Whether you're celebrating a birthday or a big achievement, or you're just a cookie lover, this vegan cookie cake recipe will knock your socks off. Seriously! This easy vegan chocolate chip cookie cake has everything you love about a chewy chocolate chip cookie, but it's served like a cake for an easy festive experience! Plus, all eaters can enjoy this cake made with vegan and (optionally) gluten-free ingredients!
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You Will Love This Recipe
- It's party-perfect. What's more festive than a giant chocolate chip cookie? It's the perfect treat to punctuate that special event coming up.
- It's simple. The beauty of a cookie cake? No precariously stacking layers of cake. No crumbs getting in the icing. Heck, you don't even need to ice it at all if you don't want to! Just stick a few candles in and you're good to go.
- It is full of flavor. Adapted from my miso chocolate chip cookie recipe, this cookie cake is the perfect crowd-pleaser. Adults will appreciate the subtle savory flavor of the miso, while kiddos just know they like chocolate chip cookies.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour: I tested this recipe with all-purpose flour and King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten-free flour. Both are equally delicious!
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help the cookie cake fluff up.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sugar.
- Chocolate chips: I love dark chocolate chips, but feel free to use semi-sweet for classic chocolate chip flavor. Be sure to grab vegan or dairy-free chocolate chips if need be.
- Light brown sugar: Adds that familiar gentle caramel flavor. Feel free to use white sugar and a bit of molasses. Dark brown sugar will also work for a bit of a toastier flavor.
- Canola oil: Your favorite neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, will also work well here. No need to splurge on vegan butter, though I won't stop you if you want to!
- Water: Adds a bit of moisture for the perfect chewy texture.
- White miso paste: While technically optional, I think this makes this recipe go from a basic, yummy cookie recipe to one that everyone asks for.
- Vanilla extract: A bit of floral vanilla is a classic in most baked goods. If you're out, fret not! This will still be delish without.
- Frosting and sprinkles: Help to create a quick and simple fun decoration!
Instructions
1. Combine: Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients except chocolate chips with a whisk or long-stem fork. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
2. Whisk: In a separate large bowl, using a mixer or whisk, whisk together the wet ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is completely homogenous. This may take 2-3 minutes.
3. Fold: Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until a smooth cookie dough forms.
4. Line: Line a 9" cake pan with parchment paper by folding the paper into a wedge and cutting the wedge to the size of the cake pan's radius.
5. Press: Add the dough to the lined pan and use your clean hands to press the dough evenly into the pan.
6. Bake: Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, then cover loosely with aluminum foil, and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, until the edges appear light brown and the center is slightly golden.
7. Chill: Once baked, remove the foil and allow the cake to cool at room temperature for about an hour before chilling in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
8. Transfer: Gently remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a serving plate. If using a cake pan, you can use a non-scratch utensil to cut around the cake and flip it onto a plate before flipping it again onto a serving plate.
9. Frost: Optionally pipe frosting using a star tip around the top perimeter of the cake and immediately add sprinkles. Slice into wedges and serve.
Storage
- Make-ahead: The cookie cake can be made 3-4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature before icing. I'd advise no longer than 2 days for a gluten-free cookie cake as they tend to dry more quickly.
- Store: Store the frosted cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Microwave in 30-second intervals until the cake is warmed through (if you don't mind the frosting melting). Otherwise, you can place the frozen cookie cake in the fridge to thaw for up to 2 days (depending on how much cake you are thawing).
Variations
- Sweet and salty cookie cake: Add a few pinches of coarse kosher salt instead of sprinkles for a more grown-up palate. You can even add a drop of food coloring to the salt to keep things festive!
- Sweetheart cookie cake: Use a heart-shaped cake pan for Valentine's Day or an anniversary.
- Cookie cake and ice cream: Not a frosting fan? Serve cookie slices warm topped with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Tips
- On the hunt for vegan sprinkles? Check out VegOut's picks! I've used Whole Foods' rainbow sprinkles in this recipe. On another note, though, cut yourself some slack if you can't find vegan sprinkles in your area or at an affordable price. Perfectionism is not the goal of a plant-based lifestyle!
- While we all love a good chocolate chip cookie, feel free to play around with additions to your cookie cake! Add nuts, vegan candy, peanut butter, vegan mini marshmallows, or more!
- Eco tip: Use a reusable piping bag to minimize waste! Home compostable parchment paper can also be a great option if you compost.
FAQ
Yes, and I've done it several times! I love to use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour in baked goods recipes, but this recipe should work with most gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blends.
This dairy-free eggless cookie cake does contain soy, thanks to the white miso. To make it soy-free, simply omit the miso and double the salt! If you have a wheat allergy, use a measure-for-measure gluten-free/wheat-free flour blend, as noted in the recipe.
Recipe
Vegan Cookie Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (see note 1))
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
- ½ cup +1 Tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Decoration
- ½ cup vegan frosting (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 teaspoon vegan sprinkles
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients except chocolate chips with a whisk or long-stem fork. Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed.
- in a separate large bowl, using a mixer or whisk, whisk together the wet ingredients thoroughly until the mixture is completely homogenous. This may take 2-3 minutes.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until a smooth cookie dough forms.
- Line a 9" cake pan with parchment paper by folding the paper into a wedge and cutting the wedge the size of the cake pan's radius (see images in "instructions" of this post).
- Add the dough to the lined pan and use your clean hands to press the dough evenly into the pan.
- Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes, then cover loosely with aluminum foil, and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes (see note 2), until the edges appear light brown and the center is slightly golden.
- Once baked, remove the foil and allow the cake to cool at room temperature for about an hour before chilling in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
- Gently remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a serving plate. If using a cake pan, you can use a non-scratch utensil to cut around the cake and flip the cake onto a plate before flipping it again onto a serving plate.
- Optionally pipe frosting using a star tip around the top perimeter of the cake and immediately add sprinkles. Slice into wedges and serve.
- Store leftover cookie cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If using gluten-free flour, add 50% (2 Tablespoons for recipe) more water. This recipe was tested using King Arthur all-purpose measure-for-measure flour.
- In testing, I have found that cakes made with all-purpose flour take closer to 35 minutes to cook, whereas gluten-free take slightly less time, closer to 30 minutes.
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