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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: Assembly requires some work, but there’s nothing difficult.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The perfect party treat for a crowd!
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.
I hope you give these Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups a try for your next party or potluck!
I made these (and a few other of your cookie recipes) for guests in town over the weekend. Everyone LOVED these cookies! They were easy to make and seriously, people couldn’t stop eating them. Thanks so much for your amazing recipes.
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.
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.
What Can I use in place of Dulce de Leche?
Caramel, nutella, peanut butter, or even cookie butter would work great!
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. 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 Need a Special Pan for Cookie Cups?
- Any mini muffin tin will work, though you will need two 24-muffin pans (48 cavities in total) for this recipe. See below for halving.
- 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.
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!
Storage & Make ahead
Room Temperature: Store 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.
Freeze: Omit 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. Thaw to room temperature for about 30 minutes before sprinkling with flaky sea salt and serving.
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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.
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.
These were a hit! I didn’t have dulce de leche, so I used nutella instead. This was such an easy recipe, would definitely make this again.
Yum, great substitute!
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!