If you’re on the hunt for a fun, festive, and downright delicious treat to wow your friends at your next game day gathering, look no further! This Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic. I love how these cookies balance rich chocolate flavor with that classic football shape, then get dressed up with icing for the perfect finishing touch. Stick around, because I’m sharing all the tips and tricks to make sure your cookies turn out just right — and your guests go crazy for them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Show-Stopping Presentation: Chocolate football-shaped cookies with crisp icing laces make an instant impression at any party.
- Simple Yet Delicious: The recipe uses everyday pantry staples to create soft, rich cookies with an irresistible cocoa kick.
- Fun to Make with Kids: Rolling, cutting, and decorating these cookies is a joyful activity that brings everyone into the kitchen.
- Keeps Fresh and Tasty: With proper storage, these cookies stay fresh and maintain their flavor for up to a week — perfect for game day prep ahead.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The magic of this Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe starts with simple ingredients that deliver big flavor and ideal texture. Make sure to grab quality cocoa powder and real butter for the best results — this isn’t a place to skimp!
- All-purpose flour: This gives the cookies structure and tenderness; be sure to measure carefully for consistent dough.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Opt for natural unsweetened cocoa — it brings deep chocolate flavor without extra sweetness.
- Baking powder: A little lift to keep your cookies from being too dense.
- Salt: Heightens the chocolate notes and balances sweetness perfectly.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter beats into a fluffy base for tender cookies; don’t use melted butter here.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar for sweetness and slight crunch at the edges.
- Eggs: Bind everything together and add moisture; always use room temperature eggs for better mixing.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances depth with a lovely aromatic note.
- Sugar Cookie Icing: Ready-made or homemade, it’s what turns these cookies into football masterpieces.
- Green sprinkles (optional): For a festive touch, sprinkle them around your cookies’ base like fresh grass on the field.
Variations
I love putting my own spin on this Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe depending on the occasion and who’s coming over. Feel free to customize — that’s part of the fun!
- Peanut Butter Twist: Adding a spoonful of peanut butter to the dough gives a nutty depth that my family goes nuts for on Super Bowl Sunday.
- Gluten-Free Version: I’ve swapped in a gluten-free flour blend for friends with allergies, and the texture stays delightfully soft.
- Colorful Icings: Try different icing colors to match your team’s colors for personalized football cookies everyone notices.
- Mini Cookies: For bite-sized fun, roll thinner dough and cut mini footballs — perfect as party favors or kids’ snacks.
How to Make Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients Carefully
Start by sifting your all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Sifting is key here because it helps prevent clumping — especially that cocoa powder — so your dough is silky smooth. I’ve learned the hard way that skipping this step can produce grainy cookies, and nobody wants that!
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar Until Fluffy
In your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the unsalted butter and sugar together for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. This step incorporates air and is super important for keeping the cookies tender, so don’t rush it! If your butter isn’t at room temperature, it won’t cream properly — so plan ahead.
Step 3: Add Eggs and Vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then pour in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed evenly. This makes the dough smooth and cohesive — a good base for shaping your cookies.
Step 4: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients
On low speed, add your flour and cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients until the dough is fully combined and smooth. Don’t overmix here; stop as soon as you see no streaks of flour. Overworking dough can make cookies tough, something I’ve learned after a few chewy failures!
Step 5: Chill the Dough for Perfect Cutting
Divide your dough into two halves and roll each between two sheets of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick. Then slide these dough sheets onto baking trays, parchment included, and pop them in the fridge for at least 2 hours — or overnight if you can wait that long. This refrigeration step is non-negotiable! It prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, helping keep the sharp football shape.
Step 6: Cut Out Football Shapes
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a football-shaped cookie cutter (or a sharp knife if you want to get creative and hand-cut), cut out cookie shapes from the dough sheets. Don’t forget to leave about 2 inches between cookies on your baking sheets to give them room to bake evenly. Re-roll scraps gently and keep cutting until you’ve used all the dough.
Step 7: Bake and Cool
Pop your cookies in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges look firm and set but the centers are still soft – that’s when they have a perfect tender chew. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Patience here pays off for easier decorating!
Step 8: Decorate with Icing
Prepare your sugar cookie icing – this sweet, smooth icing is perfect for piping the iconic football laces and stitching. I like filling a piping bag with a small #2 tip, but if you don’t have one, a plastic sandwich bag with a tiny corner snipped works just as well. Pipe laces across the center and stitch marks along the sides. For best results, let the icing dry for at least 10 minutes, though for a fully hardened finish, I recommend giving them up to 24 hours before stacking.
