie cake in an airtight container and it will last for about 3 days at room temperature.
Fridge. You can also keep it for up to 4 days in the fridge. This is ideal if your kitchen is hot as the frosting will melt.
Freeze. You can also freeze your M&M cookie cake, though you should do so before adding the frosting. Once it cools, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and also with foil then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter, then add fresh frosting and your desired toppings.

More Easter Dessert Ideas:

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Easter Cookie Cake

A simple cookie base studded with M&Ms and topped with buttercream frosting, this Easter Cookie Cake is rich, chewy, and delicious. It's super easy to make and so pretty featuring springtime colors.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

1 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs , room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pastel M&M’s chocolate candy
1/2 cup walnuts , finely chopped
1/4 cup birthday/pastel sprinkles

FOR THE PINK FROSTING

1/4 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
3 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 drops pink food color
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-inch spring form pan with butter and set aside. (see note below.)
In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together unsalted butter, sugar, and brown sugar until creamy & fluffy. Add the eggs, then vanilla and mix until combined.
Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt over the wet mixture, and mix until combined to form a cookie dough. Fold in M&Ms and chopped walnuts gently until it evenly spreads throughout the dough.
Transfer the cookie dough to the greased springform pan and press down to evenly spread throughout the pan.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown, but still a bit soft at the center.
Once baked place a few more M&Ms on top of the cookie cake while it is still hot. Press gently to adhere. Let it rest for 1 hour or until completely cooled.
Meanwhile prepare the pink frosting. In a medium bowl, cream butter and shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar along with salt and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until creamy. If the frosting is too dry, add milk to achieve a smooth consistency. Add 2 to 3 drops of pink food coloring and continue mixing until smooth. Transfer the pink frosting to the piping bag with a star-tip.
Gently loosen the springform pan, and carefully remove the cooled cookie cake, transfer it to a serving plate.
Use pink frosting to decorate the top edge of the cookies, then sprinkle pastel sprinkles over it. Slice the cookies into wedges, serve, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

What if I only have a 10-inch pan? This is fine, but you might need to bake it a couple minutes longer, since the cookie dough won’t have as much surface area.

Nutrition

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easter dessert, easter treat ideas, M&M cookie cake