Chocolate Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies

These Chocolate Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies are the kind of old-fashioned shortcut recipe I keep around for days when homemade cookies sound wonderful, but measuring flour, cocoa, and leavening does not. Two chocolate cake mixes create cookies that are deeply chocolatey, soft, and pleasantly chewy, while the cream cheese filling adds a cool, tangy sweetness that balances all that cocoa richness.

The cookies bake quickly and stay tender rather than crisp, which makes them especially good for sandwiching. I like letting them cool completely before filling them; the frosting stays thicker, and the finished sandwiches are much neater. They are rich enough that one cookie feels like a real dessert, although in my house, stopping at one has never been particularly easy.

Love this recipe? Pin it to your Chocolate Desserts board on Pinterest so you don’t lose it!

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookies

18.25 oz dark chocolate cake mix

18.25 oz reduced-calorie chocolate cake mix

4 large eggs

⅔ cup vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 165°C / 325°F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2. Make the chocolate dough. Combine both chocolate cake mixes in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vegetable oil, then stir until a thick, evenly blended dough forms.
3. Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into approximately 2-inch balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving room between each cookie. Gently flatten each ball with the back of a spoon.
4. Bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and feel firm around the edges. Avoid overbaking if you want a soft, chewy center.
5. Cool completely. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for several minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before adding the filling.
6. Prepare the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
7. Assemble. Spread cream cheese filling over the flat side of one cooled cookie. Top with a second cookie and press gently. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Cooking Notes

Use room-temperature cream cheese for the smoothest filling. Cold cream cheese can leave small lumps that are difficult to beat out.

The original recipe calls for 2-inch dough balls. Keep the portions reasonably consistent so the cookies can be paired easily after baking.

Do not wait for the centers to become hard in the oven. The cookies continue setting as they cool, and excessive baking can take away their characteristic chewy texture.

Because the filling contains cream cheese, store assembled cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For a softer texture, let refrigerated cookies sit briefly at room temperature before serving.

Cake-mix package sizes have changed considerably over the years. For results closest to the original recipe, use 18.25 oz of each cake mix by weight, rather than automatically substituting one modern, smaller box.

Nutrition

The submitted recipe yields 24 sandwich cookies, or 12 servings of 2 cookies each. The provided nutrition information lists 609 calories, 89 g carbohydrate, 27 g fat, and 7 g protein per serving. Exact values can vary substantially with the specific cake-mix brands used.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 609 kcal
• Fat: 27.0 g
• Carb: 89.0 g
• Protein: 7.0 g

Recipe Science

This is a cake-mix-based sandwich cookie, using two chocolate cake mixes as the dry foundation and eggs and vegetable oil for structure, moisture, and richness. The relatively low baking temperature of 165°C / 325°F helps the thick cookies set without requiring a long bake. Once cooled, pairs of cookies are joined with a cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar filling.

Cake mix already contains flour, sugar, cocoa, and leavening, so adding eggs and oil produces a much thicker mixture than standard cake batter. Oil remains liquid at room temperature, contributing to the soft, chewy character of the cookies. Cream cheese supplies fat, moisture, acidity, and mild tang to the filling, while confectioners’ sugar provides sweetness and enough solids to thicken it.

The recipe is particularly convenient because the ingredient list is short and the dough requires no chilling. Filled cookies should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese component. Different chocolate cake mixes can be substituted, but differences in package weight and formulation can alter spreading, sweetness, and final texture.

Dietary Notes & Health Alerts: Based on the submitted nutrition information, this is an energy-dense dessert. The provided sodium value of 583 mg per serving is high, at approximately 25% of the FDA Daily Value of 2,300 mg. Saturated fat is listed at 9 g, approximately 45% of the 20 g Daily Value, which is also high. For a lighter portion, serve one sandwich cookie rather than two. Choosing a lower-sodium cake mix may also reduce sodium, although the final nutrition will depend on the product used.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Shortcut-Friendly: Cake mix eliminates most of the measuring normally required for chocolate cookies.
• Soft and Chewy: Vegetable oil helps the cookies remain moist instead of turning crisp and crumbly.
• Chocolate and Cream Cheese: Rich cocoa flavor gets a welcome contrast from the tangy, sweet filling.
• Easy to Portion: The recipe makes about 24 finished sandwich cookies, making it useful for parties and dessert trays.
• Beginner-Friendly: There is no complicated dough technique, rolling pin, or decorative piping required.

FAQ

• Can I use today’s smaller cake-mix boxes? Yes, but the dough proportions may change. For the closest match to this recipe, weigh out 18.25 oz of each cake mix.
• Why are my cookies dry? They were most likely baked too long. Remove them once the edges are set and the cookies are firm enough to hold their shape.
• Can I make these ahead? Yes. Bake and cool the cookies ahead of time, then prepare the filling and assemble them when convenient. Refrigerate filled cookies.
• Why is my cream cheese filling runny? Very warm cream cheese can produce a softer filling. Chill the finished filling briefly before assembling the cookies if necessary.
• Can I make smaller sandwiches? Absolutely. Smaller dough portions work well for parties; begin checking them earlier because smaller cookies can bake faster.

Conclusion

These chocolate sandwich cookies are proof that a great family dessert doesn’t have to involve an afternoon in the kitchen. Keep the recipe as written, or make it your own with a favorite chocolate cake mix; cooking is a journey, and the recipes worth keeping are often the ones that adapt right along with us.

Would you serve these with cold milk, coffee, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream? I’d love to hear your favorite pairing. Happy baking!