

golden edges, gooey centres and pockets of melted chocolate under a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A note from my kitchen
I made these mini cookie pies for the nights when I want a warm chocolate chip cookie and ice cream, but not a whole tray of cookies sitting in the kitchen afterwards.
Instead of shaping the dough into separate cookies, I press it into two small pie dishes and bake it just until the edges turn golden and crisp. The middle stays soft and gooey, with melted chocolate running through it, while the outside has chewy edges that add a little bit of crunch and texture.
The dough starts with softened butter creamed with light brown sugar and granulated sugar. There’s no egg in this recipe because I like to use heavy cream instead, which gives the dough enough moisture to come together while keeping it thick and fairly sticky.
For an extra melted centre, I press a layer of dough into each dish, add two small cubes of chocolate, then cover them with the remaining dough. That step is optional, but it gives you a soft pool of chocolate under the surface when the cookie pies are served warm.
There’s no pastry in this recipe. It’s simply chocolate chip cookie dough baked in a pie dish, so it’s closer to a small deep-dish cookie than a traditional pie. I let each one rest for about five to ten minutes, then add vanilla ice cream while the cookie is still warm and gooey.
What Are Mini Cookie Pies?
Mini cookie pies are individual portions of chocolate chip cookie dough baked in small round pie dishes.
The word pie refers to the shape and the dish rather than an actual pastry crust. There’s no pastry underneath or around the cookie dough. Each one bakes up with golden, crispy edges and a soft centre, then gets served warm straight from the dish.
This recipe makes two mini cookie pies, so each person gets their own warm dessert without having to slice a larger cookie pie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Softened butter is creamed with both sugars. This gives the dough a more traditional chocolate chip cookie texture and helps the edges bake up golden rather than greasy.
- Heavy cream replaces the egg. I personally try to avoid small batch desserts that only use an egg yolk, as I never know what to do with the leftover egg whites. Heavy cream is the perfect substitute for an egg yolk, as It adds moisture and richness, bringing the small batch cookies together without making the centres cakey.
- The chocolate centre is optional. Two small cubes hidden in each pie create an extra melted layer, but the cookie pies still work and still taste delicious without them.
- Individual dishes create more golden edge. Each pie gets its own ring of chewy, lightly crisp cookie around the soft centre.
- Makes just enough for two people. This recipe makes exactly two mini cookie pies, which is perfect for a date night at home, or just whenever you’re craving a little sweet treat after dinner.
- Quick and easy one bowl recipe. The cookie dough comes together in just one bowl and in a matter of minutes, with no complicated equipment or ingredients required and no need to chill the cookie dough either.
What Do They Taste Like?
These cookie pies taste like warm chocolate chip cookies with a stronger contrast between the edges and the centre.
The outside is buttery, golden and chewy. The middle is softer and slightly gooey, with caramel flavour from the light brown sugar and plenty of melted chocolate. If you add the chocolate cubes, the centre has an extra molten pocket beneath the cookie dough.
Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is my favourite way to serve them. The cold ice cream begins to melt into the warm cookie and turns the chocolate around the spoon into something like a sauce.
ingredient Notes
The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Softened Butter
Use butter that’s at room temperature and that’s been properly softened rather than melted. It should dent easily when pressed but shouldn’t look shiny, greasy or partly liquid. If you forget to leave the butter out at room temperature, you can warm it in the microwave for about ten seconds at a time until it softens.
Creaming the softened butter with the sugars gives the dough a thicker, more familiar cookie texture and helps distribute the sugar evenly before the heavy cream is added.
Light Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar
Light brown sugar keeps the centres soft and chewy and adds a gentle caramel flavour. Granulated sugar helps the edges set and become lightly crisp.
Heavy Cream and Vanilla
Heavy cream or double cream provides the moisture in this eggless cookie dough. Mix it into the creamed butter and sugars with the vanilla until evenly combined.
Once the flour is added, the dough should be thick, soft and fairly sticky rather than dry or crumbly.
Flour, baking powder, Baking Soda and Salt
Use plain flour or all-purpose flour and weigh it if possible. A small amount makes a noticeable difference in a two-serving recipe, and too much flour will remove the soft, gooey texture.
Baking soda encourages browning and a little spread inside the dishes, while baking powder adds lift and gives us soft, tender centres. Salt balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste fuller.
Chocolate Chips, Chopped Chocolate and the Optional Centre
Semisweet or dark chocolate keeps the finished dessert balanced, especially once ice cream is added. Chocolate chips hold their shape while chopped chocolate creates more irregular melted pockets. I personally like to use a mix of semisweet and dark chocolate chips in the dough, and I add a few extra chocolate chips to the top of each cookie pie as soon as they’re out of the oven so that the chocolate melts into the warm cookies.
For the optional chocolate centre, place two small cubes or squares of chocolate over the first layer of dough in each dish, then cover them completely with the remaining dough. The chocolate should be enclosed so it melts beneath the surface rather than burning in the oven.
Equipment You’ll Need
You’ll need a medium mixing bowl, an electric hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon, a silicone spatula, a digital kitchen scale or measuring cups and two 5-inch oven-safe pie dishes.
You can also place the pie dishes on a baking sheet if that makes things easier for you, as they’ll be easier to move in and out of the oven and will give you a stable surface while they’re hot.
How to Make Mini Cookie Pies
The exact ingredient quantities and condensed method are in the recipe card. The steps below explain the texture changes and baking cues to look for.
1. Prepare the Oven and Dishes
Preheat the oven. Lightly grease two shallow 10cm (4-inch) oven-safe pie dishes and set them aside.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugars
Add the softened butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl.
Beat until the mixture looks soft, creamy and slightly lighter. Scrape down the sides and base of the bowl so there are no firm pockets of butter or brown sugar.
3. Add the Heavy Cream and Vanilla
Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture.
Mix until evenly combined. The mixture may look softer at this point, but it should still be thick rather than runny.