Pro Tips for Making Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe
- Chill the Dough Seriously: Don’t skip that 2-hour fridge chill. It’s the secret to maintaining those crisp football edges during baking.
- Use Parchment Paper for Easy Rolling: Rolling dough between parchment prevents sticky situations and means less flour, which keeps cookies tender.
- Crack the Egg Bonus: Always use room temperature eggs — they blend better and make your dough smoother.
- Avoid Overbaking: Watch the edges; once firm, pull immediately to keep cookies soft inside and sturdy enough to hold icing.
How to Serve Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe
Garnishes
When I serve these at parties, I love adding a little green sprinkle “grass” around the edges to amp up the field vibe — it makes the presentation so much more festive and fun! Plus, the little texture contrast gives an extra pop when you bite in.
Side Dishes
Pair these chocolate football cookies with a big bowl of vanilla bean ice cream or a platter of fresh fruit to balance the richness. I’ve also brought these cookies alongside savory snacks like mini sliders and buffalo wings, and they steal the spotlight every time.
Creative Ways to Present
One year, I arranged the football cookies on a green felt table runner styled like a football field, complete with little goalposts and football-shaped plates. My friends couldn’t stop talking about it! You could also tie cookies in bundles with twine for take-home favors or build a cookie “football stadium” centerpiece for your dessert table.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature with parchment layers between them to avoid smudged icing. They stay soft and tasty for up to a week, which is great because they rarely last that long around here!
Freezing
For longer storage, I freeze the un-iced cookie dough discs tightly wrapped in plastic, then thaw before cutting and baking. You can also freeze baked, cooled cookies without icing in a sealed container, but I prefer decorating after thawing for the freshest look.
Reheating
If you want to freshen up chilled or frozen cookies, warming them for 5-10 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a low oven softens them nicely without melting the icing. Just keep an eye to avoid overheating.
FAQs
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Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
Absolutely! Swapping all-purpose flour for a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose blend works well. Just note that this may slightly change the texture, but the chocolate flavor and football shape will still shine through.
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Why do I need to chill the dough before baking?
Chilling the dough firms it up, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This keeps their classic football shape sharp and ensures they bake evenly without getting too thin.
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Can I skip the icing?
While you can skip the icing, I don’t recommend it — the piped laces are what really bring the football design to life and add just the right bit of sweetness and texture contrast.
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How long do the cookies stay fresh?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature with parchment layers, these cookies stay fresh for up to one week. After that, they might start to lose their soft texture.
Final Thoughts
This Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe has become a beloved standby in my kitchen for every football season. I cherish how it turns a simple cookie into a playful, crowd-pleasing treat, perfect for sharing memories and smiles. Whether you’re baking with kids or hosting your own watch party, I know you’ll enjoy making and munching on these as much as I do. Give it a go and watch these touchdown-worthy cookies score big with your guests!
Print
Chocolate Football Cookies with Icings Recipe
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 to 12 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Football Cookies are a delightful chocolate treat perfect for game day celebrations. Featuring a rich cocoa-flavored dough cut into football shapes and decorated with classic sugar cookie icing, they combine fun and flavor in every bite. Ideal for Super Bowl parties and tailgates, these cookies deliver a festive and delicious way to celebrate football season.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- Sugar Cookie Icing (quantity as needed)
- Green sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until the dough is smooth and well combined.
- Roll and Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two equal halves. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper until about 1/4-inch thick. Place the rolled dough sheets onto baking sheets with the parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight to prevent spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cut Out Cookies: Remove the chilled dough sheets from the refrigerator. Use a football-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the dough. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, use a sharp knife to carefully trace and cut football shapes. Re-roll any remaining dough and continue cutting shapes until all dough is used. Repeat the process for the second sheet of dough.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the cutout cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are firm and cookies are set.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the sheets. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Decorate Cookies: Prepare your sugar cookie icing. Spoon or pour the icing into a piping bag fitted with a #2 piping tip, or use a sealable plastic bag with a small cut in one corner. Pipe the laces or stitching details onto each football-shaped cookie. Allow the icing to dry to a semi-firm finish in about 10 minutes, or for fully hardened icing, let them set for up to 24 hours.
- Store Cookies: Once the icing has set, stack the cookies with sheets of parchment paper between layers to prevent smudging. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- Gameday just got sweeter! These chocolate football cookies are as fun to make as they are to eat.
- Perfect for Super Bowl parties, tailgates, or any football-themed celebrations.
- Refrigerating the dough is essential to prevent cookies from spreading and ensures a nice shape.
- Use parchment paper between stacked cookies to keep icing intact.
- Optional green sprinkles add a festive touch to the decorated cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 151 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 59 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
