This homemade vegan cookie cake is surprisingly easy to make yet looks impressive. It's the ultimate dessert for birthday parties, graduation, anniversaries, or any special occasion!
I'm officially in my baking era! If you're looking for vegan chocolate chip cookies, a vegan cake, vegan brownies, or vegan vanilla cupcakes, you're in the right place.
Today is all about COOKIE CAKE! It has a soft center, chewy edges, is studded with dairy-free chocolate chips, and topped with vegan frosting for a rich, sweet flavor.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Allergy-friendly: Just like all of my recipes, this cookie cake is dairy free and egg free, plus can easily be made gluten free!
- No chill dough: Simply form the vegan chocolate chip cookie dough, press into pan, and bake.
- Fun to decorate: Keep it classic with vanilla buttercream and sprinkles or get creative with vegan ganache or vegan whipped cream.
Ingredient notes
This vegan cookie cake recipe comes together with a handful of simple ingredients, see below for my recommendations and suggested substitutions.
- Vegan butter: Use stick-style vegan butter for best results. Brands like Earth Balance or Country Crock Plant Butter work well. Avoid tub-style spreads if possible.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar adds moisture and rich flavor. Dark brown sugar creates a deeper molasses taste.
- Granulated sugar: Regular white sugar keeps the texture classic. Use organic to ensure it's vegan.
- Flax egg: Combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let it sit to thicken. Acts as a binder in place of eggs.
- Vanilla: Adds warm flavor. Pure vanilla extract is recommended for the best taste.
- Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cookie cake structure. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour if needed for gluten free cookie cake.
- Cornstarch: Helps create a soft, tender texture. Can be swapped with arrowroot powder in a pinch.
- Baking powder: Leavens the cookie cake and adds lift.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookie cake rise and brown. It reacts with the acidity in brown sugar for a soft, chewy texture.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Vegan chocolate chips: Use a dairy-free brand like Enjoy Life or Trader Joe's.
- Homemade frosting: My dairy-free frosting comes together with vegan butter, powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla.
Suggested equipment
For a quick and easy cookie cake that doesn't take much effort, I recommend using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. To bake, I used my 9" round pan but a cookie pan will work too. Lastly, this decorating tip set has so many options for frosting designs.
KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield
32-Piece Piping Pastry Bags and Icing Tips Set
Caraway 9-inch Circle PanThis ceramic-coated 9” round pan is great for clean baking.
Cookie cake decorating ideas
Feel free to keep your cookie cake plain and unfrosted, but if you want to kick it up a notch, here are some fun ideas that make it extra special.
- Pipe a simple border with vegan buttercream frosting.
- Use vegan chocolate chips to create a smiley face or pattern.
- Sprinkle edible glitter or colored sugar for sparkle.
- Add sliced fresh fruit like strawberries or raspberries on top.
- Use vegan candy to spell out a message or number for birthdays and celebrations.
- Drizzle melted vegan chocolate in a zigzag pattern.
- Layer vegan sprinkles along the edges.
- Arrange chopped nuts or a drizzle of peanut butter for added taste and texture.
- Use a stencil to dust powdered sugar designs.
- Serve with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Baking tips
I've tested these vegan cookies several times in my kitchen so you can recreate them with ease in yours. Follow these tips for the best results:
- Make sure to soften the vegan butter. If you don’t let the butter come to room temp, you’ll end up with chunks that won’t mix well with the sugar.
- When measuring flour, don’t scoop the cup directly into the container. Instead, fluff the flour first, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off.
- Use a sifter when adding the dry ingredients to avoid lumps and ensure everything mixes evenly.
- Be careful not to overmix once you add the flour to keep the cookie cake tender.
- Bake until the edges are golden and the center feels just set. It will firm up as it cools.
- Let the cookie cake cool completely before decorating. If it's still warm, the frosting will just melt.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you give it a try, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and comment below. Happy baking!
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe
This homemade vegan cookie cake is surprisingly easy to make yet looks impressive. It's the ultimate dessert for birthday parties, graduation, anniversaries, or any special occasion!
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 flax egg
Dry ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Vegan frosting
- ¼ cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon dairy free milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened vegan butter and sugars on low-medium speed until smooth.Add flax egg and vanilla extract, beat until combined and creamy.
- Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then mix on low until a soft cookie dough forms.Add dark chocolate chips to the mixing bowl and stir until evenly distributed. I used regular morsels, but mini chocolate chips or chocolate chunks would be great too!
- Transfer cookie dough to the prepared cake pan and press the dough into a smooth layer, making sure to get all the corners.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is firm. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, carefully remove from pan and place on a serving platter to decorate.
- To make homemade vegan frosting, add softened vegan butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream for about 1 minute, until smooth.Slowly mix in sifted powdered sugar until fully incorporated, starting low and increasing speed. Add dairy free milk and vanilla, mix on medium-high for 1 minute, until creamy.
Notes
Storage
- Store cookie cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- To freeze, wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap then place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then bring to room temp before serving.
- My recipe makes enough frosting to pipe a border (thicker than shown photos) around the cookie cake. Double the recipe to cover the top or add extra decorations.
- If it looks too runny, add more powdered sugar. If it looks too stiff, add a little dairy free milk until you get to the desired consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 320mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 542IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @theurbenlife on social!
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