Chocolate chip cookie cups are such a quick and fun dessert! Basically a chocolate chip cookie that magically bakes up with an indent that is perfect for ice cream or other filling - what's not to love? Simple to make, delicious to eat, and special enough for guests.
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My family's favorite cookie is, like most people I think, a chocolate chip cookie. This classic chocolate chip cookie is my go-to, and when I want to add oats, but not like an oatmeal cookie, I use this multigrain recipe that uses ground oats and makes a delicious, chewy cookie.
Since I know it's a favorite, I like to find fun ways to serve them to guests that's a little fancier than just passing a plate of cookies (though we do that a lot - there's nothing wrong with that!).
That's why we've made this giant skillet chocolate chip cookie a family birthday tradition and why I started making the fun - and SO easy - chocolate chip cookie cups I'm sharing today.
The thing that makes these a step up from a regular cookie is that you bake them in muffin tins and they naturally create an indent which makes a perfect "bowl" for a scoop of ice cream (or other things - check out the FAQs below for ideas).
Served with your favorite ice cream or filling and drizzled with chocolate syrup, chocolate chip cookie cups elevate the cookie to a whole new level.
I first made these delicious chocolate chip cookie cups years ago for a dinner and our guests were completely impressed with the "ice cream bowl made from a chocolate chip cookie!"
Little did they know it took about 10 minutes to prepare - and that I baked them way in advance which made the dessert easy to pull together while we visited. That's a win-win!
Especially because my secret is now yours.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
Ingredients & Supplies
You'll need the standard chocolate chip cookie ingredients - butter, flour, sugar, etc. The only two differences I suggest are:
- Using whole wheat pastry flour to make them whole grain.
- Using dark chocolate chips so they really have a lot of flavor with all the fillings.
You can mix them up in a bowl with a wooden spoon or a stand mixer.
I recommend these USA baking 12-cup muffin pans (I'm switching over to this brand since they are heavy duty and easily release foods) and if you buy a 2-pack, you can save a lot on each one.
To make the perfectly rounded ice cream scoops like I show, this is the classic ice cream scooper you'll need.
Directions
You'll mix this up in about 5 minutes just like cookies, creaming the butter and sugar, adding the egg and the remaining ingredients.
Instead of scooping onto a cookie sheet, though, fill prepared muffin cups about halfway, dividing the dough evenly between all the cups. Bake for 10 minutes only.
Fresh out of the oven, the cookie cups look nice and puffy, but as they cool the centers sink - just like they're supposed to!
And that indentation just screams, "put ice cream here," don't you think?
It makes a perfect little bowl for a scoop or whatever you'd like to put there.
Drizzled with homemade chocolate syrup, it makes such a pretty presentation - your guests and family will never realize it's just a cookie with ice cream plopped on top.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups FAQs
Yes! Make a small batch of your favorite frosting to fill the indents with. Think peanut butter, my favorite decadent chocolate frosting, or vanilla.
Nutella would make an easy filling, too, and you could also get fancy and make a chocolate mousse or type of pudding.
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour 1:1 for the whole wheat pastry. I'd probably use 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat instead of all regular whole wheat since it's a heavier flour. I haven't tried these with almond flour so I can say how they'd turn out - if you try it, let us know!
My guess is that they cooked too long - you want to cook 10 minutes and no more. If you know your oven to run hot, you may want to cook only 8-9 minutes. They will firm up as they cool.
Yes - make them early in the day you want to serve them, let them cool, and then keep in an airtight container at room temperature until you're ready to serve.
Absolutely! Just like regular cookies, you can let them cool and then place in freezer containers to freeze completely for really as long as you need, though 6 months is probably optimum.
Bring out early in the day you'd like to serve to thaw at room temperature.
Are these chocolate chip cookie cups easy? Check. Fun? Absolutely.
Special? That, too. And best of all - they are delicious.
What Others Are Saying
"I made these on Wednesday night, and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe." -Evelyn
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups (for ice cream & more)
Equipment
- 12 cup muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips, preferably dark
- ice cream & chocolate sauce for serving,** this real food chocolate sauce is so easy.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms of 12 regular-sized muffin cups and set aside.
- Mix melted butter and sugar together. Stir in egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.
- Add flour, soda and salt and mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups, each should be about 1/2 full - no need to smooth out, they'll level as they bake.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown and puffy.
- Cool in tin 30 minutes to 1 hour until the cookie cups centers have sunk, creating the 'cup' for ice cream. Remove cups from tin, loosening with a knife or thin spatula, and continue cooling on a wire rack.
- Serve with a scoop of ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup.
Notes
- Your favorite frosting - vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter.
- Nutella
- Mousse
- Pudding
Nutrition
Other Easy Desserts To Try
This recipe has been updated - it was originally published in March of 2014.
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Autumn Brooke says
I have mini versions of these but never in the regular sized muffin tins. I like this idea so much for ice cream. Genius.
Jami says
It's pretty fun to serve them this way!
M. says
Hi, Jami. This looks like a treat my family would enjoy. Is this a "special" chocolate chip cookie recipe? I ask, as we have a family favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and I'd love to use that as the "cup" part. Your thoughts, please, on whether substituting our family favorite recipe would give the desired results of a cookie "cup". Thanks and have a lovely afternoon.
Jami says
Not sure how you'd adapt the ingredients to fit into muffin tins. I guess you could just fill them halfway with your dough and use as many cups as needed to use up your dough (or just make extra cookies!).
Martha says
The recipe calls for 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour. Can I use 1 cup of all purpose flour instead?
Jami says
Yep! They are interchangeable in most recipes, I just try to keep everything whole grain if I can. 🙂
Barbara says
Made these for friends on Saturday night. I didn't get quite as pronounced an indentation, but everyone loved them anyways.
Thanks!
Evelyn says
I made these on Wednesday night, and they were absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe.
Charlotte Moore says
I really need to try these. My husband would love this.
Diane says
hhhmmm! Those look yummy! Question: In your photo you have mason jars of milk with a straws. What kind of a lid are you using to allow a straw to come through?
Jami says
Aren't those the coolest lids, Diane? I love them! I bought them about a year ago through a flash sale site - it was either Decor Steals or Antique Farmhouse, I can't remember which now (though I'm leaning towards Decor Steals....). Bummer getting old, ha! 🙂
Angi says
These look so good. We do something similar for Christmas. I use mini muffin tins and when the cookies come out of the oven we sink a frozen mini peanut butter cup into them. I'll have to try these next time we have ice cream.