Cookie Dough Oreos

Homemade Cookie Dough Oreos® start with rich and fudgy chocolate cookies loaded up with cookie dough frosting. The frosting combines edible cookie dough with a simple vanilla buttercream. This smooth and luxurious frosting makes the best filling for these homemade Oreos!

Try our Original Homemade Oreos recipe next time (or if you’d rather not make the cookie dough frosting for this recipe).

Cookie Dough Oreos

Oreos are clearly one of my favorite treats — as evidenced by the ridiculous number of recipes that make their way in (like this Oreo Fudge, Brownie Oreo Ice Cream Bars, Oreo Ice Cream Cake, Oreo Fluff, Oreo Balls, and so many more.)  And then there’s my obsession with edible cookie dough…

So when Nabisco came out with Limited Edition Cookie Dough Oreos®, you know I seriously stocked up. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t last too long in my home. (even the  boxes hidden in my closet!)

And so I decided to make my own! While these Oreos are fairly different than standard Oreos, we’re obsessed with them. These cookies aren’t the crisp, crunchy, chocolate cookies like store-bought Oreos. Instead, these cookies are soft, chewy, and deeply chocolatey. They’re rich, fudgy, gooey, sweet, and best when slightly under-baked! These “Oreos” are more of a chocolate whoopie pie type of cookie with the most luxurious cookie dough frosting ever. And, since Nabisco doesn’t sell double-stuffed Cookie Dough Oreos, when you make your own you can double (even triple?) stuff them with this cookie dough frosting yourself!

The frosting is a bit of a process to make, but worth every second — it is the best cookie dough frosting I’ve ever tasted! It starts with my “famous” edible cookie dough, and we mix that into a simple vanilla buttercream. The result is gorgeously smooth, ridiculously sweet, light, and fluffy cookie dough frosting — no grainy frosting in these Cookie Dough Oreos!

What Cake Mix To Use

Cookie Dough Oreos begin with a cake mix and only require four other ingredients. With so few ingredients, the cake mix is very important to the end flavor and texture of these cookies.

We’ve tried several different cake mixes, and truly none even come close to Betty Crocker’s® Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix. (Not sponsored, just our favorite in this recipe).

We love the rich flavor this cake mix contributes to these cookies, plus it also has miniature chocolate chips that ripple throughout the cookies — yum! Grab the box, but don’t follow any package directions for preparing the cake; we’ll add our own ingredients.

What Pudding Mix To Use

Beyond the cake mix, the other ingredient to pay close attention to in these Cookie Dough Oreos is the pudding mix. While it would be nice if any boxed pudding worked in this recipe, this part of the recipe is very specific.

We’re looking to use chocolate instant pudding mix and not the cook-and-serve type. We also want to ensure the pudding mix is not sugar-free or reduced-calorie — those varieties won’t work the same.

The other thing to keep an eye out for is the pudding box size. There are typically two sizes — a larger and smaller one. We want to get the small 3.9-ounce (111g) box.

When using the pudding mix in these Cookie Dough Oreos, use the dry mix — don’t prepare it according to package directions.

Other Ingredients In Cookie Dough Oreos

Beyond the cake mix and pudding mix, there are three other ingredients which I describe below:

• Eggs. Be sure to use large eggs.
• Butter. It’s important the butter is at room temperature and not melted for this recipe. If the butter is too soft or melted, the cookie dough will need to be chilled before baking to make sure the cookies don’t spread too much.
• Vanilla extract. This is a nice flavor enhancer — it’s also in the edible cookie dough and the frosting.

Let’s talk edible cookie dough frosting

This frosting has two parts to it — edible cookie dough and vanilla buttercream. Once the cookie dough is prepared, we mix it into the frosting to make the most unforgettable cookie dough frosting. Let’s talk about these two parts a little bit more:

• Edible cookie dough. Regular (raw) cookie dough isn’t considered safe to eat because of health concerns revolving around both the flour and uncooked eggs. So the edible cookie dough portion of the frosting is specially formulated to be safe while also tasting just like regular cookie dough. There are no eggs in this recipe and we heat treat the flour to ensure everything is up to safety standard for consumption. (Read more in the section below what heat treating flour entails.)
• Vanilla buttercream. This frosting is a fairly standard buttercream, but a few ingredients take it to the next level — salt and vanilla. Both work wonders in enhancing and balancing flavors. Once we’ve got a wonderfully flavorful and creamy frosting, we make it even better by adding in cookie dough.

