Boston Cream Pie Cookie Cups are soft, bite-sized cookie cups filled with creamy vanilla pudding and topped with rich chocolate ganache, delivering all the classic flavors of Boston cream pie in an easy, handheld dessert.

You can also turn your favorite Boston cream pie flavors into an irresistible bite-sized treat with these Boston Cream Pie Hawaiian Rolls—soft, fluffy rolls filled with creamy vanilla pudding and topped with rich chocolate for an easy dessert everyone will love!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

If you love the classic flavors of Boston cream pie but don’t love the time it takes to make one from scratch, these Boston Cream Pie Cookie Cups are the perfect solution. They have everything you love about the iconic dessert—a soft vanilla cake, creamy vanilla filling, and rich chocolate topping—but in a fun, bite-sized form that’s much easier to make.

Even better, this recipe is packed with shortcuts that save time without sacrificing flavor. The cookie cups start with a boxed yellow cake mix, the filling comes together in minutes with instant vanilla pudding mix, and a simple chocolate ganache finishes everything off. The result is a dessert that looks impressive but is incredibly beginner-friendly!

There’s something about Boston cream pie that’s hard to resist. The combination of fluffy vanilla cake, smooth vanilla cream, and chocolate is a classic for a reason. These cookie cups capture all of those familiar flavors in a handheld dessert that’s perfect for sharing.

Instead of slicing a cake, everyone gets their own little dessert. They’re perfect for parties, holidays, bake sales, baby showers, or just because you’re craving something sweet!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Boxed yellow cake mix- store-bought
Butter- softened
Eggs
Instant vanilla pudding mix
Milk
Heavy whipping cream- divided
Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Traditional Boston cream pie is delicious, but it definitely takes some time. You have to bake the cake, make pastry cream on the stovetop, let everything cool, assemble it, and then finish it with chocolate. These Boston Cream Pie Cookie Cups skip all of that extra work.

The cookie base starts with a boxed yellow cake mix, which creates incredibly soft, cake-like cookies with almost no effort. It’s one of my favorite baking shortcuts because the texture turns out perfect every time.

The filling is just as easy. Instead of making pastry cream from scratch, instant vanilla pudding mix creates a thick, creamy filling in just a few minutes. It still has that rich vanilla flavor everyone loves, but without standing over the stove whisking.

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that work smarter, not harder! Imagine taking a bite of classic Boston cream pie, but with a soft cookie instead of a slice of cake.

The cookie cup is buttery, tender, and has that familiar yellow cake flavor. The vanilla pudding filling is cool, creamy, and perfectly smooth. Then everything is topped with a rich chocolate ganache that brings all the flavors together.

Every bite is soft, creamy, chocolatey, and just the right amount of sweet. They’re rich enough to satisfy your dessert cravings, but small enough that it’s hard to stop at just one!

How to make the best Boston Cream Pie Cookie Cups:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, butter, and eggs with an electric mixer until it forms a soft dough.
Using a triggered cookie scoop, scoop one tablespoon of dough into each greased mini muffin cup, then bake for 9-11 minutes.
Once baked, immediately take the end of a spatula or a mini tart tamper to press into the center of each cookie to create a deep indentation, then let cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine the milk and instant vanilla pudding mix. Whisk to dissolve any lumps, then set it aside to thicken.
In another mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Add the whipped cream into the vanilla pudding mixture and beat with the mixer until well combined.
Transfer the vanilla cream into a ziploc bag or piping bag, cut off one corner, and pipe the cream into the center indentation of each cookie cup.
In a small microwave safe bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds on high; stir well, then microwave again for 30 seconds. Stir until it becomes thick and glossy.
Spoon 1 tsp of the chocolate ganache onto the top of each cookie cup.
Let the ganache cool, then serve the cookie cups immediately or refrigerate for up to four days.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how simple it is from start to finish. There’s nothing complicated or intimidating, which makes it a great recipe for beginner bakers or anyone short on time.

The cookie cups bake quickly, the pudding filling comes together in minutes, and the chocolate ganache is the perfect finishing touch. Most of the work is simply letting everything cool before assembling.

Plus, they’re always one of the first desserts to disappear. Their individual size makes them easy to grab, easy to serve, and easy to transport if you’re taking dessert somewhere.

They’re just as perfect on a holiday dessert tray as they are at birthday parties, family gatherings, potlucks, or weekend get-togethers. Since they’re made ahead and chilled before serving, they’re also a great stress-free dessert for entertaining!

My top tips:

GREASE YOUR PAN: Grease your mini muffin tin liberally with non-stick cooking spray before adding the cookie dough. It’s no fun to make a dessert just for it to get stuck in the pan!
COOKIE DOUGH: Using cake mix in the base of this recipe makes these cookie cups quick and easy while creating a soft, chewy texture that’s perfect for holding the creamy filling. It also gives you consistent, delicious results every time.lines, then place one piece of cookie dough into each mini muffin tin cavity.
CREATING THE WELLS: You’ll want to press down the centers of each cookie cup while the cookies are still warm from the oven. I just used the rounded end of a spatula handle I had, but if you own a tart tamper, that would be even more efficient!
COOLING: It’s important to let the cookie cups cool completely before filling them with your cream filling. If you fill warm cookies, the cookies will likely absorb the filling and become soggy.
PUDDING FILLING: To make this recipe even easier, feel free to skip the step of whipping fresh cream and just fold 1 cup of thawed Cool Whip (or whipped topping) into the pudding instead.
PIPING BAG: Transferring the whipped pudding filling into a piping bag helps control how much filling you’re piping into the cookie cups and in turn, keeps them nice and neat. You can also use a Ziploc bag here.
GANACHE: You want to avoid boiling the heavy cream for ganache because overheating can scorch the cream and cause the ganache to split, becoming grainy, oily, or separated. Simply make sure it is hot enough to melt the chocolate, then let your stirring do the rest of the work!
REMOVING FROM THE PAN: I don’t recommend removing these cookie cups from the muffin tin until they are fully cooled. If the edges of the cookies seem to be stuck to the pan, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen each cup.
STORING: Transfer any leftover cookie cups into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Looking for more cookie cup recipes? Check these out!

Print Recipe