Soft and Chewy Vegan Easter Cookie Cake

Name: Soft and Chewy Vegan Easter Cookie Cake
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 115 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted) (½ US Cup / 1 stick); 160 grams Brown Sugar (¾ US Cup); 60 grams Icing Sugar (½ US Cup); 100 grams Apple Sauce (½ US Cup); 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (10 ml); 240 grams All Purpose Flour (2 US Cups); 1 tsp Baking Soda; ½ tsp Salt; 150 grams White Chocolate Chips; 85 grams Sprinkles (½ US Cup); 100 grams Plant Based Butter (unsalted); 300 grams Icing Sugar ((divided)); 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 20 ml Water; Additional Sprinkles and Easter egg candies ((for decorating))

This one is for all the cookie lovers. A giant deep-dish vegan cookie filled with creamy white chocolate and colourful Easter sprinkles, then topped with silky vanilla buttercream, Easter egg candies and even more sprinkles. This Vegan Easter Cookie Cake is so easy to make and the perfect centrepiece for your Easter dessert table.

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A Vegan Easter Cookie Cake on a plate with one slice cut and slightly removed on the left side.

This Easter cookie cake recipe is perfect for parties, family gatherings, or as a fun alternative to traditional Easter cakes.

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Why I Made This Recipe

After decades of creating cookie recipes and 16 months running a bakery that sold a ton of cookie cakes, I knew that I wanted to make a special allergy-friendly version for Easter that my family could enjoy. Based on my Disney-inspired chocolate chip cookies, this recipe uses common pantry ingredients and feels nostalgic and festive with its pops of colour and simple buttercream border.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This cookie cake is soft and chewy, and easily customizable to suit many occasions. Whether you serve it as-is or jazz it up with a buttercream border and writing, I know this is a recipe you will keep coming back to.

This cookie cake is perfect if you:

Are searching for a recipe that satisfies your cookie cravings.
Want to impress family and friends without a ton of faff.
Need a different style of celebration cake that is perfect for a crowd.

Image showing white chocolate chips being added to cookie dough at the top, plus a baked vegan easter cookie cake at the bottom.

Baker’s Tips for Cookie Cakes

I’ve made so many cookie cakes over the years and picked up a few tricks, which will help give you the best results:

Adding the dough – When adding the dough to the pan, don’t press it all the way to the edges. The dough will spread as it bakes and fill in the gaps. If you do spread it all the way, it will create a lifted edge, which, in my opinion, isn’t a bad thing, as the edge will be slightly crunchy and yummy, but if you want a completely flat cake, keep the gap.
Don’t overbake the cake – This is a soft cookie cake that may look slightly underbaked, but I highly recommend taking it out as soon as the edges turn lightly golden, as it will continue to bake as it cools. The brown sugar adds to the moisture and helps retain the moist, chewy texture.
Sprinkles – Whatever type you use, don’t overmix them as this will cause the colour to bleed. Treat them gently and fold them in carefully.
Don’t have a 9″ cake pan? You can make this in a smaller pan (it will be thicker) or a larger round pan for a thin cookie cake – just adjust the baking time. You can also double the recipe for larger sizes, such as a 9×13 pan.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This vegan cookie cake is easily adaptable for other dietary requirements.

Ingredients laid out in bowls to make a Vegan Easter Cookie Cake.

Butter – Unsalted plant-based butter. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt from the recipe.

Brown Sugar – this is my go-to sugar for chocolate chip cookies, as it adds to the flavour and texture of the cookie cake. Sub with white sugar if you prefer a cleaner sweetness.

Icing Sugar – helps create a lighter, softer cookie texture.

Apple Sauce – adds moisture and helps bind the ingredients together. Sub with 2 eggs if you are not vegan.

Vanilla Extract – for that classic cookie flavour.

All Purpose Flour – helps with the structure of the cake. If you prefer a softer, more cakey cookie cake, use cake flour instead. Sub with gluten-free flour if needed.

Baking Soda – this leavening agent helps the cookie dough spread in the pan. If you want a slightly more cakey texture, you can substitute baking powder instead.

Salt – balances the flavours.

White Chocolate Chips – if you can’t find vegan chips, sub with a bar of chocolate instead and cut up into small pieces. You can also substitute regular chocolate chips if preferred.

Sprinkles – always check ingredient labels to ensure they are safe for your food allergies. Many sprinkles contain dairy and soy. Top Tip – avoid using hard pearl sprinkles as these will be too crunchy in the cookie cake. Jimmies and non-pareils work best.

For the buttercream (not in the photo) – use your preferred buttercream if you are decorating the cake. I used my small batch vanilla buttercream recipe and have included it in the recipe card.

Flavour Variations

There are endless combinations that you can use for this cookie cake base. Omit the white chocolate chips and sprinkles and try these:

Chocolate Chip – Use regular chocolate chips for a more traditional chocolate chip cookie cake.
Chocolate Brownie – Swap the icing sugar with cocoa powder and add chocolate chips.
Funfetti – Use rainbow sprinkles and add almond extract (imitation if you are nut-free) for a classic sugar cookie flavour.
Snickerdoodle – add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to the dough. Make cinnamon sugar (mix 1/4 cup white sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon) and sprinkle on the cake before it goes in the oven. Add more once baked if desired.

