These Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes are soft, fluffy, spicy, and delicious. Filled with delicious cookie butter, they are a perfect treat during Christmas Holidays.
This post contains amazon affiliate links so if you make a purchase after clicking them I’ll get a small commission.
December used to smell like oranges to me. Spicy gingerbread or warming cinnamon flavours weren’t synonymous with the Holiday season when I was growing up in Russia.
Mandarin oranges, on the other hand, were a sure sign of the upcoming festivities. When I was really young, they were rare and each perfect round globe was treasured and saved.
They were used to decorate the fir tree with a needle and a thread piercing the fragrant skin to create a makeshift loop to hang the orange ornaments on the branches. Each section was enjoyed and savoured and the skins were saved to make sugared peel eaten as dessert for weeks to come.
Small cratefuls of mandarin oranges still remind me of Russia but after living in Canada for over half of my life it’s the ginger and cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg and cardamon that I crave in December.
Speculaas cookies are traditionally baked in December and are popular in Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and other European countries. I’ve learned to love the taste of speculaas over the past few years as my husband’t heritage is Dutch and the desserts flavoured with speculaas spices make a regular appearance during Christmas dinners.
What is Cookie Butter?
Cookie butter is a paste made out of speculaas cookies and it is as delicious as it sounds! It took me a few years to find it but I finally got (and already finished) a jar of the delicious spicy and sweet spread.
It’s amazing to have on a toasted crumpet or to just have on a spoon as a delectable and a bit naughty dessert. Once I finally purchased a jar of cookie butter last summer I knew right away I wanted to make Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes, similar to the Nutella Stuffed Cupcakes. I finally made them on my daughter’s 1st birthday to celebrate her background a little bit.
And if you can’t find Cookie Butter anywhere, here’s a fancy-dandy guide on how to make your own cookie butter.
How to make Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes
Just like most of my baking recipes, this Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes recipe is a one bowl recipe.
All you need is, using a mixer, mix softened room-temperature butter with some sugar, eggs, spices. Add the flour, a bit of milk or cream, and it’s done.
TIP: I use a splatter guard for a hand mixer when I make cupcake batter. It is really useful and it helps with the mess!
Now, just fill muffin tin with a bit of the spicy and fragrant batter, add a spoonful of Cookie Butter, top with the remaining batter and bake.
How sweet are these Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes?
These Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes are soft and really fluffy. They aren’t as sweet as many people would prefer so you could add extra sugar to the batter if you’d like.
I also notoriously don’t like any kind of icing or frosting, so I only lightly sprinkled some icing sugar over the cupcakes but even that wasn’t really necessary in my mind.
If you are really into frosting then I’d suggest adding some of the speculaas spices and maybe even more cookie butter to your favourite buttercream.
The Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes smell like holidays, Christmas, and magic. Make a batch and leave a couple for Santa with a glass of milk or enjoy them on Christmas morning with a big mug of coffee flavoured with some cookie butter creamer from The Flavour Bender.
Watch the video to see how easy these cupcakes are!
Cookie Butter Stuffed Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1/16 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/16 teaspoon cardamon
- pinch salt
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1.5 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup 10% cream (or milk)
- 12 teaspoons cookie butter
- icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the room temperature butter and sugar using a hand-held or stationary mixer until well combined for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the spices, salt, and mix to combine.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each egg.
- Add the flour, baking powder and mix until the flour is incorporated. I like adding a lid at this point so that the flour doesn't get all over the counter.
- Add the cream (or milk) and mix again until a smooth batter forms.
- Line a 12 muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Scoop a big tablespoon of the batter into each cupcake liner. Add a teaspoon of the cookie butter on top of the batter, then cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake part of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Let cool for a little bit and dust with icing sugar if using.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Mention or tag @Imagelicious
Sarah says
Oh man- we buy cookie butter from Trader Joe’s sometimes, and it is just ridiculously good! I think we had some good cookie butter from Biscoff too! I wish I had this recipe the last time I had a jar- I had no idea what to do with it other than eat it straight from the jar LOL. These look amazing, and I don’t like icing either!
