I am in love with this Big Pink Cookie Recipe.
I grew up in Spokane, Washington. One of the things I miss most about that city is The Big Pink Cookies from Rocket Bakery (and my family and friends, of course). While living in Portland for 12 years, I never found anything comparable and now that I am in the Bay Area, I’m missing these cookies more than ever.
Every time I visit Spokane, a stop at The Rocket on Garland is a must. I usually leave there with a giant cup of coffee and a half dozen Big Pinks. These cookies are thick, round, cakey sugar cookies slathered in an thick layer of cream cheese frosting. They have a slight almond taste and a signature pastel pink frosting. To me they taste familiar and comforting. Reminding me of simpler times when I didn’t have to think twice about consuming a giant frosted cookie and a 24 oz mocha breve for breakfast at the drive-thru espresso stand where I worked. Ahhh, to be 19 again.
The original Big Pink Cookie from Rocket Bakery in Spokane. Taken over the summer last time I visited.
For years I have been missing these cookies but it never occurred to me to actually make them myself until last year. Maybe it is my sub conscience trying to preserve the authenticity of the original Big Pink Cookie or maybe it is me consciously avoiding a jar full of BPCs that I am powerless to resist. Either way, I needed a fix.
So, I started researching and came across a few recipes claiming to be the one. Turns out there is some Tupac/Biggie style beef over the origin of the BPC. Seattle, Westside, and Spokane, Eastside, both claim to be the proprietor of these illusive treats. From what I can tell, the authentic original BPC is known as Uncle Seth’s Cookies originating out of Seattle. But, in Spokane the BPC is kinda famous. It can be found at all of the Rocket Bakery locations and most of the extraordinarily popular, cheekily-named drive-thru espresso stands in the area. It’s basically the 5th food group of the Spokane diet.
I found a really convincing recipe, anonymously posted online. The texture, weight and flavor are pretty much spot on to the original. I have modified the recipe a bit to enhance the flavor and better serve my memory. The result is a nearly identical and satisfying cookie that takes me way back to the good ol’ days of pulling shots at Bean Me Up Espresso and Brewed Awakenings. Eastside 4EVA.
To shape the Big Pink Cookies, I used varying sizes of heart shaped and round cookie cutters.
All of my baking projects start with Jambox. Notice the flour filled grill, she’s a trooper.
You will cream the butter and sugar together until are fully blended, light and fluffy.
A kiss of cardamom enhances the almond flavors of the cookies.
The dough is pretty soft and squishy, you’ll want to chill it in the fridge before rolling it out.
Once the dough has chilled for at least an hour, roll it out on a prepared surface.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4″ – 1/2″ thickness and use your favorite cookie cutters to cut desired shapes.
One of the signatures of The Big Pink Cookie is a thick cakey base. Be sure your cookies are at least 1/4″ – 1/2″ thick before baking.
Since these cookies are so big, you’ll only want to bake 6 per sheet.
The cookies will puff up slightly in the oven. Bake them until the edges just start to brown. You want them soft and fluffy.
The frosting is a simple blend of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and a few small drops of pink (or red) food coloring. I used a pink gel icing color and it worked perfectly.
Add the powdered sugar to the creamed butter and cream cheese to taste.
Completely blend the powdered sugar into the creamed mix before adding the color.
It doesn’t take much color to tint the entire batch of frosting.
Stacks of nekkid cookies ready to be slathered in the sweet pink frosting.
Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the frosting on the cookies.
Big Pink Cookies all frosted up.
Sprinkles make everything better!
A tall stack of Big Pink Cookies is irresistible.
These Big Pink Cookies tastes just like the original I’ve been missing so dearly.
Big Pink Cookie frosting naturally colored with freeze dried strawberry powder.
Big Pink Cookies frosted with freeze dried strawberries instead of food coloring. Pretty in pink with a sweet strawberry kiss.
