Description
Delight in these Crumbl-style Nilla Bean Cupcake Cookies, featuring soft and tender birthday cake-inspired cookies topped with creamy vanilla bean frosting and festive white sprinkles. This recipe combines the rich flavors of vanilla bean paste and classic vanilla extract with a luscious cream cheese frosting, perfect for any celebration or sweet snack craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Birthday Cake Cookies
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla butter emulsion
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp white sprinkles
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside to use later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy, ensuring that all sugars are well incorporated.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Whisk in the egg, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract until the ingredients are fully combined and the batter looks smooth.
- Mix in Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until the flour mixture just disappears into the dough. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Shape Cookies: Using a large cookie scooper, scoop out six equal-sized dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball to about 3/4 inch thickness to ensure even baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 11 minutes, or until set but not browned. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Vanilla Bean Frosting: In a stand mixer or large bowl, cream the softened cream cheese and butter together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Add Frosting Flavorings: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Whip for 3-5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting appears too soft, chill it briefly in the refrigerator or freezer, then whip again to achieve the desired consistency.
- Frost the Cookies: Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cooled cookie.
- Add Sprinkles and Serve: Garnish each frosted cookie with white sprinkles for a festive touch. Enjoy your delicious Nilla Bean Cupcake Cookies!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and a smoother batter.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep your cookies soft and tender.
- If vanilla bean paste is unavailable, increase the amount of vanilla extract slightly for enhanced flavor.
- Chill the frosting if it becomes too runny to maintain piping shape.
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep the frosting fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
