Cookie Dough Frosting Cupcakes
This chocolate chip cookie dough frosting tastes just like the real thing! It’s light and fluffy, but oh so decadent—perfect for the chocolate cupcakes.
A good cupcake is nothing without an equally delicious frosting. In my latest cupcake endeavor I created a cookie dough frosting to pair with my go-to chocolate cake recipe, resulting in a delectable treat to say the least. I must say, this frosting takes the cake (too punny? No such thing.)
Why this recipe works: I took my buttercream frosting and made a few alterations to give it that cookie dough flavor. Adding light brown sugar created that slightly grainy texture that cookie dough has. You know the one… where the sugar crystals start dissolving on your tongue as the buttery batter melts away. Well, this frosting achieves just that in a light consistency (it is frosting after all). And it pairs perfectly with a moist, chocolate cupcake!
Overview: How to make chocolate cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (this recipe makes 18 cupcakes).
- Whisk together dry ingredients: Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cocoa and espresso (if using).
- Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time. In a measuring cup, whisk together milk and vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared cupcake tin.
- Bake cupcakes at 350 F for 16 to 18 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
You can find a whole post on my moist, fudgy chocolate cupcakes. They are delicious!
Overview: How to make cookie dough frosting
- Heat treat the flour to kill any harmful bacteria. Spread flour on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 5 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.
- Beat butter until light and fluffy using an electric mixer, about 5 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar. Mix until combined, then add the flour and salt.
- Add the vanilla then the milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until desired consistency is reached.
- Transfer to a frosting bag with desired tip and pipe away!
Is it safe to eat raw flour? No, which is why you heat treat the flour. Raw flour can contain harmful bacteria. By baking the flour, the heat will kill any of that bacteria.
Helpful tips
I have a few tips for making delicious chocolate cupcakes and cookie dough frosting! Weigh your ingredients. This makes a huge difference in baking (especially cakes). It’s more accurate than using measuring cups and saves a ton of dishes! I own this kitchen scale and love it. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt on top!
For the frosting, use room temperature butter. It should be soft to the touch, about 65 F (so cooler than the temperature in your home/on your thermostat). If it’s warmer than this, then the butter will melt. Heat treat the flour. This will kill any harmful bacteria. Sprinkle flour on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes at 350 F. Cool completely before adding to frosting. Use pure vanilla extract. That real vanilla flavor will make the frosting taste more like cookie dough! I personally love Watkins vanilla extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to store cookie dough frosting cupcakes: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or the refrigerator for 5 days. Frosting may be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to one week. Whip with an electric mixer before frosting cupcakes for extra fluffy frosting.
Can you freeze cookie dough frosting? Yes. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature. Then rewhip the frosting and add it to your cupcakes!
Why won’t my frosting hold its shape? The butter was probably warmer than room temperature (this happens in the summer or warm/humid climates). Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then try frosting your cupcakes.
How do you heat treat flour? Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle flour on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes to kill harmful bacteria. Cool completely before using it in the recipe.
More cookie dough recipes
If you like cookie dough in your baked goods, try my recipe for edible sugar cookie dough. It tastes like you just made Christmas cookies! Another popular recipe are these cookie dough Oreo brownies. While the cookie dough is baked, it still is gooey and soft like the inside of a chocolate chip cookie. I also love these chocolate chip cookie dough bars from Together as a Family blog!
This recipe is perfect for birthdays when you’re looking to take your baking skills up a notch. Ordinary chocolate cupcakes topped with a extraordinary frosting will make the birthday person will feel extra special. Just ask my friend Jenna. She had the pleasure of walking away with a dozen of these babies on her birthday!
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: Cookie Dough Frosting Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (80 g) unsweetened cocoa powder,, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (270 ml) milk,¹, room temperature (whole or 2%)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (170 g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) sugar
- 2 large eggs,, room temperature
Cookie Dough Frosting
- ¼ cup (31 g) all purpose flour²
- ¾ cup (170 g or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67 g) light brown sugar, , packed
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) confectioner’s sugar,, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake tin and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa and espresso. Set aside.
