Dairy Free Cookie Cake

A piece of dairy free cookie cake on a white plate with a fork next to it.

This dairy free cookie cake is a crowd-pleasing dessert, perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, or other fun celebrations. It has a soft chewy texture and the perfect sweet flavor – no dairy necessary. Best of all, it’s simple to make!

Ingredients

Here’s a photo of everything you’ll need for the cookie cake base:

Dairy-free butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and chocolate chips, all on a white backdrop.

And here’s a photo of what you’ll need if you want to make homemade frosting to dollop on the edges:

Powdered sugar, vanilla, almond milk, dairy-free butter, and cocoa powder, all on a white backdrop.

Here are some selected ingredient notes and product suggestions…

  • Cornstarch – Just a little goes a long way in helping this cookie cake achieve the right texture. However, if you don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out and still have good results.
  • Sprinkles – These aren’t pictured but feel free to add some on top of the frosting if you’d like!

Instructions

You’ll find full recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a helpful overview with process photos and tips.

Start by creaming together the dairy-free butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.

Dairy-free butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla mixed together in a silver bowl.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt mixed together in a bowl.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Cookie dough in a silver mixing bowl.

Pour the cookie dough into a greased 11×7 baking dish. Press the dough down to distribute evenly into the dish.

Cookie dough pressed down into an 11x7 baking dish.

Bake that for about 19-24 minutes – ideally you want the edges to be a light golden brown but the center may still look a little light; there will be a little carryover cooking so that’s fine. Let cool in the pan.

A just-baked dairy free cookie cake still in the baking dish.

Once it’s completely cool, you can make the frosting to add to it. Whisk together the dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, dairy-free milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Beat until light and fluffy.

Chocolate frosting in a silver mixing bowl.

Add to a piping bag and dollop on the edges. If you’d like, add a few sprinkles on top too.

Note that the amount of frosting called for here is just enough to add some dollops on the edges; it’s not enough to frost the entire cookie cake. If you want to frost the entire cookie cake, I recommend tripling the recipe.

A dairy free cookie cake with frosting dolloped along the edges and sprinkles added on top.

Recipe FAQ

Here are some helpful questions that may come up as you prepare this delicious dessert:

Can you bake this in a round cake pan or 8×8 pan, instead of a 11×7 pan?

Yes, but note that baking in a round cake pan or 8×8 pan may cause the center to sink a bit. Spreading it out in the 11×7 pan reduces the risk of that happening. However, even if the center sinks, it will still taste great. Note that a round cake pan or 8×8 pan may require an extra few minutes of baking.

How should you store leftover cookie cake?

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Can you use store-bought frosting instead of homemade frosting?

Yes! Feel free to purchase a store-bought chocolate or vanilla frosting. There are many options on the market these days that are dairy free; be sure to check labels.

Allergens in this recipe

Disclaimer:  Always double check ingredients and labels yourself prior to making a recipe.  While I try to check all ingredients for allergens, there’s always the chance I may miss something, or manufacturer formulations can change.

As written, this recipe is dairy free.

This recipe does contain wheat/gluten (in the flour) and egg (in the egg). This may also contain soy and tree nuts, depending on the type of dairy-free butter and dairy-free milk used. Here are some suggestions on substitutions:

  • To make wheat/gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour, like King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. Be sure to use a flour blend that already includes xanthan gum for the best texture. Make sure your other packaged ingredients are gluten free.
  • To make egg free: Use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 3 tablespoons hot water) in place of the egg.
  • To make soy free: Choose a soy-free dairy-free butter, like Earth Balance soy-free sticks. Also, choose a dairy-free milk that is soy free, like oat milk or almond milk.
  • To make tree nut free: Choose a dairy-free butter that is also free from tree nuts. Also, choose a dairy-free milk for the frosting that is nut-free, like oat milk.
A slice of dairy free cookie cake on a white plate.

More Dairy Free Desserts

If you enjoyed this cookie cake, I bet you’ll also love one of these tasty dairy free desserts:

I hope you enjoy this dairy free cookie cake! If you get a chance to try it, feel free to leave a comment or recipe rating below.

Dairy Free Cookie Cake

This dairy free cookie cake is perfect for birthday parties, brunches, or just making a tasty treat for your family on the weekend!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword dairy free cookie cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 pieces
Calories 351 kcal
Author Dairy Free for Baby

Ingredients

For the cookie cake:

  • ½ cup dairy-free butter, softened (i.e. Country Crock plant butter stick)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup chocolate chips

For the frosting (optional):

  • ¼ cup dairy-free butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp almond milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp sprinkles (optional for topping the frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 11×7 baking dish (or alternative pan; see notes).
  2. Prepare the ingredients for the cookie cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened dairy-free butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.
  4. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
  6. Portion the cookie dough into the 11×7 dish, pressing down to spread it evenly across the dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 19-24 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and turning a light golden brown around the edges. (Avoid overbaking).
  7. Let the cookie cake cool completely in the dish. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Combine the dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer, start to incorporate the ingredients together slowly. Once combined, increase speed and whisk until light and fluffy.
  8. When cookie cake is completely cooled, dollop the frosting along the edges using a piping bag or ziptop bag. Add sprinkles if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • I have tried this recipe in several different size pans and an 11×7 dish works best. However, you can still bake in a round cake pan or an 8×8 baking dish. Note that the center may sink slightly in a smaller pan like this. However, taste will remain delicious. Also, note that smaller dishes may require a few extra minutes of cooking time.
  • The frosting amounts in the recipe are enough to dollop frosting along the edges. If you’d like to frost the entire cookie cake, you should triple the frosting amounts.

 

Nutrition analysis (approximate per serving, includes optional frosting and sprinkles): 351 calories, 18 g fat, 8.5 g saturated fat, 230 mg sodium, 49.5 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 31 g sugar, 3.5 g protein, Vitamin D: 1%, Calcium: 2%, Iron: 6%, Potassium: 4%

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An overhead shot of a baking dish of dairy free cookie cake along with a slice portioned out on a plate, with a text overlay with the name of the recipe.

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