How to Bake Delicious Boston Cream Pie Cookies from Scratch

We absolutely adore the luxurious, layered experience of a traditional Boston Cream Pie. The wonderful blend of soft sponge, velvety vanilla cream, and a decadent chocolate finish is simply divine. However, we know that tackling a full-sized cake isn’t always practical. That’s why we’ve developed a way to enjoy all those cherished flavours in one delightful, bite-sized package. Allow us to introduce you to our definitive recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cookies.

These cookies are truly something special. We’ve cleverly taken apart the classic dessert and re-imagined it as a charming treat suitable for any gathering. Every cookie consists of a soft, cake-like vanilla base, a generous spoonful of silky custard, and a gleaming chocolate glaze that offers the most satisfying snap. It’s a sophisticated, beautiful, and incredibly tasty bake that we’re sure you’ll fall in love with.

What Exactly Are Boston Cream Pie Cookies?

You can think of these as the delightful miniature version of the celebrated Boston Cream Pie. We have captured all the key components and reshaped them into a cookie. In place of a sponge cake, our foundation is a soft, buttery vanilla cookie with a gentle dip in the middle, which forms an ideal little cup for the filling. This is no ordinary cookie; its texture is intentionally tender and cake-like to echo the original dessert.

Following that is the soul of our recipe: the luscious vanilla custard. This is a genuine, homemade pastry cream, enriched with egg yolks and vanilla, and cooked slowly until it reaches a thick, smooth, and wonderfully opulent consistency. It is this element that makes these custard filled cookies so remarkable. To finish, we add a simple yet indulgent chocolate ganache topping. The glaze sets with a lovely sheen, delivering that perfect final touch and classic flavour pairing. It’s a wonderful spin on a traditional American recipe, transforming a treasured cake into a new biscuit tin staple.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The Classic Flavour Profile: Enjoy the iconic taste combination of a Boston Cream Pie—vanilla, custard, and chocolate—all in a perfectly sized, easy-to-handle cookie.
• Impressive but Attainable: These treats look like they belong in a high-end bakery, yet the process is clear and simple to master. We will walk you through each stage of making the perfect custard and assembling these gorgeous bites.
• Ideal for Every Occasion: Whether it’s for a party, a potluck dinner, or simply a special indulgence with your afternoon cuppa, these cookies are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
• A Textural Delight: We are huge fans of the interplay between the soft cookie base, the velvety custard centre, and the slightly firm, rich chocolate topping. Each bite is a truly satisfying experience.
• Great for Planning Ahead: You can prepare the individual elements beforehand and put the cookies together just before you need them, making this a fantastic, stress-free choice for entertaining guests.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60ml milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 240ml whole milk
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 100g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 60ml double cream

To craft these wonderful cookies, we have divided the ingredients into three sections: the cookie bases, the custard filling, and the chocolate glaze. Opting for high-quality ingredients, particularly for the vanilla and chocolate, will elevate the final result.

• For the Soft Vanilla Cookies:
• 250g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60ml milk
• For the Creamy Custard Filling:
• 3 large egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 240ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• For the Rich Chocolate Glaze:
• 100g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 60ml double cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Step-by-Step Guide to Perfect Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Creating these cookies involves three distinct stages, but we assure you the end result is well worth the effort. Let’s go through the process in clear, straightforward steps.

Step 1: Baking the Cookie Base

1. Get Everything Ready: Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan) and lining two baking trays with baking parchment.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Put this bowl to one side.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar: In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter with the caster sugar until the mixture becomes light, pale, and airy. This typically takes around 2–3 minutes.
4. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined. It’s a good idea to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed in properly.
5. Alternate Flour and Milk: Gently introduce the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk in two parts. Always begin and finish with the flour. Mix on a low setting until just incorporated—be sure not to overdo it!
6. Portion and Bake: Spoon rounded tablespoons of the dough onto your prepared baking trays, ensuring you leave about 2 inches of space around each one. Bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are a pale golden colour. The middles should remain soft.
7. Form the Well: Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, take the back of a rounded teaspoon or your thumb to gently create an indent in the centre of each warm cookie. This creates the perfect space for the custard. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool down fully.

