When chocolate cupcakes get topped with a frosting packed with crushed cookies, you get the best cookies and cream cupcakes of your life! The frosting on these cupcakes tastes like the inside of an Oreo, and I can't stop eating it!
I've been keeping a secret from you. I'm sorry.
I know how to make buttercream that tastes exactly like the inside of an Oreo, and I haven't shared it with you, until now.
Part of the reason is that we eat this cookies and cream cupcakes frosting straight out of the bowl, and then go back to our normal lives like it never happened. It's best not to dwell on such moments.
But, the other reason is because it's harder than you think to save 4 Oreos from the box with which to make cupcakes.
I start by adding 4 oreos to a little bag as soon as I open the box. And then somewhere between 9pm and 9:15 (the first few minutes after I put Camille to bed--aka freedom!), the Oreos start calling to me. And so I eat them to shut them up. And then I have no Oreos with which to bake.
How to Make Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
This recipe starts with a small batch of chocolate cupcakes and ends with a luscious cookies and cream buttercream
How are we feeling about 4 cookies and cream cupcakes serving 2 people? It's reasonable, right?
The Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour. Regular all-purpose flour. The recipe has weights for metric baking or regular cups and spoons.
- Cocoa Powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Baking Soda.
- Baking Powder.
- Instant Espresso Powder. Optional; coffee enhances the rich flavors of chocolate.
- Milk + Vinegar. Any type of milk works here. It can be unsweetened almond milk or cow's milk. If you want to use buttermilk, you can, just omit the vinegar. You can also use sour cream. Add the ½ teaspoon of vinegar if you use any type of milk, except buttermilk.
- Oil. An oil without flavor, like canola, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable oil. I don't recommend coconut oil.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Brown Sugar. Light or brown dark sugar both work equally well.
- Unsalted Butter. This is for the buttercream frosting; you can use a plant-based stick, if you like. Oreos are actually vegan, so with a few swabs, you can keep this recipe vegan, if you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar.
- Heavy Cream. This makes the frosting super fluffy, but you can also use thick canned coconut milk in its place.
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. You know the ones I'm talking about!
The Directions
- Gather all ingredients, and place 4 cupcake liners in a muffin pan.
2. Dry Ingredients: whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and instant espresso powder in a bowl.
3. Wet Ingredients: in a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, oil, vanilla and brown sugar. Use a whisk to really break up all of the brown sugar.
4. Combine the wet and dry: whisk everything together just until no streaks of flour remain, but be careful not to over-mix. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners.
5. Bake the cupcakes on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Use a toothpick tester to see if they're done before removing from the oven. Let them cool completely.
6. While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting: gather the frosting ingredients, and ensure the butter is at room temperature.
7. Combine everything except the crushed Oreos in a bowl, and have an electric hand mixer ready.
8. Beat the frosting ingredients together until nice and fluffy, and don't be afraid to whip it really well to make it nice and fluffy.
9. Once the frosting is done, add the crushed cookies. Do not beat these in, stir them in by hand with a spatula gently. If the cookies are beaten in, it can turn the whole frosting grey instead of white with black specks throughout. It's your choice, though!
10. Place the frosting in a piping bag (or just spread it on with a butter knife), and frost the cupcakes. If you have leftover cookies, you can break up pieces and place them on top, if you like.
Tips for the best cookies and cream cupcakes
- Whisk together your wet and dry ingredients separately, and then add the wet to the dry. This will keep you from over-mixing the batter.
- Use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe, and make sure you slightly heap it above the measuring spoon. yes, this means you're getting more than exactly 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in the recipe, but cocoa behaves a bit like flour in a recipe, and it will be fine.
- The smaller you crush the Oreos when making the buttercream, the easier it will be to pipe it from a piping bag. If you want big chunks of Oreos in your Oreo buttercream frosting, then skip the piping bag and frost your cupcakes with an offset spatula.
Other Cupcake Recipes for You:
Red Velvet Cupcakes for Two
Tiramisu Cupcakes for Two
Wedding Cake Cupcakes (small batch)
Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes (small batch)
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
A small batch of Oreo cookies and cream cupcakes.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (slightly heaped) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk (or milk + ½ teaspoon vinegar added)
- 4 teaspoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
For the frosting:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Oreo cookies, crushed (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line 4 cups in a muffin pan with paper liners. Gather all ingredients for the cupcakes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder (if using).