The Big Pink Cookie Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 18
Description
A recipe for the famous Big Pink Cookie. A giant soft sugar cookie with hints of almond and cardamom, slathered in a thick layer of pastel pink cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Cookies
- all purpose flour – 5 cups
- baking powder – 2 teaspoons
- salt – 1 1/2 teaspoons
- cardamom – 1 teaspoon
- unsalted butter at room temperature – 1 1/2 cups ((3 sticks))
- granulated sugar – 1 1/2 cups
- eggs at room temperature – 4
- pure vanilla extract – 1 1/2 teaspoons
- almond extract – 1 1/2 teaspoons
Cream Cheese Frosting
- cream cheese (softened – 8 ounces)
- unsalted butter at room temperature – 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- almond extract – 1 teaspoon
- powdered sugar – 3-4 cups
- freeze dried strawberries (crushed & sifted 1/4 cup or a couple of drops of pink or red food coloring)
- decorative sprinkles (if desired – 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
- Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and add the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add to the sugar mixture one egg at a time, allow each egg to blend in completely before adding the next. Cream in the almond extract (*hint, the mixture may seem to curdle when you add the almond extract. Don’t worry, it will recede once the dry ingredients are mixed in). Scrape the sides of the bowl down.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on medium until a smooth consistency is achieved. The dough will be soft and sticky at this point.
- Divide the sticky soft dough into three equal disks and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight, the dough needs to firm up so it’s easier to to roll out.
- While the dough chills, you can prep the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese and almond extract until completely smooth.
- If using crushed freeze dried strawberries, sift together with the powdered sugar, then slowly add in powdered sugar mix to taste – use 3 cups for a stronger cream cheese frosting and 4 cups for a sweeter cream cheese frosting.
- If you are using food coloring, slowly add, one small drop at a time, until you are happy with the color. Blend until color is evenly distributed throughout the frosting. Place the frosting in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Be sure to have cookie cutters and a rolling pin available. I used a 3.5″ round and 3.5″ x 4″ heart shape for the large cookies. For the medium cookies, 3″ round and 2.5″ x 3″ heart shape.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to 1/4“ to 1/2” thickness on floured counter top, (I did a 1/4″-ish for medium sized cookies and 1/2″-ish for large cookies). These cookies are intended to be soft, thick and cakey.
- Cut the rolled dough into chosen shapes, place cookies on lined baking sheets. ( 6 large cookies per baking sheet, at least 1″ apart)
- Bake for 12-16 minutes (depending on size) until the edges start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and cool on cookie racks.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, frost them liberally using a small offset spatula. Add sprinkles if desired. If not enjoying the same day, store in the refrigerator. The cookies will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
This recipe was inspired by and adapted from a recipe posted years ago by an unknown author at a URL that unfortunately no longer exists.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
These look fabulous! I actually made M&M cookies tonight but tried to shape them into hearts with a cookie cutter- need to use more flour next time since the dough was not firm but the cookie was still good 🙂 I will definitely try your recipe next time!
My mom grew up in Spokane also!
Mmm, M&M cookies sound yummy. Thanks, let me know what you think if you make these! If you ever get to Spokane, you can compare these to the original…maybe your Mom knows of them. 😀
Just made these–They are bang on! This has to be THE recipe, or at least really close. My search for this recipe started a couple years ago, and after several not-quite-right attempts, my boyfriend ended up buying me a real one because he was sick of eating cookies (I know, so dumb, what human could ever get sick of cookies). So I got what I wanted and was satisfied until last week when I HAD TO HAVE ONE. Sure, I could visit every local coffee stand until I found them, but let’s be real, it’s Seattle and that would be a lot of places to stop at. So I searched and your recipe came up–Success!!!
I halfed the recipe and I also used the seeds from a vanilla bean (in addition to the extract). I also used some more powdered sugar because I wanted to pipe the frosting and needed it to be a bit stiffer. THANK YOU! Sorry for the crappy picture, I was just so excited!!
