How to Make Cookie Bowls {Edible Cookie Cups}
Learn how to make easy homemade cookie bowls recipe with simple ingredients. These edible cookie cups make wonderful centerpieces, party favors, place settings or homemade gifts.
*Thank you Domino® Sugar and C&H® Sugar for sponsoring today’s post, so that I can share this recipe with all of you. As always, all opinions are mine.*
I am about to blow your minds away with this video tutorial on how to make these! If you are looking for something cool to serve at your next party that will get people talking, this is it! Now, you cannot just use any cookie recipe you like. It took me a few tries to figure out which recipe worked best and after numerous attempts, I figured out that you can only use cut-out cookie recipes that don’t spread while baking. My family likes to make spiced cut-out cookies during the holidays and that recipe worked perfectly for these bowls. This How to Make Brownie Bowls tutorial is another way to make yummy serve-ware.
Table of contents
Why you will love these homemade cookie cups
- They are entirely edible
- They can be made in any size you want
- They make a great gift (Just wrap it in clear plastic and a nice ribbon)
- They can be filled with anything you like (as long as it’s dry)
- Smaller bowls can be used as place settings or even party favors
- Mini cookie bowls can also be used to serve individual snacks
- Bigger bowls can be used as centerpieces or serving bowls
Filling ideas for edible cookie bowls
- Nuts or trail mix
- Homemade Granola
- Cookies- Such as Churro Cookies, Peppermint Cookies, Classic Spritz Cookies
- Mini candy bars
- Popcorn
- Dried fruits
- Rainbow Cereal Balls
- Homemade Granola Bars (Make them bite sized)
- No Bake Energy Balls
- Chocolate Crunch Bars
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Chocolate Truffles
- Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
- White Chocolate Bark or Chocolate Bark
- Homemade Gourmet Chocolate (Ice Cube Candy)
- Easy Chocolate Caramel
- Chocolate Covered Oreos
- Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
- Crockpot Candy (Chocolate Peanut Clusters)
- Homemade Chocolate
- Microwave Peanut Brittle
Key Ingredients
- Flour– I used All-Purpose for this recipe.
- Butter– Unsalted and room temperature is best.
- Spices– Including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
- Chocolate– Both melted semi-sweet and white chocolate are used.
- Sugar– Both granulates and brown sugar are needed.
How To Make Easy Cookie Bowls Recipe From Scratch?
- Mix cookie dough– Cream together butter and sugar. Then add spices and flour.
- Spread dough on dome pan– As smooth as possible.
- Chill in the freezer– On a lined cookie tray.
- Bake– Until golden brown.
- Brush chocolate– On the exterior of the bowl.
- Add decor– Before the chocolate sets.
- Chill– Until chocolate sets.
- Pipe designs– With melted white chocolate.
- Flip bowl– On a small plate.
- Fill bowl– Add cookies. Enjoy!
Can you bake cookies in a muffin tin or cupcake pan?
Yes, you can do that to make mini bowls but I feel that the end result was lacking that pretty dome shape. I recommend using dome pans, which come in various sizes.
2 ways to cover dome pan in cookie dough
- Do what I did in this video: Scoop out a big portion of the dough. Roll it into a rough ball shape and press it on top of the dome and use your hands and a fondant smoother (optional) to spread it out all over the dome pan smoothly. Cut excess dough along the bottom edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- Roll out dough about half an inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. It should be rolled out big enough to cover the dome pan. Remove and discard the top sheet of wax paper. Flip the bottom sheet of wax paper with the flattened cookie dough on top of the dome pan. Remove sheet of wax paper. Cut excess dough along the bottom edges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
I used Domino® Dark Brown Sugar today because it adds a nice deep and rich flavor, plus, it adds moisture. It’s high quality sugar. I really enjoy using it in my baking and totally recommend it. Domino® Sugar is sold where I live, but if they don’t sell it in your area, look for C&H® Sugar, the sister brand of Domino® Sugar.
Variations
Omit all the spices in this recipe– This turns them into sugar cookie bowls.
Chocolate chip cookie bowls– Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to this dough recipe.
Add other extracts and zests– Such as almond, hazelnut, maple, caramel, or bourbon
Decorate with Royal Icing or Glace Icing– Instead of melted white chocolate.
Turn these into an ice cream sundae bowl– Serve ice cream and toppings in the bowls. These must be served immediately though to prevent the cookie base from becoming soggy.
Make mini cookie bowls– Add a small name card and use that as a place setting at parties. Guests can take that home as a gift too.
