If there is one baking trend to try this year, it’s the viral dot cake! But here, we are swapping the cake for cookies. These sourdough cookie cake jars combine the stunning aesthetic of the viral dot cake sensation with the rich, dense bite of a perfectly baked cookie. By layering thick, chewy sourdough discard cookies (or your absolute favorite classic chocolate chip recipe!) with an impossibly fluffy 3-ingredient buttercream, this recipe transforms the trendy design into a stunning dessert you’ll be making for years to come. It is everything you love about the dot cake, perfectly adapted for everyday chocolate chip cookie lovers and sourdough bakers alike.
Essentials for the Perfect Sourdough Cookie Cake Jars
- Digital Kitchen Scale: In my kitchen, a digital scale is a non-negotiable! I have had this exact digital scale for years, and it has never failed me! Measuring by weight is a foolproof way to ensure accuracy, especially for powdered sugar or cookie dough ingredients which are often difficult to measure and can make or break the final texture.
- Stand Mixer: A quality stand mixer is a game changer for whipping frosting into a light and fluffy texture without the need for added liquids!
- 4 Jars, Bowls or Ramekins: I used my vintage bowls similar to these glass jars, but you can use anything you have on hand! They should be 4-6 oz.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Base
- 4-8 Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies (or your favorite cookie recipe, sourdough or not!): You’ll need anywhere from 4 to 8 chocolate chip cookies, just depending on the size of the cookies! Pro Tip: If you prefer cakey cookies instead of chewy cookies, swap one of the egg yolks for one whole egg in my sourdough chocolate chip cookies recipe.
For the Fluffy 3-Ingredient Buttercream
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (226g): It is best to make sure the butter is softened but still slightly cool. If you want to use unsalted butter, add ½ tsp salt to the recipe.
- 1¾ cups powdered sugar (218g): If you prefer a frosting that is less sweet, you may choose to use less powdered sugar. Note that adding less powdered sugar will thin the frosting out, so you may need to add a small amount (1-2 tbsp) of cornstarch to reach the desired frosting thickness.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5g): Pure vanilla extract is best! Imitation vanilla often contains unnecessary additives.
For the Topping
- Your choice of nonpareils sprinkles (I use dye-free) or additional chocolate chip cookies to crush for the top
How to Make Sourdough Cookie Cake Jars (Dot Cake Style!)
Step 1: Bake Cookies
Bake your sourdough chocolate chip cookies (or other cookie recipe), and allow to cool slightly.
Step 2: Make Buttercream
Beat the softened butter with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until it turns very pale and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes on high speed. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Turn the speed to low until it is slightly incorporated (to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar), then scrape the sides of the bowl and turn to high speed for an additional 3-5 minutes until the frosting is as fluffy as a cloud!
Step 3: Assemble Jars
Into each jar, crumble a whole cookie into large, bite-sized pieces. Scoop the fluffy buttercream on top until it is mounding over and out of the jar. Use a butter knife to smooth the top into one flat, even surface. Pour your round “dot” sprinkles (or additional crumbled cookies) into a shallow plate or dish. Then, dip the frosted top of each jar directly into the plate, gently pressing to ensure the sprinkles coat the entire surface to create that signature dot cake or layered cookie look!
Storage
Store your fully-assembled sourdough cookie cake jars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Note that the cookies will soften over time as they absorb moisture from the frosting, and the frosting may begin to dry out. For best results, serve within 1-2 days of assembling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any cookie recipe?
Yes! You can substitute the sourdough chocolate chip cookies for any cookie recipe, sourdough or not! Try Sourdough Lemon Cookies for a fresh summer twist, Sourdough Birthday Cake Cookies for an upcoming party, or my Chocolate Peppermint Sourdough Cookies for the holidays! See below for full list of flavor combinations with topping ideas!
Can I make cakier sourdough cookies?
Absolutely! If you swap one of the egg yolks for a whole egg in my original Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, you will get a cakier, more spongy cookie for these sourdough cookie cake jars. This more closely resembles the original viral dot cake recipes.
Do I need to add milk to the buttercream?
If you thoroughly whip the butter and then added powdered sugar according to the recipe directions, then you should not need to add milk to the buttercream. You will be left with the most cloud-like, fluffy buttercream even without adding milk or other liquids! However, if you accidentally under whipped the butter, or you added too much powdered sugar and the frosting simply isn’t coming together after several minutes of whipping, you can add milk (½ tbsp at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency.
