You can’t help but take a trip down memory lane with these adorable Milk & Cookies Cupcakes. Rich, moist vanilla cupcakes are frosted with rich vanilla buttercream, and topped with mini chocolate chip cookies. So fun and easy to make!
What’s better than milk and cookies? They’re a childhood staple for a reason. I remember having milk and cookies as an after school snack, or just munching them mindlessly with those Sunday morning cartoons.
And so with back-to-school season right around the corner, I’ve gone ahead and recreated that delicious snack as a grown-up worthy dessert.
These Milk and Cookies Cupcakes are:
- Incredibly cute!
- Perfect for a back-to-school treat or kids birthday party
- Easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Did I mention how cute they are?
This cupcake recipe is vegetarian, but not vegan. But I’ve given some substitutions ideas in the post below, if you want to try your hand at a vegan-ized version. If so, sure to grab my easy baking substitution cheat sheet as well, to help you make just about any recipe vegan!
How to Make Milk & Cookies Cupcakes
Despite the incredibly adorable appearance of these cupcakes – the recipe is pretty simple!
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Then, prep the batter for your Milk & Cookies Cupcakes.
Mix all your wet ingredients in a large bowl – butter, egg whites, milk, and vanilla.
Use a separate bowl to mix all your dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
Combine the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients to form the cupcake batter. Mix everything thoroughly by hand using a spatula, or use an electric mixer to make it a bit quicker and easier.
Pour the cupcake batter into lined cupcake tins, and bake for 12-18 minutes. Test by inserting a sharp knife into a cupcake to see if it comes out clean. If it does, they are done!
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning them gently onto a clean towel or cooling rack.
While the cupcakes are cooling, you can make the Vanilla Buttercream frosting.
In a large bowl, beat together softened butter, icing sugar and milk using an electric mixer. Beat the mixture until a semi-stiff peaks form.
How to Decorate Milk & Cookies Cupcakes
Now we get to the fun part – decorating these cute cupcakes!
You’ll want to use a piping bag to get the best results. So start by scooping your buttercream frosting into a piping bag fitted with a Wilton’s 1M icing tip.
Before you start handling the cupcakes, make sure they’re completely cool to the touch. You don’t want your buttercream melting off the sides – that is not the look we’re going for. 😉
Pipe frosting onto the top of each cupcake.
Then stick one mini chocolate chip cookie into the frosting on top of each cupcake.
Cut some cute, paper straws into thirds and insert one into the top of each cupcake as a “straw”.
Now, take one amazing bite. It’s the best way to eat milk and cookies!
Tips for Making these Milk & Cookies Cupcakes
Making these cupcakes vegan.
I haven’t tested this one as a vegan recipe yet, but I’ve certainly made my share of dairy-free recipes, so here are a few substitution ideas if you want to give it a try.
For the cupcake batter, try substituting almond milk for the regular milk and flax eggs for the egg whites. For the buttercream icing, substitute vegan margarine for the butter and almond milk again for the milk. And be sure you use a vegan-friendly brand of mini cookies for decorating, like these.
And be sure to grab a copy of my free cheat sheet, packed full of easy substitutions to vegan-ize your favorite recipes.
Cupcake Making Tips
- Be sure to use cupcake liners to keep these cupcakes from sticking to your pan. I used cute little red liners for mine, but you can mix it up.
- Keep an eye on these cupcakes while they’re baking. The time can vary a bit based on the type of cupcake pan you’re using, and how much you fill it up. The cupcakes are done when you can insert a toothpick or sharp knife, and it comes out clean.
- Paper straws will be easiest to use for decorating, and are more environmentally friendly than the plastic variety. I bought a big pack of multi-colored straws that I can use for all sorts of things.
- You can use any kind of mini-cookies you prefer. So if chocolate chips are not your thing, go ahead and use your own fave! I like these classic Chips Ahoy cookies, and they’re great for school lunches too.
- For more cute cupcakes, check out these sunflower cupcakes (perfect for summer!) and these football-season worthy football cupcakes. Dig in!
Milk and Cookies Cupcakes
Ingredients
FOR CUPCAKES:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tbsp salt
- 12 tbsp butter unsalted, softened
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
FOR DECORATING:
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 12 mini chocolate chip cookies
Special Equipment
- Piping Bags
- Wilton Icing Tip M1
- Paper Straws
Instructions
To prepare cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (butter, egg whites, milk, vanilla extract) for the cupcake batter.
- In a separate larger bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the cupcake batter (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt).
- Mix together the dry and wet ingredients to form the cupcake batter. Use an electric mixer to make this easier, if you have one.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Pour batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
To make the buttercream frosting:
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter, icing sugar and milk.
- Beat until the frosting forms a semi-stiff peak.
- Before beginning, be sure your cupcakes are completely cool to the touch. You don’t want your buttercream melting off your cupcakes!
To decorate cupcakes:
- Scoop the frosting into a piping bag, with a Wilton’s 1M icing tip (or similar) attached.
- Frost each cupcake.
- Place one cookie on the side of each cupcake, sticking into the frosting. (See pictures.)
- Cut your paper straws into thirds, and insert one into each cupcake.
- Serve and enjoy!
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