Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups feature an ultra chewy mini cookie cup filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with sea salt. Pure heaven!
Yield:
48 mini cookie cups
Prep Time:15minutes
Cook:25minutes
Tessa's Recipe Rundown...
Taste: The salty-sweet combination is addictive in these cookies, and you can't beat the complex flavor profile of brown butter paired with dark brown sugar and caramelized dulce de leche.
Texture: The cookie itself is super chewy while the dulce de leche filling is smooth, rich, and thick. Every bite is perfect.
Ease: Easy, just a little time consuming to shape the dough and fill it with the dulce de leche.
Appearance: So adorable!
Pros: Flavorful sweet treat great for any occasion.
Cons: Can't think of any!
I make this again? Oh yes.
How much do you love cookies?
Because in my mind, it wouldn’t be the start of a new year without cookies! If there’s food I couldn’t, it would definitely be cookies. I mean, I did write the cookie book in addition to publishing hundreds of cookie recipes here and have never gotten sick of them. Which is actually pretty crazy!
Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups Recipe Tips
This is a pretty simple recipe, but here are some tips to help answer any questions and make sure you are successful in the kitchen!
Browning the butter
Follow the directions closely for browning the butter. It’s super simple, just be sure not to walk away from it. It quickly goes from browned to burnt.
Do you have to use bread flour?
The bread flour in this recipe helps make the cookies ultra chewy and thick. It’s my go-to trick for incredible cookies so I always have some on hand. If you don’t have any feel free to use only all-purpose flour, though your cookies might loose some chewiness.
Sugar
A high ratio of DARK brown sugar makes these cookies moist, chewy, and rich in flavor. I love it. Again if you don’t have any on hand, you can use light brown sugar but your cookies will lose a little bit of awesomeness.
Dulce de Leche
You can find prepared Dulce de Leche in the Latin section of most grocery stores. Sometimes it’s also near the other spreads and syrups. I usually buy the Nestle brand at the grocery store, or Trader Joe’s version. If you can’t find it anywhere, you can make your own following this helpful recipe.
Sea Salt
Adding a sprinkling of sea salt on top takes these cookies to a whole new level. I LOVE salty-sweet. If you’re not a fan, just skip it.
5 from 8 votes
How to make
Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups
Yield:48mini cookie cups
Prep Time:15 minutesminutes
Cook Time:25 minutesminutes
Total Time:40 minutesminutes
Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups feature an ultra chewy mini cookie cup filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with sea salt. Pure heaven!
Ingredients
1 1/2cups(6.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2cups(6.6 ounces) bread flour
1/4teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonfine sea salt
2sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1 1/4cupspacked dark brown sugar
2teaspoonsvanilla
2large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk at room temperature
1 13.4-ouncecan prepared Dulce de Leche
Flaked sea salt, for finishing
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 24 mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a small saucepan 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.
While the butter is still hot, stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Let cool before adding in the vanilla and the eggs and yolk, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
Press a 1-tablespoon sized ball of dough into each muffin cup. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and using the end of a wooden spoon, make 1-inch wide indentations into the center of each cookie.
Spoon a teaspoon of dulce de leche into each indentation. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely before serving.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Find prepared Dulce de Leche in the Latin section of most grocery stores.
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
About Tessa...
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
These are excellent! I’ve never browned butter before but the instructions were very clear and it worked out perfect. I also used a piping bag with a star shape, the dulce de Leche held the shape well. Will be making this again! Thanks!
These little beauties were the perfect sweets to bring to a Girls’ Night Out party at a friend’s house last week. No utensils needed. I had just under 1 cup (~160 g.) of mini chocolate chips on hand, so I threw those in the cookie dough with the last few tablespoons of the flour mixture. I decided that piping the dulce de leche into the mini cookie cups was easier than spooning it in. The recipe says it makes 48, but I got well over 60 using a small (1 Tbsp. size) spring-loaded scooper. When I ran out of the dulce de leche, I filled the remaining cookie cups with brown butter buttercream. Ganache would be a delicious filing as well!
This are not only so pretty, but absolutely delicious. I was intimidated originally, but made for a Havana Nights party with friends and they absolutely loved them. I love all things caramel, so these are just perfection! Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe.
Hi Karen! We haven’t tried that, but it should be ok! Freeze in an airtight container with parchment paper separating each layer, and make sure they’re completely defrosted before biting in, just in case the dulce de leche is still hard! Enjoy your cookies!
