I just made the most ridiculous Oreo Cupcake Recipes mashup, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with cookies and cream buttercream and a glossy chocolate ganache drip that should be illegal.
I’m obsessed with these Cookies & Cream Cupcakes because they hit the exact spot when I want loud chocolate and crunchy Oreo chaos. The cake is dark and fudgy from 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted and the buttercream is studded with 12 to 16 Oreos, coarsely chopped to fold into buttercream and for garnish.
I love the contrast of silky chocolate ganache and gritty cookie bits. Don’t need fancy plating.
These belong on lists for Oreo Cupcake Recipes and in any round-up of Cookies And Cream Chocolate. Messy, loud, and totally worth it.
I never regret seconds.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: the cupcake backbone, gives structure so it holds all the mix-ins.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: rich chocolate punch, makes it deep and slightly bitter.
- Baking soda: helps them rise quick and gives a tender crumb.
- Baking powder: extra lift so cupcakes aren’t dense or gummy.
- Fine salt: balances sweetness, makes chocolate taste sharper and real.
- Granulated sugar: sweetness and moisture, helps crust form on top.
- Eggs: bind everything together and give a bit of protein and bounce.
- Vegetable oil: keeps cupcakes moist for days, no drying out.
- Buttermilk: adds tang and tender crumb, it’s what keeps them soft.
- Hot coffee or water: wakes up the cocoa, makes chocolate really pop.
- Vanilla extract: warmth and background flavor, it rounds things out.
- Crushed Oreos for batter: bits of crunch and surprise in each bite.
- Unsalted butter for buttercream: creamy base that whips light and smooth.
- Powdered sugar for buttercream: sweetness and structure for pipeable frosting.
- Heavy cream for buttercream: loosens frosting, makes it silky and spreadable.
- Vanilla for buttercream: subtle depth so frosting isn’t just sugar.
- Coarsely chopped Oreos for buttercream: chewy chunks, adds texture and cookie flavor.
- Semi sweet chocolate for ganache: glossy coating and extra chocolate intensity.
- Heavy cream for ganache: melts chocolate into a silky pourable glaze.
- Butter or light corn syrup for ganache: makes the shine and smooth pour.
- Whole or halved Oreos for topping: cute garnish and more crunch, because why not.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot strong brewed coffee or hot water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 to 16 Oreos, finely crushed for batter (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened, for buttercream
- 3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for buttercream
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream plus more if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for buttercream
- 12 to 16 Oreos, coarsely chopped to fold into buttercream and for garnish
- 4 oz (115 g) semi sweet chocolate or chocolate chips for ganache
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream for ganache
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter or light corn syrup for glossy ganache finish, optional
- extra whole or halved Oreos for topping, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and set aside. In a bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sifted cocoa, 1 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt.
2. In a large bowl beat 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 2 room temperature eggs until pale and slightly fluffy, then mix in 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 tsp vanilla. Alternate adding the dry mixture and 1 cup room temp buttermilk in 2 or 3 additions, mixing just until combined.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup hot strong coffee or hot water to loosen the batter, then fold in 12 to 16 Oreos finely crushed (about 1 cup) so you still have little cookie specks. The batter will be thin, that is normal.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. For buttercream, beat 1 cup (225 g) softened unsalted butter until creamy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar to start, then 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp vanilla and beat on medium. Add remaining powdered sugar to reach desired stiffness, adding more cream if needed. Taste and adjust sweetness.
6. Fold in 12 to 16 Oreos coarsely chopped so you get chunks of cookie throughout the frosting. Don’t overmix or the buttercream can go too soft.
7. Make ganache by heating 1/3 cup heavy cream until just simmering, pour over 4 oz semi sweet chocolate or chips in a bowl. Let sit 1 minute then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp unsalted butter or light corn syrup if you want a glossy finish. Let cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.
8. Pipe or spread cookies and cream buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. If you want a filled center, cut a small cone from cupcakes and fill with extra chopped Oreos before frosting.
9. Drizzle ganache over frosted cupcakes, let it set a few minutes. Top with extra whole or halved Oreos if desired. Store loosely covered at room temp for a day or in the fridge for longer; bring back to room temp before serving.
Equipment Needed
1. Oven and 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners — preheat and bake the cupcakes (liners help release them easy).
2. Large and medium mixing bowls for dry and wet ingredients, plus a small bowl for ganache.
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer for the batter and buttercream (you can use a whisk but it takes longer).
4. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you like accuracy.
5. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding and scraping bowls.
6. Sieve or fine mesh strainer to sift cocoa and powdered sugar.
7. Wire cooling rack and a small offset spatula or knife for removing and spreading frosting.
8. Piping bag with a tip (or a zip bag with a corner snipped) and a microwave safe bowl or small saucepan to heat cream for ganache.
FAQ
Cookies & Cream Cupcakes Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- All purpose flour: Substitute with equal parts cake flour for a lighter crumb, or use a 1:1 gluten free baking blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum) if you need it gluten free.
- Buttermilk: Use 1 cup plain yogurt thinned with 2 to 3 tbsp milk, or make “sour milk” by adding 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup milk and letting it sit 5 minutes. Either works fine.