QUICK TIP

What is buttercream? It’s one of the most popular types of frosting and is made with (as you might guess) butter and cream. Once combined, powdered sugar is mixed in, along with flavorings. Buttercream is a less-sweet frosting than whipped cream frosting–which you’ll often find in commercial bakery products. If you’ve ever found yourself scraping off frosting from a cake because it’s too sweet, maybe next time you’d like to try buttercream instead!

Heat treating flour

A lot of people are surprised to find that flour can cause sickness in unbaked cookie dough (or the frosting in these Cookie Dough Oreos). Flour doesn’t look like raw food, but it actually is. This means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs (think e. coli) which can cause food poisoning (source). Normally, flour is sterilized (so to speak) when it is baked in a recipe. So, when making cookie dough that is edible, we need to first cook the flour (or heat treat it) to ensure we kill any potential bacteria. There are three options for heat-treating your flour.

• Purchase flour that has already been heat treated.  Check the label for this information.
• Heat treat it in the microwave: Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heat treating more than the recipe calls for (1/2 to 1 cup extra) just to ensure you have enough. Microwave on high in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in between each burst. Take your time stirring well to make sure none of the flour burns. Use a thermometer to test the flour in a few places to make sure it has reached 165 degrees F throughout all the flour. (If you get less than 165 degrees, return the flour for one more burst of 30 seconds). 
• Heat treat it in the oven: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan (with sides) with a nonstick liner or parchment paper. Spread the flour on the pan (treat more than you’ll use; 1/2 to 1 cup extra). Bake the flour, removing and stirring it, every 1 and 1/2 minutes. Every time you remove the flour to stir, test it with the thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165 degrees F, it’s safe.

QUICK TIP

A few tips for heat-treating flour for these Cookie Dough Oreos:

• Let flour cool completely before using it in the recipe. If you use hot flour, the cookie dough won’t turn out right. Let the flour cool completely to room temperature, or speed up the process by placing the tray in the fridge or freezer.
• If baking or microwaving left your flour with any clumps, break up those clumps with your fingers. Discard any clumps that won’t break up easily. If flour stuck to the sides or bottom of the pan, don’t scrape it up for the dough — it’s likely burnt and will have an off flavor.
• If there are discolored sections (brown or light brown flour) discard that flour; it will make the dough taste like burnt popcorn! (This is why we heat treat a bit more flour than we’ll need!) You want the heat-treated flour to look just like regular flour (light, fluffy and white); discard parts that don’t look like this.

Leftover Cookie Dough  Frosting

Even with these cookies generously frosted, there is a bit of leftover frosting. The recipe works best in the quantity written, so use leftover frosting in one of the following ways:

• Frost a small batch of cupcakes.
• Use as a dip. We love dipping real Oreo cookies in the frosting! We also like graham crackers, fresh strawberries, and bananas dipped in it.
• Top sugar cookies with it. Cookie dough frosted cookies? I mean, the only answer here is yes!
• Make a graham cracker sandwich. And if you want to get even fancier, dip that cookie-dough-frosting-loaded graham cracker sandwich in melted chocolate.

Storage

• Store leftover Cookie Dough Oreos in an airtight container in the fridge. We like these best the same day they are made, but they’ll last for up to 2-3 days. Unfortunately, these cookies become harder, and firmer every day they aren’t eaten; the frosting also tends to change texture a bit.

More Cookie Recipes

• Cookie Brownie Bars with a layer of caramel
• Soft and Chewy Butterscotch Cookies
• No-Bake Healthy Breakfast Cookies
• Cookie Bars with chocolate chips
• Frosted Honey Graham Cookies with a cream cheese frosting

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Cookie Dough Oreos

- Review this recipe

Homemade Cookie Dough Oreos start with rich and fudgy chocolate cookies loaded up with cookie dough frosting. The frosting begins with edible cookie dough that gets mixed into a simple vanilla buttercream. This smooth and luxurious frosting makes the best filling!

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Cookie Dough Oreos

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

Homemade Cookie Dough Oreos start with rich and fudgy chocolate cookies loaded up with cookie dough frosting. The frosting begins with edible cookie dough that gets mixed into a simple vanilla buttercream. This smooth and luxurious frosting makes the best filling!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Vegetarian

Keyword cookie dough oreos

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 18 full Oreos

Calories 373kcal

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 package (15.25 oz; 432g) Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (Betty Crocker brand)
• 1 package (3.9 oz.; 111g) instant chocolate pudding mix (dry, do not prepare) small box
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Edible Cookie Dough

• 3/4 cup (100g) white all-purpose flour Note 1
• 1/3 cup (76g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup (63g) tightly packed brown sugar (light or dark, I prefer dark)
• 3 tablespoons (36g) white granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (6g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (16g) whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (60g) miniature chocolate chips

Frosting

• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons (8g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon (17g) heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1-1/2 cups (178g) powdered sugar

Instructions

Cookies

• PREP: Before starting, take 3 sticks of butter out of the refrigerator to get to room temperature (for both the cookies and frosting!). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking liner and set aside.
• COOKIES: In a very large bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, room temperature butter, eggs, and vanilla. Using hand mixers, beat until just combined. It may seem crumbly at first, but it will come together. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Stop mixing as soon as a dough is formed.
  