Sourdough Cookie Cake Jar Flavor Combinations
Summer S’mores
- Cookie Recipe: Stuffed Sourdough S’mores Cookies
- Toppings: Crushed graham crackers, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows
Fresh Lemon
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Lemon Cookies
- Toppings: Yellow sprinkles, and a bit of fresh lemon zest
Orange Cream
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Orange Creamsicle Cookies
- Toppings: Orange sprinkles, and a bit of fresh orange zest
Chocolate Peppermint
- Cookie Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Sourdough Cookies
- Toppings: Mini chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candies
Cookies n’ Cream
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Toppings: Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
Double Chocolate
- Cookie Recipe: Double Chocolate Sourdough Cookies
- Toppings: Mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles
Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk
- Cookie Recipe: Brown Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Toppings: Chocolate sprinkles or chocolate chunks
Birthday Cake
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Birthday Cake Cookies
- Toppings: Rainbow sprinkles
Banana Pudding
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Banana Pudding Cookies
- Toppings: Crushed vanilla wafers
Chocolate Orange
- Cookie Recipe: Chocolate Orange Sourdough Cookies
- Toppings: Mini chocolate chips and a bit of orange zest
Snickerdoodle
- Cookie Recipe: Sourdough Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Toppings: Cinnamon sugar
Love this recipe? Pin it to your sourdough board and follow The Sourdough Cookie Lady on Pinterest for more!
More From The Sourdough Cookie Lady
Sourdough Dot Cake Cookie Jars Recipe:
Sourdough Dot Cake Cookie Jars
4
jars20
minutesJump on the viral dot cake trend with these sourdough cookie cake jars! Layering thick, chewy sourdough discard cookies (or your favorite classic recipe) with an impossibly fluffy 3-ingredient buttercream, this easy dessert gives you the stunning aesthetic of the dot cake with the rich, dense bite of a perfectly baked cookie. Great for chocolate chip cookie lovers!
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Recommended Equipment
- For Best Accuracy:Digital Kitchen Scale
- For Easy Whipping:Stand Mixer
- For Serving:4-6oz Jars or Ramekins
Ingredients
- For the Cookie Base
4 large Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies (or 8 cookies if they are on the smaller side) or sub for any cookie of choice
- For the Fluffy Buttercream
1 cup salted butter softened (226g)
1¾ cups powdered sugar (218g)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5g)
- For the Topping
Your choice of nonpareils sprinkles (I use dye-free for my dot cake cookie jars) or additional chocolate chip cookies to crush for the top
Directions
- Bake Cookies: Bake your cookies of choice and let cool slightly. (Optional: Swap one egg yolk for a whole egg in my sourdough chocolate chip cookie recipe for a cakier, spongy cookie that perfectly complements these jars!)
- Make Buttercream: Beat the softened butter with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed for 5-7 minutes, until very pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on low until just incorporated (to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar!), then scrape the bowl and beat on high speed for an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy as a cloud!
- Assemble Jars: Crumble cookies into large, bite-sized pieces, placing a full crumbled cookie into each (4-6oz) jar/bowl/ramekin. Scoop the fluffy buttercream on top until it mounds over the rim, then use a butter knife to smooth the top flat. Pour your round “dot” sprinkles (or extra crushed cookies) into a shallow dish. Dip the frosted top of each jar directly into the dish, pressing gently to coat the surface and create that signature dot cake or layered cookie look!
See post above for other unique flavor combinations, like summer s’mores cookie jars, fresh lemon cookie jars, and more!
Recipe Notes
- • Cookie Substitutions: You can substitute the sourdough chocolate chip cookies for any cookie recipe, sourdough or not! See above for a list if flavor ideas.
• Toppings: You can substitute the nonpareils sprinkles for any topping of choice! See full list of ideas above, but consider trying cookie crumbles, mini chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, graham cracker crumbs, and more! For the signature dot cake look, you’ll want to use the nonpareils.
• To Store: Sourdough cookie cake jars (or sourdough dot cake cookie jars) will keep at room temp in an airtight container for up to 5 days, though fully assembled jars are best if served within 1-2 days.
• Butter: If using unsalted butter in the buttercream, add an extra ½ tsp salt to the recipe.
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