Every once in a while, a dessert comes along that I consider to be life-changing. This may seem melodramatic but for a sweet tooth such as myself, dessert is very serious business. There was the chocolate peanut butter torte, the New York cheesecake, the chocolate overdose cake, and now there are these cupcakes. Just how good are these? They start with a brown sugar-chocolate chip cupcake base, filled with eggless cookie dough, topped with cookie dough buttercream and decorated with a teeny tiny version of my favorite chocolate chip cookie. So basically, heaven. More proof of their deliciousness is that I made them twice in the same week. Yes, you heard me right – it’s rare I make the same thing twice in one month and in a week, it is nearly unheard of. It was no surprise at all that these were more than a hit with the coworkers. I know I don’t even need to convince you all of how great these are. Just taste them and see for yourself!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Printer-Friendly Version
Yield:24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)
For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract
For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips
Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.
To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.
Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.
Source: inspired by Hello, Baker!, cake adapted from Cupcake Bakeshop, frosting adapted from The Cupcake Review and How to Eat a Cupcake
ok.. something must be wrong w/ the world.. all night last night I was CRAVING chocolate chip cookies.. then I get up first this morning, go to your site and see this! YUM!! I will definitely have to try this recipe sometime very soon!!
The proof is in the pudding! Twice in a week means it’s really yummy. It looks fantastic.
I agree with you; this is a hands-down winner all the way! I can just imagine the reaction of my kids and neighbor if they had a bite of this!
Anything that has 1.5 lbs. of butter in it is going to be awesome… holy moly!! I’m definitely going to have to add these to my list. Btw, I’ve been meaning to ask you how you plan your grocery shopping trips. Do you find yourself going to multiple places or do you have one particular store that you can pretty much rely on? I feel like I need a 101 lesson from you:-)
Wow. Just wow! Those cupcake wrappers are adorable! Did you use a tiny little scoop to make the mini cookies or did you just do it by hand?
SugarCooking,
The first time I tried using my smallest dough scoop but even those cookies were too big. The second time I just rolled tiny dough balls with my hands (seen here) and I was much happier with the size.
Wow, this might be my dream dessert. Well, one of them….I can never decide whether I like cheesecake or chocolate chip cookie dough more
But I’ve never seen a recipe with cookie dough that looks as tempting as this one! I feel like I could eat that frosting with a spoon!
Looks delicious! I bet they are rich.
I love everything you make.
I star many of your desserts in my reader, but this one is unreal. I neeeeed to make these, like now! Thanks!
I made your Guinness and Bailey’s cupcakes for my husband’s staff, but I admit they took me about two hours! I can’t imagine how long these little babies must have taken. You are really nice to your coworkers, Annie!
These look almost too good to be true!! Beautiful!!
what a treat!! not only do these sounds good but they look adorable. thanks for the recipe!
Oh. My. God. I am so making these this week. I love you.
Hi Annie
What size cookie scoop did you use to make the mini size cookies.
Jackie,
No scoop, just rolled them with my hands.
I don’t think it’s possible to be too dramatic when it comes to dessert – these little lovelies look delicious!!
Beautiful and delicious. Cookies and cakes together…..what a combo!
Ha, I’m making both the chocolate overdose cake and the NY cheesecake this weekend!
Annie, these look amazing! I cannot wait to try these. If you made them twice in a week, I’m sure they totally ROCK.
These are so adorable. I love the liners. So cute! I bet these taste divine
Oh my goodness…while the cupcakes themselves look awesome, I kind of want to just make the filling and eat it with a spoon, if we’re being honest here.
those look incredible! That, is definitely NOT an April Fool’s joke.
The cupcakes look delicious! With the cone you cut out, did you throw it away or put it back on the cupcake?
Natalie,
I discard it. You could use part of it to cover the filling if you like, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
These look beyond incredible! Wow, I so have to try these sometime in the future! I can’t wait to taste them for myself and the mini chocolate chip cookie on top is too adorable! They look great
This looks incredible and I love the garnish!
I just wish my husband shared my and half of this countries obsession with cookie dough.
These cupcakes are too cute for words!! They look yummy! I will have to try these one day. Thanks for sharing.
I didn’t need any more reasons for you to be my favorite blog… but this is it. Annie, you’re amazing.
oh. my. goodness. These look amazing. I am a cookie lover but put them with cupcakes and WOW! Now, I just have to wait until July to make them. Baby will be born then and hopefully no more diabetes!
