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Cookies and Cream Oreo Cupcakes are moist vanilla cupcakes filled with crumbled Oreo cookies and topped with swirls of the best Oreo buttercream frosting. These homemade cupcakes are easy to make and perfect for birthdays!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Oreo Cupcakes With Cookies and Cream Frosting
- Why You’ll Love This Cupcake Recipe
- Key Ingredients for Oreo Cupcakes
- How to Make Oreo Cupcakes
- Make the Oreo Frosting
- Recipe Tips
- How to Decorate Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Can I Freeze Oreo Cupcakes?
- Get the Recipe
- More Easy Cupcake Recipes
I always have at least a few bags of Oreos in my pantry at any given time, whether it’s for baking or satisfying my husband’s cravings (the man loves Oreos!). I love having my favorite ingredients handy whenever inspiration strikes. Exhibit A: These incredible, moist, fluffy, irresistible cookies and cream Oreo cupcakes.
These are moist vanilla cupcakes stuffed with chocolatey Oreo cookies. Full stop. Yet SO GOOD. I include the recipe for my favorite Oreo Frosting that I swirled over the cupcakes once they cooled off. It’s a match made in dessert heaven! Cookies and cream never tasted so good.
Why You’ll Love This Cupcake Recipe
These easy cupcakes are perfect for any Oreo lover’s birthday or your holiday dessert menu. They’re also firmly kid-approved! Here are more reasons to love them:
- Simple ingredients. You likely have everything you need to make these cupcakes in your pantry already! And if you’re an Oreo lover like me, chances are you have a bag or two of those, too.
- Ready in 30 minutes. These cupcakes are ready in just 30 minutes, then all that’s left is to cool and frost them.
- Easy to customize. Decorate your cookies and cream cupcakes any way you’d like! Change up the frosting, use your favorite sprinkles, and more. I include some fun decorating ideas later on.
Key Ingredients for Oreo Cupcakes
This recipe borrows the cake batter from my Moist Vanilla Cake and adds a few key ingredients for the ultimate Oreo cupcakes. I include some quick notes below. Remember to refer to the recipe card below the post for the full recipe details.
For the Cupcakes
- Oil – Using vegetable oil in place of butter yields an ultra-tender cake crumb.
- Vanilla – Real vanilla extract deepens the flavors.
- Sour Cream – My secret for super-moist cakes and cupcakes. Sour cream adds unbelievable moisture to the cake crumb without impacting the flavor. If you don’t have it, plain Greek yogurt will also work.
- Milk – I use non-fat milk in this recipe, but you can also use whole milk or 2%.
- Oreos – You’ll need about 15-18 Oreo cookies for the cake, and an additional 12 or so Oreos to use when making your frosting. A standard pack with 36 cookies should be enough for the recipe itself. If you’d like to garnish your cupcakes with whole Oreos (as pictured), go ahead and pick up a second pack.
For the Frosting
- Butter – My buttercream recipes always begin with cold unsalted butter. Make sure that it’s chilled from the fridge, as the extra whipping it takes to soften the butter will yield an ultra-light, silky frosting. Feel free to cube the cold butter so that it’s easier to whip.
- Powdered Sugar – The base of this frosting. You might also know it as confectioner’s sugar.
- Heavy Cream – Make sure to use full-fat heavy whipping cream for the creamiest frosting. You can also use milk, though the texture won’t be quite as luxurious.
How to Make Oreo Cupcakes
Set your oven to preheat to 350ºF while you line the wells of a cupcake pan with liners.
First, mix the cupcake batter. Cream the sugar together with oil, eggs, and vanilla. Afterward, beat in the sour cream. Then, whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry mixture to the batter, alternating with milk until combined.
Add Oreos. Next, crush up the Oreos using a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin and fold the pieces into the cupcake batter.
Fill the pan. Divide the batter between the liners in your cupcake pan. A large cookie scoop works great for this!
Bake. Bake your Oreo cupcakes at 350ºF for 18-22 minutes. Once they’re out of the oven, leave the cupcakes to cool completely before you frost them.
Make the Oreo Frosting
The Oreo frosting for these cupcakes is a cookie-filled spin-off of my Perfect Vanilla Frosting that’s also rich, creamy, and pipeable. While the Oreos in the cupcake can be chunky, the Oreos in the frosting are crushed fine so that the frosting will pipe smoothly.
