This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This gluten free cookie cake bakes up crisp on the edges, chewy in the center, and never gets stuck in the panโthanks to a few smart tricks.
Easier than a traditional cake, just as festive, and a whole lot more portable, this is your go-to dessert for birthdays, class parties, or any day that calls for a chocolate chip celebration. Bake it in any round pan, decorate it simply or extravagantly, and slice it like cakeโbut serve it easily like a cookie!
Ingredients explained
Each ingredient in this cookie cake plays a specific role in texture, flavor, or structureโhereโs what to know before you bake:
- Gluten free flour blend – The right blend gives the cake structure and that perfect crispy-chewy texture. I recommend Better Batterโs original blend or Nicoleโs Best multipurpose (with ยพ teaspoon xanthan gum). If you're using Bobโs Red Mill 1-to-1, add another ยผ teaspoon xanthan gum for best results. Avoid gritty blendsโtheyโll ruin the texture.
- Granulated sugar + light brown sugar – A mix of both gives the best balance: crisp edges from the white sugar, moisture, depth of flavor, and chew from the brown.
- Butter – Adds flavor and richness. Creaming it with the sugars builds structure to help the cake rise in the oven, and keeps the crumb tender.
- Pure vanilla extract – A full tablespoon adds depth and gives the cake that classic cookie flavor.
- Egg + egg yolks – The whole egg gives structure; the yolks add richness and a soft, chewy center.
- Baking soda – Helps the cake brown and gives a bit of lift.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and sharpens all the other flavors.
- Chocolate chips – Add the only chocolate flavor, plus texture and some bitterness if you choose dark chocolate. Use your favorite type.
How to make a gluten free cookie cake
1. Cream the butter and sugars.
Start with room temperature butter and beat it with the brown and white sugars for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is creamy but not quite fluffy. This helps dissolve the sugar and incorporates just enough air for a slightly higher riseโwithout turning it into a traditional cake.
2. Add the egg, yolks, baking soda and salt.
Beat until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This step helps build structure and creates the signature crackly cookie top as the cake bakes.
3. Add the flour and chips.
Toss the chocolate chips with the flour blend, then add everything to the mixing bowl. Mixing the chips with flour first helps keep them from sinking so they stay evenly distributed throughout the cake.
4. Transfer the dough to the pan.
Scrape the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread it into an even layer. A small, moistened offset spatula makes this easier. For a nicely defined crust, press the dough slightly higher around the edges.
5. Bake low and slow.
Bake at 325ยฐF for about 30 minutes. That lower temperature helps the cake bake evenly to the center without drying out. If the top is browning too much before the center is set, reduce the oven to 300ยฐF, tent with foil, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
6. Cool completely, then chill.
Let the cake cool in the pan at room temperatureโdonโt rush this part. Once itโs fully cool (after about an hour), place the whole pan in the refrigerator and chill until very firm. This helps the cake set fully so it doesnโt crack or break when you remove it.
7. Decorate the cake.
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tipโor use a sealed zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe frosting just inside the edge of the cake, slightly overlapping the crust. Add sprinkles or other decorations right away, before the frosting sets.
You can also use the same frosting, thinned with a bit more milk, with a small piping tip to pipe a custom message in the center. Let the frosting firm up at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Tips for a perfect cookie cake
This is an easy, classic recipeโjust cream the butter and sugars, add the eggs, then the dry ingredients. But a few small details from my experience in the kitchen can make the difference between good and great:
Watch the bake time
Too long in the oven (or too high a temp), and youโll end up with crisp edges and a dry center. Aim for a gentle bake that puffs up in the center and then settles slightly into a crackled top as it cools, similar to my regular gluten free chocolate chip cookies.
Cool, then chill the cake
Let the cake cool completely at room temperature in the pan, then chill it until very firm. Thatโs the key to removing it cleanlyโeither by lifting the parchment or inverting it onto your open hand and flipping again onto a platter.
Choosing your pan
A 9-inch round cake pan makes a thick, classic cookie cake that unmolds beautifully. But you can also use:
- Springform pan: pringform pan โ Easiest to release after chilling. Line bottom and sides with parchment.
- 9-inch square pan: Easier to line, bakes thinner and a bit faster. Check for doneness at 25 minutes.
- Specialty cookie cake pan: Usually 11 or 12 inches wide with low sides, for a thinner cake. Also bakes faster.
Line the pan with wings
Trace your pan on parchment, cut out a round but leave two long tabs or โwingsโ on opposite sides. Secure with binder clips. Once chilled, lift the cake out easily by the wings.
Ingredient swaps & mix-ins
Dairy free
Use 12 tablespoons (168 g) of block-style vegan butter (like Miyokoโs or Melt) or half (84 grams) vegan butter and half (84 grams) vegetable shortening for balance. Be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips and nondairy milk in the frosting.
