The Secret is Out: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes Revealed

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

 

Ok…well that didn’t take long. Third post in and I am already giving away my most famous secret weapon! Why? Well, that’s easy…because these little guys deserve to be made over and over and over again! The happiness these little buggers bring with them are like nothing I have ever seen before. I mean look at him…with that little bit of cookie dough peeking out from between the icing and the fluffy chocolate cake! Who can resist?!

I started making these cupcakes seven years ago after stumbling across this recipe from the recipegirl.com and I haven’t stopped since. The fluffy, bitterly sweet, just right chocolate cake matched with the cookie center and OH SO GOOD cookie dough frosting was something that couldn’t be competed with. I have been getting requests for them ever since. The great thing about them? They are SO incredibly easy to make.  Not only that, but they are amazingly versatile. Use the chocolate cake recipe for a 6″ tiered cake with the dollops of cookie scattered amongst the cake and filled with the cookie dough frosting. Or better yet, take the cookie dough and push it into the same size cake pan you’re using for the cake, freeze, and layer it amongst the cake layers, then frost with the cookie dough frosting. Oh yeah! Take these little cupcakes and top with a cookie or a ball of cookie dough. You could even take some frozen cookie dough balls and throw those on top!! Be creative!

The cupcakes themselves are not that sweet, which I love, because the frosting tastes EXACTLY like cookie dough. You don’t want too much sweet or these will just give you a stomach ache. I have seen recipes for cookie dough cupcakes that have a chocolate chip cake, but I feel like that’s just too much chocolate chips. Then again, I am not a HUGE chocolate chip fan (gasp! I know…just wait till I tell you I don’t like ice cream…befriended?…yeah I get that a lot, but hey I am sharing my recipe with you so I expect forgiveness after you try these).

Ok so let’s get to it!! These suckers are so easy, you can whip them up in no time. They can also be made in stages so these won’t take up your whole day.

 

Tips and Tricks:

• This recipe calls to make the cake batter in a blender. I LOVE THIS! I use my NutriBullet and it works like a dream because I am able to whip up the batter and then pour it straight from the cup of the “Bullet” right into my cupcake liners. You don’t have to do use a blender; you can use a food processor or just a stand mixer and that will work just as well. The blender just helps everything to go together smoothly, without clumps.
• I make the cookie dough balls ahead of time and keep frozen till I am ready to use (If there are any left by the time I go to use them).
• I make the cupcakes the day before I ice them and put them in a Tupperware container overnight (but allow them to cool completely before storing or you will end up with mushy tops).
• I use a Wilton 1M decorating tip for the icing and swirl the top. There is plenty of icing to do all 12 cupcakes that this recipe yields. Feel free to play with the tips for decorating the top and have fun.
• The recipe can be doubled, if your food processor or blender can handle that much batter. Mine cannot, so I just make it twice.
• If you want the cookie dough to peak out and say hello like mine do, make sure you don’t push the ball of dough all the way down into the batter. If you want the cookie to remain a little doughy and don’t want to see it as much, then shove that baby all the way in until the batter comes over the top.
• You do not need to refrigerate the cookie dough filling prior to making the balls. It just makes it easier to make the balls. If you are pressed for time you can just make the cookie dough balls and then freeze them.

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yields: 1 Dozen Cupcakes

 

Cookie Dough Balls (filling):

• 3/4 c. all purpose flour (I use King Arthur’s Organic)
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbl. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted but not hot
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar)
• 2 Tbl. granulated white sugar (I use pure cane sugar, unrefined by Morena)
• 2 Tbl. milk (I use Flax milk)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. miniature chocolate chips

 

Cupcakes:

• 1 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 c. granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. hot water
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil (or 1/4 c. each oil and applesauce)
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Cookie Dough Frosting:

• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter (can use salted or unsalted according to taste)
• 1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1/3 c. packed brown sugar (either dark or light)
• 1/2 c. all purpose flour*
• 1 1/2 Tbl. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

*if worried about consuming raw flour, toast your flour and cool prior to using in frosting: spread on parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 5 minutes.

Directions:

1. Prep your cookie dough filling: in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to stir together the butter, sugars, milk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes, or until the dough is firm. Scoop out dough in 2 Tbl. scoops and place on cookie sheet. Freeze until firm (at least 30 minutes).
2. Make the cupcake batter: preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Line cupcake pan with liners and spray lightly. Place flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a blender. Blend to combine. Add the hot water, oil, egg, and vanilla. Blend to combine, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed – making sure all is well mixed. Divide the batter between the 12 cups. Drop a frozen cookie dough ball into the center of each cupcake.
3. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 – 25 minutes. or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake comes out mostly clean. Cool cupcakes for about 5 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely before frosting.
4. Prepare the frosting: In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or medium bowl with hand mixer), combine butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Mix in the flour*, milk, and vanilla until all is combined and fluffy.
5. Assemble: Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with mini chocolate chips. Feel free to play around: top with a Chips Ahoy cookie, cookie dough ball, homemade chocolate chip cookie, etc.

Enjoy!!!