How to Make the Cookie Cake

This vegan easter cookie cake takes about 7 minutes to prep, from mixing the cookie dough to adding it to the baking pan.

Gather all the ingredients and allow the butter to come to room temperature. To make it easier to remove the cookie cake once baked, grease the bottom and sides of the baking pan, then line it with parchment paper.

Placing a parchment circle in the 9 inch baking pan.

I like to use a stand mixer when making cookie dough, but you can also make this by hand if you prefer. Just be careful not to overmix the dough to retain a soft, chewy texture.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar until just combined, then add the icing sugar and mix carefully.

Adding icing sugar into a mixing bowl containing mixed butter and brown sugar.

Add the apple sauce and vanilla extract and mix on low.

Adding vanilla extract into a mixing bowl containing mixed butter, brown sugar, icing sugar and apple sauce.

Add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.

Stir in the white chocolate chips, then scrape down the bowl to ensure everything is combined.

Adding chocolate chips to cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Finally, fold in the sprinkles. Folding helps prevent the colour from bleeding into the dough.

Easter sprinkles on cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

At this stage, the cookie dough will be thick.

A close up of vegan easter cookie dough on a spatula, showing the sprinkles.

Baking Time

Add the cookie dough to the prepared pan and smooth gently with a spatula. Top Tip: Leave a small gap around the edges so the dough can spread evenly and create a flatter cookie cake. If you push the dough all the way to the edges, a ridge will form. No wrong way to do this, though, as it’s down to personal preference.

Spreading cookie dough with a spatula in a round baking pan.

Add some extra chocolate chips on top of the cookie cake for extra creaminess.

Raw cookie dough with white chocolate chips on top, in a round 9 inch pan before baking.

Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes. I love that I can bake this in my toaster oven – perfect when I’m already using my larger oven or just don’t want to turn it on for one cake.

A 9 inch vegan easter cookie cake being placed into a toaster oven to bake.

The cake is ready when it’s lightly golden on the top and looks matte.

Freshly baked vegan easter cookie cake in the baking pan on a cooling rack. The top of the cake is lightly golden.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan before inverting to remove. If it seems stuck, loosen the edges with a spatula and give the pan a good tap underneath.

Decorating Your Easter Cookie Cake

If you want to add some extra details and silky buttercream to the cookie cake, piping a border and adding an inscription are great options. You can keep the decoration as simple or detailed as you like. Personally, I like a simple star border with a dusting of sprinkles to finish off the cake nicely.

Piping buttercream icing stars on the outside edge of a baked cookie cake.

Add some buttercream to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip. Hold the bag at 90 degrees slightly above the cake surface and then squeeze until you get a star of buttercream. Stop squeezing, then continue to pipe around the cake. Add extra sprinkles and easter candies for finishing touches.

Adding sprinkles to a decorated easter cookie cake.

Serving Suggestions

My favourite way to enjoy this cookie cake is on its own with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. Here are a few suggestions that my kids highly recommend:

Serve slices of cookie cake with ice cream for a fun dessert – you can’t beat a good dollop of vanilla (plant-based) ice cream with a slice of cookie cake.
Serve warm with a glass of milk for an extra special after-dinner treat. Just be careful when reheating the slices if the cake is decorated, as the frosting will start to melt once heated.
Cut into squares and wrap for a small lunchbox snack or picnic treat.

Close up of a slice of easter cookie cake on a knife, held above the rest of the cookie cake on a plate.

Storage Tips

This cookie cake stores well for up to 5 days at room temperature. Store in an airtight container or lightly cover with plastic wrap (cling film).

You can also slice the cake and freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature, then reheat before serving.

Common Cookie Cake Questions

How many slices does this cookie cake make?

This cake makes 8-10 slices, depending on how large you cut them.

Can I make regular drop cookies with this recipe?

Yes! This recipe was actually created using my Disney Chocolate Chip Cookies as the base, with a few tweaks to make it even better for a larger bake.

My cookie cake looks raw – what happened?

This cookie cake will look slightly underbaked when sliced. The icing sugar, brown sugar and apple sauce help create the soft, chewy texture, which creates that softer-looking interior. If you prefer a crisper texture throughout, bake for another 10 minutes and lightly cover the cake with foil to stop the top from over-browning.

My cookie cake is dense and crunchy – what happened?

Overmixing is the most common culprit for a dense, crunchy texture. Ensure to mix the ingredients only until they are just combined.

Can I make this cookie cake ahead of time?

Yes! This cookie cake can be made 1-2 days ahead of time. Store it covered at room temperature and decorate just before serving for the freshest look.

Holding a plate with a decorated vegan Easter cookie cake on top.

More Easter Ideas

We love creating a dessert table for Easter with a selection of our kids’ favourite treats. Here are a few recommendations to add to your celebrations:

Easter Rice Krispie Treats – everyone’s favourite sweet snack with a festive twist.
Carrot Cake – the ultimate centrepiece topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.
Jelly Bean Chocolate Bark – a no-bake treat that kids will love to help make.
Easter Bird Nests – a fun cereal treat that brings back childhood memories.
Buttercream Chocolate Donuts – rich, silky and pure yumminess.

Easter is the perfect time to bake from the heart for family and friends and make special memories. I hope this recipe inspires you to add this to your recipe collection. Let me know if you try it and tag me @itsbakeangel if you share a photo online. I love seeing your creations!

Happy Baking!