Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
These Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes combine the best of both cookies and cupcakes, to create a cupcake that is fun and undeniably delicious. This recipe features all the components that give chocolate chip cookies their well-deserved fame, such as brown sugar, vanilla, and of course chocolate chips. They are then frosted with a unique Brown Sugar Frosting, that utilizes brown sugar for that caramelized flavor and flour to recreate that cookie taste. The frosting is then rolled in finely crumbled cookies to create a unique look, but also to further boost that cookie goodness.
Cake vs Cookies
Have you ever noticed that cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies seem to have very similar ingredients and process? Butter and sugar are combined through a process called creaming, eggs are added, then flour, leavener, and salt are added for the dry ingredients. Cake and cupcakes only have the addition of a liquid, usually milk, and then of course chocolate chip cookies have chocolate chips added. But all in all, these 2 baked goods are very similar when you get down to the basics. So it really only makes sense to create a cookie based cupcake! These chocolate chip cookie cupcakes do just that! Instead of using the typical white sugar that would be used in cakes, I used brown sugar, to get that excellent caramelized deep flavor that is reminiscent of chocolate chip cookies. As well, this recipe calls for mini chocolate chips, as I find they disperse better in the batter – but that is just personal preference. Feel free to use regular chocolate chips! This chocolate chip cookie cupcake recipe also calls for full-fat buttermilk, which plays 2 vital roles. The buttermilk, being acidic, helps the baking soda activate – which leads to fluffier pancakes. Furthermore the buttermilk is of the full-fat variety which provides a beautiful richness to the cupcakes, lending to a better crumb and mouth feel. As a last aside, the acidic nature of the buttermilk also helps balance out the sweetness.
Flour in the Frosting?
You may be thinking, flour in the frosting? Well that’s weird. But trust me – it’s soooo good! The base of the frosting uses brown sugar, which is far more moist and soft that regular sugar or confectioners sugar for that matter. Due to this extra moisture and softness, we need something in the frosting to provide some sort of structure. Confectioners sugar could do the job, as it does in a typical buttercream recipe, however with the amount we would need to use to achieve the proper structure, the frosting would simply come out far too sweet. That’s where flour enters! The flour is able to provide structure to the frosting, without adding any of that unneeded extra sweetness. Furthermore, the flour also plays a slight role in the overall flavor of the frosting as well. What is the best part about cookies – the cookie dough right! Well by adding in flour to the frosting, the combination of the flour, vanilla, brown sugar, and butter, really emulates the taste of cookie dough! It’s a win-win all around.
How to Decorate
Decorating these chocolate chip cookie cupcakes is actually quite easy, and really requires no skill in the decorating department either. To decorate them, as I have, you simply add the frosting to a piping bag with a large plain tip. You then frost the cupcake in a spiral shape, and then dip the cupcake into the finely crumbled cookies, turning the cupcake all around as you dip, until all the frosting has been covered with the crumbled cookies. Then using your hand, you simply pat the frosting into a dome shape, and you’re good to go!
For the finely crumbled cookies, I simply buy cookies from my grocery store, or use leftovers from a homemade batch. I take these cookies and break them up a bit with my hands or a rolling pin, and then place them into a blender or food processor, pulse them until they are finely crumbled! It’s that easy.
As a last note, if you wanted to further elevate these chocolate chip cookie cupcakes to really add that wow-factor, you can place mini chocolate chip cookies into the bottoms of the cupcake liners. The mini cookies will have to be cut to the proper size to fit, however. I use a 2.2” cookie cutter, and press that into the cooked mini cookies, which seems to create the perfect size for the liners.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
- 1½ cups Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 4 Large Eggs
- 3 cups (360g) All Purpose Flour, measured correctly†
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Full-Fat Buttermilk
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- (Optional) 24 Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brown Sugar Frosting
- 1 ⅓ (160g) cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 4 ½ cups Confectioners Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- (Optional) 1-2 tbsp Heavy Cream,, if frosting is too thick
- (Optional) 1 ½ cups Finely Crushed Chocolate Chip Cookies,, to garnish
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 cupcake pans by lining with cupcake liners. (Optional) Place mini cookies into the bottom of each liner.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy looking, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the stand mixer, mix on low until combined. Add ½ of the buttermilk and mix on low until combined. Continue alternating the flour and the buttermilk, until both have been completely added (finishing with the flour mixture). Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill cupcake tins with the batter then place into the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Brown Sugar Frosting
- Place flour in an microwave-safe bowl and place into the microwave. Heat the flour in the microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds, ensuring that you stir the flour every 15 seconds. When ready, flour should be at 160F for proper pasteurization for consumption. Allow to cool to room temperature before using.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, add in the butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes. Turn to low and add in the confectioners sugar. Once combined, beat on high for 3-5 minutes. Turn to low again and add in the flour, mix until well combined. Add in the vanilla, and any heavy cream you need to loosen the frosting, and beat until well combined.
- (Optional but recommended) To Garnish: After frosting the cupcakes, roll the cupcakes in the finely crushed cookies, and use your hand to shape into dome shape.
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