These Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and just plain adorable. Each cookie looks like a sweet little cat face with pecan ears, candy eyes, and pretzel whiskers.

Hand holding a cutely decorated chocolate chip cookie looks like a cat.


 

They’re fun to make with kids, perfect for parties, and guaranteed to make everyone smile. Why not have a cozy baking day at home with your favorite baking buddies.

White plate filled with adorable kitty cat chocolate chip cookies.

Why You’ll Love Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies

• If you love classic chocolate chip cookies but want to make them extra fun, this recipe is the perfect twist.

• They’re whimsical, delicious, and surprisingly easy to decorate.

• I first spotted a version of these years ago in a vintage baking magazine and knew I had to recreate them with my own favorite chewy chocolate chip cookie base.

What you need

Ingredients needed to make chocolate chip cookies that look like kitty cats.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter gives the cookies a chewy texture with crisp edges.
• Brown sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor.
• Cornstarch helps keep the cookies soft and thick.
• Chocolate chips provide that classic flavor balance of sweet and bitter.
• Pecans form the ears; you can substitute almonds or candy corns if you prefer nut-free.
• Candy-coated chocolates (like M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces) make the eyes and noses.
Pretzel sticks become the crunchy whiskers that make these cookies so cute.

Mixing up cookie dough batter.

How to Make Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies

• Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Combine to form a soft dough, then fold in the chocolate chips.

• Chill for 30 minutes if you want thicker cookies.

• Roll into balls, flatten slightly, and decorate each one with pecans for ears, candies for eyes and a nose, and pretzels for whiskers.

• Bake at 350°F for 11–13 minutes until lightly golden. Cool before serving.

Scooping cookie dough onto baking tray.

Quick Tips

• If you’re short on time, you can skip the homemade dough and use a 20-ounce package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough.

• Chilling the dough helps create thicker, puffier cookies. Keep part of the dough chilled while you work on a batch so it stays firm and easier to handle.

• Remove cookies from the oven when edges are golden but centers look slightly soft – they’ll finish baking as they cool.

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.

Decorating kitty cat cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I make these ahead of time? Yes. You can make the dough up to two days ahead and refrigerate it until ready to bake.

• Is it ok to freeze them? Freezing isn’t ideal because the pretzels soften, but you can freeze the plain dough balls and decorate after thawing.

• What are different candies for decoration? Try candy eyes for the kitty eyes (found in the cake decorating section at the craft store) and heart sprinkles or pink candies work well for noses.

• What if I don’t have pecans? Try sliced almonds or candy corns instead.

Baking sheet filled with cookie dough ready to bake.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re baking with your kids or just love a little whimsy in your desserts, these Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies are sure to be a hit. They’re soft, chewy, chocolatey, and almost too cute to eat.

A very cute cat cookie with candy eyes and pretzel whiskers.

Related Recipes

Love this recipe? If you try it, be sure to tag me on @Instagram! You can also find me on Pinterest, YouTube and Facebook.

Hand holding a kitty cat chocolate chip cookie.
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Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lise Sullivan Ode
Adorable Kitty Cat Chocolate Chip Cookies with pecan ears, candy eyes, and pretzel whiskers – a cookie recipe cat lovers will adore.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1/2 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (such as M&M’s)
  • 48 (2 ¼-inch) thin pretzel sticks, halved

Instructions
 

  • Toss together flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes. You can skip this step if you're in a hurry. Chilled dough will make your cookie a bit thicker when baked. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  • Roll the dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough each. Or use a cookie scoop to form the balls of dough. Place balls of dough 3 inches apart on cookie sheets. (You will have 8 cookies per pan.) Press gently to flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. For ears, press 2 pecan halves onto top of each cookie, overlapping edge of cookie. For eyes and nose, press in candy pieces. For whiskers, place 2 pretzel pieces on top of each side of cookie; press in slightly.
  • Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature (if you store them in an airtight container). Freezing is not recommended.

Video

Notes

If you’re in a hurry, you can skip making the homemade chocolate chip cookie dough and substitute 1 (20 oz) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough.
Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 177mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 214IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg

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