Oreo Cupcakes | Life, Love and Sugar

The Ultimate Oreo Cupcakes Recipe

I am pretty sure I could eat these cupcakes every day of the week without getting sick of them. They are THAT good, and here’s why:

• Ultra moist. I used vegetable oil instead of butter in these cupcakes, which makes them super moist. And they stay that way for days, which makes them great for making ahead too.
• Easy mixing method. This is one of the easiest cupcake batter recipes ever. All you have to do is combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, mix it all together, and then stir in some hot water.
• Luscious Oreo buttercream. The buttercream on these cupcakes is to die for. It’s smooth, creamy, and absolutely bursting with flavor from Oreo crumbs.

Ingredient Notes

Most of what you need for these cupcakes is pretty straight forward, which adds to how easy they are to make. As long as you have Oreos, you should be ready to go! For precise measurements, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

For the cupcakes

• All-purpose flour – I always recommend a food scale, to be sure you measure it accurately. Particularly with cookies, they will dry out quickly if you add too much flour.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder – Dutch process cocoa powder will also work, but the cupcakes don’t rise quite as high, so you’d fill them a little more and get one or two less cupcakes.
• Baking soda – The baking soda helps the cupcakes rise in the oven. It gives them an amazing texture. No need for baking powder.
• Salt – Salt enhances the flavors already present in the cupcakes.
• Milk – I suggest using whole milk or 2%. You can also use buttermilk.
• Vegetable oil – The vegetable oil is the key to the moist, silky texture of these glorious cupcakes. Melted butter would work, but it’s just not the same.
• Hot water – The hot water works to activate the flavors in the cocoa powder. Hot coffee will also do the trick if you’re looking for a more intense chocolate flavor.
• Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar gives the frosting volume, structure and sweetness. You can reduce the amount, but it won’t be as thick and may not pipe as well.
• Oreos – I folded Oreo crumbs into the frosting to give it big Oreo flavor. I also used whole Oreos to decorate the finished product. To get Oreo crumbs, pop them in a food processor or blender and grind them up.

How to Make Oreo Cupcakes

Here’s a quick look at how to make these moist, fluffy Oreo cupcakes. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Prep. Preheat oven to 300°F and prepare a cupcake pan with liners.
• Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
• Put it all together. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then whisk in the hot water.

Tips for Success

• Hot water. The water used in the cupcake batter really does need to be hot. The heat wakes the cocoa powder up, allowing the chocolate flavor to bloom to its full potential.
• Halfway full. You only need to fill the cupcake liners about halfway. If you fill them much more than that, they will overflow and can sink in the middle when that happens.
• Let the cupcakes cool. Let these cupcakes cool completely before attempting to frost them. If they are too warm, the buttercream will slide off.
• Get the consistency right. You might need to play with the frosting a bit to get the consistency right. If your frosting is too thick and difficult to pipe, mix in a little heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thin, go ahead and add extra powdered sugar until it’s thick enough. Check out my post on how to get the right frosting consistency for more.

Recipe Variations

With the best chocolate cupcake ever as its base, this cupcake recipe is primed for experimentation. Here are a few fun ways to shake things up:

• Pick a different Oreo flavor. There are so many these days. You could go with mint Oreos, peanut butter Oreos, or chocolate-on-chocolate Oreos. They come out with different flavors all the time, so feel free to try whichever strikes your fancy!
• Filled cupcakes. After your cupcakes have cooled and before you’ve frosted them, you could core them (aka hollow out the inside) and fill them with a sweet surprise like extra buttercream, Nutella, or even the peanut butter frosting from these Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
• Try a different base. The frosting for these cupcakes would be just as amazing atop a different cupcake base. Try using the batter for my Moist Vanilla Cupcakes instead or the one for these Cookies and Cream Cupcakes.

How to Store

• Counter. Seal the frosted cupcakes in an airtight cupcake carrier (or an airtight container that’s tall enough to accommodate the frosting). You can store them at room temperature for up to 2 days, then they should be refrigerated for another 2-3 days. Serve at room temperature.
• Refrigerator. Store the cupcakes in an airtight cupcake carrier or container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before diving in.
• Freezer. You can also store the cupcakes in the freezer, again in an airtight cupcake carrier or tall container (make sure it’s freezer-safe). They will keep for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying.

* Note that refrigerators tend to dry out baked goods. So, I always suggest storing them at room temperature (if you can polish them off within 2 days).

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