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides when necessary.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk mixture. Mix until the ingredients are almost combined (batter may look slightly curdled, it will mix away!) Repeat and end with the last third of the flour mixture. When the batter appears combined, turn off the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and turn on medium speed once more to beat about 15 seconds longer.
- Pour batter into the cupcake tin with liners, filling each until about three-quarters full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely. Keep the oven on.
Cookie Dough Frosting
- Heat treat the flour. Spread flour across a baking sheet and bake in the 350° F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to kill any harmful bacteria. Let the flour cool completely before adding it to the frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter (with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer) until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the brown sugar and confectioner's sugar until completely incorporated. Add the flour and mix until combined.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and salt and beat for 1 minute, until fluffy. Add milk until desired consistency is reached.⁴
- Transfer to a frosting bag with desired tip and frost the cupcakes. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
26 Comments on “Cookie Dough Frosting Cupcakes”
Beautiful 🙂
thanks!
Can you tint the icing? My daughter wants this for her birthday but in kid colors 🤦🏼♀️
Hi Jaralee! The brown sugar makes the frosting a light brown color. If anything, I would color it purple or dust it with edible glitter!
These look so delicious, Haley!
Thanks, Jhuls! Hope you are doing well 🙂
Thanks, Haley. I hope you are, too. 🙂 Big Hugs!
Just trying this now! What do I do with the butter/sugar/egg mixture?
Hi Michelle, the butter/sugar/egg mixture is the base that you add the flour and milk mixture to alternatively. Does that make sense?
Hey! Do you know if this recipe does well using a gluten free flour alternative instead of wheat flour?
Hi Kendall! I have not tried a GF version of this recipe yet. I do recommend Bob’s Red Mill when it comes to GF flour though. Good luck!
The expresso is add in liquid or in grain? And why the frosting need flour?
Hi Sandy – The espresso is in powder for (instant espresso) and the frosting calls for flour to make it more of a cookie dough consistency and taste. Have fun baking!
Can u plz tell me the quantity of butter in grams..
Hi Nadia. 1 1/2 sticks butter is approximately 170 grams. I’m working to update all my recipes with metric measurements as well 🙂
Im wondering if using the espresso powder, if the cupcakes have that coffee flavour to them?
Hi Kelly, if you have a sensitive palette then you will probably taste the espresso powder, but in my experience I find that the espresso powder simply makes the chocolate taste better. This recipe can easily be made without espresso powder if you wish!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious! And i can’t wait to try it out myself! 🙂
Please do! It is one of my favorites 🙂
Hi there! I’m looking for a cookie dough frosting that is pipeable. Your photo is the only one I’ve seen online that has that nice, familiar swirl on top of the cupcake, without looking either greasy or limp. Did you have to do anything different when making the frosting to keep a consistency similar to traditional frosting? Thanks in advance!
My kids are going to love this! If I’m lucky, I might even get a taste. They look amazing!
So I made this frosting and when I tasted it, it did not taste like cookie dough. Instead it tasted like vanilla and sugar. I followed all the directions how you said and measured every ingredient. I guess I don’t know if maybe I did do something wrong or what. It still tastes really good but not really like cookie dough.
Hi Emma – I apologize if this frosting did not taste like cookie dough to you. Vanilla and brown sugar are the key ingredients to make it taste like chocolate chip cookie dough. If you make the recipe again, try increasing brown sugar to 1/2 cup (100 g) and decreasing powdered sugar to 1 1/4 cup (155 g). My only concern with this adjustment is that the frosting will taste a little grainy with more brown sugar. You can also use more milk and less vanilla if you don’t like the strong vanilla taste.
On my goodness! This is now my favorite frosting ever!! I can’t believe it tastes exactly like cookie dough. I could eat it right out of the bowl. Amazing recipe!
Not sure if you’ll still see comments but my question is will it hold up under fondant? Does it set and stiffen or stay soft?