Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
These vanilla cookies and cream cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and studded with Oreo cookies. They’re topped with creamy cookies and cream buttercream frosting and finished with Oreo crumbs and even more cookies for the perfect crunch. A fun, nostalgic cupcake that everyone loves!
Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
What you want, I got…and I know what you want is cupcakes!
These vanilla cookies and cream cupcakes are the kind of dessert that just makes dreams come true…Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh.
Soft vanilla cupcakes baked with Oreo cookies pieces, topped with cookies and cream buttercream frosting, and decorated with even more Oreo cookies.
It’s nostalgic, simple, and ridiculously satisfying. Who can say no to milk’s favorite cookie? The ultimate power duo? Not Hall & Oates, but Oreos and vanilla cupcakes.
If you love Oreos in any form (stuffed, crushed, or straight from the sleeve), check out my cookies and cream cupcakes, cookies and cream whoopie pies, and Oreo chocolate chip cookies.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients and clear steps make this a great recipe for any skill level.
- Classic cookies & cream flavor: Real Oreo cookies baked into the batter and frosting deliver that nostalgic milk-and-cookies taste.
- Soft and fluffy texture: The vanilla cupcake base stays tender and moist with just the right amount of sweetness.
- Creamy Oreo buttercream: The cookies & cream frosting adds creamy, cookie-studded richness that takes each bite over the top.
- Crowd-pleasing dessert: Loved by kids and adults alike, these are ideal for birthdays, bake sales, and celebrations.
Recipe Ingredients
Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder + salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Whole milk – Room temperature.
- Oreo cookies – Roughly chopped and crumbs.
Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Oreo cookie crumbs – Very finely ground with a food processor.
Additional Ingredients
- Oreo cookies – Oreo cookie crumbs and halved Oreo cookies.
How to Make Vanilla Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
Make the vanilla cupcake batter.
Fold in the chopped Oreos and Oreo cookie crumbs.
Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners.
Bake and cool the cupcakes.
Make the cookies and cream buttercream frosting.
Frost the cupcakes and decorate with Oreo cookie crumbs and halved Oreo cookies.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Don’t overmix the cupcake batter. Mix just until combined after adding the dry ingredients to keep the cupcakes light and tender.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners for uniform, even cupcakes. Be careful not to overfill the liners.
- Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for perfectly baked cupcakes.
- Be sure to use very fine Oreo cookie crumbs to make the frosting.
- Use a wide-tooth open star piping tip or round piping tip to pipe the frosting onto the cookies. Closed star piping tips can easily clog up with the Oreo crumbs. I used an Ateco 826 piping tip for the cupcakes pictured.
- Don’t make the Oreo frosting ahead of time. When it is rewhipped, the Oreo crumbs break down and turn the frosting a gray color. You can make the vanilla buttercream ahead of time and add the Oreo crumbs before you pipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t need to remove the cream. Use a food processor to finely grind the whole Oreo cookies into fine crumbs. The finer the better.
For the cupcakes pictured, I used an Ateco 826 piping tip which is a large open star piping tip. You could also use a round piping tip. Closed star tips or French piping tips will not work for this frosting—the cookie crumbs can clog the tip.
I don’t recommend making the buttercream ahead of time. When it is rewhipped, the Oreo crumbs break down and turn the frosting a muddy gray color. If you want to make the frosting ahead of time, make the vanilla buttercream and add the Oreo cookie crumbs before you decorate the cupcakes.
Absolutely! Substitute classic Oreos for any Oreo cookie flavor to give these cupcakes a fun flavor twist.
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Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp (1.5 tsp) baking powder
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1) large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (24 g) sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- ½ cup (80 g) chopped Oreo cookies
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Oreo cookie crumbs
Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- ½ cup (50 g) Oreo cookie crumbs
Additional Ingredients
- ¼ cups (25 g) Oreo cookie crumbs
- 6 (6) Oreo cookies (halved)
Instructions
Vanilla Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until mostly combined. Then, pour in the milk and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are fully combined. Fold in the chopped Oreo cookies and Oreo cookie crumbs.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies and Cream Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Mix on low speed for several minutes or mix by hand to remove any air pockets.
- Add in the Oreo cookie crumbs and mix on low speed until the Oreo crumbs are dispersed evenly throughout the buttercream.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with an Ateco 826 piping tip with the cookies and cream buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with Oreo cookie crumbs and halved Oreo cookies.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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