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What to with leftover Oreos? How about crushing them into a frosting to make Oreo Frosted Cupcakes. The previous use was in my Mini Reese’s Oreo Cheesecake Bars. In these bars, the Oreo was used as the based. In this recipe, the Oreos and there flavor are more front and center. I also think it created a cool look with the graininess of the frosting.

Oreo Frosted Cupcakes
I made the cake as well. I have talked about this before in a number of posts. If you do not have time and you have box cake mix, go ahead and use it. Of all the prepared food items in all of cooking, box cake mix is a great substitute and you cannot always tell the difference. This recipe calls for cake flour. Cake flour has less protein that all-purpose flour. The end result is that when you use cake flour, you end up with a lighter cake. I think this lighter result is good for a lot of cupcakes.
The frosting is a very traditional frosting that starts with creaming butter and powdered sugar together. This frosting is made creamier with the addition of vegetable shortening. The flavor then comes from the crushed Oreo cookies and some vanilla extract.


- 3 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 20 oreo cookies (halves, with cream filling attached)
- For the Frosting
- 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons Oreo cookies, finely crushed
- 10 Oreo cookies, cut in half, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Twist Oreos in half (like you did as a kid) and save the side without the middle for extra cookies for crushing for the frosting.
- Place the side with cream filling in the bottom of each cupcake liner, cream-side facing up.
- Cream butter and sugar in the bowl in a stand mixer.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
- Add eggs to the stand mixer, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
- In a container, combine the buttermilk and vanilla.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Fill lined cupcake tins with the batter.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until tooth pick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool 10 minutes in pan before transferring to a cooking rack.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and add the powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time.
- Mix each 1/2 cup in on a low speed until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the the vanilla, and Oreo crumbs; mix well.
- Frost cupcakes as desired.
- Top cupcakes with half of an Oreo cookie, for garnish.

Ingredients
The dry ingredients are mixed together as are the wet ingredients.

Dry Ingredients Mixed

Wet Ingredients Mixed
The cake will look very creamy when the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together.

Dry and Wet Ingredients Mixed
I used a liner for the cupcake tin which makes it so much easier to clean the baking tray.

Cupcake Mixture added to Tin

Cupcakes Baked
The creamed butter and sugar and then the final frosting with the crushed Oreos mixed in.

Creamed Butter and Sugar

Oreos Added to Creamed Ingredients
The cupcake is finished off with a 1/2 Oreo cookie on the top. Look how fun these are to serve.
Peter, these cupcakes look fantastic. What a treat…I love a rich cupcake once and while. Pinned for later.
Yum! Both the cupcakes and the frosting sound absolutely gorgeous! Fantastic recipe 🙂
Thx Nic.
These look amazing and I’m totally craving them! One problem: I never have leftover Oreos 😉
I need to start by saying there is no such thing as “leftover oreos” in my house. But I’d be more than willing to buy an extra package to make these yummy treats. Our oldest is an Oreo addict and she would love these.
I love these Oreo Cupcakes, I only have one problem, Oreo cookies were outlawed in my house because I love them so darn much I eat entirely too many…lol
I feel your pain Heidy.
These look so pretty, and love the step by step pictures Peter!
Thank you very much.
Yum. Sure wish I had one right now, Peter!!!
Thx Nancy.
Oreo frosting? Genius. I’ll take 5 or 7 of these beauties, please.
Genius, I don’t know. Tasty? Yes!
Awesome Cupcakes, thanks for sharing!
Thx Florian.