Gluten free levain party cookies

Also known as the “Life is a Party”.

How Life Is a Party Came to Be

Life Is a Party didn’t start out as what it is today.

In its infancy, it was just a chocolate chip cookie. Nothing fancy. Nothing loud. Just a solid base dough doing its thing.

Then one day, while scrolling through blogs and recipes for Oreo Funfetti cookies, I noticed something that kept repeating over and over again. Most of them were the same idea: a basic dough, Oreos pressed on top, a handful of sprinkles, and done.

And I remember thinking… that’s it?
How can I make this better?

So I started testing.

For about a month, I played with ratios, flavor, texture, and balance. I took my base dough and started building it from the inside out. I added milk powder for richness. I added a secret ingredient—birthday cake extract—alongside vanilla to give it that unmistakable celebratory flavor. I went heavy on the Oreos (like… almost an entire container), added white chocolate chips, and finished it with rainbow sprinkles folded right into the dough.

That’s when Life Is a Party was born.

And people went wild.

So wild, in fact, that others—including local businesses—started copying it. Down to the look. The sprinkle placement. The Oreo placement. All of it.

But that’s not what this story is about.

This is about the original.
And here I am, telling it.

What most people don’t know is that when this cookie first launched, it was actually stuffed with an Oreo-style filling. I thought more was more. But customers told me it was too sweet. So I pulled the filling out, went back to just the dough, and something interesting happened.

People couldn’t stop eating it.

At markets. Online. In person. Week after week, it became my number one seller. It outsold everything—even my Classic Brown Butter Chocolate Chip.

And the reason?

Two things.

First, it tastes like a memory.
Birthday cake, Oreos, sprinkles—these aren’t just flavors. They’re nostalgia. They remind you of parties, celebrations, childhood, and joy. One bite and you’re right back there.

Second, it’s intentional.
Every element is there for a reason. The milk powder for depth. The extract for that unmistakable “party” flavor. The Oreos mixed throughout, not just placed on top. The combination of extra dark chocolate with the sweet white chocolate and to balance it all — flaky sea salt. It wasn’t accidental—it was built.

Life Is a Party isn’t just a cookie.
It’s a reminder that joy can be loud, colorful, nostalgic, and completely unapologetic.

And yes—this one started it all.

Why I’m Giving Life Is a Party Away — For Free

For the first time ever, I’m giving this recipe away for free.

Why?

Because of the two reasons I mentioned earlier.

Yes—am I afraid someone will take this recipe and call it their own?
Yes.

Am I afraid that people will forget it started with The Common Cookie?
Also yes.

But fear shouldn’t guide my decisions.

This cookie was built on joy, nostalgia, and intention—not protectionism. And if this recipe brings happiness into someone’s kitchen, then that matters more than holding it tight out of fear. As one of my favorite people on earth state (Mother Teresa) “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier..”

So here it is.

Almost all of it.

I am leaving out one ingredient—the secret ingredient that truly completes Life Is a Party. If you genuinely want it, I will give it to you at no charge.

All I ask is this:

• Share my story

• Tell people where this cookie came from

Email me with the subject line “Life Is a Party Secret Ingredient” at
📧 thecommoncookie@gmail.com and I will tell you what it is. You are welcome to donate butter so I can continue things like this!

Now… let’s bake.

Life Is a Party

Gluten-Free Levain-Style Cookie

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 650 g gluten-free multipurpose flour

• 60 g cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons milk powder

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

• 226 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

• 230 g light brown sugar

• 200 g granulated sugar

• 60 g secret ingredient

• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 teaspoons birthday cake extract (optional, but encouraged)

• 2 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 egg yolks, room temperature

Mix-Ins

• 300 g chopped gluten-free double-stuffed Oreos

• 300 g high-quality white chocolate chips

• 200 g dark chocolate chunks

• 200 g rainbow sprinkles

For Finishing

• Maldon sea salt

• Additional gluten-free double-stuffed Oreos, halved and dipped in sprinkles

Instructions

How to Make Gluten-Free Levain-Style Cookie Dough

(Using the Streusel Technique a.k.a reverse dough)

1. Mix the dry ingredients
   In a medium bowl, sift together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. Break down the butter
   Add the cold butter cubes to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat just until the butter loses its shape and breaks into small pieces.
   Do not cream. Scrape the paddle and bowl as needed.

3. Add sugars + secret ingredient
   With the mixer on low speed, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and secret ingredient. Mix just until combined. You should see small, irregular hunks of sugary butter—this is intentional.

4. Create the streusel
   Add all of the dry ingredients to the mixer. Mix until the dough resembles a coarse crumble or streusel. Scrape the bowl once to ensure even mixing.

5. Add the mix-ins
   Add the chopped Oreos, dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles. Mix gently until evenly distributed.

6. Add eggs and extracts
   In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and birthday cake extract. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the egg mixture to the dough.
   Mix until all dry patches disappear and a rough cookie dough forms.

7. Portion and chill
   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a digital scale, portion the dough into 4 oz (125 g) portions. Gently pack each portion into a tall mound using your hands—do not flatten.

   Place the dough balls on the sheet tray, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better).

This recipe represents joy, generosity, and confidence in what I’ve built.

Life Is a Party has always been more than a cookie.
Now it’s an invitation.