Heads up, friend, this post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and love in my own kitchen.
Are you looking for an easy Christmas cookie? These caramel cookie cups are little cookie cups with a cookie crust baked right in a mini muffin pan, then filled with caramel sauce for an absolutely delicious, easy treat. Top them with a bit of sea salt for a perfect flavor combo, or dress them up with chocolate for something a little extra special.
NellieBellie Recipe tester says…
“The recipe was easy to make. I think it needs a salted caramel or a small dollop of chocolate on top to give it more flavor. It was easy and would make great bite sized desserts.”
Buttery cookie cups are filled with caramel for a delicious, easy, and oh so fun cookie the whole family will love making and eating!
A Note on the Caramel
The caramel filling is doing all the work here, so you want something thick enough to hold its cup shape once it’s set, not a thin pourable caramel sauce. My Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce is my favorite for this, it’s rich, it sets up beautifully, and it only takes 5 ingredients you probably already have. My caramel from sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk is another great homemade option if that’s what you have on hand.
Short on time? Two store-bought options work great too:
- Caramel bits (like Kraft or Werther’s), melted down in a microwave safe bowl or a small saucepan over low heat until smooth. These are made for melting and set up much thicker than a jarred sauce.
- Caramel dip, the kind you find in the refrigerated section near the apples. It’s already thick and cling-y by design, so it holds its shape beautifully in these little cups.
Whatever you use, skip the thin ice cream topping style caramel sauces. They taste great, but they’ll pool instead of set.
Want to Take These Up a Notch?
Here’s the thing about a cookie cup: it’s basically begging you to put something extra inside. The caramel is the star, but this little pocket can hold a lot more goodness if you’re in the mood to play around.
A few favorites:
- A pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the caramel while it’s still warm, salty and sweet together is always a win.
- Chocolate ganache spooned over the caramel once it’s set, or a drizzle of melted chocolate (dark chocolate or milk chocolate, your call) if you’re short on time.
- A small spoonful of raspberry jam or preserves swirled in with the caramel, the tartness cuts the sweetness in the best way.
- Mint chocolate chips pressed into the caramel while it’s warm.
- A tiny spoonful of peanut butter swirled into the caramel for a Twix cookies kind of vibe, chocolate, caramel, and a little crunch.
- Crushed pretzels or toffee bits on top for some crunch.
- A dollop of whipped cream (made with heavy cream) right before serving, if you’re eating these the same day.
If you really love caramel and chocolate together, a drizzle of ganache plus a sprinkle of sea salt might just be the best version of this cookie. You could even fill them using a piping bag if you want a cleaner, more finished look for a party.
You really can’t go wrong here. Pick one, pick two, or just make them exactly as written.
Delicious Caramel Cups Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make your caramel (if you're using homemade) and set it aside to cool while you make the cookie dough. Pop it in the fridge to cool completely faster.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350 degree F.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl to make your flour mixture, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until pale, fluffy, and creamy in texture. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Slowly start adding in the flour mixture in batches and beat until just combined and the dough starts forming large clumps.
- Pull the cookie dough together with your hands into a ball, then roll it out on a well floured surface to about 3-4mm thick.
- Use a round cookie cutter, about 2.5 to 3 inches, to cut circles. Mini muffin tins vary in size, so aim for a circle about an inch wider than your muffin cup so the dough comes up the sides.
- Using a non-stick mini muffin tin or mini muffin pan, gently push the circles of dough into the muffin holes then prick the bottom of each with a fork.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until just golden brown on the edges and set on top. Let them cool for 10 minutes in the tin. To release them from the tin, press lightly on the cooled edges with a thumb and index finger and give a little twist. Once they twist, you can simply lift them out.
- Fill with your caramel filling. Sprinkle with sea salt while it's still soft enough to stick.
- Let the cups cool completely before serving, or store in an airtight container for up to a few days.
Because the dip is thinner, I wouldn’t use it exactly the same as the caramel sauce. I would bake the cup and then put the dip into the cooled cups. Should be yummy!
Could I use Marzetti caramel dip in place of caramel sauce?