If you love the flavor of cookies and cream, this poke cake is about to become one of your favorites.
It starts with a soft vanilla cake that has crushed chocolate sandwich cookies baked right into it.
Then I poke holes all over the warm cake and pour in a sweet coconut milk mixture that soaks into every bite.
The whole thing is completely dairy free, which matters if you or someone in your family needs to skip dairy but still wants a proper dessert.
Top it with a fluffy whipped cream and cookie topping, chill it, and you have a cake that tastes like the classic treat you remember.
Why This Recipe Is a Keeper
Soft and Moist – The vanilla cake absorbs sweetened condensed coconut milk, creating a tender texture in every bite.
Classic Cookies and Cream Flavor – Vanilla cake, chocolate sandwich cookies, and creamy topping create a delicious cookies and cream combination.
Rich Dairy-Free Topping – Whipped coconut cream adds a smooth, fluffy finish without using traditional dairy ingredients.
Perfect Texture Contrast – Each slice combines moist cake, airy cream, crunchy cookie crumbs, and bigger cookie pieces.
Here’s What You’ll Need
For the Vanilla Cookie Cake
- 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Fine Salt
- 3/4 cup Dairy-Free Plant Butter, Softened
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Oat Milk
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 10 Dairy-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Crushed
For the Topping
- 1 can (11.25 oz) Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
- 2 cups Dairy-Free Whipping Cream, Cold
- 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 14 Dairy-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Divided
How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Step 2
Beat the plant butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Step 3
Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the oat milk. Fold in the 10 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and spread the batter evenly in the dish.
Step 4
Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool for 15 minutes, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to make evenly spaced holes across the warm cake.
Step 5
Slowly pour the sweetened condensed coconut milk over the cake, concentrating it in the holes. Cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 6
Whip the dairy-free whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to firm peaks. Crush 10 of the remaining cookies and fold half of the crumbs into the whipped cream.
Step 7
Spread the cookies and cream topping over the chilled cake. Finish with the remaining crumbs and 4 coarsely broken cookies, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Recipe Tips
Use Softened Plant Butter
Bring the dairy-free plant butter to room temperature so it mixes smoothly with the sugar. It should feel soft when pressed, but it should not look melted or oily.
For the best texture, use eggs and oat milk that are not very cold. Cold ingredients can make the batter look lumpy and cause the cake to bake unevenly.
Keep The Batter Light
Add the flour mixture and oat milk in alternating portions, mixing only until each addition disappears. This keeps the cake soft instead of making it dense.
Fold in the cookie crumbs at the end with a spatula. Stir gently and stop as soon as they are spread through the batter so the crumbs do not make the mixture heavy.
Check The Cake Early
Begin checking the cake at 28 minutes because ovens can vary. The center should spring back lightly when pressed, and a toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Do not wait for the top to become deeply golden. A slightly lighter cake stays softer and absorbs the coconut milk more evenly.
What to Make Next
- Dairy Free Espresso Tiramisu
- Dairy Free Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae Cups
- Dairy Free S’mores Icebox Pie
- Dairy Free Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
- Dairy Free Ube Cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Popular Questions
How do I make sure this cake stays completely dairy free?
Check the labels on the plant butter, oat milk, chocolate sandwich cookies, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and dairy-free whipping cream. Some brands may contain milk ingredients or be made in facilities that also process dairy.
Use products clearly labeled dairy free, and check every package since ingredients can vary between brands.
Dairy Free Cookies & Cream Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Fine Salt
- 3/4 cup Dairy-Free Plant Butter, Softened
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Oat Milk
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 10 Dairy-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Crushed
- 1 can (11.25 oz) Dairy-Free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
- 2 cups Dairy-Free Whipping Cream, Cold
- 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 14 Dairy-Free Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, Divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
- Beat the plant butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the oat milk. Fold in the 10 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and spread the batter evenly in the dish.
- Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Cool for 15 minutes, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to make evenly spaced holes across the warm cake.
- Slowly pour the sweetened condensed coconut milk over the cake, concentrating it in the holes. Cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Whip the dairy-free whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to firm peaks. Crush 10 of the remaining cookies and fold half of the crumbs into the whipped cream.
- Spread the cookies and cream topping over the chilled cake. Finish with the remaining crumbs and 4 coarsely broken cookies, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.