What do you do when you're craving Girl Scout cookies but its nowhere near the time of year to buy them? My favorite flavor is Peanut Butter Patties (a.k.a. Tagalongs) and when the craving hits, I make up a batch of my copycat recipe Tagalong cupcakes.

Just like the Lemonades cupcakes and Thin Mints cupcakes recipes we've shared with you, these Peanut Butter Patties cupcakes don't require any cookies in order to make them. Instead, the cupcakes recreate all the flavors from the cookies, just in cake form.

Peanut Butter Patties vs Tagalongs

As a kid, I savored each and every Peanut Butter Patty cookie from that familiar red box, although where I grew up on the East coast, we called them Tagalongs. It's interesting how the same cookies have different names in different areas of the U.S., and I'm really not sure why they do it. Regardless, these cookies will always be Tagalongs to me, just as Caramel Delights cookies will always be Samoas. I suspect about half of you will agree... let me know in the comments below!

VIDEO: Make Girl Scout Cookie Tagalongs Cupcakes

Here's a video showing the entire process of making these yummy Tagalongs Girl Scout cookies cupcakes.

If you can't see the video, try viewing it directly on YouTube.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Patties Cupcakes

If you prefer step-by-step instructions, keep reading to see exactly how I made these cupcakes that taste just like Tagalongs / Peanut Butter Patties.

Recreating that cookie crunch

We're trying to duplicate a cookie, so of course there has to be a crunch layer, even in a cupcake. After sample several types of cookies/crackers to get the closest match to the cookie in a Tagalong, we settled on Nilla Wafers. To make the crust, you'll need ground up Nilla Wafers, melted butter, and white sugar.

Mix these ingredients thoroughly until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Then use a spoon to distribute the crumbs evenly among 24 cupcake liners.

Use your fingertips or the back of 1/4 cup measuring cup to press the crumbs down into a flat disc in the bottom of the liner.

Bake the crusts for 3 minutes at 325 just to get them set.

Adding cake the easy way

You could make a cake batter from scratch, I suppose, but why bother? Just get a box of French Vanilla cake mix and mix it up according to package directions. Pour the batter into the liners, right over the crust, until they are about 2/3 full, then bake according to package directions.

Creating the decadent peanut butter frosting

While the cupcakes bake and cool, you can work on the delicious peanut butter frosting that mimics the filling in the cookies. Start by whipping softened butter in your stand mixer until it's light and fluffy. And as with all my recipes, I really stress that you use real butter and not margarine for the best flavor.

Add the vanilla extract and peanut butter and whip a little more until it's smooth and creamy.

Finally, add in your powdered sugar (slowly so you don't end up with a sugar dust cloud) and mix well until you have a nice thick frosting. Taste it, smile, then tell yourself repeatedly not to eat it all while you wait for the cupcakes to cool.

Put the heavenly peanut butter frosting into a disposable icing bag with a large tip (or no tip at all, if you're a rebel) and pipe big swirls of frosting onto the cupcakes.

Coating the top with chocolate and peanuts

Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs) are covered in chocolate, so we want to represent that in the cupcake as well. Start by heating some milk chocolate chips in the microwave just until melted, then stir in some shortening. The shortening serves two purposes. First, it will thin down the chocolate so that you can get a thin coat and it won't be all clumpy on the cupcake. Second, it will keep the chocolate from getting too hard after it cools, which means that you'll be able to bite into the cupcake much more easily.

When the chocolate is nice and smooth and runny, and just barely cool, it's time to dip the cupcakes. Take a cupcake and carefully dip it upside down into the chocolate, just until the frosting is submerged.

Then lift it up in a smooth motion, and let it hang upside down a few seconds so the excess chocolate drips off.

Flip it right side up and you should have a nice smooth coating of chocolate on top. The roundness of the chocolate on the mound of frosting is a gentle nod to the shape of the original Tagalongs cookies.

Sprinkle on a few chopped peanuts on top before the chocolate has a chance to set. Even though there are no whole peanuts in Peanut Butter Patties, I do this because it looks pretty AND it serves as a notice to anyone with a peanut allergy.

The finished copycat Tagalong (Peanut Butter Patties) cupcakes

Aren't these Girl Scout cookie cupcakes adorable and so tempting?

Wanna see inside? I know you do. From top to bottom, they are decadent. The chocolate coating over the rich, creamy peanut butter filling... the light and fluffy vanilla cake... and that crunchy cookie crust on the bottom is a real surprise when you bite into it.

I hope you all enjoyed my trio of Girl Scout cookie-inspired cupcake recipes. Be sure to check out our Lemonades and Thin Mints cupcake recipes if you haven't already. I hope at least one of these three is one of your favorites. This one is definitely mine!

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs) cupcakes

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When you're craving Girl Scout cookies but they aren't in season, make these copycat cupcakes that taste just like the famous Peanut Butter Patties / Tagalongs cookies.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup ground Nilla Wafers
• 1 box of French Vanilla cake mix and whatever ingredients it requires (usually eggs, oil, and water)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened (not margarine)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 12oz bag of milk chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
• chopped peanuts for garnish

Instructions

COOKIE CRUST

1. Preheat oven to the temperature indicated on the cake mix.
2. Grind up Nilla Wafers in a food processor until crumbs.
3. Mix ground cookies in a bowl with melted butter and granulated sugar and stir well until it resembles wet sand.
4. Divide cookie mixture evenly amoung 24 cupcake liners and press crumbs down using fingers or the back of a small measuring cup.
5. Bake crusts for 3 minutes until set.

CAKE BATTER

1. Mix cake batter according to directions on package.
2. Pour batter into cupcake liners, over the pre-baked crust, until cups are about 2/3 full.
3. Bake according to package directions.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

1. Whip softened butter in a stand mixer with whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract and peanut butter and mix until very smooth and creamy.
3. Add powdered sugar slowly and mix well.
4. When cupcakes are cool, use a piping bag and large tip to frost the cupcakes with a large swirl.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30-second burts, just until melted, then stir in shortening to thin the chocolate slightly.
2. Dip frosted cupcakes upside down in melted chocolate, just deep enough to coat the frosting.
3. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts to garnish.