- Beat the butter. Cut your cold butter into cubes and add it to the bowl of your stand mixer. Then, whip the butter for a few minutes until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Combine. A little at a time, beat in the powdered sugar, whipping in between each addition. Next, beat in the Oreo cookie crumbs along with the heavy cream, and vanilla. Once the crumbs are incorporated, give the frosting one last whip on high for another minute.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t crush up the Oreos too finely for the batter. This gives more variety in the cupcakes’ texture. It’s OK if there are larger chunks in the cupcakes, just not in the frosting.
- Use a food processor to pulse the Oreos for the frosting. This ensures a fine crumb. However, if you don’t have one, you can also use the plastic bag and rolling pin method (in this case, I usually let my kids go at it!)
- Try not to overfill the pan. Your cupcakes may end up with an odd-shaped dome due to the chunks of cookies in the batter. Aim to fill your cupcake liners no more than 2/3 of the way full.
- Take time when beating the frosting. My Oreo frosting recipe calls for some extra time beating the butter so that it gets thoroughly whipped. Trust me, it’s worth the small effort! The buttercream comes out ultra-smooth and makes piping the cupcakes so much easier.
- No piping bag? No worries! Use a Ziploc bag or sandwich bag with the corner snipped off. You can even fit it with a piping tip if you have one. Alternatively, you can use the same large cookie scoop to dollop a scoop of frosting on top.
- Make this recipe as a cake. If you love the flavors of these Oreo cupcakes but would prefer a cake instead, try my Oreo Cookies and Cream Cake recipe.
Once your cupcakes are cooled and your frosting is whipped and ready, it’s time to decorate! I use a piping bag with a large closed star tip to pipe big, beautiful Oreo frosting swirls on top of my cookies and cream cupcakes. See my tutorials on How to Use a Piping Bag and How to Use Piping Tips for loads of helpful piping tricks.
In place of Oreo frosting, you can even top your cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or Peanut Butter Frosting. If you’d prefer a less sweet frosting, try my recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
When it comes to garnishing, I top these homemade cupcakes with a whole Oreo cookie stuck into the frosting (I mean, can you ever have enough Oreos?). Another option is to sprinkle over chopped Oreos, and you can really top these homemade cupcakes with anything you’d like. Try shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
The frosted Oreo cupcakes can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 1-2 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you keep your cupcakes in the fridge, take them out and let them come to room temperature again before serving.
If you have leftover frosting, you can also store this airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months. It’s perfect to make ahead in case you’d like to freeze your baked cupcakes, see below. Once refrigerated (or frozen), the buttercream should be brought to room temperature and re-whipped in the mixer for several minutes.
Can I Freeze Oreo Cupcakes?
Yes, though I usually recommend freezing cupcakes before they’re frosted. The unfrosted cookies and cream cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store them airtight and thaw the cupcakes fully before you frost and serve them.
Print
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 26-28 cupcakes
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Cookies and Cream Oreo Cupcakes are moist vanilla cupcakes filled with crumbled Oreo cookies and swirled with fluffy homemade cookies and cream frosting. They’re the perfect party dessert!
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup(118 ml) light sour cream
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) milk (I use nonfat)
- 2 cups crushed Oreos (about 15–18 Oreos)
For the frosting:
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, cold
- 6 cups (780g) powdered sugar
- 12 Oreos, crushed
- 1–2 tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 24–26 Oreos for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk; mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- In a large Ziploc bag, crushed the Oreos into small pieces using a rolling pin or something similar. Fold the crushed Oreos into the cupcake batter.
- Using a large cookie scoop, divide the batter evenly, filling each liner 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes. Test the cupcakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes are done. Cool Completely.
For the frosting:
- Cut the butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat the butter until it looks lighter in color.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, mixing on low speed until it’s incorporated into the butter. Then increase the speed to high and beat for 30-60 seconds. Repeat until all your powdered sugar has been added.
- In a food processor, grind the Oreos into a fine crumb. Add the crushed Oreos to the frosting along with the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Slowly beat the crumbs into the frosting then beat at a high speed for 60 seconds.
- In a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and garnish with more Oreo cookies. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- You will need 2 packages of Oreos for this recipe (14.3 oz size)
- The Oreos in the cupcakes are roughly chopped. The Oreos in the filling should be fine crumbs if you want to pipe the frosting.
- Category: Cupcake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookies and cream cupcake recipe, oreo cupcakes, oreo frosting
Where did you get your cupcake liners?
These are from Sweet & Treats, they are grease-proof liners so they retain the color after baking
Can I just use a regular mixer for the frosting??
What do you mean a regular mixer?
