Sugar Cookie Cupcakes are cupcakes that taste just like sugar cookies! The best flavors of two incredible desserts combine in these soft and sweet vanilla frosted cupcakes.
One of my boys loved to eat sugar cookies and would eat them every chance he got. Unfortunately, my cookie decorating abilities fall flat so I sought out better ideas. Frosting a cupcake is easier, so when I found this recipe, I just knew my son would be over the moon for them.
Sugar cookie cupcakes are so good that you’ll want to make a double batch! Be warned, topping them with sprinkles just makes them even more enticing and hard to resist!
How to make sugar cookie cupcakes
You’ll make the cupcake batter using a fat-free half and half as the liquid, but you can switch it out for milk (or even coffee creamer) if you don’t have that readily on hand. Vanilla flavored almond milk could also be great!
The icing also uses half and half and is a simple icing that creams together cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. Similar to making a small batch of buttercream icing! Using salted butter is amazing for creating a salty/sweet and irresistible frosting.
Can you freeze cupcakes?
Before frosting, you can freeze the cupcakes without any issues whatsoever. Just keep them in an airtight container. To freeze them after you’ve frosted them, you’ll want to lay them flat on a baking sheet and freeze for a few hours until they’re solid before transferring to a container. Then let them sit on the counter for a few minutes before enjoying. Keep in mind that as the frosting comes to room temp it may begin to weep as it separates slightly, but it’s still perfectly fine and delicious.
Are cookies used in this recipe?
This sugar cookie cupcake recipe tastes like sugar cookies, but no real cookies were harmed in the making of this tasty treat! The ingredients naturally pair together to create a similar taste while still giving the fluffy cake textures you come to expect from your favorite cupcakes.
Sugar Cookie Cupcake Ingredients
-½ cup butter
-1 cup of sugar
-2 large eggs
-3 teaspoons vanilla
-1½ cups flour
-1½ teaspoons baking powder
-⅛ teaspoon salt
-¾ cup fat-free half n’ half
For the cupcake icing, you’ll need these ingredients:
-4 tablespoons cream cheese
-5½ cups powdered sugar
-8 tablespoons butter, softened
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-5-6 tablespoons half n’ half
How to make sugar cookie cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until its nice and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Mix in the vanilla and the eggs.
In another bowl add in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
Add in the half n’ half and mix until completely incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each liner about ⅔ full.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until they’re barely starting to brown around the edges.
Allow them to cool completely.
In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
Mix in the vanilla and add half n half 1 tablespoon at a time until a spreadable consistency has been reached. Then spread or pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.
Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Cupcake Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup fat-free half and half
Icing Ingredients
- 4 tbsp cream cheese
- 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 5-6 tbsp half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Mix in vanilla and eggs.
- In another bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
- Add half n’ half and mix until completely incorporated.
- Spoon batter into the prepared tin, filling each liner about ⅔ full.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until barely starting to brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely.
- In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
- Mix in vanilla and add half n half 1 tablespoon at a time until a spreadable consistency is reached. Then spread or pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
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How do I store these cupcakes?
After frosting your cupcakes, you can place them in an airtight container and leave them at room temp for a week. You can also choose to store them in your fridge or in the freezer depending on your preference.
What makes a cupcake moist and fluffy?
Not over-mixing your cupcake batter can give you the proper amount of air bubbles and thereby allow your cupcakes to be light in texture. Dry cupcakes are typically a sign of being overcooked, and you can determine that a cupcake has been overcooked based on how hard it is to remove from the cupcake liners. The more baked it is, the harder the cake is to remove from the bottom of the wrapper.
Why do cupcakes sink?
If your cupcakes sink it could be a result of any of the following three reasons:
- The batter was over-beaten, creating too many air bubbles and they collapsed as a result.
- The batter had too little leavening agents or perhaps you forgot to add it (it happens to the best of us.) The leaving agent could also be too old to yield proper results anymore, test it just in case.
- The cupcakes weren’t finished cooking before being removed from the oven. This is why it’s important to judge a finished cupcake by sticking a toothpick in and having it come out clean. The toothpick test is much more important than following exact times in a recipe.
If you like these sugar cookie cupcakes, you’re going to love these cookies and cupcakes too!
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Soft Buttermilk Sugar Cookies
- Rootbeer Float Cupcakes
- Berries and Cream Cupcakes
- Super Soft Sugar Cookies
- Butterfly Cupcakes
Sugar Cookie Cupcakes are cupcakes that taste just like sugar cookies! The best flavors of two incredible desserts combine in these soft and sweet vanilla frosted cupcakes.
Heather Sullivan says
making these right now for my daughters party tomorrow<br />!
Heather says
I made these and these and they are sooooo good!
Allison says
These taste great! My family loved them. Just an FYI, this only makes 12 cupcakes, but the icing makes 24.
Jen says
This recipe is nearly identical to my grandma’s vanilla butter cake recipe. Is using half and half instead of milk really making a huge flavor difference? Or would it taste basically the same?
Jessica says
Half & Half instead of milk will yield a slightly more dense, more rich cupcake. Both of which we were trying to achieve when comparing them to sugar cookies. 😉 But yes, it would be very similar!
Katie says
Can I use buttermilk instead of half and half?
Jessica says
I think that sounds incredible! Love buttermilk in baked goods!