Name: Small Batch Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar; 2 tbsp Light Brown Sugar; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/2 cup Heat Treated All-Purpose Flour; 1/8 tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Whole Milk; 1/4 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips; 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/8 tsp Salt; 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar; 1 large Egg, room temperature; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1/4 cup Whole Milk; 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature; 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar; 1 1/3 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar; 1/4 cup Heat Treated All-Purpose Flour; 1/8 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract; 2 tbsp Whole Milk; 2 tbsp Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

These Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes are soft, fluffy vanilla cupcakes with a center of edible chocolate chip cookie dough, crowned with a rich cookie dough buttercream frosting!

Small batch chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes on a white marbled background.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

I'm thrilled to add these small batch chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes to my recipe box! Every part can be made ahead before you assemble them. Using Wilton wave cupcake liners, this recipe yields 6 cupcakes.

The cupcakes are based on my Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes recipe, and the edible cookie dough is adapted from my Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough Hearts recipe! The cookie dough buttercream is very easy to make and pairs perfectly with the cupcakes for anyone who loves cookie dough!

For more small batch recipes, look at my Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes, Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls, or my Small Batch Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies!

Chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake cut in half on a brown cupcake liner.

Ingredients

The ingredients in the photo below go into this small batch chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake recipe. The items in the bullet list need a bit more explanation.

Heat-Treated All-Purpose Flour. You can order heat-treated flour online (I've never found it in stores), or heat-treat all-purpose flour in your own oven (details below). You will need heat-treated flour for the edible cookie dough and the buttercream frosting. Do NOT use refrigerated cookie dough from the store.
Whole Milk. I used whole milk, but 1%, 2%, or fat-free work too.
Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. I don't recommend regular-size chips here. They're too big for the cookie dough and make the frosting hard to pipe or spread onto the cupcakes.

The quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below.

Substitutions

I did not use any dairy, flour, or egg substitutes for the cupcakes. The edible cookie dough contains no eggs.

How to Heat-Treat All-Purpose Flour

We've all tasted raw cookie dough at least once, maybe more, and hey, we're still here! Still, the FDA warns that harmful strains of E. coli can be found in raw flour, so heat-treat your all-purpose flour if you can't find it pre-treated locally or online.

To heat-treat your flour, follow these steps:

Preheat your oven to 300ºF.
Spread the all-purpose flour needed for this recipe (for both the cookie dough and the buttercream) evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake the flour for 10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until it reaches 160ºF on a digital food thermometer.
Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before using. Break up any clumps with a fork. Cooling takes about 25-30 minutes. Store the heat-treated flour in an airtight container.

How to Make the Recipe

Here is a brief overview of how to make these chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes. For the full printable recipe, which works in US customary or metric measurements via the toggle switch, see the recipe card below.

Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Recipe Tip: Make the edible cookie dough first, since it needs time to chill while you make everything else. You must use heat-treated flour for this part.

Granulated sugar, light brown sugar, butter, and vanilla extract added to a small glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Mix the butter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Beat until pale and fluffy.

Added heat treat all purpose flour, salt and whole milk to edible cookie dough batter in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 2. Add the heat-treated all-purpose flour, salt, and whole milk.

Folding mini chocolate chips into edible chocolate chip cookie dough mixture in a glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Glass mixing bowl with edible chocolate chip cookie dough covered in plastic wrap on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Cover and chill in the fridge while you make the rest of the recipe.

Recipe Tip: You'll have some leftover cookie dough. Keep it refrigerated in a well-sealed container for up to a week. It's perfect as an ice cream topping or eaten straight from the bowl. Be careful, though, because it's addictive!

Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes

Mixing vanilla cupcake batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Add all ingredients except the extract and milk to a large mixing bowl. Beat them together on medium to high speed until well blended.

Added milk and vanilla extract into vanilla cupcake batter in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 2. Add the extract and milk. Mix until just combined. The batter should be easy to scoop and on the thin side, but not runny.

Metal cupcake tin with six filled cavities with vanilla cupcake batter on a white marbled background.

Step 3. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners. I suggest a 1 1/2 tablespoon-size cookie scoop.

Six vanilla cupcakes baked in a metal cupcake tin on a white marbled background.

Step 4. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350ºF. They should be a pretty golden yellow with a slight dome on top. Move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

Recipe Tip: You must use heat-treated all-purpose flour for this part. Do NOT use regular, untreated all-purpose flour.

Light brown sugar, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract in a large glass mixing bowl on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Beat the butter, light brown sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.

Heat treated all purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt added to cookie dough buttercream mixture in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 2. Add the powdered sugar, heat-treated all-purpose flour, and salt.

Milk added to cookie dough buttercream mixture in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 3. Add the whole milk. Start with one tablespoon. For a softer, creamier frosting, use two tablespoons.

Mini semi sweet chocolate chips folded into cookie dough buttercream frosting in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 4. Fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Assembling the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes with centers cored out and filled with a small scoop of edible chocolate chip cookie dough on a white marbled background.

Step 1. Core out the center of each cupcake. Fill each one with a small ball of the edible cookie dough.

Chocolate chip cookie dough filled vanilla cupcakes topped with chocolate chip cookie dough buttercream frosting.

Step 2. Top each cupcake with the cookie dough buttercream and a few mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Helpful Tips

Don't overmix the cupcake batter. Overmixing can cause a lot of problems as the cupcakes bake. Dense, chewy cupcakes are one of them.

Use an oven thermometer. Every oven is different and may not heat to the temperature the dial shows. I found this with both my old and new ovens. Each said it was preheated correctly, but the thermometer showed it was actually 100 degrees cooler. So, a word to the wise: get an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating correctly!

Storing your cupcakes. The vanilla cupcakes, before adding the cookie dough filling or frosting, can be made 2-3 days ahead and kept in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.

If the tops feel slightly sticky after storing, let them sit out uncovered for about 30 minutes before frosting.

If high heat or humidity is a problem where you live, store them in the refrigerator. They tend to dry out more that way, so keep them in a well-sealed container!

Black and white ceramic dessert plate placed on a pink cloth napkin with six chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes.

Recipe FAQs

What decorating tip did you use to pipe the chocolate chip cookie dough buttercream?

I used the Wilton 1A decorating tip with a medium piping bag. The Wilton 1A tip is also called the open or open-circle tip.

Who makes the wavy liners you used with these cupcakes?

I used the wavy cupcake liners from Wilton. I've also used them for my Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes and Small Batch Black Bottom Cupcakes recipes.

Can I make these cupcakes in advance?

Yes! You can make each part ahead of time and assemble the cupcakes when you're ready.

What can I use to core out the center of each cupcake?

I used an apple corer, but the wide end of a large decorating tip or a spoon works too.

How small should I make my edible chocolate chip cookie dough centers?

Keep the holes no more than 1 inch across. Any wider, and with these wave liners the cupcakes will start to crack and split away from the liners. They can be longer, though.

If you enjoyed this Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and tell me what you thought in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by!