Hi Annie, I am sure the filling makes the cupcakes, but are the cupcakes good on their own?
Jessica
Jessica,
Yes, the cake tastes great too – but it’s just cake. Definitely the filling and frosting are what make this “cookie dough” flavored.
wow! can’t wait to try these!
That looks ah-freakin’-mazing!!!
This post had perfect timing! I’m making the irish carbomb cupcakes for a bachelor party this weekend and I was having a hard time deciding what to make for the bachelorette party but this post made it a no brainer! Thanks =)
First of all, these sound delicious and look amazing.
Second of all, I want your cake stand
hi annie!
this recipe sounds AMAZING!
do you think there’s any way it could be converted to a layer cake?..would the frosting be enough to fill and cover two eight inch layers?..just curious!
Allison,
It certainly could be converted and that is a *fantastic* idea. I don’t know if the frosting would be enough to cover it, I guess you would just have to see.
I love the look of that icing! It looks so yummy and off-white! I will be trying the icing, at very least (if not the whole recipe
)
Oh my goodness! I think I gained 10 pounds just looking at the recipe! Those look so yummy. I am going to have to try this one out.
wow!! life changing?!?! cookie dough is such a weakness of mine. i bet these wouldnt last very long!
I absolutely LOVE your cupcake recipes!! I’ve made your Guinness and Bailey’s cupcakes twice now and after I saw this recipe this morning I HAD to make them! I had some leftover cookie dough and frosting, so I put them in a bowl with the cut out centers and made one giant cupcake bowl!
My boyfriend LOVES chocolate chip cookies and cookie dough. It’s actually a little frustrating because in his mind nothing else compares to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. I can’t wait to surprise him with these soon. I think they might be competition.
Btw, how long would you suggest baking the mini-cookies for, if using your recipe?
Stephanie,
I really don’t remember. I don’t usually time choc. chip cookies, I just bake them until they look done.
Your cupcakes looks yummy! I think I’m craving for it already. lol. I gotta try it later. Thanks!
Wow, these look really amazing! Wish I could bake like you
) there are in one stick? Thank you Annie!
I live in Australia, so I’m guessing the sticks of butter you use are different from the ones I use, so I was wondering if you could please tell me how many grams (or pounds if that makes it easier, I’ll just use an online converter
Melissa,
1 stick = 8 tbsp = 1/2 cup = 4 oz. Hope that helps.
Annie – These look so good! I’m wondering if I could cut out a step and pipe the filling into the cupcake rather than cut the center out?
Jo,
Not really. This filling is extremely thick like actual cookie dough and really couldn’t be piped. Cutting out the cones doesn’t take long at all though, I wouldn’t worry about it.
I’m convinced! I need these in my life!
Is it 7oz liquid measure on the condensed milk? It was more than half of a 14 oz (by weight?) can. LOVE your blog.
Ricki,
I just used half a regular can, which I believe is measured by fluid oz.
Hi Annie,
It’s my best friend’s birthday next week and I’ve been looking for just the right thing to make for her. As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew it was perfect — my friend LOVES cookie dough! I’m so excited. But I was wondering, how long can these cupcakes be kept after they are made? Could they be made one day and eaten the *following* night, or would they not be as good? Sorry if that’s a silly question, I’m quite new to all of this!
Chelsea,
They will be fine. In my experience, cupcakes keep very well (if they aren’t devoured first, that is) for several days in the refrigerator.
I just made these tonight, they are awesome!! All they need are a side of cookie dough ice cream
Thanks for posting!
wow .. looks yummmi
Absolutely stunning!
Hi Annie
What is the purpose of the flour in the frosting, I’ve never made a frosting that has flour as one of the ingredients. Can you taste the flour in the frosting.
Jackie,
Raw cookie dough has flour in it. For this to taste like cookie dough (it does), I think the flour is necessary. But no, you don’t taste just straight flour.
I made these for my birthday this weekend and they were amazing! I only used buttercream for the icing though and they still tasted really good! My only problem was that the mini cookies I put in the icing (bought ones not home-made!) went a bit soggy overnight. Other than that, these were brill, will definitely make them again!
I just made these for Easter and they were AMAZING! They took me 2.5 hrs, but I don’t have an electric mixer, so that would’ve helped I bet. haha. Very good though! I would definitely try anything you make, its all so good!
