Cookies and Cream Cupcakes- Cake Mix Hack!

These Cookies and Cream Cupcakes are a moist chocolate cupcake filled with Oreo cookies and topped with an Oreo buttercream frosting.

This cupcake recipe was a happy little accident (where are my Bob Ross fans???). While working on a quick treat and browsing the pantry…

There was a brief “mind blown” moment when I found an unopened bag of Oreo cookies. That led to the brilliant idea to mash up a few and mix them in to the batter AND the frosting.

This easy cookies and cream cupcake recipe did not disappoint. The end result was a moist flavor packed cupcake with a dreamy cookie filled frosting.

Given five stars and two thumbs way up from my 9 year old, he has quickly deemed these his new favorite.

Recipe Features:

• Cake Mix Hack: This cupcake recipe starts with a cake mix! A few twists give you a moist and delicious cake!
• Chocolate Flavor: There is so much chocolate flavor in the cake AND the addition of chocolate sandwich cookies in both the cake and frosting.
• No-Fail: Follow the directions for a super simple no-fail dessert recipe!

What You’ll Need:

For a full list of ingredients and their measurements see the recipe card below.

• Devils Food Cake Mix: This will be your base. Be sure to pick your favorite brand.
• Chocolate Pudding Mix: The DRY powder.
• Sour Cream: Don’t skip this ingredient!
• Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: Like Oreo Cookies.

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Line 2- 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350. 
2. Stir together the dry cake mix with the dry pudding mix in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the eggs, oil, water, and sour cream. Fold in the 1-1/2 cups of crushed Oreo cookies.
3. Fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
4. Cook completely. Frost with cookie buttercream (recipe below)

Tips and FAQ’s:

How do you make a boxed cake mix taste like it is from a bakery?

One of the ways to make a quick dessert is to use a cake mix. You can add ingredients, swap some out, and get so creative. The options are endless, but these are a few of our favorite ways to make a boxed cake mix taste like it is homemade:

1. Add an extra egg. We always use 3 or 4 eggs in a cake mix. It gives it a richer flavor that is AMAZING. Especially when it’s a chocolate cake.
2. Add a little sour cream to boost the flavor.
3. Stir in a pudding mix!
4. Substitute milk for water. This recipe is better with water, but most of the time this easy switch is enough to give it a great boost.
5. Ditch the canned frosting. Opt for a homemade version. All you need is butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or heavy cream.

How do you make cookies and cream frosting?

Ready for a crazy secret? This was made with a classic vanilla buttercream and simply folded finely crushed Oreo cookies into the mix. The result was a beautifully speckled frosting that was gorgeous on top of the cute little mini cakes.

TIP: Use a food processor or strong blender to get coarse crumbs. This will make it easier to fold into your frosting and to pipe onto the cupcakes.

Can you put an Oreo in a cupcake?

Yep. This recipe has added crushed cookies right in the batter. Alternatively, you can add one whole Oreo cookie right into the cupcake liner and top with batter. Bake as normal for a fun surprise as people eat their cakes!

Related Recipes:

• BEST Chocolate Cupcakes
• Red Velvet Cupcakes,
• Lucky Charm Cupcakes
• Strawberry Cake Mix Cupcakes
• S’more Cupcakes
• Buttermilk Cupcake Recipe
• German Chocolate

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