Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

If there’s a better combination for a cupcake flavor, we haven’t found it. Soft, fluffy chocolate cupcakes piled high with perfectly sweet and slightly salty peanut butter buttercream is a classic flavor for a reason. These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are your new birthday tradition.

This is a small batch chocolate cupcake recipe with the fluffiest, richest peanut butter buttercream on top. The recipe technically makes 4 cupcakes, but you can absolutely double it easily.

It’s easy to scale up because it’s my eggless chocolate cupcakes recipe, which means you won’t be doubling or halving eggs just to make more cupcakes. My recipe for peanut butter frosting is scaled down here to make just enough for 4 cupcakes.

Other Ways to Enjoy Chocolate and Peanut Butter:

• For an ice-cold treat, try my Chocoalte Peanut Butter Lasagna. Slice it straight from the freezer and serve on a hot summer day.
• My Peanut Butter Truffles are little bites of heaven, dipped in chocolate!
• For a nuttier treat, grab a jar of hazelnut spread to make my Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies in just minutes.
• A lighter, healthier cookie is my Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies with big chunks of chocolate.
• For a gluten free recipe, check my Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies with a chocolate kiss in the center.

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Ingredients

Besides having your favorite jar of peanut butter on hand, you need a few more ingredients to make these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. The ingredients below are just for the cupcakes; the peanut butter frosting ingredients are separate.

• Flour. All-purpose regular flour that has been fluffed, scooped and leveled in the cup.
• Cocoa Powder. Unsweetened, all-natural cocoa powder.
• Baking Soda.
• Baking Powder.
• Espresso Powder/ Instant Coffee Granules. You can use instant espresso powder or an equal amount of instant coffee granules. Using coffee in your chocolate peanut butter cupcakes won’t make them taste like coffee–it just enhances the flavor of the chocolate. Trust me and try it once.
• Oil. Any oil without flavor, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
• Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract; don’t use the artificial stuff here.
• Brown Sugar. Light or dark brown sugar work equally well for this recipe.
• Buttermilk. If you don’t have low-fat buttermilk, you can use a shelf-stable powdered buttermilk product. Just follow the instructions on the back to make a batch. Alternatively, you can use sour cream. Finally, you could use the same amount of milk with one-half teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice added to it.
• Unsalted Butter. Just a small amount of softened butter to make the frosting super fluffy.
• Peanut Butter. The best kind to use is creamy, non-natural. I don’t recommend making this with natural peanut butter that requires a stir before use.
• Powdered Sugar.
• Heavy Cream. A splash of heavy whipping cream is the secret ingredient to make the frosting super fluffy and creamy. We only need 2 tablespoons, which is less than I put in my morning coffee!

You can sprinkle some chopped roasted peanuts on these cupcakes for a bit of crunch before serving.

Other Cupcake Recipes You Might Like:

• Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
• Angel Food Cupcakes
• Christmas Wreath Cupcakes
• Tiramisu Cupcakes

Continue to Content

Yield: 4

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Print

Makes 4 chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1/3 cup (45 grams) flour
• 2 tablespoons (14 grams) cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder*
• 4 teaspoons (20 mL) oil*
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (81 mL) buttermilk*

For the frosting:

• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup (70 grams) creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (25 grams) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin pan with with 4 liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso
   powder. Whisk well.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and buttermilk until well combined.
4. Finally, pour the wet ingredients in the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Do not over
   mix.
5. Divide the batter between the 4 muffin cups with liners. Bake the cupcakes for 16-17 minutes.
   Test a cupcake with a toothpick to ensure they're done before removing from the oven. (A completely cooked cupcake will have some moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick, but will not have any raw or wet batter. If cupcakes are under-cooked, they sink as they cool).
6. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 minute, then move them to a cooling rack to cool
   completely. Don't cool them in the pan.
7. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, add the the
   butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed., beat the frosting together until smooth and creamy. Frost the cupcakes and serve.

Notes

Espresso Powder/ Instant Coffee Granules: You can use instant espresso powder or an equal amount of instant coffee granules.
Oil: Any oil without flavor, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
Buttermilk: If you don't have low-fat buttermilk, you can use a powdered buttermilk that is shelf-stable. Just follow the instructions on the back to make a batch. Alternatively, you can use sour cream. Finally, you could use the same amount of milk with one-half teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice added to it.
Peanut Butter: The best kind to use is creamy, non-natural. I don't recommend making this with natural peanut butter that requires a stir before use.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Wilton 6-cup Muffin Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 29gProtein: 8g

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