Irresistible, bite size cookies filled with caramel, these Salted Caramel Cookie Cups are quick and easy to make, using a mini muffin tin. You won’t be able to stop at one.

A group of caramel cookie cups on a grey surface. A spoon filled with caramel next to them and a rack of more cookies behind

I can’t resist a cute dessert, especially when it combines two of my favourite things – bite size cookies and salted caramel. I mean, cookies and caramel are great but Salted Caramel Cookie Cups are next level kind of yum.

You know what else is great? The fact that the cookies take all of 10 minutes to make and the caramel is even quicker. Important since you’ll want to eat them as quickly as possible.

I adapted the cookie recipe from my Giant Wagon Wheel recipe. The caramel, I’ve used time and time again like on these Salted Caramel Cinnamon Cupcakes or in these Chewy Caramel Coconut Bars.

Nutty Caramel Cups - Cookie cups filled with caramel and macadamia nuts

How to make Cookie Cups

These cookie cups start with a simple cookie dough.

  1. Beat together sugar and butter until creamy before adding the egg and vanilla and beat those in well too. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as often as necessary.
  2. Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low until the dough forms large clumps (photo 3).
  3. Roll out the dough to 3-4mm thick, then use a 7cm round cookie cutter to cut out circles (photos 5&6).
  4. Push the circles down into the holes of a non stick mini muffin tin then bake them for 12 minutes.

A glass mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar with flour added on topCookie dough on a floured surface ready to roll outCookie dough having circles cut out of it, then the circles of dough pressed into a mini muffin tin

  1. To make the caramel, just melt store-bought caramels and cream together in a small saucepan over low heat, adding a little salt. Make sure to stir it constantly then fill the cooled cookie cups with caramel.

The last step is to sprinkle over some gorgeous sea salt

Want to make the caramel from scratch? No problem. Use the recipe from these Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies.

Tips for making perfect Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

  • Whenever you beat butter and sugar, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly.
  • If you mini muffin tin is not non-stick, spray the holes with a little oil first or use mini cupcake papers to line the tins.
  • Roll the dough out to 3-4mm thick. The thicker the dough, the more tricky it will be too shape. The thinner the dough, the more likely it is to break
  • To shape the cookie dough without it breaking, gather in the edges just a little so it’s like a little open sack, then gently press it into the hole and straighten it out again. .
  • Make sure to press the dough right into the corners of the muffin holes so you get nice edges.
  • Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes in the tin then to release them from the tin, press down lightly with your thumb and finger on the edges and give a gently twist. Once they twist you can pull them out.

Nutty Caramel Cups - Cookie cups filled with caramel and macadamia nuts

Substitutions

  • The brown sugar gives a richer flavour but you can use all white sugar if you prefer.
  • Add some mini choc chips to the cookie dough
  • Add a little chocolate to the top of each one to turn them into Twix cookies
  • Dot the tops with nuts – my favourites are pecans, macadamias or peanuts.
  • Swap the caramel for Nutella

A caramel cookie cup with a bite taken out of it sitting in the middle of a group of cookie cups.

Now, I find it hard to resist bite size desserts and I find it hard to resist caramel so, suffice to say, I had trouble stopping at one (or two, or three ….) of these Salted Caramel Cookie Cups.

Other recipes you might like

– Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars 
– Salted Butterscotch Chocolate Fudge Brownies
– Chocolate Caramel Brownies
– Caramel Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie Bars

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A caramel cookie cup with a bite taken out of it sitting in the middle of a group of cookie cups.

Salted Caramel Cookie Cups

Yield: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
4.6 from 5 votes
Irresistible, bite size cookies filled with caramel, these Salted Caramel Cookie Cups are quick and easy to make, using a mini muffin tin. You won’t be able to stop at one.
Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIE CUPS

  • 85 g (3/4 stick / 3oz) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 260 g (2 cups / 9.1oz) plain (all-purp) flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING

  • 250 g (8.8oz) chewy caramels (notes)
  • 1/4 cup thickened (heavy) cream
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Sea salt for topping

Instructions
 

FOR THE COOKIE CUPS

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced
  • Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla beat until well combined scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • With the mixer on low, slowly tip in the flour mixture and beat until just combined and the dough starts forming large clumps.
  • Pull the 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, approximately 8.5cm wide, to cut circles. Try to cut as many as possible from the first roll. If necessary, re-roll the dough only once and finish cutting circles.
  • Using a non-stick mini muffin tin, gently push the circles of dough into the muffin holes (notes) then prick the bottom of each with a fork.
  • Bake for 12 minutes until just golden on the edges the 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.

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING

  • In a small saucepan over low heat and stirring constantly, melt together the caramels and cream until smooth.
  • Fill each cookie cup with caramel while it's still warm (reheat if you need), then let them sit for 2-3 minutes before topping with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Notes

Equipment – non-stick mini muffin tin, stand mixer, silicone spatulas
  1. Caramels: I like to use the Werthers chewy caramels but some other caramels and even caramel fudge will work.
  2. Shaping the cups: So as not to break the dough when pressing them into the muffin tin, gather in the edges a little, press it down into the hole, then carefully straighten out the edges again. '
  3. Change them up: Add a little chocolate to the top to turn them into Twix cookies. Or press nuts into the top of each one - my favourites are pecans, macadamias or peanuts.
  4. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).

WANT MORE COOKIE RECIPES? CLICK HERE

Calories: 98kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: American, World
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2 caramel cookie cups on a concrete surface

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