- Vegetable oil: Swap for an equal amount of melted unsalted butter for richer flavor, or use light olive oil or canola if you want a neutral taste.
- Unsalted butter (for buttercream): Replace with equal amount of vegetable shortening for a stiffer, less buttery frosting that holds shape better, or do half butter/half cream cheese for a tangy creamier finish.
Pro Tips
1. Use room temp eggs and buttermilk, seriously. Cold eggs make the batter seize up and you’ll end up overmixing to fix it, which makes cupcakes tough. If you forgot to take them out, put eggs in warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes, and swirl the buttermilk in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
2. Don’t skimp on the hot coffee or water, it wakes up the cocoa and makes the cakes taste deeper and less dry. The batter will be thin, that is normal, don’t add extra flour. If it seems way too loose, let the filled liners rest 10 minutes before baking so flour hydrates a bit.
3. When folding in crushed Oreos and later the chunks for the frosting, be gentle. Overmixing the batter or the buttercream smashes the cookies and turns everything gray and gummy. Use a rubber spatula, fold 6 to 8 times, stop when you still see little cookie specks.
4. For shiny, pourable ganache chill it a bit after mixing, then stir gently before pouring. If it firms up too much, warm the bowl briefly over a pot of simmering water, stir, then pour. And if your buttercream gets too soft from the ganache contact, pop the frosted cupcakes in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to set then finish piping any details.
Cookies & Cream Cupcakes Recipe
I just made the most ridiculous Oreo Cupcake Recipes mashup, moist chocolate cupcakes topped with cookies and cream buttercream and a glossy chocolate ganache drip that should be illegal.
12
servings
746
kcal
Equipment: 1. Oven and 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners — preheat and bake the cupcakes (liners help release them easy).
2. Large and medium mixing bowls for dry and wet ingredients, plus a small bowl for ganache.
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer for the batter and buttercream (you can use a whisk but it takes longer).
4. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you like accuracy.
5. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding and scraping bowls.
6. Sieve or fine mesh strainer to sift cocoa and powdered sugar.
7. Wire cooling rack and a small offset spatula or knife for removing and spreading frosting.
8. Piping bag with a tip (or a zip bag with a corner snipped) and a microwave safe bowl or small saucepan to heat cream for ganache.
Ingredients
-
1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
-
3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
-
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
-
1 tsp baking powder
-
1/2 tsp fine salt
-
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
-
2 large eggs, room temperature
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
-
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) hot strong brewed coffee or hot water
-
2 tsp vanilla extract
-
12 to 16 Oreos, finely crushed for batter (about 1 cup)
-
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened, for buttercream
-
3 to 4 cups (360 to 480 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for buttercream
-
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream plus more if needed
-
1 tsp vanilla extract for buttercream
-
12 to 16 Oreos, coarsely chopped to fold into buttercream and for garnish
-
4 oz (115 g) semi sweet chocolate or chocolate chips for ganache
-
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream for ganache
-
1 tbsp unsalted butter or light corn syrup for glossy ganache finish, optional
-
extra whole or halved Oreos for topping, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners and set aside. In a bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sifted cocoa, 1 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp fine salt.
- In a large bowl beat 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with 2 room temperature eggs until pale and slightly fluffy, then mix in 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 2 tsp vanilla. Alternate adding the dry mixture and 1 cup room temp buttermilk in 2 or 3 additions, mixing just until combined.
- Stir in 1/2 cup hot strong coffee or hot water to loosen the batter, then fold in 12 to 16 Oreos finely crushed (about 1 cup) so you still have little cookie specks. The batter will be thin, that is normal.
- Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For buttercream, beat 1 cup (225 g) softened unsalted butter until creamy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar to start, then 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp vanilla and beat on medium. Add remaining powdered sugar to reach desired stiffness, adding more cream if needed. Taste and adjust sweetness.
- Fold in 12 to 16 Oreos coarsely chopped so you get chunks of cookie throughout the frosting. Don't overmix or the buttercream can go too soft.
- Make ganache by heating 1/3 cup heavy cream until just simmering, pour over 4 oz semi sweet chocolate or chips in a bowl. Let sit 1 minute then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp unsalted butter or light corn syrup if you want a glossy finish. Let cool until slightly thickened but still pourable.
- Pipe or spread cookies and cream buttercream onto cooled cupcakes. If you want a filled center, cut a small cone from cupcakes and fill with extra chopped Oreos before frosting.
- Drizzle ganache over frosted cupcakes, let it set a few minutes. Top with extra whole or halved Oreos if desired. Store loosely covered at room temp for a day or in the fridge for longer; bring back to room temp before serving.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 181g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 746kcal
- Fat: 39.6g
- Saturated Fat: 18.8g
- Trans Fat: 1.5g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.3g
- Monounsaturated: 8.8g
- Cholesterol: 93.8mg
- Sodium: 284mg
- Potassium: 190mg
- Carbohydrates: 92.3g
- Fiber: 4.8g
- Sugar: 69.8g
- Protein: 6.5g
- Vitamin A: 500IU
- Vitamin C: 1mg
- Calcium: 93mg
- Iron: 1.8mg