My batter is kinda watery and I followed the recipe to the T. Should I add extra ingredients?
That sounds correct, it’s a very thin batter
These cupcakes were absolutely amazing and delicious. However i didn’t have much luck with the texture of the frosting. The frosting wasn’t soft and fluffy like buttercream; it was a little more firm even after sitting on the counter for a bit, sort of like the texture of Oreo filling. The 2nd time i made these, i only use the Oreo cookie in the frosting without the filling and it was PERFECT!!
★★★★
Hi Lauren, thank you so much for sharing! To get a softer and fluffy frosting, also try whipping the butter for long in the beginning, and while you’re adding the powdered sugar. You can also add another tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.
Hi! I’d love to try this! How would I cut it in half
For the cupcakes, you would use 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk
Hi, do I crush Oreos including their filling? Thank you.
Yes! The filling included!
Should the butter be cold or room temp?
Cold from the refridgerator.
These are amazing. They are one of my regular recipes and people love them every time! I usually add extra Oreos because why not? They are delicious and nice and moist. I will never make another Oreo cupcake recipe ever again.
★★★★★
Oh Abby that is SO awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this!
The BEST cake ever!!! Have searched so long for a white cake texture like this! Thank you!
Thank you so much Connie!
Extremely delicious!!! Everyone was loving them! Had lots of compliments on these cupcakes and the amazing frosting.
Thank you so much Syd!! I am so glad to hear that!
Made these cupcakes. Absolutely delicious! You have to make them. The oreos in thrbatter are delicious. It is such a moist cake batter too my kids weren’t crazy for them. Only thing I would suggest is to wait to you serve them to add the oreo on the top. I put the oreos on them in the morning and when I serve them at night the oreo got all soggy. Still delicious bec oreos are just always good but if you wants fresh oreo bite then wait to you serve them. Can’t wait to make these again!
★★★★★
Hi Lisa- thank you so so much for sharing your feedback! I am so glad you loved them!
Can you freeze these with icing on
Hi Tammy- you should be able to. I have not tried it myself.
Hi! I loved this recipe but, I was wondering if I could use it for a cake recipe?
★★★★★
Hi! Im excited to make this and I am just wondering, since that is a lot of cupcakes for one recipe to make a batch of 12 do I divide the recipe in half? And to make a batch of 6 do I divided it by 4? Thanks!
Hi Liz, yes you can divide this in half, using 2 eggs and 2/3 cups milk for 12 cupcakes. Cutting it again would be more difficult.
By approximately how much should I reduce the recipe for mini cupcakes?
Thank you!
that depends on how many you’re trying to make, but half a recipe should make at least 24
Hello, am I able to freeze the batter if I don’t want to make all the cupcakes at once?
Hi Sierra, I’ve never froze cupcake batter before. You can however freeze the baked cupcakes.
I cant wait to make these. do these need to be stored in refrigeration? or can they be in an air tight container on the counter? I plan to make these and bring them to a party and want to make sure they stay well in the car ride. thank you!
In an airtight container!
Hi, I made these yesterday and the frosting was amazing. However the cupcakes were not very sweet and tasted alot like flour. Would you have any idea where I went wrong? I want to try again today. Thanks
Hi Candi- it’s possible you over measured the flour. Did you make any ingredient substitutions?
Does the butter in this recipe need to be softened? I’m making them today.
It does not, my frosting recipe use cold butter whipping the butter prior to adding any powdered sugar. Or you can microwave it for 10 seconds just to start to soften but make sure it is not too soft!
Thanks for answering so quickly, my butter was partly softened and worked well! I made this recipe with full fat sour cream and 2% milk but left everything else as is. Absolutely delicious!
Glad to hear that Sheri!
Hi, can I substitute the sour cream in this recipe for yoghurt? Sour cream isn’t readily available in my country.
Yes, Greek Yogurt is best but any yogurt should work
I made these and they turned out great, but just a little too on the sweet side! Am I able to reduce the amount of granulated sugar in them without changing the consistency of the cupcakes to reduce some of the sweetness?
I have not tested this recipe with reduced sugar. This is based off my vanilla cake recipe which some people have reduced the sugar- but I still prefer the recipe as written. It will change the consistency a bit, but you’ll have to try it to see if you like it.
I JUST made these. I won’t frost them until tomorrow, but I wanted to tell anyone who is on the fence to get off and make these! They are that good! I used full fat sour cream and 2% milk because that’s what I had. (My husband prefers the vanilla Oreos so I made 1/3 batch with that kind.)
