These chocolate filled cookie cups are soft, buttery chocolate chip cookies baked in mini muffin tins and then filled with a decadent chocolate ganache filling. A great new way to enjoy chocolate chip cookies!
In the longstanding family tradition of being fashionably late to anything and everything, we celebrated Easter at my grandmother’s house this past weekend.
I arrived even later than everyone else, not because of my commitment to said family traditions, but because I was held up photographing these chocolate filled cookie cups. While the ham had already been passed around by the time I got there, it was worth arriving late to be able to share these fun cookie cups with my extended family, and, less selflessly, to just get them out of my house so that I didn’t eat every. single. one. on my own.
They were addictive enough that I still managed to undermine every second that I’d spent on the elliptical in the previous week by the time that we arrived to dinner, but the damage could’ve been much worse.
I’ve made cookie cups in the past that just used regular cookie dough and had always been slightly under-whelmed with the results. The cookies were a bit too tough, I wanted soft, buttery cookies that were firm enough to hold their shape and not fall apart in your hands, but that easily gave way beneath your teeth to rich, chocolaty centers.
Instead of using a standard cookie recipe, I slightly modified my super soft congo squares recipe, which worked out perfectly for soft, meltaway cookie cups.
For those chocolaty centers, I made a simple ganache filling of chocolate (I use chocolate chips rather than bars of chocolate, they are less expensive and taste just as good, and if you’re like me you already have at least 3 lbs of them sitting in your pantry at any given time), cream, and butter. I add vanilla and salt for flavor, but also bourbon as well.
I experimented with using bourbon in chocolate in the past and I love the extra deep flavor that it adds, it does not make your chocolate taste like bourbon but it does add a wonderful extra oomph, so if you happen to have some on hand I suggest trying it out!
Do make sure when you are prepping your mini muffin tins that you lightly but thoroughly grease them. If you want to use a spray, make sure that it is a baking spray, which has flour in it, as regular cooking spray could leave these cookie cups stuck, even in non-stick pans (I learned that the hard way).
If you don’t have baking spray, you can also individually grease each cavity of the muffin pan then sprinkle flour in each cup, knock it around so the sides of each cavity are lightly coated in flour, then shake out the excess (make sure you shake out the excess, please, otherwise your cookie cups will be to dry and taste like flour!).
Enjoy!
Chocolate Filled Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes melted and then cooled for at least 5 minutes -- (226g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar tightly packed (200g)
- ¾ cup sugar (150g)
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (285g)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup mini choc chips (125g)
Ganache:
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (340g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon bourbon optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare two 24-cavity mini muffin tins by spraying with baking spray or lightly greasing and flouring.
- Combine melted (cooled) butter and sugars in a large bowl, stir well.
- Add eggs, and egg yolk one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla extract.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Use a 1 ½ Tbsp-sized cookie scoop to drop batter into prepared muffin tin wells.
- Bake on 350F (175C) for 18 minutes or edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookie cups to cool for 5 minutes, and then use a rounded teaspoon to press into the center of each brownie bite and create a well (press a little more than halfway into each cookie).
- Allow brownie bites to cool another 10-15 minutes in the muffin tins, and then gently remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Prepare your ganache.
Ganache
- Combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat.
- Stir frequently until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, bourbon (if using), and salt. Stir well.
- Allow mixture to cool slightly at room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Use a small spoon to pour ganache into the indent of each brownie.
- Allow ganache to firm up before eating (about 1-2 hours -- or you can enjoy them warm, it'll just be a bit messier).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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Suzanne
Oh my…..bake time 18 minutes? I was multi tasking so trusted the recipe time of 18 minutes and didn’t check. My bad. They were so overcooked that I could use them as weapons, they are that hard. I baked another batch and gave them 12 minutes which is perfect. It’s a nice recipe just needed a time adjustment for me.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like your oven may just be running a little hotter than ours! It’s best to pull them out when the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. We’re glad you had success the second time around 😊
Pam G
In the recipe, it says to use two 24 cavity mini muffin tins but for the number of servings it says 36 cups. Are all of the cavities to be filled or only 36 out of the 48.
Sam
You will only get about 36 cups, so too much for one pan, but not enough to fill both. 🙂
Charles
Hello! These sound amazing! I was wondering, do you know what kind of shelf life these have with the ganache?
Sam
Hi Charles! I would be comfortable with them at room temperature for a day or two, in the refrigerator they will be good for 5 days. You will want to store them in an air tight container. 🙂
D. DeMaro
What consistency is the ganache when the cookie cools?
Mary Frances
Yum! They look so delicious!
Sam
Thank you, Mary Frances! 🙂
Hannah
Your photos are lovely!! These look sooo good, I can’t wait to try them out! I love mini desserts and any chance to use my mini muffin pan.
Sam
Thank you so much, Hannah! I hope you love them as much as we did here! 🙂