Christmas Cookie Cake

This Christmas cookie cake is soft, chewy, and topped with a festive green buttercream wreath. It’s quick to make, great for last-minute holiday gatherings, and can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, or even vegan. A fun, easy Christmas dessert that looks impressive but requires minimal effort.

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

▢ 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temp, or 7.5 tbsp (105 grams) solid refined coconut oil for DF/vegan
▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar or coconut sugar
▢ 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar or coconut sugar
▢ 1 large egg 50 grams out of shell, room temp, or 1 chia egg if vegan
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) flour see notes
▢ 1 3/4 cups (298 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips if you're DF/vegan, use compliant chocolate

For the frosting:

▢ 1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter room temp, or vegan butter if DF/vegan
▢ 1 tablespoon milk plant-based milk if DF/vegan
▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
▢ pinch of salt
▢ green food coloring see notes

For decoration:

▢ mini cinnamon candies or mini red M&Ms use vegan/GF candy, if needed

Instructions

Make the cookie cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) line the bottom of an 8” (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
In a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkle the baking soda and salt on top, beat until combined, and then add in the flour on low speed.
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) flour
Stir in the chocolate chips until combined.
1 3/4 cups (298 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Press into the prepared springform pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned. The center should have firmed up and not appear wet at all. If you were to dig in right now, it would be gooey.
Let cool completely, about 2 hours, before frosting.

Make the buttercream:

Place all of the buttercream ingredients, except the food coloring, in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, start by beating on low speed until the ingredients are well combined. Then increase to high speed and continue mixing until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar, pinch of salt
Gradually beat in the food coloring until you like the color. How much you'll need will vary wildly depending on what brand/type you use.
green food coloring
Pipe green swirls with Wilton tip 22 around the border of the cake to create a wreath.
mini cinnamon candies or mini red M&Ms

Make ahead and how to store/freeze:

The cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. On the countertop, the baked cookie cake will last up to 3 days in an airtight container. But it’s freshest on the day of baking. The buttercream can also be made 3 days in advance, as well. It’ll harden a bit in the fridge. Just let it come to room temp, and it’ll be easier to pipe. If freezing, wrap the cookie cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil, and it’ll last up to 3 months.

Notes

For the flour, you can use all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. If you're gluten-free, King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour gave me the best results. Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour also worked, but the cake was a bit sandy.
The photographer used Wilton Kelly Green Gel Food Coloring. For a natural option, try Supernatural Kitchen. Please don't use the runny liquid kind of food coloring, which would likely make the frosting runny.
Base heavily adapted from this Epicurious recipe.
Nutritional information calculated based on a yield of 16 slices, and does not include the red candies.
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.