These Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are soft, tender, and overflowing with Oreo flavor. The cake batter is enriched with melted white chocolate for a creamy, slightly sweet base and studded with chopped Oreos (with the filling removed). Each cupcake is finished with a light, fluffy Oreo ermine frosting made by cooking a milk-and-flour base, cooling it, then whipping it with butter and reserved Oreo filling for a smooth, not-too-sweet finish. If you love cookies and cream, this recipe delivers classic flavor in cupcake form.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Soft, tender cupcakes with a subtle white chocolate richness.
- Generous pieces of real Oreo cookies throughout the cake.
- A creamy ermine frosting that’s light and not overly sweet.
- Great for birthdays, parties, or any Oreo fan.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and the printable recipe.
Butter – Unsalted butter is used here and salt is added separately. If you use salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt.
Half-and-half – Used to melt the white chocolate. If you don’t have it, use equal parts heavy cream and whole milk.
White chocolate chips – Use a quality white chocolate; these are melted into the batter for richness.
Oreo cookies – Remove and reserve the filling before chopping the cookies for the batter; the filling is saved for the frosting.
Flour – All-purpose flour is used for both the cupcakes and the cooked base of the frosting.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the ermine frosting for stabilized whipped cream for an even lighter topping just before serving.
- Top each cupcake with a mini Oreo for a decorative finish.
- If you don’t have half-and-half, combine equal parts heavy cream and whole milk to warm and melt the white chocolate.
Note: Other substitutions may change texture and have not been tested here.
How to Make Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until just combined.
Step 3: Heat the half-and-half until steaming (do not boil). Pour over the white chocolate chips, let sit a few minutes, then whisk until completely smooth.
Step 4: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the white chocolate mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Step 5: Fold in the chopped Oreos (with filling removed). Fill liners about 3/4 full and bake at 350°F (177°C) for 19–22 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
Step 6: For the frosting, whisk together sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan to start the cooked base.
Step 7: Gradually add milk while whisking and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool completely.
Step 8: Beat butter with the reserved Oreo filling until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk-and-flour mixture a few tablespoons at a time, beating until smooth and fluffy.
Step 9: Fold in finely crushed Oreos, transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and pipe swirls onto the cooled cupcakes.
Tips for Best Results
- Remove Oreo filling before adding cookie pieces to the batter—saving it for the frosting prevents the cupcakes from collapsing.
- Ensure the cooked frosting base is completely cool before adding butter to avoid a melted texture.
- Use a large round piping tip; small star tips can clog with cookie bits.
- Fold Oreo pieces gently and avoid overmixing to keep the batter and frosting from turning gray.
How to Store and Freeze
Unfrosted cupcakes: store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Frosted cupcakes: keep at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days. To freeze frosted cupcakes, place them on a baking sheet until the frosting is firm, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Recipe FAQs
If the cooked flour mixture was still warm when you added butter, the frosting can become soft. Chill the frosting briefly in the refrigerator, then rewhip until it firms and becomes fluffy.
Overmixing Oreo pieces into the batter or frosting releases the dark cocoa color and can cause a gray tint. Fold gently and stop mixing once combined.
A Swiss meringue buttercream or a stabilized whipped cream can work. Note that very sweet American-style buttercream may mask the white chocolate notes.
This recipe was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with a refined frosting method and new photos.
If you try this recipe, please leave a rating and share photos on social media—tag the recipe creator if you’d like to show off your results.
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half, warmed
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 20 Oreo cookies, filling removed and reserved, coarsely chopped
Frosting
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- Reserved Oreo filling
- 15 Oreos with filling, finely crushed
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Cream together 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 3 eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
- Heat 2 cups half-and-half until steaming. Pour over 12 ounces white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in a separate bowl.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the white chocolate mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chopped Oreos (filling removed). Fill liners 3/4 full and bake 19–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Oreo Frosting
- Whisk 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup flour, and 1/2 tsp salt in a saucepan.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups whole milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and pudding-like. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
- Place the mixture in a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool to room temperature (chill to speed up).
- Beat 2 cups unsalted butter with the reserved Oreo filling until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk-flour mixture a few tablespoons at a time, beating until smooth.
- Fold in 15 finely crushed Oreos, then pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes using a large round tip.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are estimates.)