4. Fold in the Dry Ingredients and Chocolate
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate small bowl. Add this to the cookie mixture along with the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and Fold gently just until the dough comes together. It should be thick and fairly sticky. Do not add extra flour simply because it’s sticky.


Layer the Dough and Optional Chocolate Centre
Divide the dough into two equal portions, one for each dish. Press around half of each portion into each dish and smooth it out until an even layer covers each dish.
Place two small chocolate cubes in the centre of each layer if using. Cover with the remaining dough and press around the edges so the chocolate is fully enclosed.
Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon or your fingers.


Bake, Rest and Serve
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are set and golden while the centres still look soft. The surface should no longer look like raw, glossy dough.
Leave the cookie pies in their dishes for about five to ten minutes. The hot dishes continue cooking the centres during this rest, so don’t wait for the middle to look completely firm in the oven.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve while warm.
How Do You Know When a Cookie Pie Is Done?
The outer edge should look set and lightly golden, while the middle should still look softer than a fully baked cookie.
Look at the surface rather than testing through the centre with a skewer, especially if you added the chocolate cubes. A skewer can pass through melted chocolate and make a properly baked cookie pie look raw.
Remove the dishes once the centre has lost its wet, glossy appearance. The five to ten minute rest will finish setting the dough without taking away the gooey texture.
How to Serve Mini Cookie Pies
Serve the cookie pies warm in their baking dishes with one scoop of vanilla ice cream on each one.
You can finish them with a small pinch of flaky salt if you like a stronger sweet-salty contrast. The optional chocolate cubes already create a rich and sweet melted centre, so I would keep any additional sauce light.
The dishes stay hot for longer than the cookie surface, so always place them on heatproof plates and let anyone eating them know that the dish itself is still warm.
Tips for the Best Mini Cookie Pies
- Use properly softened butter. Melted or greasy butter will change the texture and can make the dough spread differently in the dishes.
- Cream the butter and sugars well. Mix the soft butter and the sugars until creamy and scrape the bowl so the small batch is evenly combined.
- Measure the heavy cream accurately. It provides the moisture in place of egg, so too much can make the dough loose while too little can leave it crumbly.
- Expect a thick, sticky dough. Stickiness is normal here and is not a reason to add extra flour.
- Do not overmix after adding the flour. Fold only until the dry ingredients disappear, the chocolate is distributed and you get a thick cookie dough.
- Keep the centre chocolate optional. The cookie pies are still complete without it. The extra chocolate makes the cookies richer and sweeter, so you don’t have to add this if you want something a bit lighter.
- Use shallow dishes. They give you more golden edge and a more even bake than narrow, deep ramekins.
- Do not over bake. The centres should be soft when the dishes leave the oven. You also might need to adjust baking times depending on the size and type of baking dish that you use, so I’d recommend keeping an eye on that. Baking in ceramic dishes usually requires a little bit more time, for example.
- Rest for five to ten minutes once out of the oven. This gives the middle time to settle before the ice cream goes on.
- Serve them warm. The contrast between warm cookie and cold ice cream feels incredibly rich and indulgent – the perfect late night sweet treat!
Make Ahead and Storage
These cookie pies are at their best shortly after baking, while the centres are still soft and chewy and the chocolate is melted.
If needed, let them cool completely, cover the dishes and keep them at room temperature for up to two days. Do not add the ice cream until you are ready to serve.
Reheat them in a 160°C (320°F) oven for 5–7 minutes, or use short 10-second bursts in the microwave until the centres are warm. The chocolate hidden in the middle can become very hot, so let the pies stand briefly before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are These Mini Cookie Pies Eggless?
Yes. This version doesn’t contain egg. Heavy cream gives the dough the moisture it needs and helps it come together while keeping the texture thick and cookie-like. And there’s no need to use an egg yolk or tablespoons of egg!
Why Is My Cookie Pie Dough Sticky?
The dough is meant to be thick and fairly sticky. Softened butter, sugar and heavy cream create a softer dough than a chilled roll-out cookie dough.
Use a spatula, the back of a spoon or just your fingers to press it into the dishes. Do not keep adding flour until it stops sticking, as that can make the baked centres dry.
Do I Have to Add Chocolate Cubes in the Centre?
No. The chocolate cubes are optional. Leave them out for a more classic chocolate chip cookie pie, or you can add them for an extra rich melted layer in the middle.
Can I Make Them Without Heavy Cream?
Heavy cream would give the best results, as it adds richness and moisture to the dough and also helps bind the dough together and give it structure. However, you can replace the cream with the same amount of whole milk. The dough will be slightly more sticky but it will still work just fine!
Are These the Same as Cookie Cups?
