Giant Gluten-Free Cookie Cake (Dairy-Free)

Today is my 11-year celiac disease diagnosis anniversary, and I’m celebrating by making a giant gluten-free cookie cake fit for the gluten-free queen I’ve become. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

Since Mrs. Fields doesn’t make a giant gluten-free cookie cake, I decided to make my own to celebrate an important milestone in my life: My Celiac Anniversary!

It was in April 2012 that I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and I’ve been on a strict gluten-free diet ever since. You can read more about my story in my book, Dear Gluten, It’s Not Me, It’s You. I also offer a brief version of my story in How I Knew I Had Celiac Disease.

To celebrate this important milestone, I whipped up a giant gluten-free cookie cake. It’s the perfect compromise when you can’t decide if you want cake or cookies as your celebratory treat.

The center of this giant gluten-free cookie cake is soft and chewy, and the edges are slightly crisp. It’s loaded with a generous amount of chocolate chips and studded with colorful sprinkles on top.

To make the cake look more festive (and cover the frayed edges), I added delicious frosting around the perimeter of my cake. It makes it look more elegant, which is perfect for serving all my favorite gluten-free kings and queens.

Enjoy this gluten-free cookie cake to mark special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and, well, any occasion that calls for a festive and fun celebratory dessert.

Ingredients for Cookie Cake

Here’s what you need to make this gluten- and dairy-free cookie cake:

• ½ cup butter (softened), non-dairy butter, or non-hydrogenated shortening (I use Spectrum shortening)
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour)
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• ¼ cup sprinkles, optional

And for the frosting, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• ½ cup butter (softened), non-dairy butter, or non-hydrogenated shortening (I use Spectrum shortening)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk or dairy-free milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Sprinkles, optional

How to Make a Gluten-Free Cookie Cake

Making a giant cookie cake is a lot like making a cookie. Here are step-by-step instructions:

(1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

(2) In a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter or shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the egg and mix before adding the salt, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Mix the dough until combined.

(3) Gradually add the gluten-free flour and mix until you have smooth cookie dough and the ingredients are well combined.

(4) Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. You can also add sprinkles (optional) to your cookie dough at this time. Mix the dough until the chocolate chips and sprinkles (optional) are evenly distributed.

(5) Press the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and form an 8-inch circle about ¾-1 inch thick.

(6) Bake the cookie for about 15 minutes. The cookie will not look done, but it will have spread into an 11-12″ circle. It will also have crinkly golden edges and lose its doughy shine. It will continue to cook/set as it cools. Below is what it looks like right out of the oven.

(7) Let the cookie cake cool completely, then frost as desired. Remember, once you frost the edges, you’ll cover up those crinkly imperfections.

While the cookie cake is cooling, you can prepare the frosting.

(8) Beat the butter or shortening until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla extract, and whip until smooth and fluffy. If the frosting seems too thick, add a little bit more milk.

FAQs & Substitions

Shortening vs. Butter: When making the cake dairy-free, I find shortening works well and helps keep the cookie together; however, softened butter will give you a more buttery taste, which is always nice. If using butter, be sure to chill the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes to deter spreading. Butter will always spread more than shortening.

For a Thicker Cake: If you want a thicker cookie cake or don’t want it to spread as much, chill your cookie dough for 30-60 minutes before baking.

Egg Substitution: To make this dessert egg-free, I suggest using an egg replacer, like Bob’s Red Mill’s Egg Replacer. I used three tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of egg replacer instead of the two tablespoons noted in the directions.

Sprinkles: Not all sprinkles are gluten-free. Read labels carefully and consult my article, Gluten-Free Sprinkles? I Tested 4 Brands of Sprinkles for Hidden Gluten.

More Recipes

Enjoy these recipes, too:

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Sheet Cake
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
• Gluten-Free Frosted Sugar Cookies
• Classic Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies