Dairy Free Pumpkin Cookie Cake

Love a good pumpkin recipe this time of year? I have the perfect treat for you – a dairy free pumpkin cookie cake! This is a delicious soft cookie cake baked in a round cake pan, then optionally topped with a little frosting around the edges. A fun fall dessert that’s great for families with food allergies.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the cookie cake, along with selected ingredient notes:

• Dairy-free butter – I recommend Country Crock plant butter sticks with avocado oil or their homestyle dairy-free salted butter sticks. (The unsalted sticks can be used too but add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt if that’s what you’re using). Earth Balance soy free sticks work as well. I do not recommend tub-based butters for this recipe, as they often have a higher moisture content that can throw off the texture of the cookie cake.

• Dairy-free chocolate chips – Enjoy Life chocolate chips (affiliate link; I earn a commission) are my personal favorite; their dark chocolate morsels are the best! They are easy to find at most grocery stores, big box stores like Target, or online. Other options include Nestle Allergen Free Morsels (be sure to check the packaging as the bag can look like other Nestle products that do contain dairy) or Wegmans brand chocolate chips (which were dairy-free at the time of publish).

If you plan to use frosting on the cookie cake, here are the ingredients for that:

You can also skip making your own frosting and use a store-bought option instead. Many popular frosting brands have naturally dairy-free options, especially for a basic flavor like vanilla. Just check the labels carefully when choosing.

Instructions

You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.

Start by mixing together the dry ingredients: the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients: the dairy-free butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Make sure they’re well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into a cake pan that has the bottom lined with parchment paper and has been greased. Use the back of a spoon to spread and press down the mixture evenly throughout the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes. The cookie cake is done when a toothpick pulls out mostly clean from the center and the edges are turning a light golden brown. Don’t overcook it or the cookie cake will be dry.

Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then flip onto a serving dish to finish cooling. Note that it’s completely normal for the center to sink down *slightly* when cooling; it shouldn’t be excessive and shouldn’t be noticeable when flipped onto the serving dish. (Normally I cool desserts on a cooling rack, but the cookie cake can be a little fickle when first out of the oven, and I worry about it breaking on the cooling rack).

When it’s cool, you can make the frosting if you plan to use a homemade frosting. Combine the softened dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of oat milk in a large bowl. Beat using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or hand mixer, starting on low then increasing speed to high, until light and fluffy. Add additional oat milk if needed to reach the right consistency.

Add the frosting to a piping bag with your favorite tips, then pipe along the edges. Your cookie cake is now ready to serve!

Recipe Tips and FAQ

Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:

Storing leftovers: Store unfrosted, unsliced cookie cake at room temperature for up to 2-3 days for best quality. If frosted, store in the fridge.

Prepping ahead: You can prep the cookie cake a day ahead and then add frosting the day of. Do not cut the cookie cake ahead of time.

Freezing: Feel free to freeze slices of unfrosted cookie cake. Wrap in plastic wrap then store in ziptop bag or airtight container. Use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw on the counter or in the microwave when ready to enjoy.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree instead of canned? I recommend canned for this recipe, as homemade purees typically have a higher proportion of liquid. It’s feasible to use homemade, but it’ll make the texture a bit more cake-like than cookie-like in this recipe.

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 and should be nut free as long as your dairy-free butter and chocolate chips do not contain nuts.

This recipe does contain wheat/gluten (in the flour) and egg (in the egg yolk). Here are suggested modifications – please note that I have not tested all of these with this particular recipe, but these are what I would choose to test if I were experimenting with substitutions based on past experience:

• To make wheat/gluten free: Use a measure-for-measure all-purpose substitute, like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill. Also, if you’re making frosting, double check that your oat milk is made with certified gluten-free oats – or use a different dairy-free milk.

• To make egg free: Use a ½ tablespoon of oil plus 1 teaspoon of water in place of the egg. This should help balance out the fat and moisture content.

This recipe could also contain soy, depending on the dairy-free butter. The Country Crock dairy-free butter sticks have gone through several changes the last few years – they used to not contain soy, then they did contain soy, and now the latest box I have does not have soy by ingredients (but does have a “may contain” cross contamination warning). If you are avoiding soy, I recommend checking the labels carefully to ensure you’re choosing one without soy.

More Cookie Cake Recipes

I have two other delicious cookie cakes here on the site if you’re looking for more. This Halloween cookie cake is another great option for fall; it’s a basic chocolate chip cookie cake with sprinkles and frosting. But the cool thing about that recipe is that it uses oil rather than dairy-free butter, so it’s a good standby option when you’re out of dairy-free butter. I also have a standard dairy-free chocolate chip cookie cake recipe that has chocolate frosting; it’s a favorite in our house.

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