Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Did you know that Boston cream pie is actually a cake? Well, now it’s also a cookie! Boston cream pie cookies look like miniature versions of the iconic dessert and share the same flavors too. To create these mini desserts, we press sugar cookie dough into a mini muffin pan to make tiny cups. Then, instead of vanilla pastry cream cooked on the stove, we keep things simple by using instant vanilla pudding mix to fill the cups.

The best part of a Boston cream pie is the thick chocolate ganache that drips down the sides, so I couldn’t help but give these cookies the same treatment. The result is a unique and fun cookie with a blend of textures: a crunchy cookie under soft pudding and chocolate. Boston cream pie cookie cups join our family of Boston cream desserts, which include Boston cream cupcakes and Boston cream poke cake.

Ingredients for Boston Cream Pie Cookies

• Semisweet chocolate: I prefer to use bars of semisweet chocolate to make the ganache, as they melt more smoothly than chocolate chips. Look for semisweet bars in the baking aisle or candy aisle.
• Instant vanilla pudding: While traditional Boston cream pie is made with pastry cream, these cookies keep it simple with a filling of vanilla pudding. Make sure you pick up instant pudding, not cook-and-serve.
• Butter: Butter gives a lot of flavor to these cookie cups, so use a quality brand of butter.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the cookie cups. We cream the sugar and butter to help lighten the texture of the cookies.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is just fine for the cookie dough. Measure the flour precisely so your recipes always turn out as intended.
• Egg: You’ll need one large egg for the cookie dough. Room-temperature eggs blend more evenly than cold ones, so consider pulling the egg out of the fridge ahead of time to let it warm up a bit.
• Heavy whipping cream: This is the other ingredient in the chocolate ganache. The recipe uses equal amounts of heaving whipping cream and chocolate for a ganache that’s thick but pourable.
• Vanilla extract: The sugar cookie cups are especially delicious thanks to the vanilla extract in the batter. You can use a top-rated vanilla extract brand or your own homemade vanilla.
• Milk: Whisk whole milk with the vanilla pudding mix to get a thick, creamy pudding for the filling.
• Baking powder: This leavener activates twice to lighten the texture of the cookie cups. It’s a smart move to test your baking powder to make sure it’s still effective.
• Salt: Adding just a little salt to the cookie dough helps brighten the flavor and makes the whole dessert taste better.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

Cream softened butter and granulated sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer for four to five minutes, scraping down the sides, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the bowl again and beat in the egg. Mix in the vanilla extract.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly beat these into the creamed mixture until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate the dough for one hour.

Step 2: Chill and bake the cookie cups

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Move the rack down one notch below the center of the oven.

Lightly grease 19 wells in a mini muffin pan. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of dough and drop the balls into the greased mini muffin wells. Use your fingers to press the dough down to the bottom and up the sides of each well to make little cups. Place the pan in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

After it’s done chilling, place the pan on the lowered oven rack and bake the cookie cups for 20 to 21 minutes, until the tops are set and edges are golden brown. When they’re done baking, move the pan to a wire rack.

Editor’s Tip: The edges of the cookie dough should be even with the tops of the muffin wells. Clean away any little stray bits of dough so they don’t burn to the pan surface.

Step 3: Press in the centers

Use the end of a wooden spoon to press the centers of the cookies down to make the cup shapes. The hole should be about 1 inch deep and 1-1/4 inches across. Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then, transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: After they cool in the pan for five minutes, gently twist the cookie cups before lifting them out. This will help them release from the pan without tearing.

Step 4: Make the pudding

While the cookies cool, pour the pudding mix and cold milk into a small bowl. Whisk them together for two minutes. Set the prepared pudding aside.

Step 5: Make the ganache

Pour the heavy whipping cream into a heavy-bottomed small saucepan. Heat the cream over medium-low heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally, just until it’s hot (but not simmering or boiling). Remove the pan from the heat immediately.

Pour the chopped chocolate into the cream. Let it sit for a minute or two, then stir to incorporate the melting chocolate. Keep stirring until the ganache is smooth, thick and uniform. Let it cool for at least five minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Watch the cream closely as you heat it. You don’t want it to simmer or boil; you just want it to be hot.

Step 6: Assemble the cookies

Fill each cooled cookie cup with about 1 tablespoon of vanilla pudding, enough to be even with or slightly domed at the top of the cookie. (You will have some vanilla pudding leftover, which you can discard or save for a snack.)

Then, slowly spoon the ganache over the top of each cookie cup. It should spread over the top and just begin to drip down the sides. (You’ll use about 1-1/2 teaspoons of ganache per cookie.) If it’s still too liquidy, let the ganache cool for a few minutes, then try again.

Step 7: Serve or store

The cookies can be enjoyed right away, even though the chocolate will be a little messy. Or, you can let the ganache set by placing the cookies in a covered container and letting them chill for at least two hours.

Editor’s Tip: The chocolate will still be slightly tacky, even after it has set.

Boston Cream Pie Cookie Variations

• Go extra chocolaty: Instead of vanilla pudding, use instant chocolate pudding to fill the Boston cream pie cookie cups.
• Add sprinkles: Make the Boston cream pie cookies festive with colorful or shaped sprinkles for birthdays or holidays. Add the sprinkles on top of the ganache before it sets.
• Try other pudding flavors: These cookie cups are delicious with other pudding flavors like pistachio, banana, cheesecake, or cookies and cream.

How to Store Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Because they’re filled with pudding, the Boston cream pie cookies should be stored in the refrigerator. Place the cookie cups inside a container that is deep enough so that the chocolate tops won’t be disturbed. Cover it tightly.

How long do Boston cream pie cookies last?

When kept chilled in a tightly covered container, your Boston cream pie cookie cups will last for up to five days.

Boston Cream Pie Cookie Tips

Why did my cookie cups crack?

Because the cookies puff up during baking, the centers must be pressed back down once they’re out of the oven so that they have a cup shape. Whether you use the handle of a wooden spoon or a tart tamper, press down directly in the center of the cookie—if you’re too close to the sides, a crack might appear.

Also, take care when removing the cookies from the muffin pan, as they’re still soft at this point. I find that gently twisting them in the wells makes it easier to pop them out. You can also use the tip of a paring knife to gently loosen the edges of the cookie cups.

Once they’re out of the muffin pan, give the cookie cups time to cool completely so they’ll be sturdy enough to be filled without cracking apart.

Why is my ganache too runny?

Ganache can be made with various ratios of chocolate to cream, depending on how you intend to use it. Ganache can be firm enough to roll into truffles or liquidy enough to drizzle over ice cream!

If the ganache is too runny, this means that it was made with a greater amount of cream. The recipe for Boston cream pie cookies calls for a ganache made with equal amounts of chocolate and cream. This ratio creates a ganache that’s pourable enough to cover the tops of the cookie cups and just barely start to drip down the sides. Ganache is also more runny when it’s warm, so if you find that your ganache is running off the tops of the cookie cups, stir it to cool it down further so that it thickens up a little.