Peppermint Cookie Dough Cupcakes

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These Peppermint Cookie Dough Cupcakes are a lightly peppermint flavored cupcake filled with a peppermint chocolate chip cookie dough and a red and white vanilla swirled frosting. 

This week has been so full of desserts, it’s a little absurd. On the weekends, I bake bake bake and then my coworkers enjoy an overload of sugar first thing Monday morning. I think it helps ease the pain of Mondays. However this weekend, I had so many frozen desserts, I had to space them out through the week, plus, we had a few birthdays. This all equals desserts EVERYDAY of the week. You can imagine how hard it was for me to cleanse this week with desserts around everyday. In full disclosure, I cheated a little bit and I decided to stop one day early. Better luck next time Julianne.

Do you guys know that yesterday was half-Christmas? It’s a thing. Please don’t be mad that I am reminding you of Christmas in the middle of the summer. I am sure you are all, say what? A peppermint cupcake in June?? I decided we could celebrate with some Peppermint Cookie Dough Cupcakes. It’s a peppermint cupcake with a peppermint cookie dough filling and some red and white swirled frosting.

Actually I have been hanging onto this recipe since, umm December! For the holidays, I made some Andes Peppermint Cookie Dough Truffle Bars, and I just couldn’t stop eating the cookie dough, as usual. I made an extra batch of dough and decided to stuff it inside these cupcakes. Plus when Andes releases the Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips in December, I have to stock up!

To make this recipe, there are a couple steps involved. First you have to prepare the cookie dough and roll them into balls of dough. After the cupcake batter is prepared, place a piece of cookie dough in the center of the cupcake liner and then pour the batter over the cookie dough. The cookie dough will remain soft, and since these are eggless, it is still safe to eat. If you have leftover dough, make yourself some smaller truffles and freeze them. It’s dangerous to have cookie dough stored away in the freezer, but who cares.

I topped these cupcakes with a swirled red and white frosting. I made a batch of my perfect vanilla frosting, and then I dyed half of it with red food coloring gel. Wilton makes “no-taste” red food coloring, which allows you to add more dye to achieve a deeper color, but without effecting the taste. Additionally, using a gel instead of a traditional food color will not effect the consistency of the frosting. This means it will not get any thinner.

In order to pipe the two colors of frosting, I prefer to use 3 different piping bags. First, I fill two bags each with a different frosting  and  cut off the tip about a half-inch up. Then take a third piping bag and cut off the tip. I use my favorite large piping tip in the bottom of the third bag. Drop the two frosting filled bags into the third. The large piping tip will naturally fit both of the frosting filled bags. As you squeeze, the frosting from the bag will swirl together. Be sure to apply equal pressure when squeezing the bag. If you prefer to watch a tutorial, check out this one from Julie at The Little Kitchen. It really is eaiser than you think!

So in an effort to actually forget that Christmas is a short six-months away, let’s all celebrate with one of the ice cream cakes I made this week: Banana Split S’mores Ice Cream Cake or Blackberry Icebox Cake. Cheers my friends!

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Helpful tools for this recipe:

Wilton Nonstick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan 6-Piece Pastry Tips Set
18-Inch Soft Disposable Pastry Bag
Wilton Paste Colour – Red (no-taste)

Peppermint Cookie Dough Cupcakes

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Julianne Dell
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 24 cupcakes

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Description

These Peppermint Cookie Dough Cupcakes are a lightly peppermint flavored cupcake filled with a peppermint chocolate chip cookie dough and a red and white vanilla swirled frosting.

Ingredients

• For the cookie dough
• 1 C Unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 1 C Granulated sugar
• ¾ C Light brown sugar
• 2¼ C All-purpose flour
• ½ tsp Salt
• 3 tbsp Milk
• 1 tbsp Pure vanilla extract
• 1 C Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips
• ½ C Mini chocolate chips
• For the Cupcake
• 3 Oz White chocolate, melted and cooled.
• 1 Box white cake mix
• 4 Large egg whites
• 1/3 C Oil
• 3/4 C Buttermilk
• 3/4 C Light sour cream
• 1/2 tsp Peppermint extract
• For the frosting
• 1½ C (3 sticks) Unsalted butter, cold.
• 5 C Powdered sugar
• 2½ tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Heavy whipping cream (or milk)
• Red food coloring

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Instructions

1. For the cookie dough:
2. Combine butter and both sugars in a medium-sized bowl. Mix with a handheld mixer until smooth. All chunks of sugar and butter should be broken up.
3. Add flour and salt. Mix just until combined. Mixture will be crumbly.
4. Add vanilla extract and milk. Mix until dough is soft.
5. Unwrap Andes mints and chop into smaller pieces and pour into dough with mini chocolate chips. Beat to combine.
6. Roll 24 cookie dough balls, about 1-2 tablespoons each.
7. For the cupcakes
8. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds until melted; stir until smooth.
9. Pre-heat over to 350° F.
10. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, milk, sour cream and peppermint extract. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are well mixed. Add melted white chocolate and stir until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir from the bottom.
11. Drop a cookie dough ball into a cupcake liner. Pour 3 tablespoons of cupcake batter over top of the cookie dough.
12. Divide batter evenly between lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cupcake is done. Cool completely.
13. For the frosting
14. Cut butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until butter look light in color.
15. Add 2 C powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated into butter.
16. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and mix to combine.
17. Add additional 2 C powdered sugar and beat on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.
18. Add last 1 C powdered sugar along with 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream and ½ tsp vanilla extract . Beat on low until ingredients start to mix together. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 3-5 minutes to whip additional air into the frosting.
19. Divide the frosting in half and use red food coloring to dye half of the frosting red.
20. In order to pipe the two colors of frosting, I prefer to use 3 different piping bags. First, fill two bags each with a different frosting and cut off the tip about a half-inch up. Then take a third piping bag and cut off the tip. I use a large piping tip in the bottom of the third bag. Drop the two frosting filled bags into the third. The large piping tip will naturally fit both of the frosting filled bags and as you squeeze the frosting from the bag, it will swirl together.