Oreo Cupcakes
If you love the classic cookies and cream flavor of Oreos, then you’re going to LOVE these Oreo cupcakes! Featuring a rich dark chocolate base topped with an easy creamy Oreo frosting.
I first baked these cupcakes for my son’s birthday party and everyone went crazy for them. They were gone in seconds and everyone wanted more! I haven’t received an enthusiastic response like that in a while, and I knew I had to share this recipe.
What makes this Oreo cupcake recipe stand out is that I use black cocoa powder for that signature rich and intense dark chocolate flavor. Combine that with a light and creamy vanilla frosting filled with crushed Oreos and they are simply irresistible!
Why you should bake these Oreo cupcakes
- Cupcakes are easier to bake than a traditional layer cake, and more fun too.
- Black cocoa powder gives these cupcakes a rich, deep chocolate flavor.
- The frosting tastes just like the iconic Oreo cream filling.
- Crushed Oreos in the frosting add extra “cookies and cream” flavor.
- They’re perfect for kids and birthday parties, but adults will love them too.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Black cocoa power: It’s how we’ll get the super dark chocolate look and flavor of store-bought Oreos. Shop for it online, or substitute with Dutch-process cocoa powder if needed.
- All-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda and salt: Remaining dry ingredients for the cupcakes.
- Vegetable oil: You’ll get the best moist texture using vegetable oil instead of butter. (You can also use another neutral oil like grapeseed oil or avocado oil.)
- Sour cream: Adds richness and flavor.
- Eggs: You’ll need 1 egg and 1 egg yolk.
- Coffee: I highly recommend not skipping it, as it guarantees the best deep chocolate flavor. Keep instant coffee or instant espresso in your pantry for recipes like this!
- Powdered sugar, butter, heavy cream and vanilla: For the creamy frosting.
- Oreos: We’ll use some crushed up in the frosting and more on top of the cupcakes for decoration.
How to make Oreo cupcakes
- Make cupcake batter. No mixer required! Mix dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add wet to dry and whisk until combined (it’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy, do not overmix).
- Bake. Fill regular cupcake pan and liners no more than 2/3 full and bake in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, until the tops bounce back.
- Make the frosting. While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the frosting. Beat everything on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and creamy, then stir in the crushed Oreos on low until combined.
- Frost cupcakes. Use a piping bag and tip, or spread frosting on with a spoon or offset spatula. Top each cupcake with an Oreo to finish the look.
baking tip:Cupcake baking tips
- Use a measuring scoop to portion equal amounts of batter into each cup so they bake evenly. (This is the one I use.)
- Don’t fill more than 2/3 full. Cupcakes use the walls of the cupcake liners or muffin pan to help them rise. If you overfill the liners, there’s too much batter and not enough space to climb. The batter can spill over the sides and you’ll be left with flat cupcakes.
- Resist the urge to open the oven and peek during baking. The small cupcakes are more susceptible to sinking due to a drop in temperature.
- Using your oven light, look to see when the cupcakes are domed and appear to be set. Then open and touch lightly. If they spring back, they’re done.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, or until they’re cool enough to handle, then transfer them to a cooling rack. The heat from the pan will overcook and dry out the cupcakes if left in too long.
Make this recipe into a layer cake
If you’d like to make these cupcakes into an 8-inch layer cake instead, that sounds like a fabulous idea! Simply use the cake layers recipe from my sour cream chocolate cake (I scaled it down for these cupcakes), substituting black cocoa for the cocoa powder, and frost the cake with the Oreo frosting below as written. If you need help assembling the cake, see my full tutorial on how to frost a layer cake.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute with Dutch-process cocoa powder without needing to make any changes. I don’t recommend natural unsweetened cocoa powder as you’ll lose the dark chocolate Oreo flavor and color, but if you use it, reduce baking soda amount to ¼ teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder.
Yes, just reduce the baking soda to ¼ teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder to keep the cupcakes fluffy. The coffee boosts chocolate depth but won’t make the cupcakes taste like coffee.
Use a food processor for fine crumbs or place Oreos in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin for chunkier bits.
Absolutely! Cupcakes keep fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze them unfrosted for weeks. Just thaw before frosting.
More cupcake recipes
Get the recipe
Oreo Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 ¼ cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (40 grams) black cocoa powder , see Notes
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso , if using water below (recommended, see Notes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- â…” cup (150 grams) sour cream , at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil
- â…” cup (150 grams) coffee or water
Frosting:
- 3 ½ cups (395 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (226 grams) butter , at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (26 grams) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 grams) crushed Oreos
- 15-18 Oreos , for topping cupcakes
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a regular muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee (if using), salt, and baking soda.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk and sour cream. Stir in the vegetable oil, followed by the coffee/water. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the muffin pan, filling each muffin tin no more than â…” full. Bake until cupcakes appear set and tops bounce back when gently pressed, about 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, you should end up with about 15-18 cupcakes total.
- Cupcakes can be made in advance and kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several weeks (thaw before frosting).
To make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, mix the powdered sugar, butter, salt, whipping cream, and vanilla extract on low speed until it starts to come together. Increase speed to high and beat for 3-4 minutes until frosting is fluffy, pausing once or twice to scrape the bowl down.
- Add Oreo crumbs and mix on low until combined. If the frosting seems too stiff, add more cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to loosen it up.
- Frost cooled cupcakes with the frosting as desired. Top each with an Oreo. Frosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days after baking cupcakes.
Notes
- Black cocoa powder: You can find it online, or substitute with Dutch-process cocoa powder if needed.
- Why I use coffee: It makes a big difference to enhance the chocolate flavor of the cupcakes, and you will not taste it. You can use either drip (liquid) coffee or instant coffee/espresso and water as instructed in the recipe. If you don’t want to use any coffee, change baking soda amount to ¼ teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon baking powder.
These Oreo cupcakes is absolutely delicious!