This healthy-ish cookies and cream cupcakes is a dense cupcake filled with cookie pieces and topped with a luscious marshmallow cream cheese frosting.
We’ve lately had an obsession with all things cookies in our house. Oreo Thins {chocolate and lemon are our favorite} and of course cookies and cream ice cream. Oh, and Milanos, because that graveyard cake needed some tombstones, and who am I to say if there were a few extras?
Because of this cookie obsession, I knew it was time to create a healthy {ish} cookies and cream cupcake.
Plus, a cute little ghost on top made them absolutely perfect for Halloween. Which if you haven’t noticed, is coming up very soon!
So let’s jump right in to these cookies and cream cupcakes.
Healthy base to cookies and cream cupcakes
Since these cupcakes are on the healthy-ish side, we had to start with a healthy base, because the ‘ish’ is coming later.
Typically, I would opt for mashed avocado as a base for a healthy treat {much like these healthy monster cookies, or these super decadent chocolate fudge cakes}. But today, I decided to go with a little tahini.
For those of you who have never seen or heard of tahini, it’s a butter made from toasted and ground sesame seeds. It has a somewhat nutty flavor. You’ve typically had it before if you eat hummus at all.
I buy my tahini from Amazon, but you can also pick it up from the peanut butter section in your grocery store. It has a good amount of protein and healthy fats, which is a perfect replacement for butter in our cookies and cream cupcakes.
The ‘ish’ in cookies and cream cupcakes
There’s two ‘ishes’ {is that the right way to say it?} in these cookies and cream cupcakes. First, the cookies. We have been lovin’ on these Oreo Thins lately. They have the perfect amount of cookie to frosting ratio. Plus, I don’t feel so bad when I eat two 😂😂.
The second ‘ish’? The most incredible marshmallow cream cheese frosting. You heard me right: marshmallow cream cheese frosting!
My mouth is watering just thinking about it right now. It’s not sticky like traditional marshmallow creme, but it’s not thick like traditional cream cheese. Both balance each other so well, since the cream cheese helps to mellow out the sweetness of the marshmallow creme.
You’ll have people guessing all day and night what exactly is in the most fantastic frosting they’ve ever had before.
Halloween spook-tacular cookies and cream cupcakes
It wouldn’t be a Halloween cupcake if it weren’t for these adorable ghosts that top our healthy-ish cookies and cream cupcakes.
I used Reese’s ghosts {because who doesn’t love a Reese’s on any holiday??}. Using a little black gel icing, dot two eyes and a mouth on your ghosts.
Shove them in the top of the cupcakes so that they stand up nicely; and that’s it! Your Halloween cookies and cream cupcakes are complete.
Looking for more healthy-ish treats for fall? Check these out:
Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Pie Monkey Bread
Healthier Caramel Brownie Cupcakes
- 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup tahini*
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 3/4 cup Silk unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
- 16 Oreo Thins, roughly chopped
- 1 {7 oz} jar marshmallow creme
- 8 oz light cream cheese, softened
- 8 Reese's Ghosts
- black gel icing
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 16 cupcake liners.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, stir together the tahini, syrup and raw cane sugar.
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Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until incorporated.
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Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture into the tahini mixture until incorporated. Alternate the cashew milk with the flour mixture, ending with flour. Stir in the crushed Oreos.
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Scoop the batter into the 16 lined muffin pans. Bake for 20-23 minute, until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove and let cool.
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Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the marshmallow creme** and beat until smooth.
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Once cupcakes have cooled completely, spoon the marshmallow frosting into a piping bag, or Ziploc bag fitted with a large piping tip.
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Pipe a small amount of the frosting on to each cooled cupcakes.
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Dot two eyes and a mouth on to each ghost, and stick into the top of 8 cupcakes.
*Note: tahini is hulled, toasted and ground sesame seeds into a paste. It can be found near the peanut butter in your local grocery store.
**Note: spray a large spoon with cooking spray before scooping out the marshmallow cream. It will keep the creme from sticking so much to the spoon.