Just made these today, and they were a lot of work, but they were so worth it! Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe!
These require a lot of ingredients–but they look SO worth it!
These are so cute! I made the cupcakes without the cookie dough centers to save time, and they turned out great! Next time I will try them with the cookie dough. Thanks for the recipe!
You are genius! Cookie dough frosting! Wow! Bookmarked
I made these on Easter weekend as my contribution to a communal Easter dinner. Absolutely scrumptious, and a total hit with the kiddos. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great. As much as I wanted to devour the entire batch myself, I was happy to have left most of them with two teenage boys whose metabolism can handle every yummy calorie.
Thanks for sharing your recipes, they never disappoint!
~ Becky.
Where on earth do you find all of your adorable cupcake liners??
Lucy, I’m always on the look out for them. These particular ones are from Sur La Table, but I also like the websites Bake It Pretty, Layer Cake Shop and Confectionery House.
This recipe popped up at the perfect time – I was just about to host a Bachelorette party for a friend who LOVES cookie dough! I made these, and they were a huge hit with the ladies. The few that I had leftover ended up going to some of my guy friends who caught wind of what was sitting in my fridge
.
I ended up using premade cookies from Trader Joe’s to save time – they were the perfect size, and after sitting in the frosting for a bit, they were nice and soft too! The only problem I had was I think the frosting was too buttery, but other then that, they were amazing and I’m sure I’ll have to make them for my friends again!
These cupcakes were amazing. Everything about them was perfect. My daughter’s new favorite.
Hello there
Im sorry but can someone please clairify what a stick of butter equals to?
Thank you
Brittany,
Google is great for questions like this. 1 stick = 8 tbsp.
made them for a party! amazing, everyone loved them.
These cookies look wonderful. My grandson would love these for his bday. Cake,cookies and frosting, who could ask for a better treat.
these look so yummy! i’m having a party on friday night and i’m totally making these for it. do you think they would still taste fresh if i made the cupcakes thursday but made the cookie dough and frosting on friday?
Meghan,
Definitely. Cupcakes keep very well for several days, even frosted. I like to refrigerate them for freshness. Enjoy!
awesome! can’t wait to make ‘em. the trick might be to have some left for tomorrow.
thanks annie!
THESE ARE INCREDIBLE! just made them and they are perfection. all of my friends are obssesed!
I made these tonight for a Mothers Day Tea I am having. I stuck a toothpick in them and they came out clean. I took them out and they collapsed and are real soft. Is it possible that they were not finished cooking? If not do you have any other ideas that this could happen.
Carrie,
Yeah, it sounds like they were underbaked. I have had that happen before with other cakes where they seem to pass the toothpick test, and then they collapse. I don’t have any great advice other than maybe to check multiple cupcakes, or just file that away for future reference with this recipe in your oven. Sorry!
These are perhaps the most lovely cupcakes that I’ve ever seen! How gorgeous! I have to seriously hand it to you, as I have a daughter in med school and she could NOT manage this sort of amazing feat of culinary wonder with her schedule. Bless you and your family! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Just made this over the weekend for a friend’s birthday. Oh-my-god. Deliciousness. I was worried the frosting was too salty, but it mellowed by the next day. So good, and so worth the calories from 2tbls. of butter per cupcake!
When you said these were life-changing, you weren’t kidding. I couldn’t believe how moist and delicious they were! (They better be with that much butter, right?) They changed my life, too
Thanks for sharing the recipe for the best cupcakes I have ever had in my entire life!
Did I do something wrong here? My frosting is still pretty grainy, even after about 10 minutes of beating with the paddle attachment… is it supposed to be grainy (like real cookie dough is grainy) or smooth? Still, everything is so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Anne,
It’s supposed to be grainy like real cookie dough.
Yummmy these look divine!
Do you keep them in the fridge or at room temperature? And how long will the cupcakes stay fresh?
All your cupcakes look scrumptious and i am sure they taste great too!
Tanya,
I keep them at room temp. No idea how long they last as they have never gone more than a day without being devoured, but most cupcakes keep well in the fridge for at least a few days.
I made these the other day for a bake sale at my school and oh my goodness, were they ever amazing!!! I had to control myself NOT to eat the cupcakes, they were for the bake sale after all! Thanks so much for such a fabulous recipe, everything turned out perfectly!
I made these on Sunday and they were promptly devoured at a family gathering. Delish, but time consuming. In the future, I would probably make the filling and/or the frosting in advance. Nonetheless, so worth the time and effort. Thanks Annie!