Egg free
Replace the egg with 1 โchia eggโ (1 tablespoon ground white chia + 1 to 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, mixed and gelled). Use 2 tablespoons additional butter in place of the two yolks.
Mix-in ideas
Instead of standard chocolate chips, try mini chips, chopped semi-hard nuts (like pecans or walnuts), white chocolate, or any baking chips you love.
Gluten Free Cookie Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or handheld mixer
- 9-inch round cake pan lined with parchment
- Pastry bag with open star piping tip
Ingredients
For the cake
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- ยฝ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (218 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (50 g, out of shell) egg, at room temperature
- 2 (50 g) egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ยฝ cups (10 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 ยผ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend, See Recipe Notes
- ยพ teaspoon xanthan gum, (omit if your blend already contains it)
For the frosting
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) milk, at room temperature
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- โ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ยผ cups (260 g) confectionersโ sugar, plus more as needed
Instructions
Make the cookie cake.
- Preheat your oven to 325ยฐF. Grease lightly and line a 9-inch round cake pan with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, and beat until creamy (about 2 minutes). Stop beating before the mixture becomes truly light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and yolks, baking soda, and salt, and beat again until well-combined (about another minute).
- Add the chocolate chips to the flour blend, toss the chips in the flour to coat, and then add them both to the bowl.
- Mix until combined. The dough will be thick but soft.
- Scrape the dough into the prepared cake pan, and use a moistened offset or other spatula to spread it into an even layer. Run the spatula from the center to the edges for more batter along the perimeter to create a crusty edge on the baked cake.
- Bake, rotating once, for about 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (not wet). If the top is very brown but the cake is not fully baked, reduce the oven temperature to 300ยฐF, tent the pan with foil, and continue to bake for about another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature.
- Place the cooled cake in the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
- To remove the cake from the pan, turn the pan over onto the palm of one hand, and remove the pan. Reinvert the cake onto a serving platter. You can also serve the cake right from the pan.
โ Make the frosting.
- In the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a clean large bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the milk and vanilla, and turn the speed to mix until well-combined.
- Add the salt and about 2 cups of confectionersโ sugar. Mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated, then turn the mixer up to high and beat until it becomes uniformly thick.
- Add the rest of the confectionersโ sugar if necessary to thicken the frosting.
โ Decorate the cake.
- Transfer the white frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip or a sealed ziptop bag with the corner snipped off.
- Use the white frosting to make the stars or dollops around the border of the cookie cake, just beyond the crust.
- Allow the frosting to set at room temperature until it hardens a bit. Slice into wedges and serve.
Notes
Use a high-quality gluten free flour blend for the best texture. I recommend Better Batter original, Nicoleโs Best multipurpose (plus 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum), or Bobโs Red Mill 1-to-1 (add an extra 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum). Avoid gritty blendsโtheyโll spoil the chew and crumble.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storage instructions
Room temperature: Store the fully frosted or unfrosted cookie cake, covered, at room temp for up to 2 days. If frosted, keep it in a container that protects the decorations.
Refrigerator: Wrap unfrosted cake tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 week. For frosted cake, use a container that wonโt smudge the frosting.
Freezer: Freeze individual slices or the whole cake, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge or at room temp. Avoid microwaving any frosted cakeโfrosting will melt.
Make-ahead frosting: Prepare the frosting ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temp and beat again until smooth before decorating.
FAQs
Both! It bakes like a cake, slices like a cake, but tastes and chews like a rich chocolate chip cookie.
You can pipe frosting around the edge, spell out a message in the center, or keep it simple with a scoop of ice cream. Anything that works on a traditional cake will work here, too.
Not really. This recipe is built for brown sugarโbased chocolate chip cookie dough. For a sugar cookie-style base without chips, try my gluten free fruit pizza recipe. You can frost that with or without the fruit!
No, this all-butter cookie cake spreads as it bakes, so you need a pan with sides to keep its shape. If you'd like to try it without a pan, you'd need to replace half of the butter with Crisco or Spectrum brand shortening.
Yesโuse 2/3 of the recipe for a 6-inch pan. You can adjust the yield to 5 servings in the recipe card to recalculate.
Yes! Shape it in the pan, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
Yes, but reduce the oven temp to 300ยฐF for the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning. A 9-inch skillet works best.
No, be careful about selecting cake decorations like sprinkles, nonpareils, and edible confetti, as many contain gluten. Cake Mate and Betty Crocker brand sprinkles and nonpareils are usually gluten free. Americolor brand edible confetti is gluten free.
Are your sugar grams off? 3/8 c is like 80 something grams
Hi, Allie, thank you so much for pointing that out. Yes! It should be 75 grams, and I’ve made the correction. I transferred this recipe from another recipe card to this one, and made a mistake in the process. I really appreciate your saying something.