Today I want to share my favorite recipe for a homemade dairy free chocolate chip cookie cake. It has a soft, chewy center and golden edges, just like the ones you see at the mall bakery.

Finding a good bakery treat when you avoid milk and butter can be really hard, because most store-bought cakes are full of dairy. Making this version at home means nobody has to miss out on dessert at the next birthday or family dinner.

You do not even need to spend time scooping individual cookies onto baking sheets. You simply press the dough into one large pan, bake it all at once, and let it cool.

To finish it off, I add a simple vanilla frosting border and some rainbow sprinkles on top. It looks great on the table and tastes amazing with every single bite.

Why This Recipe Is a Keeper

Bakery Quality Texture – The secret touch of cornstarch creates an ultra soft, chewy center with perfectly crisp edges in every single bite.

Loaded Chocolate Flavor – Using a cup and a half of dairy free chips ensures you get rich, melted chocolate in every mouthful.

Crowd Pleasing Design – Fluffy dairy free buttercream and rainbow sprinkles make this look just like a classic mall-style celebration treat.

Faster Than Cookies – You press all the dough into one pan at once, skipping the slow hassle of scooping individual batches.

Here’s What You’ll Need

For the Cookie Cake

3/4 cup Dairy Free Butter, Melted & Cooled
1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg, Room Temperature
1 Large Egg Yolk, Room Temperature
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Cornstarch
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Dairy Free Chocolate Chips, Divided

For the Frosting

1/2 cup Dairy Free Butter, Softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
1 tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Rainbow Sprinkles

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-inch round pizza pan with sides and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1 minute until smooth. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until glossy and slightly lighter in color.

Step 3

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with a spatula just until combined, then fold in 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate chips.

Step 4

Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, all the way to the edges. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top and press them in lightly.

Step 5

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center looks just set. Let the cookie cake cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.

Step 6

For the frosting, beat the butter, powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Step 7

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a border around the edge of the cookie cake. Top with the sprinkles and slice into wedges.

Recipe Tips

Pick Butter Sticks Instead of Tub Butter

When you shop for dairy-free butter, make sure to buy the stick form rather than the tub variety.

Tub spreads contain extra water and oil that can make your cookie cake greasy and flat.

Stick butter has the right fat balance to give the cake that chewy, bakery-style texture.

Let the Melted Butter Cool Down

After melting the dairy-free butter, give it about 10 minutes to cool before whisking it with the sugars.

If the butter is still hot, it will melt the sugar crystals too fast and can even scramble the eggs.

Letting it cool to room temperature helps the sugars blend smoothly and keeps the dough thick.

Use Parchment to Press the Dough

This dough is quite thick and sticky, which can make it tricky to spread into a neat circle.

My favorite trick here is placing an extra sheet of parchment paper directly on top of the dough.

You can then use your hands to press everything flat all the way to the edges without any mess.

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