Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Name: Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 2½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; ¾ cup butter; 2 cups sugar; 2 eggs; 2 tablespoons vanilla extract; 1¼ cups milk; ¾ cup flour; 1 cup butter; 2 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon molasses; ½ cup mini chocolate chips; 2 tablespoons water; 1 teaspoon gelatin; 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream; 1¼ cups powdered sugar

Take an easy vanilla cupcake recipe and stuff them with yummy cookie dough and top with creamy frosting and mini chocolate chip cookies to make this rich treat.

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Table of Contents

Cookie Dough Cupcakes Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Cookie Dough Cupcakes Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
Why We Love This Recipe
More Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE
Even More Recipes You’ll Love

Our chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes are buttery vanilla cupcakes stuffed with unbelievably delicious, edible chocolate chip cookie dough! These rich cupcakes look impressive but take just under 40 minutes to make, and leave you with a unique dessert the kids will love.

close up shot of cookie dough cupcakes topped with whipped cream frosting and a mini chocolate chip cookie

Cookie Dough Cupcakes raw ingredients that are labeled

These treats feature moist cupcakes with cookie dough filling inside each cupcake, providing a creamy contrast with hints of molasses and bursts of mini chocolate chips.

Topped with a light and sweet whipped cream frosting, they strike a perfect balance of flavors and textures, making them an excellent dessert idea.

You’ll need:

For The Vanilla Cupcakes:

2½ cups of all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
¾ cup of butter
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1¼ cups of milk

For The Cookie Dough Filling:

¾ cup of flour
1 cup of butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of molasses
½ cup of mini chocolate chips

PRO TIP:

You can also use this edible cookie dough recipe. It makes a little bit of a thicker dough!

For The Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of gelatin
2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups of powdered sugar

Substitutions And Additions

HEAVY CREAM: Combine milk and butter for an easy heavy cream substitute.

Mix a quarter cup of melted butter and three-quarters of a cup of milk to make one cup of heavy cream.

VANILLA EXTRACT: Use maple syrup for a great vanilla extract substitute. Use a 1:1 ratio for this.

SPRINKLES: Decorate your frosting with sprinkles. It’ll add a little bit of extra sweetness and color!

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS: While mini chocolate chips are a classic choice, feel free to experiment with other mix-ins like crushed nuts, toffee bits, or dried fruit.

These additions can provide delightful textures and flavors, allowing you to tailor your cupcakes to your liking.

Once you make these tasty cupcakes, you will fill them with your homemade cookie dough and top them with yummy frosting.

For The Vanilla Cupcakes:

STEP ONE: Grab a medium mixing bowl and sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, cream together the butter and white sugar.

butter and sugar blended together in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add one egg at a time and mix it until it’s smooth.

eggs blended into the cream cheese mixture in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Mix in the vanilla extract.

vanilla added to the cream cheese mixture in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar, alternating with the milk. Mix well.

STEP SIX: When it’s combined, scoop the cupcake batter into jumbo muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.

cupcake batter scooped into the cupcake tin

STEP SEVEN: Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

cupcakes after being baked in a muffin tin

STEP EIGHT: While the cupcakes are baking, make the edible cookie dough and frosting.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

To assemble your cupcake, take a knife or cupcake corer and cut out the center of each cupcake. You will fill it with the edible cookie dough.

holes cut out the middle of the cupcakes

For The Cookie Dough Filling

STEP ONE: In order to kill any possible strains of e.coli that may be present in the uncooked flour, it is recommended that the flour be “heat-treated”.

To do this, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, evenly spread the two cups of flour over the parchment paper, and bake at 300°F for five to seven minutes.

PRO TIP:

If you wanted to heat treat additional flour for another recipe, you can do it all at once and store the extra in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.

STEP TWO: Keep a close eye on the flour, making sure it does not burn. Remove the flour from the oven and allow it to cool completely before using it in this recipe.

STEP THREE: Whip together the butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and molasses until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about two minutes.

STEP FOUR: Stir in the chocolate chips and transfer the cookie dough to a piping bag with a large tip so that the chocolate chips don’t clog the opening.

chocolate chips stirred into the cupcake filling batter

STEP FIVE: Fill the center of each cupcake with the cookie dough mixture.

cupcake filled with the cookie dough mixture

For the Whipped Cream Frosting

STEP ONE: In a small bowl, add two tablespoons of water and sprinkle one teaspoon of gelatin together. Use a whisk to combine.

STEP TWO: Let this sit for one minute and place the bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds.

STEP THREE: Remove from the microwave and then whisk, making sure the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Then, slowly whisk in two tablespoons of the whipping cream to the gelatin.

whipping cream whisked into the gelatin in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Put the whisk attachment on your stand mixer and add in the powdered sugar, the rest of the whipping cream, and vanilla.

Whip the ingredients on high until the cream starts to thicken. Then, slowly drizzle in the gelatin and continue whipping it until stiff peaks form.

powdered sugar, whipping cream, vanilla, and gelatin blended together in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag, then add the whipped cream frosting to the top of each cupcake.

Add sprinkles and top, along with a mini chocolate chip cookie.