Don’t pipe on the bowls– Just toss sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or chopped nuts on melted chocolate for an easy decorating idea.
Make it rustic– Cover melted chocolate with shredded coconut or finely chopped nuts.
Adjust the amount of spices– Add more or less based on your preference.
Tips and Techniques
Don’t use store-bought, pre-made cookie dough– Because that usually spreads while baking. Use my recipe below because it does not spread and holds its “bowl-like” shape while baking.
Make sure to cover the dome pan in foil paper, then oil it very well– Because this prevents the cookie dough from sticking to the pan and makes it easier to remove the cookie bowl from the pan later.
You must let the cookie bowl cool down completely before removing the pan and the foil paper– Because otherwise it will break.
Use a wide paintbrush instead of a small paintbrush to paint melted chocolate on the cookie bowl-Because the brush strokes are cleaner this way and it’s faster.
Decorating with melted chocolate is tricky– Because it is thin and runny and requires practice. Be sure to practice on the dome pan before decorating the cookie bowl.
Always make extra cookie bowls– Because they are fragile and can break when you are removing the pan/foil and when you are decorating.
Don’t fill the cookie bowls with anything wet– Because they are obviously not water-proof. However, if you plan to serve immediately, you can make ice cream sundae bowls and fill them with your favorite ice cream and sprinkles.
There is no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe– Please don’t add it or else your bowls will spread and loose their shape during baking.
Make sure the cookie dough that’s covering the dome pan is at least half an inch thick– Because it will make it sturdy and less likely to break.
Spread the dough on the pan as smoothly as possible– The more smooth it is, the less bumps and cracks you will see in the final baked version. There is no need to be perfect because most flaws will get covered with chocolate later.
How to prevent the cookie bowl from wobbling on the table? It’s best to place it on a small plate and you can stick it in place with a big blob of melted chocolate on the base. Hide all that chocolate with sprinkles!
How much does this recipe make? The cookie dough is enough to make 2 big cookie bowls plus 8-10 small/medium sized cut-out cookies.
Storage
Room temperature– For up to 5 weeks. Do not refrigerate or freeze because the moisture may make it crack or become soggy.
How to Make Cookie Bowls (Cookie Cups)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 Eggs, Large
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 4 cups Flour, All-purpose
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
- 1/4 tsp Ginger powder
- 3 tbsp Milk, Whole or Skim, Optional
- 1 cup Semisweet chocolate, Melted
- 1 cup White chocolate, Melted
- Additional cookies, For filling bowl
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and mix until smooth.
- Add flour and mix everything. It’s so much easier to use your hands to form the dough.
- If dough looks a little dry and crumbly, add milk (1 tbsp at a time) until you have thick cookie dough that’s NOT sticky! Keep aside.
- Cover a dome pan (Diameter: 6 inches) with aluminum foil and spray it generously with oil.
- Scoop out a big portion of the dough and roll it into a rough ball and place it on top of the dome and use both your hands to spread it all over the pan as smooth as possible. The more smooth it is, the less cracks there will be.
- Cut off excess dough along the bottom of the pan with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Place this prepared dome pan on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper (or foil paper that’s lightly sprayed with oil). This will prevent the bowl from sticking to the pan.
- Chill in the freezer for 25 minutes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cookie bowl becomes golden brown.
- Allow the bowl to cool down completely.
- Remove the dome pan and foil paper carefully.
- Place the edible bowl on a cookie tray lined with wax paper.
- Brush melted semisweet chocolate on the exterior of the cookie bowl only. Make sure you paint chocolate in one direction for a neat and clean appearance.
- If you are decorating with sprinkles or crushed candy canes, toss those on the melted chocolate now before the chocolate sets and hardens. If you are doing piped decorations, continue with the next few steps.
- Chill in the fridge until chocolate sets.
- Remove excess chocolate from the base of the bowl, using a knife.
- Fill a piping bag with melted white chocolate and pipe designs on the edible bowl.
- Allow the white chocolate to set and harden at room temperature.
- Flip over the bowl and place it on a small plate or saucer. You can stick it in place with melted chocolate, if you like.
- Fill the bowl with an assortment of cookies and enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- The cookie dough is enough to make 2 big cookie bowls plus 8-10 small/medium sized cut-out cookies.
- Cookie bowl can be kept at room temperature for up to 5 week.
This is such a creative idea!!
Thanks! It’s a lot of fun!
What a fun and creative idea!
Thank you… Hope you try it!
I love this idea! I have to try it out!
Yes, please do try it and let me know what you think!