Go put on your stretchy pants.
Seriously. Do it now.
Some days, I find that certain recipes speak to me. Better-Than-Crack-Brownies, Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles, Cake Batter Bark… those things excite me. This only has happened a handful of times and when I find or create a delicious recipe that I am so passionate about, I can hardly wait to share it with all of you. After all, these recipes wouldn’t be as much fun without you.
This is the situation I found myself in late Monday evening. Sometimes, the best recipes come from you. Never hesitate to tell me about them! A reader, Amber, emailed me to share this delicious recipe. I nearly fell off my chair.
Or the couch from which I was laying on after eating 16 snickerdoodles. It happens.
I couldn’t wait to make it. In fact, I nearly got my rump off the couch and whipped it up at 10:00 pm. But then I remembered that I would want to photograph this amazing creation. And then I also remembered that I would be left all by my lonesome with this dip. It would be close to midnight. I would be in sweatpants. I would eat until my heart was content. I would never fall sleep. I would want to face-plant into cookie dough dip.
I decided to wait.
You can only imagine what I did first thing yesterday morning. I don’t even think I’ve bounded out of bed like that for freshly fried bacon.
So let’s hit all the major points:
1. Super simple (and fast!) to make? Check.
2. Easy enough that you most likely have the ingredients in your house right now? Check. (hint, hint… breakfast!)
3. Freakishly delicious and pants-popping? Double check.
I served it with animal crackers, but for the last 36 hours all I’ve been thinking about are more delectable dippers that would be fabulous. Graham crackers, Nilla Wafers, juicy apples, salty pretzels, homemade cookies, cinnamon sugar pita chips… the list goes on and on. Pick your poison.
Or you can do dirty things like eat it with a spoon.
Cookie Dough Dip
makes about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups chocolate chips
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Set aside to cool, and whisk in vanilla.
Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar for 60 seconds. With mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture. Mix until combined. I added the chocolate chips at this time so the mixer could break them up into pieces. You can so that, or just fold in the chocolate chips.
Garnish with additional chopped chocolate. Serves with fruit, cookies, crackers, pretzels or a spoon.
Oh! I almost left out the most important piece of the recipe that Amber shared. Cookie dough dip “has zero calories when eaten with friends.”
I think I love this girl.
I’m Jessica and this is where I share my stuff. You will find a balance of healthy recipes, comfort food and indulgent desserts.
Cookie dough DIP?! I must be in heaven… ;-)
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Lisa — January 28th, 2011 @ 11:15 pm
Is the brown sugar packed?
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Jessica — January 28th, 2011 @ 11:37 pm
Yes.
Jessica — February 5th, 2011 @ 8:57 pm
Making this tomorrow for the game! Can’t wait!
Holly — April 22nd, 2011 @ 1:27 pm
I tried this recipe last night and honestly was disappointed. The final result was much lighter in color than the picture and tasted like cream cheese with chocolate chips in it. I’m willing to try it again but am thinking the amount of everything, except the cream cheese, needs increased…especially the brown sugar, butter and vanilla. I’m also considering using regular white sugar instead of powdered. After refrigerating, the consistency was thick enough to break every dipping implement except an apple or a spoon. Any suggestions??
Jessica — April 22nd, 2011 @ 1:57 pm
Hi Holly! Sorry you didn’t like the dip! I have never played with the ingredients – a reader gave me this recipe and it’s been such a hit that I have never felt a need to change anything. Did you beat all of your ingredients with an electric mixer? Tastes obviously differ, so if cream cheese isn’t your thing, try increasing the other stuff and let me know how it goes! :)
I think I’d just like to swim in a vat of this. With a spoon of course.
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 12:19 pm
Perfectly acceptable!
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kris — January 9th, 2011 @ 7:35 pm
forget the spoon! mouths are more effective
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Yvonne — January 12th, 2011 @ 1:00 am
who needs a spoon? god gave us hands!
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Brian — January 12th, 2011 @ 4:08 pm
who need spoons or hands? God gave us arms and mouth to swim in this delicious dessert and gooble it all up
Whoever thought of making Chocolate chip cookie Dough in Dip form my just be the love I’ve always been waiting for..
