Chocolate Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups ā€” These cookie cups are made in one bowl, you donā€™t need a mixer, you donā€™t have to chill the dough, and because theyā€™re baked in a muffin pan you donā€™t have to worry about spreading! 

A stack of Chocolate Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

The Best Cookie Cups 

These chocolate chip cookie cups have it all.

The dough is made with browned butter, studded with mini chocolate chips, and the centers are stuffed with melted chocolate lava. Yes please.

The cookie cups are made in one bowl, you don’t need a mixer, you don’t have to chill the dough, and because they’re baked in a muffin pan you don’t have to worry about spreading like you do with cookies baked on a baking sheet.

They’re soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and just melt in your mouth. The nutty, rich flavor of the browned butter elevates them to another realm. I don’t know why I ever make cookies without it.

One Chocolate Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with a bite taken out of it

What’s in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups? 

To make the lava cookie cups, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Egg
  • Light brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Cornstarch 
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Chocolate chips

How to Make Cookie Cups 

First, you’ll need to brown the butter. It’s incredibly simple to do, but you’ll need to watch it like a hawk as butter can go from being perfectly browned to burnt in about 2 seconds. 

Once the butter has been browned, the cookie dough comes together like your typical cookie recipe. 

Use a 1/4-cup scoop to portion the dough into 10 balls, then gently press into a greased muffin pan. Bake the chocolate chip cookie cups until the edges have set and the tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center.

Using the bottom of a shot glass, lightly press down in the center of each cookie cup going about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch deep to create a well where the chocolate lava will be added later.

The chocolate lava is a mixture of butter and melted chocolate. Distribute it among the cookie cups and dig in! 

Two picture collage of Chocolate Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with graphic title

Tips for Making Lava Cookie Cups 

Because the butter is browned and melted rather than creamed, the dough may seem oily yet crumbly. Sounds paradoxical but itā€™s possible. The chocolate chips may want to slip out of the dough but smoosh them in as best as you can.

Just get a load of that chocolate lava! Rich, indulgent, and so good. It sets up at room temp. If you prefer lava that stays in the soft and melty consistency, try this chocolate ganache which is made with cream rather than butter.

If you love salty-sweet desserts, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the cookie cups after you’ve added the chocolate lava. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups ā€” These cookie cups are made in one bowl, you donā€™t need a mixer, you donā€™t have to chill the dough, and because theyā€™re baked in a muffin pan you donā€™t have to worry about spreading! 

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4 from 1 vote

Chocolate Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

By Averie Sunshine
The dough is made with browned butter, studded with mini chocolate chips, and the centers are stuffed with melted chocolate lava. The cookie cups are made in one bowl, you donā€™t need a mixer, you donā€™t have to chill the dough, and because theyā€™re baked in a muffin pan you donā€™t have to worry about spreading. Theyā€™re soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and just melt in your mouth. The nutty, rich flavor of the browned butter elevates them to another realm. The dough may seem oily yet crumbly and the chocolate chips may want to slip out of the dough but smoosh them in as best you can. The lava sets up at room temp.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Additional Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Ingredients  

Cookie Cups

  • Ā½ cup unsalted butter, browned
  • 1 large egg
  • Ā¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • Ā¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Ā½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Ā½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Lava

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F and liberally spray a 12-count standard-sized muffin pan generously with cooking spray; set aside.
  • Cookie Cups ā€“Ā Brown the butterĀ (click for a detailed tutorial) by cooking butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until itā€™s amber to brown in color, about 5 minutes depending on pan size. I swirl the pan in the last minute or so to make sure I can really see the color changes. Butter will go through stages of hissing, sputtering, and making noise until the water cooks off at which point the browning occurs. Butter will smell nutty and aromatic.
  • Pour butter into a large mixing bowl, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan with a spatula and transfer any browned bits (they have wonderful flavor) from the bottom of pan into the mixing bowl.Ā Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you donā€™t scramble it.
  • Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Add flour, cornstarch (keeps cookies soft) baking soda, salt, and stir to combine. Dough may seem crumbly yet oily, this isĀ okay.
  • Add the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.
  • Using aĀ large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 10 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and place one mound of dough in each cavity in muffin pan; itā€™s okay if it doesnā€™t touch the sides because it will spread in the oven.
  • Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; donā€™t overbake. Cookie cups firm up as they cool.
  • Using the bottom of a shot glass, lightly press down in the center of each cookie cup going about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch deep to create a well where the chocolate lava will be added later. Tip ā€“ If your shot glass is sticking to the cookie cups, spray it with cooking spray as necessary. SetĀ pan aside while you make the chocolate lava.
  • Chocolate Lava ā€“ To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, butter, and heat on high power to melt, about 45 seconds. Heat in additional 15-second bursts as necessary until chocolate can be stirred smooth. (Note ā€“ The lava made this way sets up at room temp. If you prefer it to stay soft and melty make this chocolate ganacheĀ which is made with cream rather than butter.)
  • Using a small spoon, add about 1 rounded teaspoon of chocolate to each cookie cup. Depending on how deep you went with the shot glass, you may need to melt additional chocolate chips in order to fill each cup up completely.
  • Allow cookie cups to remain in pan for about 15 minutes before removing and serving. Cookie cups will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Cookie cup dough adapted from Turtles Candies Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 379kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 248mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 33g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here youā€™ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Averie, I took these to a party with 3 other desserts I made. These were the biggest success. People were actually making me feel shy that they came out so well. And get this, my bro who is a single dude who doesn’t do anything like this in the kitchen actually is going to buy a muffin tin just so he can make this recipe! Another success. And BTW your latest cake recipe looks to die for!

    1. Haha that’s funny about your brother going to buy a muffin tin now! Glad these were a huge hit!

      The latest chocolate cake is easily one of the top 3 desserts of my year and definitely best cake by far! Highly recommended!

  2. Any time the recipe name has the word “chocolate” two or more times, you know it has to be amazing! I loved seeing all your other recipes on the way down here to comment as well! I’m particularly excited to try the coconut oil chocolate chip cookies!

  3. What an awesome looking recipe to end the week with! Any cookie that thick with a huge hunk of soft chocolate has to taste amazng. I bet the browned butter is so good in this.

    1. Thanks! And yes the huge bite of chocolate with the browned butter is pretty amazing! Have a great weekend!