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Easy Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

These Easy Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups are made with store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough, filled with caramel candy kisses and topped with chocolate frosting. They're simple, decadent, and the perfect last-minute dessert.

Mini Caramel Chocolate Cookie Cup on a piece of burlap on a red fabric

Caramel-Stuffed Cookie Cups

Sometimes the easiest desserts are the best desserts. If you need a super simple dessert recipe that will still wow everyone you know, this is the recipe for you.

My easy chocolate chip cookie cups are semi-homemade and use very basic ingredients that you can get in the grocery store.

As easy as these cookie bites are to make, they are guaranteed to be the hit of any party. Everyone from adults to kids will go crazy for the mini chocolatey, caramelly cookie!

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Easy Cookie Cup Ingredients

Baking ingredients on a marbled background

You only need 3 ingredients to make this amazing treat! Well, four ingredients if you want to add a few sprinkles or sanding sugar as decorations. Here is what you will need to make caramel chocolate chip cookie cups:

  • Store-bought Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough- Any kind of chocolate chip cookie dough will work. Choose your favorite brand! Just be sure that it is about 16 ounces of cookie dough so you have what you need for the recipe! Buy extra to make these delicious tiktok cookie croissant recipe too!
  • Canned chocolate frosting- You can use homemade chocolate frosting as long as it's pipeable. If you're going for the canned frosting, feel free to choose your favorite brand. I like to use “double chocolate” or extra rich chocolate frosting since I think it has the best flavor
  • Caramel Hershey Kisses- These usually come in a gold wrapper to indicate the golden caramel inside. Most stores that sell regular hershey kisses will also have caramel ones in stock- they are quite popular!
  • Sanding Sugar- Choose any color sanding sugar you’d like! Match the sugar color to your party or event.

How to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

Putting these little cookie cups together is just as easy as it sounds. They literally are ready to go into the oven in about 5 minutes.

collage showing step by step how to make the cookie cups

This recipe is simple, quick baking at its finest! Here is what you need to do:

  1. Unwrap all the Hershey kisses and place them in a bowl (try not to eat too many!)
  2. Open the roll of cookie dough and place it in a bowl for easy scooping. Scoop the cookie dough into tablespoon-sized scoops.
  3. Roll the dough into a ball and then place it into a mini muffin tin.
  4. Press a caramel kiss into the center of each cookie dough ball and then bake. 
  5. When the edges of the cookie cups begin to turn golden brown, they are done! 
  6. Let the cookies cool in the pan. This will make them easier to remove from the muffin tin. 
  7. Pop the cookie cups out of the muffin tin then top with a swirl of chocolate frosting and some sanding sugar. Enjoy!
collage showing the cookie cups on a cooling wrap and a second image showing a piping bag piping chocolate frosting on top of the cooled chocolate chip cookie cup.

If you want an even easier chocolate chip cookie cup, you can skip the chocolate frosting completely. The caramel, chocolate, and cookie combination is still incredible!

Substitutions and Variations

You can play around with this recipe in so many ways. It is easy and versatile! Here are a few ways that I have made these chocolate chip cookie cups a little bit different but still just as tasty:

  • You can switch out the store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough for this homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe.
  • Use peanut butter cookie dough in place of the chocolate chip. Sugar cookie dough also works well!
  • Use regular hershey kisses, hot cocoa hershey kisses, sugar cookie kisses, peppermint kiss or really any kind of hershey kiss you can find!
  • Try a different type of candy in the center of the cookie cups. Mini peanut butter cups, andes mints, mini snickers bars or rolos all work great!
  • Put a scoop of peanut butter in the center of the cookie cup instead of a candy kiss.
  • Top the chocolate chip cookie cups with your favorite frosting. Vanilla and caramel frosting are both delicious 

I have made these cookie cups in so many different ways. They are my go-to quick dessert so I often just use whatever I have in the house! Let me know if you come up with any exciting alterations for this chocolate chip peanut butter cup recipe. I may need more ideas in the future!

cookie cups with gooey caramel oozing out of the center on burlap and a red fabric

What other candies can I use?

There are so many yummy candies you can use in this recipe. Here are a few of my favorite caramel kiss substitutions: 

  • Mini snickers - the tiny square mini snickers and not the rectangle ones.
  • Any kind of hershey kiss (peanut butter, hugs, dark chocolate, hot cocoa, sugar cookie, peppermint, etc)
  • Rolos
  • Mini peanut butter cups
  • Piece of Toblerone
  • M&Ms
  • Bite sized Babe Ruth
  • Bite sized Almond Joy
  • Werther's soft caramels
showing bite sized chocolate chip cookie cups with chocolate frosting on burlap, red linen, and a white surface

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade chocolate chip cookie dough?

Yes! You can use homemade chocolate chip cookie dough for this recipe. I just try to keep it simple, using store bought dough. Homemade cookie dough will work perfectly! 

Can I use a regular muffin pan?

You can use a regular muffin pan to make these chocolate chip muffin cups. Scoop the cookie dough into two tablespoon sized balls, doubling the size from the mini muffin tins. The larger muffin cups will bake for about 10-12 minutes. When the edges are just beginning to turn brown, take the tray out of the oven. Be sure to let them cool completely so that they are easy to remove from the pan. Warm cookie cups may crumble or break if you try to pop them out of the tray.

Can I freeze Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups? 

Yes! You can freeze chocolate chip cookie cups. Once the cookie cups are completely cooled, place them in a gallon sized zippered freezer bag. Seal the bag well and then freeze the cookie cups for up to three months. This is a great way to have an even easier dessert on hand, ready to go! Just thaw the cookie cups at room temperature when you are ready to eat them!

caramel chocolate chip cookie cups on a marbled surface with a jar of frosting behind it

Next time you need to bake a quick dessert or if you are just craving a fresh, gooey cookie, give this recipe a try. These thick chewy cookies and the chocolate caramel center is really delicious.

More Easy Desserts to Whip Up

If you try this recipe, be sure to leave a rating below and also share it on Instagram, and tag me! You can also find me on Facebook and stay up to date on recipe releases by joining the Newsletter!

Mini Caramel Chocolate Cookie Cup on a piece of burlap on a red fabric

Easy Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

These Easy Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups are made with store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough, filled with caramel candy kisses and topped with chocolate frosting.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Cool Time 20 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 40 cookie cups
Calories 129 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16.5 ounce (1 lb 5 ounces tube) chocolate chip cookie dough
  • 16 ounce canned chocolate frosting or homemade chocolate frosting
  • 10 ounce bag caramel chocolate kisses about 40 kisses
  • Sanding sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Unwrap the Hershey kisses and set aside.
  • Open the roll of cookie dough and place it in a medium bowl.
  • Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into your hands and roll into a 1 inch ball.
  • Press the dough ball into the bottom of an ungreased mini muffin pan.
  • Press a caramel chocolate kiss in the center of the cookie dough.
  • Place the mini muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 7 to 9 minute or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 to 20 minutes in the pan. This allows the cookies are firm back up some and become easier to remove.
  • Gently loosen the sides of the cookie up with a toothpick and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Add the frosting into a piping bag fitted with the Wilton 1M tip and pipe small swirls on top of each cookie around the chocolate kiss.
  • Add the sanding sugar or festive sprinkles.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 61mgPotassium: 39mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 4IUCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.4mg

(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)

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