Brownie Cupcakes With Cookie Dough Frosting

Fudgy brownie cupcakes are frosted with a rich and creamy cookie dough frosting and combines the best of both dessert worlds in one cupcake!

Hellooooo brownies + cookie dough hanging out in cupcake form! Am I dreaming? If so, please don’t ever wake me up.

Since apparently we’re all in the same dream, welcome to your new dessert addiction! Brownies are now cupcakes and also cookie dough is piled on top which by all accounts sounds like a fever dream but the best kind.

Just be aware, your life is about to become shockingly complete.

My personal favorite part about these cupcakes is that the frosting genuinely tastes like REAL cookie dough! From the creamy cookie dough-like texture to the chocolate flecks and buttery vanilla flavor, it’s just perfection.

Lemme tell you, heaping a big scoop of this goodness on top of a brownie in cupcake form can only mean good things.

These Cupcakes feature…

• A moist and fudgy brownie base
• Rich and creamy chocolate chip cookie dough frosting
• Minutes to make with no special ingredients required

Making the Cupcakes

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Unsalted butter
• Bittersweet chocolate
• Granulated sugar
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Kosher salt
• Powdered sugar
• 2% or skim milk
• Mini chocolate chips

How to Heat Treat Flour

The frosting for these cupcakes relies on flour to give it a cookie dough texture which means the flour needs to be heat treated before mixing into the frosting since it does not get cooked.

There are 3 ways you can heat treat the flour for the frosting. I typically use the microwave method but any way works as long as the flour is being heated to 160F.

Microwave: place flour in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 60-90 seconds, stirring and breaking up any lumps at 30 second intervals until temperature of flour reaches 160F. Arrange flour in a single layer and allow to cool completely before mixing into frosting.

Oven: arrange flour in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350F 8-10 minutes until flour registers 160F. Allow to cool completely before mixing into frosting.

Stovetop: pour flour in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until flour is a light golden brown and registers 160F. Allow to cool completely before mixing into frosting.

Tips for Perfect Brownie Cupcakes

1. Measure flour correctly – I use the spoon-and-level technique for measuring flour as this will prevent over-measuring your flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife.
2. Gently fold batter – overmixing will lead to a dry texture so use a gentle hand when folding batter.
3. Don’t overbake cupcakes – the cupcakes are done when the top is firm and crackly and a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Allow cupcakes to cool completely – make sure you allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting otherwise the frosting will melt off.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these cupcakes.

• Use another frosting – try a chocolate buttercream, vanilla buttercream, cream cheese, or peanut butter frosting.
• Add more chocolate – fold 1/2 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips into the batter.
• Bake into full-size brownies – pour batter into a 9-inch square baking dish and bake at 350F 20-25 minutes. Cool brownies and top with cookie dough frosting.

Storing Cupcakes

These cupcakes store well in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days.

For best results, I recommend frosting the cupcakes immediately after the frosting is made as it does tend to stiffen a bit the longer it sits. Make sure you allow the cupcakes to fully cool before frosting them.

Every component of these cupcakes is just flawless together! The brownie base is soooo moist and fudgy just like a regular brownie and a big pile of creamy frosting on top gives you that rich cookie dough element. Kinda like a next-level brookie!

Perfectly natural to crave nothing else but this goodness, don’t worry.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

Try these other brownie favorites next!

• Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
• Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
• Double Chocolate Skillet Brownies

This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 7/29/25.