When Emma announced he wanted to bring cupcakes to his class party, I panicked. Store-bought felt lazy, but I didn't have time for complicated recipes. Then I remembered the Oreo cupcake recipe my neighbor shared - simple enough for a busy mom but good enough to make other parents ask for the recipe. These cookies and cream cupcakes became our go-to party treat, and now Emma insists on helping every time we make them.
Why You'll Love This Oreo Cupcake Recipe
Emma's teacher told me these were the best Oreo Cupcake Recipe she'd ever had at a class party, and coming from someone who's seen hundreds of treats, that means something. They're moist enough to stay fresh for days but rich enough that one cupcake satisfies even the biggest sweet tooth. The Oreo pieces don't just sit on top - they're mixed throughout, so every bite has that crunch.
They come together in about 30 minutes from start to finish, which works when you remember about the party the night before. Emma can help with the fun parts like crushing cookies and licking frosting bowls, making it a project we both enjoy instead of just another chore on my list.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- Ingredients for Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- How To Make Oreo Cupcake Recipe Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- Oreo Cupcake Recipe Variations
- Equipment For Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- Storing Your Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- Why This Oreo Cupcake Recipe Works
- Top Tip
- The Secret Recipe My Cousin Will Never Share
- FAQ
- Time to Start Baking!
- Related
- Pairing
- Oreo cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients for Oreo Cupcake Recipe
The Cupcake Base:
- Chocolate cake mix
- Vegetable oil
- Large eggs
- Water
- Vanilla extract
The Oreo Magic:
- Regular Oreos
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Oreo Cupcake Recipe Step By Step
Prep Work:
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line muffin tin with paper liners
- Crush 12 Oreos into chunky pieces
- Set aside 6 more for frosting
Mix the Batter:
- Combine cake mix ingredients
- Beat for 2 minutes until smooth
- Fold in crushed Oreos gently
- Don't overmix the batter
Bake Well:
- Fill liners ⅔ full
- Bake 18-20 minutes
- Test with toothpick
- Cool completely before frosting
Make the Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese and butter
- Add powdered sugar gradually
- Crush remaining Oreos fine
- Fold into frosting mixture
Final Touch:
- Add sprinkles if desired
- Pipe or spread frosting
- Top with cookie crumbs
Smart Swaps for Oreo Cupcake Recipe
Cake Mix Options:
- Chocolate → Vanilla cake mix
- Regular → Funfetti for birthday parties
- Standard → Gluten-free mix
- Boxed → From-scratch chocolate cake
Cookie Switches:
- Regular Oreos → Golden Oreos
- Standard → Mint Oreos
- Plain → Birthday cake Oreos
- Whole → Just the cookie parts (no cream)
Frosting Changes:
- Cream cheese → Buttercream frosting
- Heavy cream → Milk
- Powdered sugar → Less sugar for lighter sweetness
- Standard → Whipped cream topping
Dietary Swaps:
- Whole milk → Almond milk
- Regular eggs → Flax eggs
- Dairy butter → Plant-based butter
Oreo Cupcake Recipe Variations
Birthday Party Special:
- Golden Oreos instead of chocolate
- Rainbow sprinkles everywhere
- Extra frosting swirls
- Candle-ready presentation
Mint Chocolate:
- Mint Oreos in batter
- Green food coloring in frosting
- Chocolate drizzle on top
- Fresh mint leaf garnish
Cookies and Cream Overload:
- Double the Oreos in batter
- Oreo buttercream frosting
- Whole mini Oreo on each cupcake
- Chocolate cookie crumb "dirt"
Simple Vanilla Twist:
- Vanilla cake mix base
- Golden Oreos mixed in
- Vanilla cream cheese frosting
- Light dusting of cookie crumbs
Equipment For Oreo Cupcake Recipe
- Standard muffin tin
- Paper cupcake liners
- Electric mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
Storing Your Oreo Cupcake Recipe
Counter Storage (2-3 days):
- Cool completely first
- Airtight container
- Room temperature
- Don't stack too high
Fridge Storage (5 days):
- Cover well to prevent drying
- Bring to room temperature before serving
- Frosting stays firmer
- Good for cream cheese frosting
Freezer Tips (2 months):
- Freeze unfrosted cupcakes only
- Wrap individually in plastic
- Thaw completely before frosting
- Frost fresh when ready to serve
Make-Ahead:
- Add final Oreo crumbs last
- Bake cupcakes night before
- Store covered at room temperature
- Frost morning of party
Why This Oreo Cupcake Recipe Works
Starting with cake mix instead of from scratch saves time without sacrificing taste - something I learned when making dozens of these for Emma's school events. The oil keeps the cupcakes moist for days, while the eggs give them structure that holds up to all those Oreo pieces. Using the cookies three ways (chunky in batter, fine in frosting, and whole for decoration) creates layers of flavor and texture.
The cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness better than regular buttercream, and it's stable enough to pipe pretty swirls that don't melt at room temperature. Crushing some Oreos fine and leaving others chunky gives you the best of both worlds - smooth frosting with surprise bursts of cookie crunch. Emma figured out that if you don't overmix the batter, the Oreo Cupcake Recipe stay intact instead of turning everything muddy gray.
Top Tip
- Crushing method matters more than you think. Use a food processor for even pieces, or put Oreo Cupcake Recipe in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Don't make them too fine - you want some chunky pieces for texture. Emma learned that smashing them with a spoon just makes a mess and uneven crumbs. Room temperature ingredients mix better and create smoother batter, so take eggs and cream cheese out 30 minutes before baking.
- Don't overmix when folding Oreo pieces into the batter - too much mixing turns everything gray and breaks down the cookie pieces. Mix just until you can't see dry flour, then stop. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting - this can't be stressed enough. Warm cupcakes will melt your frosting and make it slide right off. Be patient and let them cool for at least an hour before adding any frosting or decorations.
The Secret Recipe My Cousin Will Never Share
My cousin makes Oreo Cupcake Recipe that everyone raves about at family gatherings, but she's always been tight-lipped about her method. Last Christmas, Emma and I were helping in her kitchen when we caught her sneaky trick. She saves the cream filling from about 8 Oreos and mixes it right into her frosting along with the crushed cookies. That extra Oreo cream makes her frosting taste more like the actual cookie filling.
But here's the part that really makes the difference - she soaks a few Oreos in milk for exactly 30 seconds, then mashes them into a paste and swirls it through the batter. It creates these pockets of Oreo flavor that hit you when you least expect it. When I asked her about it later, she just winked and said "Some secrets are meant to be discovered, not told." Now Emma and I use both her tricks, and suddenly everyone's asking us for the recipe instead.
FAQ
Can I put Oreos in cake batter?
Yes, crushed Oreos work well in cake batter! Crush them into chunky pieces and fold them in gently at the end. Don't overmix or the cookies will turn the batter gray. About 12 crushed Oreos per batch of cupcakes gives the right amount of flavor and crunch.
What do Oreo Cupcake Recipe taste like?
Oreo cupcakes taste like chocolate cake with bursts of cookies and cream flavor throughout. The crushed cookies add sweetness and crunch, while the cream filling adds richness. It's like eating a chocolate cupcake and Oreos at the same time - familiar but special.
Can you put an Oreo at the bottom of a cupcake?
You can, but whole Oreos on the bottom make cupcakes hard to eat and can create soggy spots. It's better to crush them and mix into the batter, or place half an Oreo on top before baking for decoration that actually works.
Which is the rarest flavour of Oreo?
The rarest Oreo flavors are usually limited editions that only appear in certain countries or for short periods. Wasabi, green tea, and some international flavors are hardest to find. For baking, stick with regular chocolate Oreos - they give the best results in cupcakes.
Time to Start Baking!
Now you have all the secrets to make Oreo cupcakes that beat any bakery version - from my cousin's cream filling trick to the proper crushing technique. These cookies and cream cupcakes prove that sometimes the best desserts come from simple ingredients combined in clever ways. Emma still gets excited every time we make them, and honestly, so do I.
Craving more sweet treats? Try our Easy Pistachio Macaron Recipe for an elegant dessert that looks harder than it is. Want something creamy and rich? Our Healthy Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe gives you that bakery taste at home. For special occasions, our Best Berry Pavlova Recipe creates a showstopping dessert that's surprisingly simple to make!
Share your Oreo cupcake success! We love seeing your frosting swirls and creative decorations!
Rate this recipe and join our baking community!
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Oreo Cupcake Recipe
Oreo cupcakes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Muffin tin (Standard size)
- 12 Paper Cupcake Liners (For lining the muffin tin)
- 1 Electric mixer (For mixing the batter and frosting)
- 2 Mixing bowls (For batter and frosting)
- 1 Measuring Cups (For accurate measurements)
- 1 Measuring spoons (For precise ingredient portions)
Ingredients
Cupcake Base:
- 1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix - Can substitute with vanilla or funfetti mix
- ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 12 Oreos Regular Oreos - Crushed into chunky pieces
Frosting:
- 8 Oreos Regular Oreos Set aside 6 for decoration - crush 2 for frosting
- 1 Package Cream Cheese - Room temperature
- ½ Cup Butter - Room temperature
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Heavy Cream
Leave a Reply