No. Cookie cups are usually hollow cookie shells baked in muffin tins and filled after baking.
These mini cookie pies are solid layers of cookie dough baked in individual pie dishes and served warm from the dish, kind of like a deep dish cookie.
Can I Use Chopped Chocolate Instead of Chocolate Chips?
Yes. Chocolate chips will give you more defined pieces of chocolate throughout the dough that keep their shape, while chopped chocolate will create a mixture of small flecks and larger melted pockets of chocolate.
You can use either one or combine the two. For the hidden centre, I’d recommend using small chocolate cubes or squares that can be covered completely by the dough.
Why Did My Cookie Pies Turn Out Dry?
Too much flour or too much time in the oven are the most likely causes.
I would really recommend weighing the flour, measuring the heavy cream carefully and removing the pies when the edges are set but the middle is still soft. They continue to firm up and cook further as they rest in the hot dishes.
Can I Serve Them Without Ice Cream?
Yes. They can be served on their own, or if you’d still like to have them with something, a little bit of heavy cream or fresh berries would also work well.
Vanilla ice cream is my favourite because it goes really nicely with the warm and gooey cookie pies and kind of melts into the centres, but it’s definitely not required for the cookie pies themselves.
More Small-Batch Desserts
For another warm chocolate dessert made for two, try my brownie cups for two with crackly tops and fudgy centres.
My single serve chocolate chip cookie is a great option for when you only want one big cookie.
You might also like these small batch chocolate chip cookies when you want a few separate cookies instead of a deep-dish dessert.
For a quick oven-free version, try my air fryer chocolate chip cookies.
You can also browse the full small-batch dessert recipes collection.
Mini Cookie Pies for Two
Two eggless chocolate chip cookie pies with golden edges, soft centres and an optional melted chocolate middle, baked in individual pie dishes and served warm.
- 10 minprep
- 18 mincook
- total
- 2servings
ingredients
14 ingredients- A little softened butter or neutral oil, for greasing
- 40g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 30g (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) light brown sugar
- 20g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) granulated sugar
- 30ml (2 tbsp) heavy cream or double cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 70g (¼ cup + 3 tbsp) plain flour or all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- 2 pinches salt
- 50g (¼ cup) milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, divided
- 4 small chocolate cubes or squares, 2 per pie, optional
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream, to serve, optional
- Flaky salt, to finish, optional
method
9 steps- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease two mini 5-inch oven-safe pie dishes and set them aside.
- Add the softened butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar to a medium bowl. Beat with a spoon or electric mixer until creamy, slightly lighter and evenly combined.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla, then mix until smooth and evenly combined.
- Mix the flour, baking powder baking soda and salt in a separate small bowl, then add this to the cookie pie dough mixture along with the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Fold the dry ingredients in until just combined or only a few small streaks of flour remain and a thick, fairly sticky cookie dough forms.
- Divide the cookie dough into two equal portions. Press just under half of each portion into the base of each dish.
- Place 2 small chocolate cubes in the centre of each dish if using. Cover with the remaining dough and press around the edges so the chocolate is fully enclosed.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until the edges are set and golden and the centres are soft but no longer look like raw, glossy dough.
- Rest in the dishes for 5-10 minutes so the centres can settle.
- Top each cookie pie with vanilla ice cream and flaky salt if using, then serve warm.
notes
- Use softened butter, not melted butter. Leave the butter out at room temperature about 30 minutes before baking to ensure that it's soft enough to cream with the sugars. If you forget to leave the butter out, you can also microwave the butter in 10 second intervals until it becomes soft, but not melted.
- This recipe contains no egg. Heavy cream provides the moisture in the dough. If you don't have cream, you can also use whole milk instead.
- The finished dough should be thick and fairly sticky. Do not add extra flour simply to make it easier to handle.
- The chocolate cubes in the centre of each cookie pie are optional.
- Do not over mix after adding the flour.
- Shallow pie dishes give you more golden edge and a more even bake than narrow, deep ramekins. If you do decide to use ramekins that are a bit deeper, just bear in mind that the cookie pies might take a bit longer to bake.
- Judge doneness from the surface and edges rather than inserting a skewer through the optional melted chocolate centre.
- The centres should be soft but not visibly wet when the cookie pies leave the oven.
- Rest for 5-10 minutes before serving because the hot dishes continue cooking the centres.
- Store completely cooled cookie pies covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
tools
4 tools- Digital kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon
- 2 mini 5-inch oven-safe pie dishes

comments
Questions, tips, and kind notes are welcome.