Pumpkin Caramel Cookie Cups

I was browsing through a kitchen supply store recently (should I admit this is a favorite weekend activity?)

And I saw the best new baking item: an ice cream cookie bowl pan.

The pan is shaped so that cookie dough is easily pressed around the mold in a bowl shape.

After the cookie bowls are baked, they’re perfectly shaped to hold ice cream.

I didn’t end up buying the pan, genius as it is, but I couldn’t get the idea of cookie bowl sundaes off of my mind after that trip (and who could blame me for that?)

I wondered if I could create my own DIY cookie bowls using a plain old mini muffin pan, and this turned out to be a worthwhile experiment (as anyone who bakes knows, it’s not always worthwhile to experiment!)

I learned that muffin pans work just fine if you don’t happen to have the perfect cookie bowl pan.

And also that ice cream cookie bowls taste every bit as heavenly as they sound.

Of course.

I wanted to do a yummy fall twist in honor of Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I created a pumpkin cookie bowl that’s filled with vanilla almond milk ice cream and topped off with an easy homemade salted caramel sauce.

It is such a sugary-sweet, decadent treat for the upcoming holidays!

These sundae cups involve a crispy, cinnamon-spiced pumpkin cookie, combined with rich vanilla ice cream, combined with an easy-to-make, gooey, sweet salted caramel.

They’re so good, it’s hard to believe there are healthy things about this dessert.

But these cookie cups are vegan – made with coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil – so they’re low in fat and cholesterol free.

And the pumpkin puree in the cookies adds tons of vitamin A and fiber.

Since I used a mini muffin tin to create these cookie cups, they’re also perfectly portioned for a sweet treat at about 150 calories per cup.

They’re pretty much just all-around wonderful.

I’m seeing many varieties of mini cookie cup flavors in my future!

Here is the complete, printable recipe:

Pumpkin Caramel Cookie Cup Sundae Minis

 

Author: The Scrumptious Pumpkin

Nutrition Information

• Serving size: 32
• Calories: 150

• Fat: 6.2g
• Saturated fat: 2.2g
• Carbohydrates: 23.6g
• Sugar: 8.3g
• Sodium: 73mg
• Fiber: 2.9g
• Protein: 1.4g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Recipe type: Clean, Whole, Vegan Dessert

Save Print

Total Time: 35 minutes
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 32 mini cookie cups

Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (or substitute organic canola oil)
• ⅔ cup organic cane sugar
• ½ cup 100 percent pure pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 quarts almond milk ice cream (or substitute organic vanilla ice cream)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. To a large mixing bowl, add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.
3. Measure ⅓ cup coconut oil and transfer it to a heat-safe bowl. Microwave until completely melted, about 15-20 seconds. Add the melted coconut oil to the mixing bowl, along with the olive oil, pumpkin, sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir just until well combined.
4. Turn a mini muffin pan upside down. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and press the dough so that it completely covers the first muffin cup, creating an upside-down bowl shape.
5. Continue working, covering every other muffin cup with cookie dough (so that no two cookie bowls are touching).
6. Bake for about 14-16 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn lightly golden.
7. Allow the cookie cups to cool. Then carefully twist each cup to gently remove from the pan.
8. Immediately before serving, fill each pumpkin cookie cup with one small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Top with homemade salted caramel sauce.

Storage: cookie cups will keep for several days if stored in a covered, airtight container in a shaded, cool, dry location.

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And for the step-by-step instructions….

…begin with these key ingredients.

And preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Then grab a large mixing bowl and add some whole wheat flour, some all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, and plenty of cinnamon.

Stir until everything is well combined.

Next, grab some coconut oil.

If this is your first time baking with coconut oil, you might be surprised to see it actually looks more like a solid “butter” in the jar.

It actually works well for baking once melted to a liquid.

So just measure out the coconut oil and scoop it into a heat-safe bowl.

Then microwave until completely melted, which just takes several seconds.

Add the melted coconut oil to the mixing bowl, along with a bit of olive oil (or substitute organic canola oil), plenty of pure pumpkin puree, some cane sugar, and a bit of vanilla extract.

Stir just until everything is well combined.

This cookie batter creates a crispy cookie, which I’ve found is ideal for cookie cup sundaes (in my experience, soft, moist cookies melted down in the oven and weren’t able to hold their shape).

Next, it’s time to create the cookie cups.

Grab a mini muffin pan (this mini muffin pan is similar to the one I use) and flip it so it’s upside down.

Then scoop a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and press the dough so that it completely covers the first muffin cup, creating an upside-down bowl shape.

Continue working, covering every other muffin cup with cookie dough, so that no two cookie bowls are touching.

I leave every other muffin cup empty so that the cookie cups don’t stick together while baking, making them difficult to remove from the pan later.

Remove the cookie cups from the oven when the edges begin to turn golden, then allow them to cool.

When they’re cool enough to handle, very carefully twist each cup to gently remove them from the pan.

The cookie cups will keep for several days, just store them in a covered, airtight container in a shaded, cool, dry location.

Then, right before you’re ready to serve, add one scoop of vanilla ice cream to each cookie cup.

Top each one with a small spoonful of homemade “lightened up” salted caramel sauce (my caramel recipe is vegan and made with coconut oil, just like the cookies!)

Then it’s time to enjoy your moment of cookie cup sundae bliss.

The pumpkin cookie is crispy and cinnamon-spiced, the perfect complement to rich ice cream.

And the caramel sauce is sugary sweet with a hint of saltiness too.

It’s fall holiday heaven in healthier, perfectly portioned cups!