Easter Basket Cookie Cups

Turn simple shortbread into adorable Easter basket cookie cups for Spring. Buttery shortbread biscuit’s shaped as baskets filled with a layer of gooey caramel, chocolate ganache and swirl of chocolate cream, topped with vegan mini eggs. You’re going to LOVE this recipe! Vegan, No-egg, No-dairy and unbelievably easy to make.

This recipe has been made in collaboration with Natures Charm. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)

Easter Basket Cookie Cups

Easter is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than with Easter basket cookie cups?! These Easter basket cookies may look complicated to make, but they’re actually really simple. To keep it super easy, use refrigerated sugar cookie / shortbread cookie dough. This recipe contains only 4 ingredients and is a dream to work with. It bakes to perfection and results in a soft golden cookie which melts in your mouth! There are two hidden fillings, caramel and chocolate ganache. They pair perfectly with the cookie and chocolate cream topping. You are going to absolutely fall in love with this recipe!

Looking for more Easter treats, check out my Vegan Carrot Cake Cream Horns, Vegan Easter Madeleines, Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies, Vegan Mini Egg Cookies and Vegan Carrot Cake.

Why you’ll LOVE this recipe:

• SUPER CUTE!
• 100% vegan – This recipe doesn’t contain any animal derived ingredients.
• Topped with vegan mini eggs!!!!!!
• Perfect for Easter.
• The chocolate cream swirl adds a richness and creaminess.
• Cookie melts in the mouth.
• Perfect sweet!
• Cookie cups are great for storing, and making ahead of time.
• Fun to make.
• Versatile filling – Swap out the caramel for a chocolate fudge sauce or cookie butter.
• Great for parties, Easter and Spring gatherings.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Let’s go over the key ingredients you need in making dairy-free and eggless vegan easter basket cookies:

• Vegan butter: You can use store bought or you can even make your own vegan butter! The most important part is that you’re using chilled / refrigerated butter. This will help keep the dough cool, retain shape when baking and create that delicious soft chew to the cookie!
• Icing sugar: powdered / icing sugar will give these cookies a little bit of sweetness. Make sure that you’re using a vegan friendly sugar, as this will be vegan (not all icing sugars are vegan!).
• Plain / All purpose flour: You can also use gluten free 1:1 baking flour if you need gluten free version.
• Dairy-free milk: You can use any dairy-free milk for this recipe including oat, soya, almond for example. It’s used to help loosen the dough helping it to bind.
• Dairy-free dark chocolate: Use a good quality, 60% and above for a rich, creamy chocolate ganache.
• Dairy-free whipped cream: Use a stable cream which can be piped on top of the baskets. My go-to is The Coconut Collaborative Double Cream.
• Cocoa powder: Sieve before use to remove any lumps. Try to use a good quality, dark cocoa powder for a intense rich flavour.
• Mini eggs: The mini eggs I use are the Doisy and Dam ‘Good Eggs’, linked here. They’re the only vegan friendly mini eggs I’ve ever come across which actually taste like the Cadburys Mini Eggs, but obviously these ones are dairy-free and suitable for vegans.

The fillings

• Caramel: You can use store bought or a homemade vegan caramel sauce, I’ve linked my recipe here. It sits at the base of the cookie baskets and oozes out when bitten into, so good! My go-to is the Natures Charm Coconut Salted Caramel Sauce. It’s gooey, perfectly sweet, vegan and absolutely scrumptious.

• Cream for ganache: To make a super creamy ganache, you want to use coconut cream. To elevate the flavour, I used the Natures Charm Oat Whipping Cream. It has the best flavour and soft texture helps to create a luscious filling for this dessert!

Overview: Heres how to make Easter Basket Cookie Cups:

Cookie cup FAQ

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

• You can definitely make these cookies gluten free if you need to! To make these vegan easter basket cookie cups completely gluten free, simply swap in gluten free 1:1 baking flour. And if you need to make these cookies completely nut-free as well, be sure to use soya milk.

How to store the cookie cups?

• Keep the cookie cups fresh by storing in an air tight / sealed container in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, allow them to come to room temperature. This will soften the butter, making them melt in the mouth!

Where do you find vegan mini eggs?

• The only branded mini eggs I’ve been able to find which compare in aesthetic and taste to the popular Cadbury Mini Eggs are the Doisy and Dam Good Eggs. They are vegan, gluten-free and palm oil free. I buy mine on Amazon, linked here! Also available in stores such as ASDA and Ocado.

How to make the basket handle stay up?

• I tested a million ways of making the handle when recipe testing. A cheats way I sound was to shape the dough into a U shape, lay it flat on a tray and bake. I tried baking it using the shape of a cupcake tin, but the weight of the dough just didn’t want to hold. Shaping flat means it retains its shape, lift off the paper and stand up in the cream!

How to get the scallop edge of the basket?

• When cutting out the dough, use a flower shaped cookie cutter. This will give a pretty, decorative edge to the baskets. Alternatively, you could use a simple round cookie cutter. Both ways will look gorgeous!!

If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!

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