PRO TIP:

To make the mini cookies, scoop cookie dough into 1-inch balls and divide each ball in half. I used a standard size cookie scoop to scoop the raw cookie dough and then divided it in half.

Roll into cookie dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

cupcake frosted with whipping cream frosting

How To Serve

Cookie dough fans will love this perfect cupcake.

It’s so much fun to serve at a birthday party, especially when your guests don’t expect to bite into the cookie dough center.

Add a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for an extra fun dessert.

A warm mug of hot cocoa complements the sweetness of the cupcakes and adds a cozy touch.

If you were looking for some other cookie cupcakes to bake, we recommend our cookie monster cupcakes!

Our cookie dough dip is another favorite recipe!

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Storage

Here are some handy tips for storing and enjoying your cupcakes even beyond the day you bake them.

MAKE AHEAD: If you want to get a head start on your baking, you can prepare the cupcakes in advance.

Bake the cupcakes as per the recipe and let them cool completely. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

You can also freeze the cupcakes (without frosting) for up to a month and frost them when you’re ready to enjoy.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store your cupcakes in the fridge for four to five days using an airtight container.

Edible chocolate chip cookie dough can’t sit out on the counter, so make sure these get into the fridge right away!

IN THE FREEZER: For the best results, freeze the unfrosted cupcakes and frost them when you are ready to serve.

overhead shot of cookie dough cupcakes topped with whipped cream frosting on a plate

Why We Love This Recipe

IRRESISTIBLE FLAVOR FUSION: These cupcakes combine the classic goodness of vanilla with the taste of cookie dough.

SURPRISE COOKIE DOUGH CENTER: The hidden cookie dough filling inside each cupcake adds an element of surprise and delight, making each bite an adventure.

MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZER-FRIENDLY: The recipe allows for convenient make-ahead preparation and freezing, ensuring that you can enjoy these cupcakes whenever your cravings strike.

We know you’re going to love these cookie dough cupcakes! Homemade vanilla cupcakes are the perfect sweet treat – fill them with edible cookie dough, and you’ve made something that’s out of this world!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is heat treating?

Since flour is considered a raw ingredient, the process of heat treating is done to the raw flour to ensure that there are not any bad bacteria in the flour if it is not being baked as part of the recipe.

How do I achieve moist cupcakes?

To ensure your cupcakes are moist, make sure not to overbake them. Storing them in an airtight container will also ensure they maintain their moisture.

Can I freeze cookie dough?

You can freeze any leftover cookie dough stored in an airtight container for up to three months.

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5 from 4 votes

Take an easy vanilla cupcake recipe and stuff them with yummy cookie dough and top with creamy frosting and mini chocolate chip cookies to make this rich treat.

Prep Time 22

Cook Time 25

Total Time 47

Servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

Ingredients

Vanilla Cupcakes

2½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk

Cookie Dough Filling

¾ cup flour
1 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon molasses
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Whipped Cream Frosting

2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon gelatin
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Vanilla Cupcakes

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then set it aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add in 1 egg at a time and mix it until it’s smooth.
Mix in the vanilla.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar, alternating with the milk. Mix well.
When it’s combined, scoop the mixture into jumbo muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.
Bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Once cool, take a knife or cupcake corer and cut out the center of each cupcake. You will fill it with the edible cookie dough.
While the cupcakes are baking, make the edible cookie dough and frosting.

Cookie Dough Filling

In order to kill any possible strains of e.coli that may be present in the uncooked flour, it is recommended that the flour be “heat-treated”. To do this, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, evenly spread the 2 cups of flour over the parchment paper, and bake at 300°F for 5 to 7 minutes.
Keep a close eye on the flour, making sure it does not burn. Remove the flour from the oven and allow it to completely cool before using it in this recipe.
Whip together the butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and molasses until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chocolate chips then transfer the mixture to a piping bag.
Fill the center of each cupcake with the cookie dough mixture.

Whipped Cream Frosting

In a small mixing bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of gelatin together. Use a whisk to combine. Let this sit for 1 minute and place it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Remove the whisk, making sure the gelatin is completely dissolved. Then, slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream to the gelatin.
Put the whisk attachment on your stand mixer then add in the powdered sugar, the rest of the whipping cream, and vanilla. Whip the ingredients on high until the cream starts to thicken.
Slowly drizzle in the gelatin and continue whipping it until stiff peaks form.
Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag.
Add the whipped cream frosting to the top of each cupcake.

Video

Notes

You can also use this edible cookie dough recipe. It makes a little bit of a thicker dough!
To assemble your cupcake, take a knife or cupcake corer and cut out the center of each cupcake. You will fill it with the edible cookie dough.
If you wanted to heat treat additional flour for another recipe, you can do it all at once and store the extra in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.
To make the mini cookies, scoop cookie dough into 1-inch balls and divide each ball in half. I used a standard size cookie scoop to scoop the raw cookie dough and then divided it in half. Roll into cookie dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Sian Cox Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Teresia Shrum Recipe Developer

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Substitutions And Additions

How To Serve

Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Coconut Cupcakes

Storage

Why We Love This Recipe