Emily Leary says
Wow! You had me at cookie butter stuffed! These look incredibly good! I love the shot with the powdered sugar going on. My mouth is watering.
Julia says
Thank you so much! They are delicious!
Amanda says
These look so good! I havent made cupcakes in forever and since I’ll have time over the holiday season, perhaps I’ll make me up a batch! Thanks for sharing!
Julia says
I like that these come together really easy with just one bowl
Jillian says
I love that your cupcakes are filled with cookie butter, but the addition of cardamom and black pepper are really interesting!
Julia says
I tried adding similar spices that are found in cookie butter to the cupcake!
Katie Crenshaw says
These cupcakes look lovely. I can’t wait to try these. YUM!
Julia says
Thank you so much!
Elise says
So this is the third time in the last week that I’ve run across “cookie butter”. One side of my brain keeps wanting to say “cookie BATTER”, but other side says, “no, cookie butter is a thing!” For any of you who want to take a shot at making your own cookie butter (I have yet to see it in the stores), Serious Eats has a good tutorial here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/10/how-to-make-cookie-butter-at-home.html
Julia says
Oh, thank you for the link! I’ve been on the search for this cookie butter for a few years. We just didn’t have it here in Canada/Toronto. I wish I knew how to make my own a few years ago.
Citra Kale says
Never had cupcake stuffed with cookie butter..sound brilliant and delicious idea to try as well. thx for sharing
Julia says
They are really yummy!
Andrea @ The Petite Cook says
These cupcakes sound absolutely delicious, what a yummy idea stuffing them with cookie butter! I love that they’re so easy to make, surely a great treat to bake during the holidays!
Julia says
Super easy to make. Just one bowl and one mixer!
Tina says
That is so clever and just in time. DD is flying in today, it’s baking time!
Julia says
I hope you and your daughter get to make these 🙂
Dominique | Perchance to Cook says
I am obsessed with cookie better and am drooling over these cupcakes. How perfect for the holidays! NEED.
Julia says
They are very festive and taste like holidays!
Cleo @ Journey to the Garden says
How fascinating! I’ve never tried this before so your recipe is certain going on my “to-bake” list. Very delicious!
Julia says
Thank you so much!
Patti says
Isn’t is amazing how a childhood taste or smell can bring back childhood memories. We always put a couple of mandarins in my children’s Christmas stockings, but it never occurred to me to candy the peel. Do you have a recipe for that, too?
A friend at work introduced me to cookie butter a couple of years ago, and I became addicted. These cupcakes sound like the perfect way to incorporate it into another dessert. I can’t wait to try these and taste all of those spices.
Julia says
Smells are so powerful! Almost like a time machine. They can help you travel to the past. I don’t have a recipe for candied peel. I’ve been meaning to try making them for years but never got around to it.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
Well don’t these look like delicious stuffed cupcakes. I love the fact that you don’t even need icing. Perfect to go with my afternoon latte….or even a stand alone dessert option.
Julia says
Thanks, GLoria! Yes, I feel like icing is overrated and it takes away from the taste of the actual cupcake!
Amanda says
What a brilliant idea to stuff cupcakes with cookie butter! Such an ultimate comfort flavor pairing. I could so see myself snacking on one (or two) of these during a snowstorm, in my fuzzy socks, in front of the fire. I love your photos, too! I’ve been looking for a little sifter like that and haven’t been able to locate one!
Julia says
I got the sifter on ebay 🙂 Yep, these cupcakes are very comforting and cozy and a bit naughty 🙂
Helene says
Your cupcakes are stuffed with some gorgeous spice flavors, I like that and the fact that they can be made less sweet. You got my full attention. I can imagine these for breakfast tomorrow (or afternoon snack time with coffee would work too)
Julia says
Thank you! Yes, I don’t use a lot of sugar in my baking and many people find that it’s not enough but it’s perfect for me. Also, the cookie butter is sweet enough that it works perfectly with the actual cupcake batter