If you’re looking for an easy gluten-free dessert that’s perfect for birthdays, parties, or just because, this homemade gluten-free cookie cake is a must-try! It’s chewy, chocolatey, and decorated with frosting and sprinkles, making it a fun alternative to a traditional cake. Plus, this giant cookie cake comes together in just 30 minutes with a simple, foolproof recipe!
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When my kids were young, I remember the cookie store in the mall. It was famous for its big cookie cakes. We ordered a few before we went gluten free. I loved the simplicity of these decadent soft cookie cakes. When we went gluten free, these cakes became a thing of the past. Now we can make Mrs. Field’s incredible Cookie Cake again with my easy copycat recipe!
You may also love this Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookie Cake recipe. Check out all of my delicious gluten free cookie recipes for even more flavors of cookie cakes.
Why we love making this gluten free cookie cake:
- Soft & Chewy Texture – Just like a bakery-style cookie cake, nobody will know this cake is gluten free!
- Easy to Make & Transport – No layering or stacking is needed! Put it in a cake storage box and place it on a flat surface in the car.
- Customizable – I include lots of recipe swaps to accommodate many food allergies. There are also lots of decorating tips.
- Dairy-Free Option – This giant cookie is easy to adapt with vegan butter and dairy-free chips.
- Perfect for Any Occasion – Birthdays, holidays, potlucks, picnics, or a fun weeknight treat!
Allergen Information:
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, oat-free, and nut-free. Gum-free, egg-free, and dairy-free options are listed in the Substitutions section below.
Easy Recipe Swaps:
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter. I used Smart Balance and Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips.
- To make this recipe gum-free, use my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend. It uses psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan or guar gum.
- One reader wrote she used Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer to make this gluten free cookie cake recipe egg-free.
Super easy to make, and everyone loved it. You made my girl’s day and my mama’s heart so happy
missy m., blog comment“
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Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blends Tested – I tested this recipe using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. One reader wrote to me that Better Batter flour blend also works very well. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours, and I can not guarantee the recipe will work if you use other mixes.
- Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon to help with structure. See the Substitutions section above for a gum-free option.
- Baking Soda – This ingredient helps the cookie cake rise and stay soft.
- Salt – Salt is one of those ingredients that don’t sound necessary in sweets, but it helps accent the flavor of this cookie.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. See the Substitutions section above for a dairy-free option.
- Optional Protein Boost – You can add two scoops of collagen protein powder to add a little protein to balance the sugars. I used Vital Proteins. Again, this is optional.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract and not imitation if you can. The vanilla flavor shines in this recipe.
- Eggs – Use size large for added structure for the cookie.
- Chocolate Chips – Most brands of chocolate chips are gluten free, but always check the label. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips for this recipe.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large
I recommend using either the spoon or leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour.
Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Prepare the wet ingredients. Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to a small bowl. Use a wire whisk to whip the wet ingredients for about 30 seconds.
💡 Pro Tip: If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed, gradually increasing speed until combined.
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Step 3: Combine and Chill the Dough. Mix the wet and dry ingredients into a soft cookie dough.
💡 Optional Tip: If your cookie dough feels gritty, let it rest 15-20 minutes before baking. This allows the rice flour in the gluten-free flour blend to absorb moisture, eliminating any graininess.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Prep the Pan. Spray coconut oil or another gluten free baking spray in a 10-inch springform pan or cake pan. You can also make it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. I recommend using a springform pan because the cookie cake will be more difficult to remove from other pans.
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Use the bake setting and not the convection setting.
Step 5: Spread the Dough and Bake the Cake. Press the cookie dough evenly to cover the bottom of the springform pan.
Step 6: Bake the Cake. Bake the gluten free cookie cake for 17-20 minutes, depending on thickness. The top of the cake should be lightly golden brown. If you bake this cake in a glass pan, it will take longer. Let the cookie cake stay in the pan for 5-8 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the sides of the springform pan and cool the cake on a wire cooling rack. Do not frost the cake until the cookie cake is fully cooled for best results.
Step 8: Decorate the cake any way you like. Use buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Decorate the entire top of the cake, or decorate as I did by using chocolate frosting around the edge of the cake with a small frosting star tip. If it is for a birthday, you can use cake icing to write Happy Birthday on the cake.
Decorating The Cookie Cake:
- Classic Piped Frosting – Use a star tip to create a border around the edges.
- Chocolate Drizzle – Melt chocolate chips or Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers and drizzle it over the top.
- Sprinkles – Add fun, colorful gluten-free sprinkles before the frosting sets.
- Birthday Message – Use a tube of store-bought cake icing to write “Happy Birthday” or personalize it!
Need a great frosting recipe? Try my Gluten-Free Buttercream Frosting which has multiple flavor and color frosting options!
Storage/Freezing Instructions:
- Store this cookie cake in a cake storage container so you don’t mess up the frosting or decorations. It will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- You can also freeze this cake. Flash-freeze it on a
cookie sheet , then seal it in a zipper bag if the cookie fits. If not, wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. - Thaw the cake to room temperature before serving it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can easily make this cookie cake ahead. You can chill the dough and bake it later, or bake the cake and chill the cake. Decorate before you are ready to serve it.
