Lemon cookie cups filled with lemon pudding would make a sweet addition to your Easter dessert table. Plus, these mini lemon cookie pudding pies can be customized for other holidays and are easy to make gluten free! Mine are decorated with mini ducks and the cutest Sprinkle Pop Easter confetti.
Note: I originally created this recipe for Sprinkle Pop, who generously compensated me for my time.
This recipe yields 10 cookie cups, but extra pudding. So you could double the cookie recipe to use up the remaining pudding. (Or just eat the extra pudding!)
Start by making the cookie dough. Then chill the dough for at least two hours before rolling it out. The dough can also be chilled overnight.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, like a marble pastry board, pastry mat or countertop. The dough should be ¼-inch thick. Cut out ten circles with a 3-inch circle and 10 mini ducks with a mini duck cookie cutter (or make different shapes if you have a different cutter). Here’s a set of mini cookie cutters with a lot of fun Easter options.
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Press the circles into a greased muffin pan. (Grease generously with cooking spray so that the cookies don’t stick to the pan.) Notice that the dough won’t reach the top of the muffin wells.
Place the mini ducks on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Chill the cookie cups in the pan and the duck cutouts on the baking sheet for 30 minutes before baking. Bake the cups for 8 minutes or until the middles are soft but not wet and doughy, and bake the mini ducks for 6 minutes.
Make the pudding while the pans are chilling. Whisk two cups of milk with the mix for 2 minutes. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until set.
Let the cookies rest in the pan before removing them to a wire cooling rack. Here’s how to get the cookie cups out: Flip the pan upside down onto a wire rack. If you greased the pan well, they should slide right out. Otherwise, tap the top of the pan to loosen the cups until they come out. Let the cookies cool completely before filling.
Fill a large ziplock bag with pudding and cut about 1 inch off the tip. Pipe the pudding into the cookie cups. Top with sprinkles and a mini duck.
And you’re done! Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Tag me @roseandwhiskers on Instagram if you make these mini lemon cookie pudding pies and use the hashtag #rosesandwhiskers. Happy baking!
Mini Lemon Cookie Pudding Pies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour or substitute all-purpose flour for gluten-full cookies
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3 tbsp butter-flavored Crisco
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 large lemon zested, room temperature
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice room temperature
Filling Ingredients
- 3.4 oz. instant lemon pudding mix
- 2 cups whole milk
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Zest and juice 1 large lemon.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, Crisco and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, make sure it’s fully incorporated. Mix in the zest and lemon juice.
- Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours. The dough can also be chilled overnight.
- Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface, like a marble pastry board, pastry mat or countertop. The rolled dough should be ¼-inch thick. Cut out ten 3-inch circles and ten mini ducks. (Or substitute any mini cookie cutter.) You’ll need to re-roll scraps a couple of times to get enough cutouts.
- Grease a muffin pan with cookie spray, swirling a paper towel around each cup to make sure the grease is evenly distributed. Put the circle cutouts in 10 muffin wells, gently pressing the edges part way up the sides. The cookie edges won’t reach the top of the pan. Put the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Place the mini duck cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and put the sheet in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Make the pudding while the cookie cutouts are chilling. Whisk 2 cups of milk with the instant pudding mix for 2 minutes. Then cover and put in the refrigerator to set.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the cookie cups for 8 minutes, or until the middles look soft but not wet and doughy. Bake the mini ducks for 6 minutes. Let the cookies rest in the pans before removing to a wire cooling rack.
- Flip the muffin pan upside down onto a wire rack to remove the cookie cups. They should slide right out if you greased the pan well. If they get stuck, tap the top of the pan, which should help the cookie cups come out. Let the cookies cool completely.
- Spoon the pudding into a large ziplock bag and cut about an inch off the tip. Pipe the pudding into the cooled cups. (You’ll have leftover pudding.) Top with sprinkles and a mini duck.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