I’ve been mulling over the idea of cookie dough cupcakes to make for my child’s end of the school year party. I was going to wing it and do my own thing, but thought best to find a proven recipe in case mine bombed. Yours is the FIRST recipe completely from scratch so I must commend you on that. Everything else required a box of cake mix and pre-made cookie dough (yuck!). Thank you for sharing the recipe. I look forward to making them.
really looking forward to making this!
These look absolutely delicious. Just one question, please!
Are these the mini-cupcakes or more like muffin sized? Thanks!
They are full size cupcakes. If they were mini, the recipe would call for mini-cupcake pans.
Incredible! I just stumbled upon your blog and will be making these cupcakes tonight for my daughters birthday. She’s a 23 year old cupcake monster! Can’t wait to try them~
These were FABULOUS! I made the mini-version, and used chocolate cupcakes (the recent Cooks Illustrated version, but without the ganache filling)as the base. When I make the mini-version of filled cupcakes, I freeze them, and while they are still frozen I use an apple corer to cut a hole in the middle. It works like a charm. I doubled the amount of chocolate chips in the filling, and added a little salt to it. Also, I made 2/3 of the icing recipe, which was more than enough for the minis. I was a little worried about adding flour to the icing, but it tasted great, and very cookie-doughey. Thanks for another wonderful recipe. I want to make (and eat) every recipe you post.
Wonderful blog and great idea! I am an RN and VERY curious how a resident has time for something so fabulous!!!
) Thank you for the recipes! I am officially addicted to your site! 
)
I made these for my friend’s birthday dinner, and they were a hit! They were the most delicious, over the top cupcakes I’ve ever made. I think the cookie dough buttercream was my favorite part. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these the other day for my boyfriend’s birthday. Now he keeps saying I’m the best girlfriend ever. He can’t stop eating them or talking about them. And his roommates keep trying to steal them from him. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe, you helped me be the best girlfriend in the world!
hey there! i just wanted to let you know that I had the chance to make these cupcakes and they were AMAZING! Thank you so much! I run a cupcake blog and posted some photos of them as well as credit to your site for the recipe!
<3holli
Which # tip did you use to get that design? I can never tell….
Thanks!! They look fabulous so I’d like to try!
A large star tip, no number.
Annie, Where did you come across these brown and pink polka-dot cupcake liners? I LOVE them!
Thanks,
Melissa
Indianapolis,IN
I did answer this question in the comments above, but they are from Sur La Table.
Hi Annie. These are very inspirational, yet fattening
I am interested in making them but your measurements are quite different from where I live(United Kingdom). I am unsure how to measure the cups full. Cups can come in various sizes. Any chance you can elaborate on the size so I don’t ruin my first attempt.
Many thanks for the brilliant recipes!
xo
Try Google for conversions.
I love your site! I made these cookies yeterday and have extra cookie dough, and I was wondering if I can refrigerate or freeze the cookie dough for a few more days so I can make another batch for my friend’s birthday. Will it get ruined if i do that?
Liza,
No, I keep this dough in my freezer at all times for chocolate chip cookie emergencies
Do you refrigerate the cupcakes after making them or leave at room temp?
Need to know how far in advance I can make them for my party! Thanks again!
You can make them in advance and refrigerate.
These were great! Super time consuming, I don’t think I’ve ever had to wash my mixing bowl so many times for one recipe, but they were worth it! I brought a dozen to work and everyone loved them! All from scratch, just awesome!
Made these last night for my bf’s birthday, along with the cake batter ice-cream. Wow, what a ton of work! But they were much appreciated by everyone at dinner, so it was worth it. My advice to those who haven’t tried them is to set aside plenty of time. I was up until 5 am!
Holli, I never make them (or any cupcakes) all at one time. I make them over a few days. Like, make the cupcake one day, fill with cookie dough the next, and frost the next day. Much easier.
Hi Annie,
Thanks for the tip! And here I thought you were Superwoman…I still suspect that you are, but at least this answers the question “how on earth does this woman find the time?”
I love your blog so much. It’s the only one I read daily, and it inspired me to start one of my own and update daily. It’s a huge commitment, but so cool that you make time for it. You’ve introduced me to Cook’s Illustrated and their cookbooks, too. Thanks for that! Have a great weekend!