If your cookie cake stuck to the pan, you didn’t use enough gluten free baking spray.
If your cookie cake turned out dry, you either overbaked the cookie or used a flour blend I didn’t test, and the dough was too dry. My rule of thumb is if your cookie dough is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more melted butter.
Read my Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide for more gluten free cookie baking tips. I also share all of my favorite Gluten Free Cookie Tools to help you make cookie making easier!
More Cookie Flavors To Try:
You can use this gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe or try another flavor of cookie cake. Here are some fun cookies that are perfect for a party:
- Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Cookies – This is for my chocolate fanatics.
- Gluten Free Snickerdoodles – If you love snickerdoodles, use this recipe and lightly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the cake.
- Easy Gluten Free Funfetti Cookies – You can use rainbow or holiday colors of sprinkles.
- Gluten Free M&M Cookies – Kids love M&Ms!
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this recipe? Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
The Best Gluten Free Cookie Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Optional: 2 scoops unflavored collagen protein powder
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Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cane sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and optional protein powder (if you are using it.) Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients.
- Prepare the wet ingredients. Add the melted 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 large eggs , and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to a small bowl. Use a wire whisk to whip the wet ingredients for about 30 seconds.
- Pro Tip: If using a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients to the mixer. Add a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed, gradually increasing speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing on low and gradually increasing the speed.
- Combine and Chill the Dough. Mix the wet and dry ingredients including the 1 cup chocolate chips into a soft cookie dough.
- Optional Tip: If your cookie dough feels gritty, let it rest 15-20 minutes before baking. This allows the rice flour in the gluten-free flour blend to absorb moisture, eliminating any graininess.
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Use the bake setting, not the convection setting.
- Prep the Pan. Spray coconut oil or another gluten free baking spray in a 10-inch springform pan or cake pan. You can also make it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. I recommend using a springform pan because the cookie cake will be more difficult to remove from other pans.
- Spread the Dough and Bake the Cake. Press the cookie dough evenly to cover the bottom of the springform pan.
- Bake the Cake. Bake the gluten free cookie cake for 17-20 minutes, depending on thickness. The top of the cake should be lightly golden brown. If you bake this cake in a glass pan, it will take longer to bake. Let the cookie cake stay in the pan for 5-8 minutes.
- Decorate the cake any way you like. Use buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Decorate the entire top of the cake, or decorate as I did by using chocolate frosting around the edge of the cake. If it is for a birthday, you can use cake icing to write Happy Birthday on the cake.
- Remove the sides of the springform pan and cool the cake on a wire cooling rack. For best results, do not frost the cake until the cookie cake is fully cooled.
- Decorate the cake any way you like. Use buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Decorate the entire top of the cake, or decorate as I did by using chocolate frosting around the edge of the cake with a small frosting star tip. If it is for a birthday, you can use cake icing to write Happy Birthday on the cake.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 blend. One reader wrote to say that the Better Batter flour blend also worked well. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon for added structure.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter and use dairy-free chips like Enjoy Life.
-
Store this cookie cake in a cake storage container so that the frosting or decorations. It will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze this cake. Flash freeze it on a cookie sheet, then seal it in a zipper bag if the cookie fits. If not, wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Thaw the cake to room temperature before serving it.
- Read my Gluten Free Cookie Troubleshooting Guide for more gluten free cookie baking tips. I also share all of my favorite Gluten Free Cookie Tools to help you make cookie making easier!
- Add frosting to a piping bag. Use a star tip to dot rosettes around the outside of the cake. TIP: I recommend starting the frosting a little way away from the edge so the cookie is easy to hold without getting frosting on your fingers.
- Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Drizzle the chocolate over the cake.
- Before the frosting or chocolate dry, add the sprinkles! Check my gluten free sprinkles list to be sure your sprinkles are gluten free.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This recipe was updated from an older April 2022 post with more recipe details.
Hi! I made this and the dough was delicious. It filled a 9×13 pan. Like, to the top. Is that normal?!
Hi Amanda, That seems odd for it to cover that much space. With only 2 cups of flour especially. What flour blend did you use?
I’ve made this multiple times and it is wonderful! This time I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 11×15 sheet/jello roll pan. It took about 21 minutes and came out Goldie Locks perfect!! Piped it with Peanut Butter frosting. All of the birthday guests loved it! Ten stars!!!
I am so glad everyone is getting a chance to celebrate with this cookie cake. I love the idea of piping it with peanut butter!
Perfect every time!
Thank you so much, Amanda!
I made this first try on a 12” pizza pan and it took an extra 15 min to cook. The center just wasn’t done. But I’m trying to make it for my daughter’s birthday party Saturday, so I bought at 16” pizza pan today, try #2, spread it out thinner (still leaving a couple of inches on every side for spreading while it cooks) and cooked it for a total of 20 minutes and it came out PERFECT. Soft but set. And really delicious. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. It’s going to work great for Saturday!
Hi Jen, that is so interesting on the different pan sizes. I am so glad it worked out perfectly in the 16 inch pan I hope your daughter has a great birthday!
