Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

 Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting and chocolate chip cookie crumbs reign supreme in the dessert world. Soft, fluffy, moist, and bursting with flavor, these cupcakes are the absolute BEST!

And after you try Chocolate Chip Cupcakes, make sure to try these Banana Cupcakes, these Pumpkin Cupcakes, and these Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I’m excited to be sharing one of our family’s favorite desserts: Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. These are such a fun mashup of chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes — I mean, chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes were meant to be together, don’t you agree?

A really good cupcake is pretty hard to pass up… but adding luscious cream cheese frosting and chocolate chip cookie crumbs on top takes them right over the top. These cupcakes are inspired by our favorite cupcakes at Milk & Cookies, a local bakery. I think they should really call them Cookie Monster Dreams because these are a cookie lover’s dream come true!

How to make Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

The cupcake base is made with a yellow cake mix with mini chocolate chips mixed in. Not just any plain cake mix, though– this cake is so rich, tender, and incredibly moist thanks to a few secret additions (pudding mix, sour cream, and buttermilk)!

The cupcake then gets topped with a cream cheese frosting for a little extra richness and chocolate chip cookie crumbs for a little extra pizzazz. 

Cookie crumbs

We use store-bought cookies smashed into crumbs, but if you have some chewy chocolate chip cookies lying around, use those to crumble on top. While you don’t have to top these cupcakes with cookie crumbs, it adds a delicious flavor and makes for a fun garnish.

• For store-bought cookie crumbs, I recommend grabbing crisp cookies like Chips Ahoy® or Famous Amos® Chocolate Chip Cookies. 
• Either coarsely chop the cookies or give them a quick pulse in a food processor or blender.

Cream cheese frosting

This cookie-filled Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect complement for Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. It’s luscious, creamy, and thick with so much flavor, thanks to the cookie crumbs. Below are a few frosting tips:

• Set out the butter and cream cheese about an hour before to get them to room temperature. If the ingredients aren’t the room temperature, they won’t combine completely, and you will end up with a chunky frosting rather than a fluffy cream cheese frosting.
• See this article for tips to bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature quickly.
• Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to beat this frosting until smooth.

QUICK TIP

Make sure you add the powdered sugar slowly! Too fast and you might end up with a cloud of powdered sugar all over the kitchen! Use a stand or hand mixer on a low speed and add more or less powdered sugar, according to personal preferences. More sugar will make the frosting sweeter and firmer, and less sugar will leave the frosting a bit tangier and less firm.

Cupcake baking tips

• Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting. This helps ensure your cupcakes rise evenly (and don’t sink or fall).
• Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing results in denser, less-fluffy muffins.
• Bake Chocolate Chip Cupcakes in the center of your oven. That provides the best air and heat circulation.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting, to avoid melted puddles of frosting.
• Be sure to check out this article for more tips.

More cake recipes:

• Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting
• Waffle Cake with cream filling
• Pumpkin Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
• Edible Cake Batter food-safe treat
• Bundt Cake two flavors — chocolate and vanilla

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Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

5 from 2 votes

- Review this recipe

These super-moist Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting and chocolate chip cookie crumbs reign supreme in the dessert world. Soft, fluffy, and bursting with buttery flavor, these chocolate chip cupcakes are the absolute BEST!

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Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

5 from 2 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

These super-moist Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with cream cheese buttercream frosting and chocolate chip cookie crumbs reign supreme in the dessert world. Soft, fluffy, and bursting with buttery flavor, these chocolate chip cupcakes are the absolute BEST!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip cupcakes

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 24 cupcakes

Calories 328kcal

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix, recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix (or your preferred brand)
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla pudding mix, dry (do not prepare)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

Frosting (See Note 1)

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese. softened to room temperature
• 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/16 teaspoon (tiny pinch) fine sea salt
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chip cookie crumbs, plus more for garnish if desired

Instructions

• PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cupcake pans with liners (24 liners total). Set aside.
• CUPCAKE BATTER: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Add the sour cream, canola oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Stir until completely combined. Add the cake mix and pudding mix to the bowl. Stir until mostly combined (streaks of cake mix will still be there). Pour in the buttermilk and mix until the batter is fully combined and smooth. Don't overmix. With a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
• BAKE: Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full (batter should yield 24 cupcakes). Bake for 18-23 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean or with moist crumbs when inserted in the middle of a cupcake. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool before frosting.
• FROSTING: In a large bowl (or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Slowly add the heavy cream to reach desired consistency. With a spatula, fold in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chip cookie crumbs.
• DECORATE: Frost cupcakes with a table knife and top with additional cookie crumbs if desired.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Frosting yield: We've found the amount of frosting in the recipe is perfect for 24 cupcakes, but if you like a lot of frosting, you may want to double the frosting amounts.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24cupcakes | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.7g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 18.8g | Cholesterol: 43.3mg | Sodium: 219.8mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 30.2g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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