Ding Dongs Cookies take the cake: soft, chewy, and decadent chocolate cookies filled with vanilla cream and then covered in ganache.
These cookies are better than my favorite childhood lunch box treat.
I love recipes that come by inspiration through family and friends. These Ding Dong Cookies are a result of a text a dear friend trying to decide what kind of birthday cake she wanted.
I can’t relate to not knowing exactly what you would want for your cake, as my choice would easily be the Best Ever Chocolate Cake. Once she put a lot of thought into it, she decided on Ding Dong Cookies, not cupcakes but cookies.
I love unique cookie recipes and this one “takes the cake”. I love ding dong hostess cakes, so making a twist and into a decadent cookie, is sinfully delicious.
These cookies are better than the real deal cupcake version. This cupcake is rich and creamy and the ganache topping just completes this delicious dessert.
HOW DO YOU MAKE DING DONG COOKIES?
Make your cookies first! That way they have time to cool while you are making the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating gather all of the ingredients. Here is what you will need to make your cookies.
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 package 10-12 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks/chips
Melt your chocolate and butter together, check out the recipe card below for full step-by-step on how to do this. But make sure NOT to over cook your chocolate.
In a small mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Then in a medium mixing bowl with electric beaters or stand mixer beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes.
Reduce the mixing speed to low and add in the melted chocolate while continuing to beat together until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Once combined stir in the chocolate chunks.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper and add a heaping tablespoon of dough, I used a small cookie dough scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes, larger cookies 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are shiny & crackly yet still soft and chewy in the center. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Time to make your filling, here is what you will need:
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Gather your ingredients for the ganache as well!
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Add milk into a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and immediately whisk in flour until no lumps are left. Cook and stir until mixture is thick cold milk into a small saucepan, like a pudding or gravy.
Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, set it aside, and let it completely cool. Once cooled, cream together butter and sugar using an electric or stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes.
Add in the cooled milk mixture and beat again until the mixture is creamy and looks like whipped cream. Now make the ganache.
In a small saucepan add the whipping cream and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir them in, let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let it cool for about 15 minutes while filling the cookies.
Now it is time for the fun part, assembly! Check out the recipe card for full directions.
Looking for some more Hostess inspired treats? Be sure to check these out:
Homemade Twinkies, Ding Dong Cake, and Ding Dong Cupcakes
Don’t forget to pin these Ding Dong Cookies to your favorite Pinterest board for later!
Ding Dong Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 package 10-12 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks/chips
Filling
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Ganache
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small microwavable-safe bowl add chocolate and butter, and heat for 30 seconds, stir and heat again for 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. If needed, heat once more for 15 seconds. Make sure not to overheat the chocolate.
- In another small mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium mixing bowl with electric beaters or stand mixer beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy; about 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the mixing speed to low and add in melted chocolate while continuing to beat together until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Once combined stir in the chocolate chunks.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and add a heaping tablespoon of dough, I used a small cookie dough scoop. Bake for 10-12 minutes, larger cookies 12-15 minutes or until cookies are shiny & crackly yet still soft and chewy in the center. Cool the cookies on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling
- Add milk into a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, immediately whisk in flour until no lumps are left. Cook and stir until mixture is thick cold milk into a small saucepan, like a pudding or gravy. Yes, you are making a roux for a dessert.
- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, set it aside and let it completely cool.
- Once cooled, cream together butter and sugar using an electric or stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the cooled milk mixture and beat again until mixture is creamy and looks like whipped cream.
Ganache
- In a small saucepan add the whipping cream and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir them in, let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let it cool for about 15 minutes while filling the cookies.
Assembly
- In a frosting piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off and add the filling into the bag.
- Pipe some frosting on top of one cookie, add filling, and top with another cookie. You can also just spread a thick layer of frosting, no need for a piping bag. Keep it simple, just like a sandwich.
- Repeat this step with remaining cookies and frosting.
- Spoon slightly cooled ganache over each cookie. Place in fridge until the ganache is set, and then serve.
Notes
Cook and stir until mixture is thick cold milk into a small saucepan, like a pudding or gravy. Can I assume that you mean, “until mixture is thick, like pudding or gravy???”
Yes, you can. Thank you for catching that, I will make that edit. xo San
These cookies look ridiculously good! All that cream filling and ganache is calling my name.
I’ve made this filling before for gobs/whoopie pies. Not overly sweet. Delicious.
ok, now for a serious chocoholic, this sounds like just the thing to take care of those chocolate cravings! Never can get enough and this sounds like a definite recipe to look forward to-OFTEN!
I love your recipe. The pictures are amazing.
Can’t stop eating with my eyes…
I’ve mixed up the cookie dough and it is thin. Somewhere between a batter and a dough. Is this the way it should look? I feel like they’re going to spread alot and the picture on your site doesn’t look like they spread very thin. I’m tempted to refrigerate the dough until it has firmed up. Help!
Hi Karen! The dough for these cookies should be closer to brownie batter than a normal cookie dough. It should be just thick enough to hold its shape on the cookie sheet without spreading too much.
This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever eaten! I made these last night, and they’re all gone already. They really do taste just like ding dongs!
Such a decadent delight! A real treat for sure.
These are so fun! My kids love them!
Looks amazingly delicious! Need to make a basket of this!
What a delicious treat! My family will go crazy over it!
It looks delicious and I love the potato salad in it. But can one use something in place of fresh dill? I couldn’t give a damn what it is. Maybe just leave it out completely? As I eat this dish, my love for it grows because it looks so delicious.