I’m totally trying it this weekend. Enter 10 lbs of holiday weight gain!
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MG — December 19th, 2010 @ 3:36 am
So, I have been obsessing over this recipe since I saw it, and decided to make it tonight, but it tastes too cream cheesy – not enough to stop me from licking and licking……. Uh oh, just realized that I used neufchatel cheese (sorry, that’s all I had in the house). Could that have ruined the taste?
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Becca — January 8th, 2011 @ 7:52 pm
I used Philadelphia cream cheese, and mine’s way too cream-cheesy as well. I was really stoked for this until I tried a bit. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. :/
Is there anything I can use to neutralize this?
Jessica — January 8th, 2011 @ 9:31 pm
Hi Becca! I’m really not sure what else you could use – perhaps try mascarpone cheese? It isn’t quite as thick so the texture may be different. I’m not sure if there is anything else to nueutralize this – maybe more sugar? – mine didn’t taste just like cream cheese at all. You may be better off trying the double chocolate version with cocoa powder?
Jessica — January 9th, 2011 @ 2:57 pm
Becca – I just thought of something else. Did you use an electric mixer to mix this? If you just mixed it by hand it is definitely possible that it would taste like cream cheese. An electric mixer is really needed to combined the ingredients!
Becca — January 13th, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
Well, I mixed the powdered sugar and cream cheese with my hands, then the rest was done with a mixer. I’ll have to try this again with your recommendations very soon.
Leesey — February 9th, 2011 @ 2:49 am
I also used Philadelphia cream cheese and found it to be cream cheesey too. I did use an electric mixer. Let me know if you find a fix!
Angela — March 26th, 2011 @ 8:42 am
Could it be that you are using 18 ounces of cream cheese instead of (one) 8 ounce package of cream cheese? Just a thought, since the 1 and 8 are kinda close together I can see how one could get it confused.
Atom — May 7th, 2011 @ 1:55 am
I made this for the second time tonight and it was 100 times better than the first. The first time I made it, it was still delicious, because it was cream cheese and sugar… ha, but it just tasted like that.. cream cheese and sugar.
THE KEY: You have to cook the brown sugar long enough to caramelize a bit. This gives it the right flavor.
Tonight I put half chocolate chips and half peanut butter chips in a blender to crush them up before I mixed them with the mixer. This also helped give the dip a richer flavor and darker color.
I NEVER comment on anything… but this is delicious and was a fabulous hit tonight at my friends birthday party.. and I was happy to discover what makes it better.
Thanks!
Erin — April 21st, 2011 @ 11:53 pm
I made this and also had the cream cheese problem. My plan for the next batch is to use 1/2 the cream cheese specified and cut it with cool whip. (My mom does this for her dirt pudding and it allows the right about of creaminess without it being to cheese-cake-y.)
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oh my gosh! I’m pretending I never saw this…..or it will be time to buy new pants ;)
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Nice. A cookie dough that’s dippable and that you’re supposed to eat?!? I’m in :D
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Seeing as how my stretchy pants are on permanently for the next 5 months…recipes like this excite me to no end! Now I just have to find my missing sweet tooth and all will be right with the world!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 12:18 pm
If I ever lose my sweet tooth…
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Wow– that looks crazy amazing. I’d definitely just eat it with a spoon :-)
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this is just so right I can hardly even think straight! I want to be spoon fed this for my next 3 meals please.
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
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No.You.Didn’t.
I just want to know, have you gained 20 pounds since you quit your job?! Because every day I gain a pound by reading alone.
You are my hero. Still.
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Ok, that’s it! I have a spare bedroom at my house. You can decorate anyway you want to! You can come live with me and we can make and eat goodies all day long! Deal?
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 12:36 pm
Deal!
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I logged off of Google Reader and onto your site just so I could get closer to this dip. How pathetic am I?!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 12:36 pm
Thank you! :)
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I would get so fat if I lived near you.
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the last point is so important – i better make this for friends asap:-)
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Nate will likely cry tears of joy…this is gonna be good ;)
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WHAT?!!? We mean…WHAT?!?! GAAAAH!! Running into the kitchen now!
