Is it a cookie or a cake? A chocolate chip cookie and a cupcake came together and had a baby! These Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cakes are destined to be a new favorite to add to your baking repertoire 🙂
This post was originally published in 2019 and has been updated with new pictures, a new video, and updated copy.
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I've been around since before the days of the Food Network, so when there were cooking shows on TV ages ago, I found every last one of them. Some of the best chefs were on during that time, like Julia Child, Caprial Pence, and my personal favorite, Marcel Desaulniers. Marcel has written several cookbooks, most of them centered around CHOCOLATE!! I have all of those books, and have been baking from them for a long time, since my kids were very young (they're now 25 and 22).
My perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe comes from Marcel's Death by Chocolate Cookies (affiliate link) cookbook. It is the ULTIMATE chocolate chip cookie--thick, chewy, full of chocolate--and it's a testament to Marcel's wizardry in the kitchen. I've made several of his recipes, and these chocolate chunk cookie cakes are one of my family's favorites. I used to put them in my kids' lunch boxes years ago or bring them to their school for birthdays and other functions. Everyone always loved them.
what are chocolate chunk cookie cakes?
You might think of those old timey decorated cookies that are baked in a round pizza pan or similar and decorated with buttercream frosting when you think of cookie cakes. And while they actually are called cookie cakes (I have a great recipe for one here), these little cakes are different.
Think of a cross between a chocolate chip cookie and a vanilla cupcake. What makes a great chocolate chip cookie? The butterscotch notes from sugar and of course chocolate chips (or chunks) are the common denominator in all chocolate chip cookies. Add those to what's basically a vanilla cupcake batter and you have yourself one of the most addicting little cakes ever. Eat them warm with all that ooey, gooey melty chocolate. Or enjoy them at room temperature for the perfect little portable snack cake.
The Ingredients you'll need
- Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend--a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested
- Brown sugar--brown sugar in the batter of these little cakes lends to that chocolate chip cookie taste.
- Sour cream--sour cream is what makes these cakes so tender and soft.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chunks--I like the way the chocolate chunks are all different sizes, but feel free to use chocolate chips.
How to Make Gluten-Free Cookie Cakes
These little cakes start just like any great chocolate chip cookie would:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together for 3-5 minutes or until very light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each.
- Continue beating for another 1-2 minutes after all eggs have been added.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to the batter, followed by sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Portion out batter into mini loaf pans (affiliate link) using two spoons. Fill each cavity ¾ full.
- Bake at 350 F for 28-30 minutes, or until cakes spring back when lightly touched.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
prefer to watch?
Cookie Cakes FAQs
Yes, they can! I've made them using a regular muffin pan, as well as with heart-shaped silicone pans for Valentine's Day. You'll need to reduce the baking time by about 5 minutes if making smaller cakes.
Absolutely! A bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips can be substituted in the recipe for the chocolate chunks. You can also switch it up and use another type of chocolate. White chocolate cookie cakes, anyone? Peanut butter? Be creative and add different flavors and even nuts!!
If you can keep little hands from grabbing every last one, they'll last about 4 days in a well-sealed container, but can also be frozen individually wrapped for up to 3 months.
I love when my cookie cakes are warm so the chocolate is all melty and gooey! To reheat them, simply place them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or until just warm. Mmmm, mmmm, good!!
more gluten free chocolate chip goodies
These little gluten free chocolate chunk cookie cakes are just the thing to add to your kids' lunchboxes for back to school. But you don't have to be limited to making them for your little ones. Adults love them, too!
Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) Kim's all purpose gluten free flour blend (a store bought blend may be substituted, but hasn't been tested)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, at room temperature (dairy-free butter may be substituted)
- 1 cup (200g) tightly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180g) sour cream, at room temperature (a dairy-free alternative may be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces (340g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour mini loaf pans (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, measure or weigh flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- Place butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer). Mix on low speed for about 1 minute, then beat on medium high for 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium high speed for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl again.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl and beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium high speed.
- Turn the mixer down to low and slowly beat in the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Add the vanilla and beat on low until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Using two large spoons (spoons work better than a scoop as the pans are rectangular) portion batter into each loaf pan, filling each ¾ full to all the way. Level with an offset spatula.
- Bake for about 26-28 minutes, or until cakes spring back when lightly touched. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or individually freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Adapted from Marcel Desaulniers' Death By Chocolate Cakes
Lavon says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks.
Kim says
I personally always use salted butter.
Kevin says
These remind me of sheet pan cc cookies that are sliced like brownies. Look forward to trying this one. Could I sub whole milk yogurt for the sour cream or would that make them less soft?
Kim says
I think yogurt would be okay as well.
Maria says
These are amazing! they have actually the perfect texture of a muffin(with gluten). I was thinking to make these into jumbo muffins but i'm thinking that they won't get the dome shape that muffins should have. What do you think I should add to get the dome shape?
Genet says
Hey. But here but really excited to try your bread recipes. I was happy to see that most dont contain eggs as I have a daughter allergic to eggs. Have you ever used aquafaba or any other egg substitute ? Just curious ......
Kim says
I haven't, but I'm getting ready to try some egg substitutes for cookies so I'll post them if they turn out well. My daughter has just become vegan so I'm trying to make something that she can have for Christmas with us. It's hard because gluten free already needs all the help it can get, so going without eggs may be difficult when it comes to yeast breads. That's why I'm starting small with something like cookies and if I'm successful with those, then I'll continue trying with other things 🙂
Angela says
This is definitely on my list of things to make very soon but I have to get the pan still. I had a chocolate chip cookie cupcake with cookie dough buttercream once and it was absolutely wonderful, seeing your pics made me think of that, lol. This looks soo good. I love the gourmet cookie cakes you can buy at bakeries with the frosting and this looks like something that could satisfy that craving.
Kim says
They're similar to cookie cakes, but more of a cake than a cookie. They're different for sure, but we love them! I should have specified in my recipe that you can use muffin pans if you don't have little loaf pans. They work just as well in the muffin pans!!
Angela says
Do you mean the regular size muffin pans or the jumbo size? Also, do you know what the cooking time would be?
Kim says
Just the regular size. Start checking at about 22-25 minutes to see if they're done. When they spring back or a toothpick in the center comes out clean, they're done. I've also made these in heart-shaped silicone molds for Valentine's Day and pumpkin molds for Halloween. It just depends on how big or small your mold is for how much you'll need to adjust the baking time 🙂
Angela says
Those are great ideas. Thanks for the feedback!
angela says
How much should I fill the muffin cups (2/3, 3/4 full)?
Kim says
I'd think about 2/3 full should do it 🙂
Pam V says
Kim, these are sooooooo yummy!!! I took these over to a friend yesterday, who isn’t GF, and he loved them. I think mom and I loved them even more because we couldn’t stop eating them 😆 but we all said they tasted like nothing else we’d ever had before. So light yet super moist. Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!!!
Kim says
These were always my kids' (and my) favorite things ever when they were little. I'd make them and put them in their lunch boxes and they were so excited. They're so unique, aren't they? I'm really glad you like them 😊