Have made this recipe a dozen times in 6 months! everyone loves it – even people who otherwise are not GF! Always use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour and light brown sugar. Follow instructions and this is a no-fail recipe! I would love to make ahead and freeze for a party; has anyone tried that?
Hi Kate, you can definitely freeze this cake and thaw it for later. I am so glad everyone loves this cake. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review.
This is perfect…easy, fast, and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I am so glad you enjoyed this cake! Thank you!
This has become my family’s birthday tradition! My children love this cookie cake and I love that I can join in the birthday festivities and actually eat the birthday cookie cake! Thank you for creating this recipe!
I am so glad to help create a family tradition. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know, Brittany.
This chocolate chip cookie cake came out amazing! I used a 8 or 9 inch springform pan so it needed extra cook time. Great texture and taste!
I am thrilled you loved this cookie cake. I am glad you cooked it a bit longer in the springform pan. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
Looks delicious! If I wanted to make this in a jellyroll pan, would I need to double or triple the recipe?
I don’t own a jellyroll pan so I am unsure of the size. How big is your pan?
12.5inx17.3in
Hi Leanne, I would recommend doubling the recipe.
I love the idea of using a jelly roll pan for this delicious cookie cake. I am going to do that next time. 🙂
Let me know how it turns out!
Hi! Do you think your GF funfetti sugar cookies or your GF cream cheese sugar cookies would work best for making into this cake? After making the dough for either would I bake it as directed in this recipe or would time and/or temperature need to be adjusted? Thank you!
Hi Stacey, they both would work well. I am leaning towards the funfetti cookies. Follow the same baking instructions as the original recipe…but check it 5 minutes sooner.
We love the choc chip cookie cake!! No way to tell that it was GF!! I’m excited to try some more recipes. Thank you so much!!
I am so glad you loved the cake. It is really a good recipe, very much like Mrs. Fields. I can’t wait to hear which recipe you make next.
This cookie cake is fantastic!! Have you ever tried it adding peanut butter or doing a sugar cookie?
I haven’t, but my cookie recipes for sugar and peanut butter cookies can be baked the same way as a cake.
My mom made me this cookie cake for my birthday and it was delicious! My boyfriend compared it too the pizza hut cookie cakes. We didn’t have a 10″ pan so we used a 9″ and a 7″ and it worked out perfect
I am so glad everyone loved the cookie cake. Happy Birthday!
Would this work in a cast iron skillet?
Yes, I love using a cast iron skillet for this recipe!
When you say gf flour blend, do you mean self raising or plain flour?
Thankyou
Gluten free flour blend is a combination of gluten free grains and starches. It isn’t self-raising because the blend doesn’t have a rising agent.
I don’t know if you will see this but my Daughter and I just made the cookie cake and it turned out AWESOME! With my Daughter having POTS disease and my wife having Addisons disease it is so hard finding things for them to eat especially deserts. Thank you so very much for posting this recipe. I would like to send a picture of the finished product but don’t know how. Once again thank you!!
Hi Leo, I am so glad to get this comment. I fully know POTS because my daughter had it. I know how hard it can be, and you absolutely made my day by telling me your daughter and wife could both enjoy this cookie cake. Please reach out if there is anything I can make that they would enjoy.
This is our fav cookie cake recipe. So easy to make and super yummy!
I am so glad you loved this cookie cake. It is fun to decorate for holidays too!
Delicious! My daughter has been missing cookie cake and this made her birthday. My springform is 9.5” and I definitely should have let it cook a few more minutes. I was worried about it being hard or dry, but that was not the case at all. If I’d cooked to a golden brown it would have been cooked through perfectly. Will make this again!
I am so glad you loved this, Missy. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know it was a hit with your daughter!
Was slightly dry with 2 eggs but after trying it again with 3 eggs it was perfect! All my non gf/df family loved it as well! Thanks for sharing
Hi Lucy, that is interesting. Can I ask what gluten free flour blend you used? Every blend is so different with different starch ratios. Also, How do you measure your flour? I recommend one of these methods to avoid using too much flour: Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
The instructions don’t list when to add the baking soda or the chocolate chips.
Hi Donna, Add in the baking soda and chips with the dry ingredients. I clarified in the recipe card as well. Thank you!!
I made this cake for my daughters birthday with vegan butter amd Bobs gluten free 1:1 flour. I did not add the salt as I used salted vegan butter. I used the spoon measure for the flour and the batter was not cookie dough consistency. I did have an issue with the timing of the bake time. I used a 9” springform pan and it was not done at 17 mins. I ended up having to bake it for around 25 mins so that it was cooked in The middle but still chewy. I did bake another and used the leveling measure of flour and it was a cookie dough this time. Everyone loved both!
Thank you so much or your note and tips. I am so glad everyone enjoyed the cake. I do find baking time varies depending on the pan used. I used.
11 tablespoons of melted butter, is this correct?
Hi Brenda, the amount of butter is correct. Cookies always have a lot of butter since there is no milk.
Is it baking soda or baking powder? The ingredient list says one, the instructions another.
Sorry Pyper, it is just baking soda.