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You are trouble! This looks too good!
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Genius! I will have to make this for some friends :).
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Like you, I have responded in the same way. I MUST make this….out come the sweats.
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Ugh. I foresee myself collapsed on my couch in agony after I eat the entire bowl of this. :) Thanks for sharing — I’ll have to make it to take somewhere so I only “sample” instead of devour.
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I bow down to you for this.
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I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so excited from reading a title of a post in my google reader lol :) Sounds amazing!
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whattttttttt cookie dough dip?!?! how delicious does this sound, wow girl! i need to try this asap
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omg my weekend is going to be sooooo much better now!!!!
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This looks absolutely fabulous!
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I think I start every comment to you with “oh my God,” but…Oh my God. Seriously, you are a dessert genius…how do you even come up with this stuff?!
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I think our brains are half melded – except that my cookie dough frosting recipe uses sour cream instead of cream cheese.
Have you seen the chocolate crisps at Trader Joe’s? It’s chocolate shaped like Pringles. I think it would be perfect with this dip.
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:55 pm
I have! I have always want to buy them and never have the guts. They would be gone on the car ride home.
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Looks wonderful!!!!!!!!! I think I gained a poundjust by reading about this dip! =D
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I saw this come up on my Facebook news feed and lost ALL track of thought on whatever I was doing. Oh good lord!!! I can’t wait to try this. :)
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This is such an insane idea.. So insane that I like it, I like it a lot!!!!
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Outstanding. Amazing. Mind-blowing! It’s cruel that I have to read this at 8:15 in the morning, when it’s all I’ll be able to think about for the rest of the day!
This looks WONDERFUL! Have you ever made Paula Deen’s Cookie Dough Truffles? They’re a Christmas fixture at our house–I wait all year to make ‘em :)
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:54 pm
I made some cookie dough truffles last year but I don’t think they were Paula’s recipe – I agree they are fabulous though!
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Whoa. I’m not even sure what to say about this genius creation except: Gimme! Fantastic recipe, Amber… and great photographs, Jessica!
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Sounds like a good mix-in for my morning oatmeal!!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:54 pm
Didn’t even think of that! So true!
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Kim — January 11th, 2011 @ 2:00 am
LOVE that idea!
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Oh my goodness. I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. This is SUCH a genius recipe! The animal crackers make it even better. If I were to make this dip I think it would become a major food group!! ;)
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OH MY!!!!
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you’re a genius..this looks fabulous!!!!!!!!!!
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I really hate that I am work right now. That looks soooo good!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:53 pm
Thanks girl!
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Is it normal that I have a sudden urge to lick my screen?
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This has the potential to be very dangerous!
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Yeah, I’ll be buying new pants today.
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Bless Amber! And bless you for passing this on! Oh my! I am speechless…and a little teary!……And I MUST make this for our family party on Sunday. Quick, easy and calorieless? Plus I have everything to make it with.- Except, I know I will have to make a double batch or more- so…off to the store for more cream cheese!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:53 pm
Yes, Amber is a genius.
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I’m so glad this recipe has no calories when eaten with friends :) I think that applies for any dessert — right?
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:53 pm
Most definitely.
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Oh, amazing!! And so simple! This may be great to make for Christmas Eve!
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Get outta town!! …and come to my apartment! Bring the dip!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
I’m there!
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Holy Cow! Is this for real? How awesome is this recipe!
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Amazing. I do not have these ingredients on hand at home, but think my first stop after work is going to be the grocery store. Thank you for sharing, I wish I lived next door. I could pay for the groceries and you could cook.
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
I wish you did too. :)
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Want. Now.
(Sorry, but your dip has left me completely unable to form coherent sentences. Yum!)
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Ahhh you’re a freaking genius.
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Wow. Just wow. Sounds AMAZING.
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I happen to have all the ingredients on hand so I guess I have to make some!! Thank you for the amazing recipe……I’m going to dip pretzels and mini homemade sugar cookies in mine. :)
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
You do. I say you make some today.
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Merry Christmas to the world!!!!!
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Jessica — December 15th, 2010 @ 2:52 pm
Hahah… my thoughts exactly.
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