These Copy Cat Little Debbie Cupcakes have that nostalgic taste you love from the OG, but with an elevated homemade taste! These ultra-moist chocolate cupcakes have a decadent white chocolate and cream cheese filling that is absolutely unmatched.

A tray filled with chocolate cupcakes topped with a swirl of white icing, neatly arranged in rows. A spoon and additional cupcakes are partially visible in the background.

Oh, the memories of Little Debbies as an after-school snack… BRING ME BACK. Since I don’t have a time machine, these copy-cat Little Debbie cupcakes will have to do. And to my surprise, they are WAY better than the originals. You can’t beat homemade!

Making these delicious cupcakes is simple. Prepare the batter, bake, and make the cupcake filling. Then you’ll fill these boys up, make and apply the chocolate topping, and create the icing before adding that signatory white squiggle. So fun!

Featured Ingredients

All-purpose flour: This is the base of the cupcake batter. It gives these cupcakes structure and stability.
Cocoa powder: You’ll need cocoa powder to make these chocolate cupcakes super chocolatey. I recommend using natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the best flavor.
Granulated sugar: We’ll use granulated sugar to sweeten the cupcakes and balance out the bitterness from the cocoa powder.
Vegetable oil: This is the fat we’ll use for these cupcakes. It keeps them moist and adds richness to the batter.
Eggs: Eggs are essential for giving the cupcakes structure and texture. They also act as a binding agent.
Sour cream: Our secret to super moist cupcakes? Sour cream! It adds a tanginess and moisture that you just can’t get with any other ingredient.
Chocolate chips: We used white chocolate chips for the filling and semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate topping.
Heavy cream: We used heavy whipping cream for the filling, the chocolate topping, and the icing.
Cream cheese: Make sure you use softened cream cheese for easy mixing.
Powdered sugar: This is the base for our icing!

Equipment You’ll Need

Muffin pan w/ liners: You’ll need a standard 12-count muffin pan and some cupcake liners for this recipe.
Hand mixer: A hand mixer is needed to cream the oil and sugar together and to mix the cake batter.

A cooling rack with twelve chocolate muffins, each with a dollop of white filling in the center.

Can I use a different kind of cooking oil?

Avocado oil can be used in place of vegetable oil if you prefer a more heart-healthy option!

Can heavy cream and whipping cream be substituted for each other?

Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are basically the same thing. They both contain at least 36% milk fat, making them ideal for whipping into stiff peaks. But if we’re talking plain whipping cream, which is only required to have 30% milk fat, is slightly different.

Either way, you could easily substitute one for the other in this recipe without any major changes to the end result, so feel free to use whichever one you have on hand.

A cooling rack with twelve chocolate-covered cupcakes, each topped with white icing squiggles, arranged in three rows of four.

How to Make Copy Cat Little Debbie Cupcakes

Preheat Oven: First, preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray and line a muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
Mix Dry: Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, whisk together, and set aside.
Mix Wet & Combine: In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and whip until everything is well combined. Slowly transfer the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Bake: Scoop 3 tablespoons of the cupcake mix into each muffin liner and bake for 18-22 minutes.
Prepare Filling: While the cupcakes bake, place the white chocolate chips into a bowl with the heavy cream. Microwave until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled slightly, add the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, whip to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cool Cupcakes: When the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. About 1 hour.
Add Filling: Using the handle end of a spatula or your finger, poke holes into each cupcake. Transfer the filling to a plastic storage or piping bag. Cut a small tip and pipe the filling into the middle. About 1-2 tablespoons.
Make Chocolate Topping: Next, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted. Top each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of chocolate. Set aside to cool and for chocolate to set.
Prepare Icing: Place the heavy cream and powdered sugar into a small bowl. Stir to combine. Transfer to a plastic storage bag or piping bag. Snip a small hole into the corner of the bag and pipe the signature swirl across the top of each cupcake. Enjoy!

A hand is holding a chocolate cupcake with white icing, stacking it on two other similar cupcakes. The background includes a milk bottle, grey cloth, and a spoon.

icing tip incoming!

To achieve the perfect signature swirl, hold the piping bag perpendicular to the cupcake and start in the center, slowly moving outwards in a circular motion. Repeat for each cupcake.

A chocolate cupcake with a bite taken out, revealing a white cream filling, sits on a countertop with its wrapper partially open. A milk bottle and more cupcakes are in the background.

Storage

Store any leftover copy cat Little Debbie cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For maximum flavor, be sure to let them come to room temperature before enjoying them.

Chocolate cupcakes with a swirl of white icing are arranged in a white baking tray.

Little Debbie Cupcakes Recipe

These Copy-Cat Little Debbie Cupcakes taste just like the classic but are elevated with a cozy homemade taste. With a delicious cream cheese and white chocolate filling, these cupcakes will bring you back to the good ol' days.

Prep:20

Cook:22

Total:42

Fat 18

Carbs 34

Protein 4

Yield:

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling

¼ cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz. cream cheese softened

Chocolate Topping

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy cream

Icing

½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Instructions

First, preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray and line a muffin pan with liners. Set aside.
Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and whip until everything is well combined. Slowly transfer the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Scoop 3 tablespoons of the cupcake mix into each muffin liner. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the filling. Place the white chocolate chips into a bowl with the heavy cream. Microwave until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Once the chocolate and cream have cooled slightly, add the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer, whip to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. About 1 hour.
Using the handle end of a spatula, or your finger, poke holes into each cupcake.
Transfer the filling to a plastic storage or piping bag. Cut a small tip and pipe the filling into the middle. About 1-2 tablespoons.
To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted. Top each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of chocolate. Set aside to cool and for chocolate to set.
Prepare the icing by placing the heavy cream and powdered sugar into a small bowl. Stir to combine. Transfer to a plastic storage bag or piping bag. Snip a small hole into the corner of the bag and pipe the signature swirl across the top of each cupcake.