These cupcakes are a peanut butter and chocolate lovers dream. Think tender chocolate cupcakes stuffed with peanut butter cups, and then topped with a fluffy peanut butter frosting. Truly decadent and delicious!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
My love for peanut butter has grown by ten-fold since I graduated college. I buy it in bulk at Costco now. I also shop enthusiastically at Costco now which I didn’t do in college…so there is a lot more unpack about this conversation. But anyways, peanut butter. It has become a staple food in my diet which means that peanut butter desserts have become a staple in my diet.
These cupcakes were created with all of you chocolate peanut butter lovers in mind. They’re also created for any of you who impulse bought a really big bag of peanut butter cups at the store and now wonder what you should do it. Did you hit up the post-Halloween sales too hard? I don’t blame you.
These cupcakes start with a moist chocolate batter that is poured into cupcake tins and stuffed with peanut butter cups. Then to top it off there’s a fluffy peanut butter buttercream frosting. There’s definitely a lot going on, but it’s worth every bite!
Ingredients Needed
To make these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, some key ingredients you will need include:
Peanut Butter: For the frosting, you will need half a cup of peanut butter. I recommend using a natural peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts and perhaps some salt. I find that this type of peanut butter has a nuttier flavor and since there are no added sugars or oils, it gives you more control the ingredients in your frosting. Just make sure that the peanut butter is well stirred before using.
Peanut Butter Cups: To stuff the cupcakes (which is completely optional by the way), you’ll need around 12-15 mini peanut butter cups. While Reeses is a go-to brand, I also really like to use the Trader Joes dark chocolate peanut butter cups in these cupcakes.
Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, then no worries I have two options for substitutes! First, you can add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and let it curdle for around 10 minutes. Or, you can mix together equal parts Greek yogurt and milk.
Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar gives the cupcakes a tender crumb while brown sugar adds moisture.
Boiling Water: This is used to ‘bloom’ the cocoa powder, which I discuss more in-depth a little later in this recipe.
Additional ingredients include: all-purpose flour (measured correctly), baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, room temperature eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla extract.
Make sure that all of your ingredients (except for the boiling water) are at room temperature before you begin baking. This is key to achieving a well blended batter and tender texture.
What Does it Mean to Bloom Cocoa Powder?
The first step of this recipe is to ‘bloom’ your cocoa powder. Have you ever had a chocolate cupcake where the chocolate flavor was there but not very rich? An easy fix for this is to bloom the cocoa powder. Yes, it requires dirtying another bowl, but you’ll get a more intense and rich chocolate flavor!
What it really means is to mix cocoa powder with hot liquid. This dissolves the powder and releases the flavors contained within the solids. Cocoa powder on its own is pretty dry and bitter, but by dissolving it in hot water we bring out all of the chocolatey flavors.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Step 1: Start by making the chocolate batter. Bloom the cocoa powder by whisking it boiling water until you get a paste. Add it to a mixture of sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. Then alternate adding in the dry ingredients and buttermilk until everything is just combined. The batter will be runny so be careful not to over-mix.
Step 2: After scooping the batter into cupcake liners, add the chocolate peanut butter cups. As seen in the picture above, press a mini peanut butter cup into each cupcake right before baking.
Step 3: Bake the cupcakes for around 19-22 minutes. You can test if they’re done by gently tapping the tops. The cupcakes are ready if they bounce back rather than sink in. Let them cool fully before frosting.
Step 4: Make the frosting by first whipping butter, peanut butter, and salt together. Then whip in some powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until it is light and fluffy. Finally, frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or with a blunt knife.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment, rating, or take a picture and share it with me on instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your decadent cupcakes!
Had your fix and looking for a healthier chocolate cupcake? No worries, just check out this healthy chocolate cupcake recipe!
Dreamy Stuffed Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup boiling water
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup avocado or vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup buttermilk, shaken
- 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 12-14 mini chocolate peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Peanut Butter Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, one stick
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1½ cups confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 12-15 cupcake tins with wrappers.
- Measure the cocoa powder into a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Use a fork to whisk the two ingredients together until they form a chocolate paste. Set this aside to cool. Then, in a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Grab a third, larger bowl, and whisk the eggs, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the vanilla and cooled chocolate paste and continue whisking this mixture until it is smooth. Then add half of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour, gently folding ingredients each addition until just combined. Try to avoid over-mixing the batter. The batter should be runny.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake tins, filling until ¾ full and press a peanut butter cup into each cupcake. You'll get between 12-15 cupcakes. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are set. To test whether they're done, gently tap the cupcake tops. They should spring back instead of sink.
- Pull the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, and salt together until fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Start the mixer on slow to combine the ingredients, and then turn it up to high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a piping bag or with a knife. Feel free to garnish them with chocolate shavings or more peanut butter cups. Enjoy!
Enjoy!
-Rools
[…] Craving more chocolate after this? Try these dreamy stuffed chocolate peanut butter cupcakes! […]