The ultimate cookie lover's dream. These buttery Circus Animal cupcakes are bursting with sprinkles, and baked right on top of an Oreo cookie. They're stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough and topped with cookies & cream frosting, and the ultimate trio of cookies.
I had the best time creating these cupcakes. They transform all my favorite cookies into a super over-the-top cupcake flavor that any cookie lover would go crazy for.
The cupcake is buttery, sweet and loaded with rainbow sprinkles, to look just like those frosted animal cookies I used to love as a kid. I topped it with one of my all-time favorite frostings, that tastes just like cookie & cream heaven and snuck in an entire Oreo cookie at the bottom of the cupcakes, for a fun crunchy surprise crust.
And I couldn't make these without my beloved chocolate chip cookie, so I decided to stuff these cupcakes with my edible chocolate chip cookie dough that we're making with heat treated flour and no eggs, so it's totally safe to eat raw.
Then top them off with more sprinkles, a circus animal cookie, Oreo cookie piece and chunk of chocolate chip cookie, for the coolest cupcake flavor ever.
The cupcake is buttery, sweet and loaded with rainbow sprinkles, to look just like those frosted animal cookies I used to love as a kid. I topped it with one of my all-time favorite frostings, that tastes just like cookie & cream heaven and snuck in an entire Oreo cookie at the bottom of the cupcakes, for a fun crunchy surprise crust.
I used nonpareil sprinkles instead of rainbow jimmies, like I normally do in my funfetti cupcakes, to match the cookies, but just make sure you are really gentle when you mix these into the batter, because the colors will bleed if you mix it more than a few times. Just a few folds should do the trick to get the sprinkles evenly distributed.
And I couldn't make these without my beloved chocolate chip cookie, so I decided to stuff these cupcakes with my edible chocolate chip cookie dough that we're making with heat treated flour and no eggs, so it's totally safe to eat raw.
Then top them off with more sprinkles, a circus animal cookie, Oreo cookie piece and chunk of chocolate chip cookie, for the coolest cupcake flavor ever.
If you guys give this a try be sure to tag me in a picture on social media @LindsayAnnBakes!
If you love this recipe, you are going to love my Giant Funfetti Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookie...
...or my Chocolate Funfetti Cookie Dough Cupcakes, so be sure to check those videos out too!
Cookie Crazy Cupcakes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Oreo Circus Animal Cupcakes:
- 12 Oreos
- 1 1/4 cup (140g) cake flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup (144g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoons butter flavor extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup rainbow nonpareils
Edible Cookie Dough Filling:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- half of a 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour, heat treated
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Cookies and Cream Oreo Frosting:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/2oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (1/2lb) powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar), sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (sub half and half or milk if necessary)
- 6 Oreos, finely crushed (pulsed in a food processor or crushed in a plastic bag)
Garnish:
- rainbow nonpareils
- 3 mini chocolate chip cookies, cut into quarters
- 3 Oreo cookies, cut into quarters
- 12 pink circus animal cookies
Directions
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups. Place an Oreo cookie at the bottom of each baking cup.
With an electric mixer, beat together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for about 20 seconds. Add softened butter and oil and mix for about 1-2 minutes to coat the flour, until mixture resembles wet sand.
Distribute the batter between the baking cups, filling about 3/4 full. Add a few more sprinkles on top. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.
Filling:
Place flour in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high, in 30 second intervals, whisking after each interval, until flour reaches 160 F, about 1 1/2 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, salt and sweetened condensed milk. On low speed, beat in flour until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Scoop 1 teaspoon each of dough and roll into 12 little balls.
Frosting:
With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and shortening on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, starting on on low and increasing to medium, until fully incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. Fold in cookie crumbs.
Cut a small piece out of the top of each completely cooled cupcake (I use an apple corer) and push in cookie dough. Frost filled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles and cookies.