Emily! This made my day! I am so glad to know you appreciate the authenticity of the Big Pink Cookies taste as much as me. The vanilla bean sounds like a delicious addition, I am going to try that next time. This picture is great, you did such a beautiful job piping the frosting on! I love it. Keep on baking the goods girl, you got skills. 😀
I was so excited to find BPC recipe! I grew up in Seattle and have very fond memories of them. Made some last night and it’s just how I remember! Thanks Becky!
I can’t wait to make these! I love that you remember our days at the Bean fondly. I do, too!! Keep the great recipes coming, Beck. Love ya!
Denise!! Let me know what you think of the recipe when you make these, I’d love your opinion. We had some good times in that tiny little coffee shack, seeing your beautiful face always made waking up at the crack of dawn a little easier. <3 <3 <3
These look delish! I’ve been trying to find an alternative to the pink frosting sugar cookies from Safeway I could make at home and it looks like these are the ones! Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Lisa, thanks for the sweet comment. I hope you find them to be a delicious and satisfying alternative. Enjoy!
I’m from Spokane, WA and worked at one of the Rocket Bakery coffee shops years ago. Being a big fan of the Pink Cookie I was so excited to make this recipe. They turned out beautiful. The only thing I didn’t love was the over powering taste of the cardamom. I would reduce it or leave it out the next time I make this recipe.
Hi Trina, I am glad your cookies turned out well. You can omit the cardamom completely if you aren’t a fan, no big deal. The BPC is such a classic in Spokane, I still always pick up a few whenever I visit. 🙂
So coming from Seattle the cookie from Rocket Bakery in Spokane in not the original Big Pink Cookie. In fact the cookie from Rocket Bakery is pretty subpar and overly sweet. The original Big Pink Cookie is actually from Uncle Seth’s now Mostly Muffins. It is a shortbread cookie not sugar with cardamon and almond and topped with an almond cream cheese frosting. The flavors are more pronounced and not nearly as sweet as the cookie from Rocket Bakery and much more delicate.
Hi Jenny, it’s always fun to hear from another Washingtonian! I am familiar with the Big Pink Cookies from Uncle Seth’s but I’m from Spokane and the BPC from Rocket Bakery holds a special place in my heart. This recipe is my attempt at recreating that nostalgic taste since that’s what I grew up with. I did cut the sugar down a bit and incorporated cardamom so maybe these cookies are a little closer to the Big Pink Cookies you’re familiar with. Do you have a good recipe for the Uncle Seth’s version? I’d love to try it! 🙂
Just wanted to say these cookies turned out beautiful and spot on for the taste of the Rocket’s pink cookie. The only thing I adjusted was the cardamom to 1/2 teas just due to prior posts. Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Hi Feleisha! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed them and the recipe does the Big Pink Cookies justice. I sure do miss the original but these are pretty darn tasty too. Thanks for the sweet comment. 🙂
beckysue-I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I grew up in Seattle and used to go to Nordstrom all the time with my family and we would always get their big pink cookies from the ebar downtown. I have always wanted to find a recipe that was similar to my childhood favorite and this is definitely the best! I love the cardamon and think it tastes great (as do my friends and family)! Thank you for sharing this recipe…it is well loved in Atlanta, Georgia now!!
Hi Britt! I love hearing this and I am so glad you found the recipe. I was really nostalgic for them and simply had to figure out a way to make them on my own. I’m glad they bring happy memories to you and hope they help to create new memories in Georgia for you and yours. xoxo
Thank you for this recipe. I lived in Seattle for five years, and now have only the memory of Uncle Seth’s here in New England. My boyfriend LOVES this recipe! They do hit the spot when the craving hits. I’ve decided that I am going to work on this recipe a little to make it just a little more like Uncle Seth’s, but this time I made it exactly as written, as I have a couple times before. Delicious!
Today, I did chill half to roll and cut, but the other half I scooped right away and flattened before baking. They weren’t as neatly round, but they were WAY easier and more of the disc shape I remember.