• BAKE: Using a one-tablespoon measuring spoon, measure out dough balls. Each ball of dough should be exactly 1 leveled tablespoon (20 grams). (You'll get around 34-36 cookies.) (If the dough balls are at all soft, pop them in the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes so they stay nice and thick while being baked.) Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes (we like them best at 8 minutes). You want to slightly under-bake these cookies to keep them soft and fudgy. Remove from the oven and let stand on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a wire cooling rack to fully cool. Repeat to bake all the rest of the cookies.
  

Edible Cookie Dough Frosting

• -HEAT TREAT FLOUR: See note 1; You can heat treat flour in the microwave or in the oven. Let flour cool COMPLETELY to room temperature before using. Don't use any burnt or clumpy flour (if it's off-color or smells burnt, it is burnt). The flour should be light, white, and fluffy. Use a spoon to scoop the cooled flour into a measuring cup and level the top of the measuring cup with the back of a table knife. Once measured (to 3/4 cup), set aside.
• COOKIE DOUGH: Meanwhile, melt the 1/3 cup butter and set it aside to cool back to room temperature -- hot butter will melt the sugar and cause greasy or grainy cookie dough. In a medium-sized bowl, use a spatula to add every bit of the melted and cooled to room-temperature butter. Then add in the brown sugar, and white sugar. Briskly stir or whisk until smooth, about 1-2 minutes -- the mixture should be fully integrated and smooth (it changes consistency to be more creamy, but the butter shouldn't rise or separate). Once the mixture is smooth, add in the salt, vanilla, and milk or cream and stir until integrated. Stir in the fully cooled heat-treated flour and miniature chocolate chips. Mix until combined and smooth. Place the cookie dough in the fridge to chill while preparing the frosting.
  
• FROSTING: In a large bowl, add 8 tablespoons of room temperature butter. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowls with a spatula as needed. Add in the vanilla, cream, and salt. Beat to combine. Finally, add in the powdered sugar and then beat the mixture (on low speed) to combine. Once combined, increase the speed of the mixer and beat until the frosting is very light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (Frosting will turn a lighter white). Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and break/crumble it right on top of the frosting. Beat on low speed for about 10-20 seconds just to incorporate the cookie dough into the frosting; it's okay if there are rippled chunks of dough -- this makes the frosting have a fun texture!
  

Assembly

• PUT 'EM TOGETHER: Once cookies are mostly cooled (it's okay if they're barely warm -- they're so fudgy at this point!), divide the frosting evenly among the 17-18 cookies. Frost generously and then sandwich with the remaining 17-18 cookies. You will likely have a little bit of frosting leftover -- about 1/2 cup. The leftover frosting is delicious enjoyed as a dip -- we love dipping fruit, graham crackers, or real Oreo cookies in it!
• STORAGE: These cookies are best enjoyed the same day they're made -- they're softest/fudgiest day 1 and get harder every day after that.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Heat treating the flour: Uncooked flour carries a risk of salmonella and e.coli. While you don't have to heat treat the flour, to ensure this recipe is food safe, I recommend it. Here's how to do it in either the microwave or oven: 

Heat treat it in the microwave: Add the flour to a microwave-safe bowl. I recommend heat treating more than the recipe calls for (1/2 to 1 cup extra) just to ensure you have enough. Microwave on high in bursts of 30 seconds, stirring in between each burst. Take your time stirring well to make sure none of the flour burns or clumps. Use a thermometer to test the flour in a few places to make sure it has reached 165 degrees F throughout all the flour. (If you get less than 165 degrees, return the flour for one more burst of 30 seconds).

Heat treat it in the oven: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan (with sides) with a nonstick liner or parchment paper. Spread the flour on the pan (treat more than you'll use; 1/2 to 1 cup extra). Bake the flour, removing and stirring it, every 1 and 1/2 minutes. Every time you remove the flour to stir, test it with the thermometer. As soon as it reaches 165 degrees F, it's safe. (This takes about 3-6 minutes in my oven)

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 488IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 2mg

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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