You can freeze them fully baked, or you could freeze the cookie dough once made into 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, and follow this article to bake from frozen, then complete the rest of this recipe 🙂 Hope that helps!
Hi love these cookies! I’m wondering about storage as well as I’ve never used dulce de leche before. The can says to refrigerate after opening but will the cookies hold at room temperature for a day? Thanks!!
Just recently discoverd your site. I’m from Belgium, so using the metric system. I would love to make these coockies is there a version of this recipe availebal with metric measurement?
I am a huge fan of dulce de leche! I love making my own in my pressure cooker. This recipe will go perfect with my homemade batch of this delicious brown caramel (dulce de leche). Thanks for this great recipe. PS- I have never tried using bread flour… what a great tip to make chewy cookies 🙂
It looks like you missed a step in your directions. You never combine dry ingredients with wet. You go straight to putting the dough in the muffin cup.
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These are spectacular! I made them today and the combination of brown butter cookie base with the dulce de leche is irresistible…
I halved the recipe – eyeballing the amount of 1/2 egg yolk, had no issues. Super delicious, would make it again anytime!
These are excellent! I’ve never browned butter before but the instructions were very clear and it worked out perfect. I also used a piping bag with a star shape, the dulce de Leche held the shape well. Will be making this again! Thanks!
Yay! So glad to hear these were so tasty, Josie!
These little beauties were the perfect sweets to bring to a Girls’ Night Out party at a friend’s house last week. No utensils needed. I had just under 1 cup (~160 g.) of mini chocolate chips on hand, so I threw those in the cookie dough with the last few tablespoons of the flour mixture. I decided that piping the dulce de leche into the mini cookie cups was easier than spooning it in. The recipe says it makes 48, but I got well over 60 using a small (1 Tbsp. size) spring-loaded scooper. When I ran out of the dulce de leche, I filled the remaining cookie cups with brown butter buttercream. Ganache would be a delicious filing as well!
So excited you enjoyed these cookie cups, Becky!!
This are not only so pretty, but absolutely delicious. I was intimidated originally, but made for a Havana Nights party with friends and they absolutely loved them. I love all things caramel, so these are just perfection! Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe.
Anything with dulce de leche is the GODDESS !! Remember when i live in Argentina!
Everybody loved these amazing treats!!!
I will do them again any time.
Thanks for sharing them…
So happy to hear they were a hit! Thanks for letting us know! 🙂
Can i freeze this cookies?
Hi Karen! We haven’t tried that, but it should be ok! Freeze in an airtight container with parchment paper separating each layer, and make sure they’re completely defrosted before biting in, just in case the dulce de leche is still hard! Enjoy your cookies!
So i freeze when they are baked or raw? Thank You
You can freeze them fully baked, or you could freeze the cookie dough once made into 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, and follow this article to bake from frozen, then complete the rest of this recipe 🙂 Hope that helps!
Amazing! I make these all the time for company.
So glad to hear this!
I recently read a recipe of a particular cookie ,i think its chocolate chip, which included cornstarch,what happens to the dough with this?
Hi love these cookies! I’m wondering about storage as well as I’ve never used dulce de leche before. The can says to refrigerate after opening but will the cookies hold at room temperature for a day? Thanks!!
Just recently discoverd your site. I’m from Belgium, so using the metric system. I would love to make these coockies is there a version of this recipe availebal with metric measurement?
What is the best way to store these cookies? And how long can they be stored?
How long will these keep for? I want to make them for Christmas before my family arrives if possible! Thank you!
Is bread flour necessary? Can I just use AP?
Thanks
Your question is answered in bold pink text inside the post.
oncr baled how long can keep?
i love this cokkie and looking forward to bake one, but i hope you can put the ingredients into grams.
Is there a substitute for eggs in this recipe?
I don’t have one. I have never had good luck substituting eggs in a cookie recipe 🙁
I am a huge fan of dulce de leche! I love making my own in my pressure cooker. This recipe will go perfect with my homemade batch of this delicious brown caramel (dulce de leche). Thanks for this great recipe. PS- I have never tried using bread flour… what a great tip to make chewy cookies 🙂
i cant wait to try this
Tessa, I made these yesterday. Awesome!!! Glad I grabbed one early. They all disappeared. Thx for yet another great recipe.
No problem. I’m looking forward to making this. 🙂
It looks like you missed a step in your directions. You never combine dry ingredients with wet. You go straight to putting the dough in the muffin cup.
Thanks so much for catching that Diana!