Step 2: Preparing the Vanilla Custard Filling

This homemade custard is the component that truly makes these cookies exceptional. If you enjoy making creamy fillings from scratch, you might also like learning how to make our Homemade Pistachio Cream. For this recipe, please follow these instructions:

1. Combine Egg Yolks: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar until the blend becomes pale and thickens slightly. Then, whisk in the cornflour until it is completely smooth.
2. Warm the Milk: Pour the milk into a small saucepan and warm it over a medium heat until it is just about to simmer; you will notice tiny bubbles at the edge. Do not allow it to boil over.
3. Temper the Egg Mixture: This is a very important stage! Slowly trickle about half of the hot milk into the egg yolk mix while whisking continuously. This action gently heats the eggs without scrambling them. Once mixed, pour this combination back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk.
4. Thicken the Custard: Put the saucepan back on a medium-low heat. Continue to cook, whisking all the time, until the custard has thickened nicely. This will likely take between 3 and 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it can coat the back of a spoon.
5. Finish and Cool: Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter until the custard is smooth. To stop a skin from forming, lay a piece of cling film directly on the custard’s surface. Pop it in the fridge to chill completely, for at least 2 hours.

Step 3: Assembling Your Chocolate Glazed Cookies

1. Fill Your Cookies: When the cookies are fully cool and the custard is chilled, you can either spoon or pipe the custard into the indentation of each cookie.
2. Create the Glaze: Put the finely chopped chocolate into a heat-resistant bowl. In a small pan, heat the double cream and butter until it just starts to simmer. Pour this hot cream mixture over the chocolate and allow it to stand for 2–3 minutes without stirring. Afterwards, whisk gently until the glaze is smooth, shiny, and perfectly blended.
3. Glaze the Cookies: Let the glaze cool for a few minutes so it can thicken up a little. Delicately spoon a small amount of glaze over the custard on each cookie, letting it spread naturally to the edges of the filling. The aim is to create perfect chocolate glazed cookies.
4. Set and Enjoy: Transfer the cookies to the refrigerator for around 15–20 minutes so the glaze can set firm. Once it has, they are ready to be served!

The History Behind the Boston Cream Dessert

Interestingly, the original Boston cream dessert is not actually a pie; it is a cake! This famous American confection was first created during the 1850s at Boston’s Parker House Hotel. Now called the Omni Parker House, the hotel is renowned for originating what was then known as the “Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie.” In that era, the distinction between cakes and pies was less defined, and it was common for cakes to be baked in pie dishes. The name has endured, and this wonderful sponge cake filled with pastry cream and glazed with chocolate has remained a firm favourite. You can find out more about its history from the source at the Omni Parker House Hotel’s website. Our cookie recipe pays tribute to this tasty piece of culinary heritage.

Storing Your Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Due to the dairy content in the custard filling, it is essential to store these cookies in the refrigerator. Arrange them in a single layer inside an airtight container. They will remain fresh for up to 3 days. We believe they are at their most delicious within the first day, when the cookie retains its optimal softness. You can serve them directly from the fridge or allow them to come to room temperature for 10–15 minutes beforehand.

FAQ

A New Way to Enjoy a Classic

And there you have it—a very special bake that redefines the classic American cookies experience. Our Boston Cream Pie Cookies recipe is your passport to savouring a timeless dessert in an exciting, modern format. The combination of the tender cookie, smooth custard, and rich chocolate is utterly irresistible and is sure to delight everyone who tries them.

So, why not give it a go? It’s time to get into the kitchen, put on your apron, and bake a batch of these marvellous cookies. We guarantee your efforts will be richly rewarded. If you’re on a baking roll, perhaps you could try our Gooey Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies next? Please do leave a comment below to tell us how your Boston Cream Pie Cookies turned out. Happy baking!

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Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Yield: 24 Cookies

Ingredients

• For the Soft Vanilla Cookies:
• 250g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 115g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60ml milk
• For the Creamy Custard Filling:
• 3 large egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 240ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• For the Rich Chocolate Glaze:
• 100g dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 60ml double cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Make & Bake Cookies: Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan). Combine dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla, then alternate adding dry ingredients and milk. Spoon dough onto lined trays and bake for 10-12 mins. Immediately press an indent into each warm cookie and let cool completely.
2. Make Custard Filling: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour. Heat milk, then temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in hot milk. Return to pan and cook, whisking, until thick. Stir in vanilla and butter. Cover surface with cling film and chill for at least 2 hours.
3. Prepare Chocolate Glaze: Heat cream and butter until simmering. Pour over chopped chocolate, let stand for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy.
4. Assemble and Serve: Fill cooled cookie indents with the chilled custard. Top with a spoonful of the chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to set the glaze before serving.

Nutrition (per cookie): Calories: 170, Fat: 9g, Carbs: 20g, Protein: 2g