Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are so easy to make and topped with a delicious Oreo frosting. These homemade vanilla cupcakes are filled with chunks of Oreos and topped with a cookie buttercream frosting. Perfect for birthdays and parties!

Closeup of vanilla cupcakes with Oreos inside and Oreo frosting on top with an Oreo cookie garnish.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are an Oreo lover’s dream! With cookies inside the cake AND frosting, what’s not to love?!

That chocolate sandwich cookie stuffed with vanilla cream filling is definitely one of America’s most loved cookies. I even have a recipe for homemade oreo cookies, I love them so much!

Naturally, cookies and cream was my favorite ice cream growing up. It was the ice cream I asked for on my birthday every year. So why not make cookies and cream cupcakes to go with it?

The sides of a cupcake wrapper pulled down from a cookies and cream cupcake.

Oreos for Cupcakes and Frosting

To make these Oreo Cupcakes, you will need about 18 Oreo cookies for the cake and frosting, but you will need some that are more chunky, and some that are finely blended.

To do this, I put all the cookies in the food processor and pulse it about 10 times. Take out 3/4 cup of the chunky crushed Oreos for the cake batter and set them aside.

Then process the remaining cookies to fine crumbs, which should equal to 1 cup for the Oreo frosting. Having extra cookies to garnish the cupcakes with is nice as well.

This recipe makes 15 cupcakes. To have enough Oreos for the cake, frosting, and garnish, buy the family-size package of regular Oreos for this recipe.

Crushed and finely blended Oreos with a food processor.

To Make Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

It was such a dilemma deciding between vanilla or chocolate cupcakes for these Cookies and Cream Cupcakes.

Ultimately I wanted to be able to taste the cookies over the chocolate and went with our favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. It’s easy to make like a boxed mix, with oil instead of butter, and ensures a moist tasting cupcake.

Closeup of an Oreo cupcake with the wrapper pulled down on the sides.

Sift the Dry Ingredients

To make cookies and cream cupcakes:

  • First, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt with a fine mesh sieve. If you don’t have one, just whisk these ingredients together well.
Dry Ingredients for Oreo Cupcakes: All-purpose Flour, Baking Powder, Salt.

Whisk the Oil, Sugar, Eggs, and Vanilla

  • Next, whisk together the oil and sugar.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each one. Then add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Other Ingredients for Oreo Cupcakes: Oil, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla, Buttermilk, Crushed Oreos.

Alternate Adding the Flour Mixture and Buttermilk

  • Add half of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  • Add ALL of the buttermilk. Mix until combined.
  • Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and crushed Oreo pieces until just combined. Do not over mix!
Finished cookies and cream cupcake batter.

Scoop and Bake

  • Scoop batter 2/3 full (with a #24 scoop) into the prepared cupcake pans (about 15 cupcakes). Do not over-fill.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Baked Cookies and Cream Cupcakes in baking pan.

Make Cookies and Cream Frosting

Naturally, these cookies and cream cupcakes needed a cookies and cream frosting. It’s your basic buttercream plus finely blended Oreo cookies.

  • Cream the butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  • Add the vanilla and Oreo cookie crumbs. Mix until combined.

NOTE: I use salted butter for my frosting because it helps balance out the sweetness, but you can always add a pinch or two (1/8-1/4 tsp) of salt to unsalted butter depending on your salt tolerance.

Ingredients for Oreo Frosting: Butter, Powdered Sugar, Vanilla, Finely Blended Oreos.

Piping Oreo Frosting

If you blended the Oreos to really fine crumbs, you should be able to use almost any large cupcake tip for frosting the cupcakes.

If you are worried about chunks getting stuck, pick a tip that has a larger opening like a Wilton 1A (round) or Wilton 1M (open star) decorative tip to pipe frosting onto the cupcakes. (I used the Wilton 1M tip in the pictures shown.) Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes on a cooling rack.

More Recipes Using Oreo Cookies

Closeup of vanilla cupcakes with Oreos inside and Oreo frosting on top with an Oreo cookie garnish.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 15 cupcakes

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes -- homemade vanilla cupcakes are filled with chunks of Oreos and topped with a cookie buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (stir, spoon, & level)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup oil (canola/vegetable)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large/XL eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tsp white vinegar/lemon juice)
  • 3/4 cup chunky crushed Oreos*

Frosting:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup finely blended Oreos*

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (375˚F for high altitude). Line muffin tin(s) with paper cupcake liners.
  2. *Prepare Oreos. Place 18 Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender and pulse 10 times. Remove 3/4 cup of the larger chunks for the cake batter, then pulse the remaining cookies until fine crumbs, which should equal to 1 cup. Set aside the fine crumbs for the frosting.

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

  1. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl with a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
  2. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each one. Then add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
  4. Add HALF of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  5. Add ALL of the buttermilk. Mix until combined.
  6. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and crushed Oreo pieces until just combined. Do not over mix!
  7. Scoop batter 2/3 full (with a #24 scoop) into prepared cupcake pans (about 15 cupcakes). Do not over-fill.
  8. Bake at 350˚F (or 375˚F for high altitude) for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

FOR THE FROSTING:

  1. Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  3. Add the vanilla and fine Oreo cookie crumbs. Mix until combined.
  4. Fit a piping bag with a large cupcake tip (like a Wilton 1M or 1A). Add the frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Insert one Oreo cookie into the frosting of each cupcake for decoration.

Notes

  • Buy the family-size package of regular Oreos to have enough for the cake, frosting, and garnish.
  • If making buttermilk with milk and white vinegar/lemon juice, allow mixture to rest for 5 minutes before using.
  • Store cupcakes in an airtight container up to 3 days. NOTE: The Oreo inserted into the frosting may become soft and fall off the cupcakes when stored, so add the cookie just before serving.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 211mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 3g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.