These adorable Sugar Cookie Cups filled with buttercream are the tastiest little treats!! Keep them simple or dress them up for any holiday or occasion!
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First off, HOW CUTE are these little sugar cookie cups?! I love their bite-sized look, the colorful filling and the addition of sprinkles on top! The versatility of changing the frosting and sprinkles colors means it's a great sweet treat for any holiday!
Not only are these little morsels so stinkin' cute, they're also absolutely delicious!!! The combination of the chewy sugar cookie (very similar to my cut-out cookies!) and the creamy buttercream frosting is heavenly!
And surprisingly, these are quite simple to make, too. I've got an "all homemade" recipe, but also explain how these can be made with store-bought sugar cookie dough & frosting in the recipe notes. So whether you're in a time-crunch or have a little extra time, I've got you covered!
Ingredients Needed
As I mentioned above, you can make these totally homemade or use store-bought cookie dough and frosting. Here's what you need if you're making them from scratch!
- Butter - I use salted butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla and/or Almond Extracts
- Baking Powder
- All Purpose Flour
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream
How to Make Sugar Cookie Cups from Scratch
First, you'll make the cookie dough. Once the dough is ready (no need to refrigerate), you'll scoop rounded tablespoon size balls of dough. The dough will go into a mini muffin tin and then get pressed down. You do not need to press dough up the sides of the muffin cups - just flatten the dough.
Then, you'll bake the cookie cups until they're a light golden brown around the edges. Once they come out of the oven, you'll want to press the centers down right away. I like to use the cap of my vanilla container - use whatever you've got that's about the right size!
Let them cool for 5 minutes then remove from the pan to a cooling rack. DO NOT let them cool completely in the muffin tin or they're more likely to get stuck in the pan!
Let them cool completely on the cooling rack. Once they're cool, it's time to mix up the frosting. Then scoop it into a piping bag (or a Ziploc bag!), cut the tip off and pipe the frosting into the center of each cup. Top with sprinkles and that's it!!
Cookies for Kids' Cancer
Though I never need an excuse to bake up something sweet, this post is about more than fulfilling that sweet tooth. This year, along with several other bloggers, I'm participating "Cookies for Kids' Cancer" to help make a difference in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S. with 40,000 children actively battling cancer right now. The National Cancer Institute’s budget for childhood cancer is less than 4%, so it's imperative that we raise awareness and continue to raise funds for pediatric cancer research!
Help us make a difference by donating to Cookies for Kids' Cancer! Our goal is to raise at least $3000. These three companies: Mediavine, OXO and Dixie Crystals have each pledged to match our donations raised through this campaign up to $3000! That means when we raise $1, it turns into $4!
Thank you to so many of you who have already donated. Please help us reach our goal so we can get the full matching donations to help us make a difference in the lives of so many children & families going through the unthinkable.
Other Delicious Cookie Recipes
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
Delicious Recipes for Valentine's Day
Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats
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Sugar Cookie Cups
Equipment
- Mini Muffin Tin
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough*
- ¾ cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups flour
Buttercream Frosting*
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- 1 ⅓ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy whipping cream
- food coloring optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookie Cups
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well-combined.
- Stir in the egg, vanilla and almond extract (if using).
- Add the baking powder and flour and stir until combined.
- Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons (about 1" in diameter) and roll into a ball. Place one in each muffin tin cup and flatten with your fingers (no need to form a "cup"....just flatten).
- Bake for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Use the cap of a bottle (I use the cap of my vanilla extract bottle) to press into each cookie to form a "cup."
- Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire cooling rack.
Make the Frosting and Assemble
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir the butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir to incorporate.
- Add the milk (or cream) and beat until smooth, adding an addition ½ - 1 tablespoon of milk, if needed for desired consistency. Stir in food coloring, if desired.
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag or resealable baggie and pipe into each of the cooled cookie cups.
- Top with sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Dance Around the Kitchen” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Carlee says
They are so pretty! Frosting is my favorite, so frosting filled cookies are totally my style!
Megan says
These are so good! Just finished making them with my 6yo daughter. I love that the icing isn't crazy sweet.
NATALIE says
Super yummy! These cookie cups are a great idea to use your mini muffin pan for! I filled them with a cream cheese icing instead of buttercream, and subbed 1/2 cup margarine for some of the butter, since I didn't have enough butter.