- Next, in a small measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and brown sugar very well.
- Add the wet to the dry, and stir until just mixed. Divide between the cupcake liners and bake for 16-17 minutes. They're done when the tops spring back when touched (if you under-bake, they'll sink).
- Let cupcakes cool completely.
- Gather the ingredients for the frosting, and ensure the butter is at room temperature.
- In a small bowl, beat together with an electric mixer on HIGH the butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute, until very fluffy and light.
- Finally, stir in the crushed cookies by hand. Frost the cooled cupcakes with the frosting and serve.
Notes
Instant Espresso Powder: Completely optional; omit if you don't have it.
Milk + Vinegar: Yes, literally any type of milk works here. It can be unsweetened almond milk or cow's milk. If you want to use buttermilk, omit the vinegar. You can also use sour cream. Add the ½ teaspoon of vinegar if you use any type of milk, unless you use buttermilk. Buttermilk is acidic enough and does not need the extra vinegar.
Oil: An oil without flavor, like canola, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable oil. I don't recommend coconut oil.
Brown Sugar: Either light or brown dark sugar work well.
Unsalted Butter: This is for the buttercream frosting; you can use a plant-based stick, if you like.
Heavy Cream: You could use thick canned coconut milk instead of heavy cream to keep it vegan, if you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 418Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 199mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 1gSugar: 44gProtein: 3g
SaveSave
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I forgive you for depriving us of this frosting for so long because omg now we HAVE IT!! It looks so so good!
Ankita says
Can you make these gluten free instead? I've never made GF desserts and unsure how they'll turn out substituting gluten free flour product mix to the regular all purpose flour.
Christina Lane says
Hi Ankita, I have no idea, I'm sorry! I only test my recipes the way you see them written here. I'm wondering if the product cup 4 cup would work? In the meantime, I have an entire section of gluten free desserts here: https://www.dessertfortwo.com/category/gluten-free-2/
Ankita says
Thanks, Christina! I'll have to test it out! Also, no need for eggs to this recipe right? I didn't see it on the recipe and wanted to check!
Courtney says
I made these yesterday for my stepdaughter's birthday dinner. They were perfect. She is an longtime Oreo lover and the frosting was amazing. She was disappointed I didn't have more, but truly think it was the frosting she was after. I loved that it only made 4 cupcakes and how quickly they came together. Thank you for recipe it was exactly what I needed and have always looked to your site for small batch desserts.
june says
Oh you are BRILLIANT: I'm sending this recipe to all my retired widowed and single women friends. Cupcake just makes the day go better.
Do you know, everything comes in packages of 12, unless of course it's at the huge supermarkets (shall remain unnamed) where everything comes in six dozen...so what's a girl to do? Why you can freeze the other 11 says the helpful young woman at checkout. Have you SEEN the freezers in a senior's apartment, I tell her? There 8 by 11 inches, and STUFFED.
I look forward to more. I mean less.
Rosa says
Hi! These look amazing! You concentrate on desserts for two....but truth be told, I use your desserts for two to feed my family of four and it is the perfect size for us!!! That way 1) I don’t have the temptation of finishing off a “regular” batch of baked goods and 2) I can bake different things more often!! Keep up the great work with your desserts for “two”!! ????????????
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life says
I feel EXTREMELY positive about four cupcakes serving one person, ahem, I mean two people. Unless my husband asks, in which case, there were only two cupcakes m'kay?
I can't wait to make these and share them (most probably) with my beloved :)
(Also, I totally hear you on the cookies talking between 9 and 915 - why do they torture us like that!)
Monica says
I only have some of the chocolate cookie with chocolate frosting filled oreos right now, but I think we're going to make them with those anyways and just have chocolate-chocolate ones! ^_^ I bet these would be super yummy with lots of different flavors.
Monica says
Made these during our recent nor'easter. They were thoroughly enjoyed - my husband and my 12-year old especially thank you profusely! : )
Sydney says
Absolute best cookies n cream cupcakes ever I love them!!
Lily says
Adorable cupcakes. My daughter will love it.