4th of July Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

We had two big cookouts to go to this holiday weekend. I wanted to use my star sprinkles and my flag cupcake liners so I needed a light colored cake and a dark frosting. I decided to take a vanilla cupcake and add chocolate chips to it. These cupcakes were really good. The cake was perfectly dense but still moist and crumbly.

The frosting really is to die for. By adding the hot cocoa mix, there is an extra creaminess to this frosting. Multiple people commented that it tasted like mousse. I couldn’t agree more. I even used some to dip my strawberries in to. WOW was that good. The frosting recipe did make a large batch. It frosted 24 cupcakes plus I have about 2 cups of frosting leftover.

Chocolate Chip cupcakes – adapted from Vanilla cupcakes from Crazy Delicious – original recipe from Martha Stewart – makes 24
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips + 1 Tbsp flour (toss to coat chocolate chips)

Mix the dry ingredients

Add butter

Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla

Add wet ingredients 1/3 at a time to the dry ingredients

Stir in chocolate chips – be sure to coat the chips with flour so they don’t all sink to the bottom while baking

Bake for 17-22 minutes at 325 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean

Chocolate Frosting – from Joy The Baker
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Ovaltine – I used Ghirardelli hot cocoa

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick.
Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth.
In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream. Mix until incorporated.

If you’d like a thinner consistency, add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until you’re happy with the frosting.

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18 Responses to “Browned Butter Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies”

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    1
    FunandFearlessinBeantown — March 30, 2012 at 7:53 am

    I have my tried and true ATK version but I always love discovering new chocolate chip cookie recipes!

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    Elizabeth — March 30, 2012 at 8:27 am

    Brown butter makes everything better!

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    In and Around Town — March 30, 2012 at 8:31 am

    I am pretty boring with chocolate chip cookies and stick with the recipe on the back of the bag, but the size of these and the twist on ingredients makes me want to give these a go!

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    Mrs. Williams — March 30, 2012 at 8:35 am

    I use half the bag of chips too – I like them that way! 🙂 I might have to give this one a shot – I really liked the brown butter oatmeal chocolate chip I made last week.

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    Judy — March 30, 2012 at 9:40 am

    I love trying new ccc recipes also.  You don’t mention what the texture of the cookie is.  I like crispy edges and chewy centers, very hard to find.

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    Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray — March 30, 2012 at 9:44 am

    Well, I know what’s happening with the half block of cream cheese in my fridge just waiting to be used up! Cookies are in my future, score. 😉

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    Colleen — March 30, 2012 at 10:52 am

    I love adding sea salt to chocolate things! I haven’t tried it on chocolate chip cookies, but it sounds delicious.

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    Carrie's Sweet Life — March 30, 2012 at 8:29 pm

    These look awesome, I am still searching for the perfect recipe!

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    PB and Peppers — March 31, 2012 at 7:05 am

    The cookies sound amazing!  I love the addition of cream cheese!  CC is my favorite cookie and I am terrified to make them because I have no self control.  I love the dough and I love the cookie!!  

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    Megan — April 1, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    These sound like they take the best components of all my favorite cookies (browned butter, a sprinkling of sea salt) and merge them together.

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    nicole @ I am a Honey Bee — April 3, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    I always stick with Tollhouse cookies. I need to open my eyes to the wide world of chocolate chip cookies varieties out there!

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    12
    Courtney — April 15, 2012 at 11:14 am

    I made these today and they were fantastic–thanks for sharing the recipe! (*^_^*)

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    mega — May 16, 2012 at 9:16 am

    aahh this is recipe that i looking for to make choco chip cookies… thank you for post it 🙂

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    Kaila — January 4, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    Made these but didn’t know you have to refrigerate the dough prior to baking hope they come out okay!

    • beantownbaker — January 5th, 2013 @ 4:31 pm

      They should still turn out ok. They might spread a bit more than mine do. Let me know how they come out!

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    Arghavan — February 16, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    Made these with the kiddies today and WOW! They are delicious! It made a lot of dough though (I made smaller cookies than the recipe called for), can I freeze the dough in small balls?

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    Jess — February 19, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    Making these today! Can’t wait to see how it turns out. I have another great brown butter choc chip recipe but never tried with cream cheese. Thought I would share my tip for the sea salt…I love a salted cookie! I wait until the cookies have cooled 5 minutes before sprinkling, it’s not too hot that the salt sinks into the batter but not too cold that the salt just bounces off.

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    Clara Gonzalez — November 22, 2021 at 12:01 pm

    These look amazing! I am definitely going to make them!

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