Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

As many of you may already know, I don't have any siblings. I always wanted a little sister, and 14-years-ago on this day I was blessed with the next best thing - a baby cousin named Audrey. Audrey has the most beautiful heart, and I've loved watching her grow up throughout the years.

This year, Audrey has taken an interest in baking cupcakes! It's been a lot of fun sharing this interest with her and baking with her. So when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said anything with cookie dough, I knew exactly what to make - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes! 

I started with a brown sugar cake to give it a hint of molasses flavor like an actual chocolate chip cookie. I then made an edible cookie dough filling - basically what I did was make a chocolate chip cookie recipe except I omitted the eggs (keep reading to find out why it's necessary to omit the eggs). I then scooped out the edible cookie dough into twelve cookie dough balls, and I froze them. You CANNOT forget this step! The cookie dough must be thoroughly frozen. If it is not frozen it will bake into a cookie and not stay "gooey" like cookie dough when you bake the cupcakes

And THIS is why it is also very important to use edible dough (dough without eggs). Since the dough does not bake-through, the eggs wouldn't bake and you would risk giving your recipients salmonella.

Once your dough is frozen (give it at least an hour), just plop it into the cupcake batter before baking. When the cupcake bakes, it bakes around the dough until you can't even tell from the outside that it's in there. Magic!

And lastly, my favorite part - cookie dough butter cream frosting! I could get sick off this stuff because it's just so darn hard to stop eating!

Sprinkle the frosting with mini chocolate chips and a mini cookie if you like!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough Filling

·      3/4 cup all-purpose flour (93.75 grams)

·      1/8 teaspoon baking soda

·      1/8 teaspoon salt

·      4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

·      1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

·      2 Tablespoons milk

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

For the Brown Sugar Cupcakes

·      1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (208.3 grams)

·      1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·      1/4 teaspoon baking soda

·      1/2 teaspoon salt

·      1 cup brown sugar (207 grams)

·      1/2 cup unsalted butter

·      1 large egg

·      3/4 cup milk

·      1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

·      1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

·      1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (51.75 grams)

·      1 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 

·      1/3 cup all-purpose flour (41.66 grams) (flour makes the frosting a little gritty, just like real cookie dough!)

·      1/4 teaspoon salt

·      1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the Cookie Dough Filling

1.     In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

2.     In a medium bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla.

3.     Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips.

4.     Scoop out the dough into 2-tablespoon scoops.

5.     Put cookie dough scoops in freezer and freeze until thoroughly frozen (at least an hour)

For the Brown Sugar Cupcakes

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2.     Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3.     In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave.

4.     Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain.

5.     Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.

6.     Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until no lumps remain.

7.     Divide batter between 12 cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.

8.     Add 1 frozen cookie dough ball to each liner

9.     Bake for 16-18 minutes

For the Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

1.     Beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes

2.     Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth

3.     Beat in the flour and salt

4.     Mix in the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth

5.     Garnish with mini chocolate chips

Cookie dough filling inspired by Recipe Girl. Brown Sugar Cupcake inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction. Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting inspired by Annie's Eats.