Thank you so much for sharing! I love the vanilla Oreos too!
How can I make this into chocolate oroe cupcake?
Swap out the vanilla cupcake for my Moist Chocolate Cupcakes.
Why use sour cream?
It helps keep the cupcakes Moist
Can i freeze them?
If you need to freeze them, I suggest to freeze them unfrosted. Thaw completely before frosting.
I can’t wait to make it would normal sour cream work with it?
★★★★
Yes it will!
Can these I freeze these and then defrost and ice them at a later date?
I usually don’t freeze frosted cupcakes. You could probably freeze just the cupcake itself, unfrosted.
Hi, do you have the measurements in grams than in cups?
Hi Heather, I am working on adding them to my recipes, in the meantime, this is what I use this website to convert measurements.
Will it be same measurement if i substitute the sour cream to greek yogurt?
★★★★★
Yes! It’s one to one!
I have made this recipe twice now and both times the cupcakes came out to perfection!!! I used milk in the frosting because I didn’t have any cream, and it worked well. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe!!!!!
★★★★★
Awesome Steffany! I am so glad you enjoyed!
Hi! What milk did you use?
Usually nonfat because that’s what I drink.
Can I use this recipe and just make a cake with it? Or do I need to adjust anything to make it a cake? Itll be about a 9×10 cake. It’s a mold I am using. Thank you!
Hi Krissy! yes you can! It can be done as a 9×13 inch or as a layer cake. Here is an example of the Cookies and Cream poke cake and the Cookies and Cream layer cake
Substitute for sour cream?
Nonfat greek yogurt
This is by far the BEST cookies n cream cupcake recipe! I made them just for fun and brought them to work. All my coworkers were over the moon saying they were the best cupcakes they ever had!!! Perfect combination with the cupcake and icing, not too sweet. Will be making these for my family at Easter.
★★★★★
Thank you so so much Jessica!!
These are the best cupcakes in the world. Thank you for the recipe!!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome! Thank you for leaving a comment, I am so glad you loved them!
We had a roller coaster getting these made for my niece’s birthday. The kind owner of this food blog not only understood my frustration when the recipe disappeared while we were in the middle of mixing it, she took the time and emailed me the recipe! It was perfectly timed! my niece loved helping me make these and they were the hit of the party! Thank you so much for your time to help make my now 11yr old niece’s birthday!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome! Happy to help and sorry again for the headache with the website. I am so glad to hear your niece’s birthday still has these cupcakes!
Hello, can I use it for a normal cake not cupcakes?
Hi Lamisa, yes you can! I have a Cookies and Cream layer cake and also a Cookies and Cream poke cake which will each give you the recipe you need for a 3 layer 8-inch cake or for a 9×13″ cake. The recipe is the same, just the baking time is different.
Hi! Super excited to make these for my husband’s birthday party this weekend. How long do these stay good? So he doesn’t see them, I was planning on making them tomorrow (Wednesday), do you think they’d be good in an airtight container until Saturday? I wouldn’t frost them until Friday. Thanks!
Hi Laura, for the best results, these should be eaten within 2-3 days. So if you can hold off until Thursday, then they should still be okay on Saturday. Happy birthday to your husband!
This recipe tastes primarily of sugar. Not really much Oreo flavor at all. Definitely not worth making again.
★
Thanks for sharing Amanda, I suppose these aren’t for everyone.
These are delicious!! I made them for my sons birthday and everyone LOVED them. Some of my family even asked for your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
That’s awesome Rubi!! Thank you for sharing!
Can I make a cake out of this?
Yes! I have a Cookies and Cream Poke Cake and also a Cookies and Cream Layer Cake
I made this recipe today! It is so good and the textures of both cupcake and frosting are perfect!
★★★★
Awesome Alexa, thank you SO much!
If I only have regular sour cream, do you think it will still be fine without using light?
Thanks for your time.
How well do these yummy cupcakes freeze?
Hi Carol, I have not froze them myself, but if freezing, you’ll definitely want them to cool completely and use an airtight container. Let them thaw with the lid off to prevent excess moisture and frost them once thawed.
Oh my gosh Heather! That just warms my heart. I am so glad you were the hero for the day and happy birthday to your son!
From your previous post showing your stunning pre-wedding photo shoot in the mountains, I don’t think you and your husband should be worried about diets. You two make a beautiful couple and when you work so hard to create delicious recipes such as this one, I hope you can enjoy it. Don’t be too hard on yourselves.
★★★★★