Thank you again!
Hi Christina! These are great suggestions, I will keep the timesaving trick in mind when I am making these in a hurry. I’d love to hear the changes you come up with to make them more like the cookies you remember from Seattle. Glad you found the recipe, the cravings for these Big Pink Cookies get real and it is hard to get them out of your mind once you think of them! And now all I can think about is how much I want a Big Pink Cookie. 😀
Thanks for sharing. I have lived in Spokane all my life and have to say I love the BPC’s. But they have been around long before Rocket Bakery. However, I love their’s too.
Thanks! The Big Pink Cookies are such a classic, I am glad they’ve stuck around for so long! 😀
You have no IDEA how excited I was to find this! I’m another Spokane to east coast transfer and these are always my go-to for sugar cookies. I absolutely love cardamom and couldn’t find any other cookies that did it as well. I’m a Rockwood (not Rocket ; p ) bakery frequenter and missed these so much! Never occurred to me they weren’t a normal coffee shop cookie till I moved and couldn’t find them…
Thank you!
Hi Lucy! I am so happy to hear you appreciate these cookies as much as I do. It’s crazy the things you take for granted and don’t realize how much you miss them when you can’t get them, even if it’s something as silly as cookies. Now you’ve got me craving Big Pink Cookies again, time for another batch! <3
Hi Becky Sue,
I have baked these cookies several times and want to thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe. I think this recipe is spot on with the Uncle Seth’s cookies I grew up with. I used to sell the Pink Uncle Seth cookies a few years ago which back then, was my favorite pink cookie. Now this recipe is my favorite and prefer it over the store bought! I have tried to make this a “healthier” version by substituting the butter for coconut oil and it turned out just as wonderful! I love the cardamom and almond flavor together! I also used beet juice for the pink color for the frosting and wow, I am one happy satisfied gal!!
It warms my big pink heart to hear that you enjoy these cookies as much (maybe more) than the original! So happy you found the recipe and inspired to hear you’ve been experimenting with it. I can’t wait to try the coconut oil version, sounds great! Cool use of beet juice too. FYI, I just updated the recipe this week with an alternative to pink food coloring using crushed, freeze-dried strawberries. It works great. Thanks for sharing and keep on Baking The Goods. <3
Hi!
I’ve been searching for the perfect BPC cookie recipe and many have failed. I stumbled across your recipe today and was delighted to see that you’re from Spokane, WA. I was raised in Spokane and moved to Florida about 5 years ago. Nothing compares to the Rocket Bakery here. The coffee shops are literally either Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. So. Sad. Anyways, my mother owned 10-17 Hairstyling salon across the street from the liquor store and the 7-11 just down garland from the Rocket Bakery. I think since then it’s been a tattoo parlor amongst a few other things.
Enough of my rambling, I’m happy to have found your recipe and can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Heather! I am so glad you found the recipe. Those Big Pink Cookies are honestly one of things I missed most about Spokane, so making this recipe has been such a delightful reminder of the Lilac City. I hope you can find some Spokane nostalgia all the way down in Florida with this recipe. Funny, that Garland Rocket Bakery location was my jam…I lived just around the corner after high school. Always fun to meet other Spokanites! 🙂 You should check out my Spokane Doesn’t Suck blog post, there are so many great new spots popping up these days.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I am very excited. I live in Seattle so it’s the Uncle Seth’s that I am familiar with. I would get a Pink Cookie and an iced mocha every week back in the day, I was obsessed with them! It is hard to find them at coffee places anymore. The only place I can get them is at South Center Costco, and I’m so afraid one of these days they will not longer be there. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Hi Suzanne, thanks for reaching out. It’s always fun to hear from fellow Washingtonians (I miss the PNW so much). When you get a chance to try the recipe, I’d love to hear how they stack up to Uncle Seth’s! I prefer baking to a Costco trip any day of the week. 🙂