Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: I adore the deep, nutty flavor of brown butter with the caramelized, rich dulce de leche. The salt on top takes it to a whole new level. The salty-sweet combination is phenomenal.
Texture: The cookies are ultra chewy, while the dulce de leche filling is smooth, thick, and fudgy.
Ease: So easy!
Pros: Flavorful sweet treat that’s great for any occasion.
Cons: Shaping the cookie cups and filling them with dulce de leche adds a few extra minutes to the process – but it’s totally worth it, I promise.
Will I make this again? Oh definitely!
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Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups are about to become your go-to party dessert!
I brought these cookie cups to a recent party, and they quickly became the highlight of the event. People couldn’t stop talking about them. They were such a hit that they disappeared in about 20 minutes – everyone kept coming back for more!
These cookie cups are super simple to make. If you haven’t tried browning butter before, don’t be intimidated – it’s easy and adds a deeper, richer, and more intense flavor to the cookies. We’re also using pre-made dulce de leche from a can. So once the cookies are baked, simply fill and add a sprinkle of salt on top. Easy!
They’re chewy, bite-sized pieces of heaven.
I hope you give these Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups a try for your next party or potluck!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups
What is Dulce de Leche?
Dulce de Leche is a Latin American staple. In Spanish, “dulce” means sweet, and “leche” means milk, so it roughly translates to “candy/dessert made from milk”. Dulce de leche is made by heating sugar and milk (or sweetened condensed milk) very, very slowly until the Maillard reaction occurs between the sugar and the milk. This makes for a rich, fudgy, nutty, butterscotch-like confection that’s thick enough to pipe.
Is Dulce de Leche the Same as Caramel?
No – while caramel is made from cooking down sugar (and sometimes water) then adding cream, dulce de leche is made from sugar and milk. The ratios of ingredients differ, and caramel is also much faster to make – which is why we’re taking a shortcut here and using jarred dulce de leche. Feel free to make your own following this recipe, if you prefer.
Where to Buy Dulce de Leche?
You can find prepared Dulce de Leche in most grocery stores, generally in the baking or Latin section, or sometimes by other spreads and syrups. I usually buy the Nestle brand, which is available at most grocery stores. You can also buy high-quality Argentinian dulce de leche online.
Browning the Butter
Browning butter is easier than you think – just be sure not to walk away from it, as it quickly goes from browned to burnt. We haven’t tested these cookie cups with regular melted (non-browned) butter, but I promise, browning butter is easy and lends such a beautiful depth of flavor that’s worth the extra few minutes of your time. It’s what takes these cookies to another level, where people can’t quite pinpoint what the secret ingredient is! Learn more about How to Brown Butter in my article full of tips here.
Do I Have to Use Bread Flour?
The bread flour in this recipe helps make the cookies ultra chewy and thick, so I highly recommend sticking to the ratio of flours in the recipe. If you don’t have any bread flour, feel free to use only all-purpose flour, but note that your cookies will lose some chewiness.
Do I Have to Use Dark Brown Sugar?
The high ratio of dark brown sugar makes these cookie cups moist, chewy, and deeply rich in flavor. If you don’t have any dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar – but your cookies won’t be quite as richly flavored. They’ll also be a little lighter in color. Whatever you do, don’t reduce the sugar in these cookie cups – learn more about Reducing Sugar in Baking in my article here.
Topping with Flaky Sea Salt
Adding a sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top takes these cookie cups from great to AMAZING. It also makes them stand out on any dessert table because it’s so pretty! You can find flaky sea salt at most supermarkets, or online here. Be generous with the sprinkling of salt on top for the ultimate salty-sweet treat! If that’s not your thing, feel free to just skip the salt topping.
Do I Need a Special Pan for Cookie Cups?
- Any mini muffin pan will work! This Wilton pan is inexpensive and works perfectly.
- If your mini muffin pan is dark in color, just be aware that your cookie cups may bake a little faster, so shave a minute or two off the bake time to start.
- Also, most mini muffin pans only have 24 cavities, so you will need two pans.
- If you only have one pan, chill the remaining dough while the first batch is baking and wait until your pan is completely cooled before baking off the next batch.
- 48-cavity mini muffin pans do exist, but most are very dark in color – so as mentioned above, shave a couple of minutes off the bake time to start.
Can I Halve This Cookie Cups Recipe?
Yes! This recipe divides in half nicely, for 24 mini cookie cups. You will, however, have half a can of dulce de leche left over. Store this in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. You can also use leftover dulce de leche to top Pancakes, Waffles, or French Toast, or make my Dulce de Leche Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting!
How to Store Cookie Cups
Store Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or up to 5 days in the fridge. Please note that the dulce de leche doesn’t solidify, so avoid stacking to maintain their appearance. The salt will also dissolve a little as the cups sit, but they’ll still taste deliciously salty-sweet, even if you can no longer see the salt as clearly.
Can You Freeze Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups?
Yes! Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups freeze beautifully. Omitting the flaky sea salt, arrange the baked cookie cups in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to one month. When you’re ready to enjoy, allow the cups to thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before sprinkling with flaky sea salt and serving.
Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 13.4- ounce can (380 grams) prepared Dulce de Leche
- Flaked sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 24 mini-muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stainless steel sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl, scraping in all the browned bits.*
- While the butter is still hot, stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Let cool to just warm before adding in the vanilla, eggs, and yolk, one at a time, stirring well with a rubber spatula after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Press a 1-tablespoon sized ball of dough into each mini muffin cavity. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown and the center is set. Remove from oven and, using the round end of a wooden spoon or whisk, make 1-inch wide indentations into the center of each cookie.
- While cookies are still warm, fill each cookie’s center with dulce de leche using a spoon or piping bag. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely before serving.
Recipe Notes
Omitting the flaky sea salt, arrange the baked cookie cups in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper, and freeze for up to one month. When you’re ready to enjoy, allow the cups to thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before sprinkling with flaky sea salt and serving.
Hi, can I use all purpose flour or must it be bread flour specifically ?
Thank you!
Hi Cindy! Please see Tessa’s note about flour in the Sprinkle of Science section just above the recipe here 🙂
Just made the recipe and it’s so good! Right after the cups were baked I wasn’t fan buut after one night..they taste delicious! My daughter love them ! Thank you for another great recipe Tessa!Big hugs!