Sugar Cookie Cupcakes – Your New Favorite Cupcake
Happy December! Or as I like to call it the most delicious month of the year. I mean can you get any better than cookies, cocoa, and candy canes cocktails? You can if you combine two delicious sweet treats together into one electable dessert like these sugar cookie cupcakes!
There is nothing more quintessentially Christmas than a delicious sugar cookie. #amiright? But if you’re looking for a simple non-cookie dessert to add to your holiday festivities (not that that’s necessary–I could happily live off of cookies all month long), these delicious sugar cookie cupcakes are just the thing.
Why you’ll love them
Sugar cookie cupcakes combine all your favorite holiday flavors in a bite-size treat. Okay, maybe a traditional cupcake is a two-bite treat, but I love serving cupcakes at parties because everybody gets their own individual dessert. You don’t have to mess with messy slices or worry about the presentation. Heck, you don’t even need a fork.
These cookies are fluffy, tender, and buttery. They are also served with a delicious dollop of sweet, rich buttercream frosting that tastes just like your favorite sugar cookie frosting. Finally, sugar cookie cupcakes are topped with a half of sugar cookie, just for fun!
This sugar cookie cupcakes recipe is also perfect for family gatherings. It makes just 12 cupcakes (and while I’m not usually one to err on the side of fewer cupcakes, the holidays are often bursting with sweet treats). But you can easily double the recipe for a larger party.
How to make sugar cookie cupcakes
To make the sugar cookie cupcakes:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350℉.
Then line a muffin tin with cupcake liners or spray with nonstick baking spray. (But I never miss an opportunity to use some fun holiday liners.)
To make the sugar cookie cupcake batter, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together ½ cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. This takes longer than you think, about 3-4 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon butter extract, 2 eggs, and 1 egg yolk and mix until combined. The extra egg yolk is the secret for rich, moist cupcakes. Don’t tell anyone.
Then add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat just until combined. Finally, slowly add in 3/4 cup of buttermilk and continue mixing on low speed until liquid is incorporated. Be careful not to splatter buttermilk everywhere.
Use a ½ cup cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) or a large spoon or ladle to fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.
Bake the sugar cookie cupcakes at 350℉ for 16-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned and tops spring back gently touched.
Remove from oven and allow to the cupcakes to cool in pan for about ten minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
While the sugar cookie cupcakes cool, you can make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat 1 cup butter and 4 ounces of cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon butter extract, and ½ teaspoon McCormick Finishing Sugar in White Icing if desired. Mix to combine. I found the finishing sugar at my local grocery store, but you can grab it online. I assume it’s a special holiday ingredient, so if you don’t have it, don’t worry. But I was playing around with new ingredients and I love the extra hint of flavor it gives to the frosting. But, really, don’t worry about it if you don’t have it.
Then reduce your mixer speed to low and add 6-7 confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, being sure to blend after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. I swear that each batch of confectioner’s sugar is different. So you’ll need to decided how much to ad based on texture and taste. If you like your icing more creamy and less sweet, you’ll want to add a little less. If you prefer sweeter and thicker, then you may want to use the whole amount (or even a bit more.)
Finally, add the whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency. (You can substitute half and half or even milk in a pinch.)
Then, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large tip with your frosting and swirl onto the sugar cookie cupcakes. If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can use a ziploc bag with the corner tipped off and pipe in a circle onto the cupcakes.
Place one-half of a large sugar cookie or 1 small sugar cookie onto frosting.
Enjoy!
Sugar cookie cupcakes will keep covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days. (But they probably won’t stick around that long.)
You can use any sugar cookie recipe you want. This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe. You can even use Pillsbury cookie dough to save time. Or try a cute design like these Grinch cookies. (I’d color my icing green.)
You can color the icing any color you want and/or add some festive sprinkles for a fun touch.
Sugar cookie cupcakes are delicious with a cup of tea or a glass of milk. And they make a fun addition to any cookie platter (I use the term cookie loosely in December) or holiday dessert table.
Off we go!
P.S. Want more holiday cupcake recipes? Try these easy eggnog cupcakes or these red velvet cupcakes.
Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
Equipment
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- oven
- Large mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- Stand or hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Cookie Scoop
- pastry big
- large decorating tip
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp butter extract
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Frosting
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 4 ozs. cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp butter extract
- 6-7 cups powdered sugar
- 4-5 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ½ tsp McCormick finishing sugar – white icing optional
- 6 medium sugar cookies cut in half or 12 small sugar cookies
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together ½ cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon butter extract, 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Slowly add in 3/4 cup of buttermilk and continue mixing on low speed until liquid is incorporated.
- Use a ½ cup cookie scoop (or ice cream scoop) to fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
- Bake at 350℉ for 16-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned and tops spring back gently touched.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan.
To make the frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat 1 cup butter and 4 ounces of cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon butter extract and ½ teaspoon McCormick finish sugar in White Icing if desired. Mix to combine.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add 6-7 confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, being sure to blend after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
- Add whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large tip with frosting and swirl onto cupcakes.
- Place ½ cookie or 1 small cookie onto frosting.
Notes
This is my favorite sugar cookie recipe.
You can make the icing with a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer.
If you’re short on time, use store bought sugar cookies.
McCormick finishing sugars are a limited time holiday release. The flavor adds a fun touch to these cupcakes, but is not necessary for a delicious dessert.
