These cookies and cream cupcakes come together with an easy vanilla cupcake batter, plenty of chopped Oreo cookies, and creamy chocolate frosting. It’s like a slice of cookies & cream cake but with chocolate on top!
Tell Me About These Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
- Flavor: Today’s cookies and cream cupcakes are a flavorful adaptation of these very vanilla cupcakes. We’re skipping the extra vanilla flavor and folding heaps of chopped Oreo cookies right into the batter. Beyond that beloved Oreo cookie flavor, the frosting choice is up to you. You can frost them with smooth and silky milk chocolate buttercream, a frosting you may recognize from these chocolate cupcakes. We also love these cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream and even chocolate peanut butter frosting.
- Texture: These cupcakes have a slightly denser and more buttery moist texture than my traditional vanilla cupcakes, which are made with creamed butter and sugar. Today’s cupcakes use melted butter which guarantees big buttery flavor and also allows us to easily mix the cupcake batter together by hand. Skip the egg yolks to ensure a fluffy crumb and don’t get nervous about crunchy cookies inside your cupcakes—the Oreo cookie pieces soften into a lovely cakey texture.
- Ease: This is a really easy cupcake recipe because the batter comes together in a flash. There’s really no crazy ingredients involved and if decorating with piping tips isn’t your thing, just use a knife to pile the frosting on top.
Overview: How to Make Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s quickly walk through it so you understand each step before getting started.
- Prepare. Preheat your oven and line the muffin pan. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so you’ll have a 2nd batch with only 3 cupcakes. Feel free to bake it all at the same time if your oven allows for that space OR bake in batches.
- Make the cupcakes. Mix your dry ingredients together first. Separately, melt butter and whisk in the sugar, and then the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients or vice versa. (Don’t matter in this recipe.)
- Bake. Fill liners 2/3 full to avoid overflowing. Bake and cool the cupcakes.
- Make the frosting. You’ll need an electric mixer for this step.
- Add the finishing touches. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes or swirl/pile on with a knife. I used Wilton round piping tip #12 for the pictured frosting and you can watch how I use this piping tip in our piping tips video. Top frosting with chopped or crumbled Oreos.
Avoid Greasy Cupcakes
I receive a lot of questions about keeping cupcake liners grease-free. My team and I have discovered that it really depends on the recipe. If the cupcake batter is filled with fat like oil or butter, grease could penetrate into the liners as the baked cupcakes cool. Greasy cupcakes are quite messy to eat and serve! Today’s cookies and cream cupcakes recipe calls for ½ cup of butter per 15 cupcakes and, while they’re certainly moist, they aren’t dripping with grease.
But we have another secret: we often use greaseproof liners. When shopping for cupcake liners, look for “greaseproof” on the package.
If You Love Oreos, You’ll Enjoy These Oreo Dessert Recipes:
- Cookies & Cream Pie with an Oreo Cookie Crust!
- Chocolate Mousse Pie
- Cookies & Cream Cookies
- Cake Batter Oreo Cookies
- Cookies & Cream Brownies
Cookies ‘n’ Cream Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 15 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Fluffy and easy vanilla cupcakes stuffed with crushed Oreos and topped with a creamy milk chocolate frosting. If you love chocolate, you have to try these. So unbelievably delicious!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 and 2/3 cups (209g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup (60g) vanilla Greek yogurt*
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups chopped Oreos (about 12 Oreos, or 135g)
Milk Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream*
- optional: 4–5 crumbled Oreos
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners. This recipe yields about 15 cupcakes, so you’ll have a 2nd batch with only 3. Set aside.
- To make the cupcakes: In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the granulated sugar. Mixture will be thick. Vigorously whisk in the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla until combined and uniform in texture. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Gently fold in the Oreos.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 10 minutes if making mini cupcakes. Allow to cool.
- Make the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy – about 2 minutes. This creates a creamy base for the frosting. Turn speed to LOW and slowly add 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, the cocoa powder, and salt. Beat until sugar/cocoa are absorbed into the butter, about 2 minutes. Turn mixer to medium speed and add the vanilla and cream. Once added, turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Add the last 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar if you’d like to increase the frosting’s thickness. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Top with Oreo crumbles.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Icing Spatula
- Yogurt: You can also use plain Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, or sour cream.
- Milk: You can also use soy milk or almond milk.
- Frosting: I strongly urge readers to use heavy cream. You may use milk or half-and-half, but heavy cream will give the frosting a thicker texture. I recommend it.
- Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking the BEST cupcakes before you begin!