I made these and they tasted EXACTLY like cookie dough! Thanks!
You are my go to site whenever I need a recipe. I make your pizza dough and sauce all the time (umm…last night. On the grill. Yumm!) This weekend for various parties I will be doing your strawberry, triple chocolate and choc chip cookie dough cupcakes. Lots of parties. I would like to make a request. Feel free to ignore me. It’s your site. But I would love to see pictures of inside the cupcakes. Thanks for the awesome site!
These are AMAZING!! My husband is way to healthy to eat sweets but these will be his downfall. He has requested I throw them all away so they don’t tempt him. Love it!
Hi Annie – your photos are so delicious. I’m going to make these this week and am hoping they taste as good as they look!
Hi Annie,
I just started following your blog so I apologize if you’ve been asked this before…but I’ve seen a couple of filled-cupcake recipes and was just wondering how big the cone is that you cut out? Thanks so much!
No exact size – big enough to fill, but small enough so there is still an edge of cupcake.
Mmmmmmmmm delicious! I blogged about you and this fabulous recipe over at http://www.ourlittlebeehive.com. I can’t wait to share these with our guests this weekend!
How gorgeous!
Hi annie! from south america, paraguay, I made these cupcakes today and LOVED them,but I have 2 questions, the frosting tasted great but kind of separated… why does this happen? it happens often with my butter frostings, and my chips sunk? but, I was the only one that noted this, congrats!! and thank u! Gracias!
Jazmin,
I’ve never had a basic buttercream frosting separate, so I’m not sure what the problem is. As for the chocolate chips sinking, I haven’t had that issue myself but something you can do to prevent it is mix them with a tablespoon or so of flour before mixing them into the dough.
Thanks, maybe its because of the weather, its very hot and humid, actually the chips kind of worked out nicely because I didn’t loose any in the cone I cut out!!! Thanks for your great recipes, and for replying!! Love your blog
Hi Annie,
Your blog is awesome! I am planning on making these for a cupcake competition between me and my friends and I HAVE to win! So, I was wondering-with the large amount of butter and small amounts of flour and baking powder are the cupcakes heavy? I prefer light cupcakes but don’t want to mess with the recipe if it is already perfect!
Thanks!
Judging by the huge number who have made them and loved them, I think they are fine as is.
Hey Annie! I have been a daily reader for about 5 months now, I have a stack of your recipes to try lol!
So first on the list are these cupcakes for my 5 year old twins birthday party, well their birthday is a my excuse to make them anyways!
just a general question really. What kind of frosting nozzle did you use or would you recommend to get it nice and thick like the one in your photo?
Thanks a lot for taking the time to do all this!
Steph, I have answered this question in the previous comments.
Ah, Thanks Annie. I started from the top but got half way down and didn’t see it. I started from the bottom this time and just saw it, sorry hon!
Thank you for the recipe. My coworkers are very grateful.
I made these for all of my friends! They were fabulous and I didn’t even make the filling! I can’t imagine if I did…people honestly cannot get over how good they were! Thank you!!
You ROCK!
This were WONDERFUL! absolutely amazing, they were soooo delish.
you HAVE to try them, HAVE to.
they take awhile to prepare, but are well worth it
ugh..if only it wasn’t so many calories
I recently made these for a baby shower. They were incredible! I love Allison’s idea of making them into a layer cake. I think I will be trying that in the future. I have only been reading your blog for about 2 months but have made several recipes and love everything. You are very impressive!
I made these today, and they are absolutely delicious. I found that I had about half of the frosting left over, and I frosted all of the cupcakes pretty heavily. If you don’t plan on piping the frosting on in a tall swirl, I would recommend cutting the recipe for it in half so you don’t waste as much.
This may be a silly question, but can these be stored at room temperature? And if so, for how long? I just stumbled on your blog this week and I am SO thankful! I am thrilled to have not only cupcake recipes to try, but comments on those recipes!!! Beautiful photography too!! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to keep up on this blog for all of us in cyberland.
I’m not a food scientist so there is no set guideline. It’s all up to your personal comfort level. Personally, I will store these at room temp up to 1 day, but keep them refrigerated for longer to keep them fresh longer.
AMAZING! Yup, that’s all I can say! I made these for a co-workers birthday. Everyone loved them! The cupcakes were perfectly fluffy and the icing and filling were just rich enough!
your blog is amazing .. and this recipe is irresistible, I will do it for the next weekend.