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.This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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.
Brown Butter Dulce de Leche Cookie Cups
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 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 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!!