Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I think I made the best cupcakes that I have ever made.  No joke.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. Yes, they exist, and yes, they are as amazingly wonderful as they sound.

Today is my one of my absolute best friend’s 22nd birthday.  She loves cookie dough and I’ve been looking for an excuse to make this recipe for a few months now.  I slightly modified the frosting recipe, but the entire recipe is courtesy of Annie’s Eats.  I also took a decorating cue from Courtney’s cupcakes over at Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life because she always does a great job decorating her goodies!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
recipe from Annie’s Eats
yields 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
2¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
⅔ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

For decoration:
Extra filling rolled into tiny balls
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. Add a ½ teaspoon more of milk if the frosting seems too thick.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with chocolate chip cookie dough balls for decoration.

The cupcakes are very time consuming to make, but totally worth it! They weren’t hard, but just a lot of steps.  The end result is completely worth it though 🙂

Have you ever had chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes?  What is your favorite kind of cupcake?