​Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Why You'll Love These Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

• Super Easy – These little treats come together quickly using premade chocolate chip cookie dough. They only require a handful of pantry staples and can be made in under an hour!
• Customizable – Fill them with vanilla frosting or chocolate ganache, top them with whipped cream, or even a mini scoop of ice cream!
• Perfectly portioned – The mini muffin tins create the ideal bite-sized treats. These are my favorite non-stick muffin tins to use.
• Great for any occasion – Whether it's Easter brunch, Valentine's Day, or a holiday cookie tray, these will be one of your favorite cookie cup recipes.
• Deliciously chewy – These soft chocolate chip cookies have the perfect texture!

Substitutions

• Unsalted Butter – Salted butter works in a pinch for the frosting. Omit the pinch of salt listed in the ingredients.
• Heavy Whipping Cream - You can use Skim milk or low-fat milk for a lighter option. However, I prefer whole milk if you don't have heavy whipping cream.

Variations

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Hershey's Kisses – Press a mini peanut butter cup, Hershey's Kiss, or another of your favorite candies into the center instead of frosting.
• Cheesecake Cookie Cups – Add a dollop of cream cheese frosting for an extra creamy texture.
• Chocolate Ganache – Fill with a silky chocolate ganache for an elegant touch.
• Make The Festive! - Changing up the frosting and sprinkles is an easy way to make these little cookie cups for any holiday! Keep the chocolate buttercream and switch out the sprinkles, or make vanilla buttercream and tint it with gel food coloring.

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Liberally spray a mini muffin pan with baking spray.

Step 2. Separate the premade chocolate chip cookie dough and place one section into each well of the mini muffin tins.

Step 3. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 4. Immediately after baking, use the small end of a tart shaper or a wine cork to lightly press the centers down, forming a cup shape. You just want to make a small indentation in which the frosting can sit. Don't press down too hard because you will crack the cookie cup, and it will make it more difficult to get it out of the tin.

Step 5. Let cookies cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then carefully lift them out using a butter knife. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. This will take about 10 minutes.

Step 6. To make the frosting, beat unsalted butter in a large bowl on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Step 7. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a dash of salt. Mix on medium speed, adding 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream until the desired consistency is reached. Beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until fluffy.

Step 8. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe it into the cooled mini cookie cups. My favorite piping tip is the closed star tip. For extra flavor, top with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips!

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Keep the cookie cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. See the FAQ section about storing buttercream.

Store these in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a week.

The cookie cups can be frozen (without frosting) for up to 3 months. They should be thawed at room temperature and frosted before serving.

Natalie's Pro Tip

For extra chewy cookies, slightly underbake the cookie cups by 1-2 minutes. The residual heat will continue to bake the cookies as they cool, giving them that perfect soft and gooey chocolate chip cookie texture!