Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are filled to capacity with the classic flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Moist chocolate cupcakes with a hint of peanut butter and a Reese's Cup center are topped with rich peanut butter buttercream frosting, then the tops are dipped in chocolate ganache. They're totally drool-worthy!
Quick Look: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🧊 Cooling and Frosting Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- 🧁 Servings: 12 cupcakes
- ⚡ Calories: 600 calories per cupcake
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: a peanut butter lovers dream with a bit of extra chocolate on the side
- 👌 Difficulty: Medium - SO worth the effort when you see everyone's reaction
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Chocolate and peanut butter are a combination that never goes out of style. From classic cakes and pies to peanut butter frozen yogurt bars coated in chocolate, this flavor combination makes everything better.
This recipe takes that idea to the next level. The chocolate peanut butter cupcake has a Thin Reese's Cup in the bottom, and the top is loaded with peanut butter frosting that's dipped in chocolate ganache for the ultimate peanut butter and chocolate experience.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Ingredients
- Flavor Variations
- How to Make Cupcakes with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Expert Tips
- Hint
- Storage
- What to Serve with Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes FAQ's
- More Delicious Desserts
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Simple Ingredients: Everything needed for these cupcakes and frosting are basic baking ingredients, so they're easy to find.
- Easy to Make: The cupcakes and frosting only take a few minutes and a few easy steps.
- Diet-Friendly: These cupcakes are both gluten and dairy-free, so almost anyone can enjoy them.
- Rich Flavor: The cupcakes have a deep chocolate flavor with a peanut butter undertone, and the frosting explodes with peanut butter flavor. Of course, you can't forget that delicious, rich ganache coating, either!
Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity of apple cider vinegar makes the cupcakes extra tender.
- Dutched Cocoa Powder: OliveNation 22/24 Fat Dutched cocoa powder adds deep, rich chocolate flavor without bitterness and is of the highest quality. Use Code: 15GoldenGK for 15% off.
- Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I prefer Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour because I find it gives baked goods the best texture.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer Singing Dog vanilla extract for its rich, deep vanilla flavor and high quality.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter gives the frosting its signature flavor and adds a rich, nutty undertone to the chocolate cupcakes.
- Thin Reese's Cups: Thin Reese's Cups are a hidden chocolate and peanut butter treat in the base of the cupcakes.
- Almond Milk or Plant Cream: These give the buttercream frosting richness and help thin it to the proper consistency.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips and coconut oil create the final chocolate ganache layer on top of the cupcakes.
Flavor Variations
- Regular Flour and Cream: If you don't have dietary restrictions, feel free to use all-purpose flour and dairy cream.
- Add Instant Coffee: Add a bit of instant coffee to the boiling water to give the cupcakes a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Use Reese's Pieces: You can mix Reese's Pieces into the cupcake batter for more peanut butter goodness in every bite.
How to Make Cupcakes with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
For the Cupcakes
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the eggs and oil and mix. Then, add the remaining ingredients and mix again.
Step 3: Fill a 12-count, lined cupcake pan ⅔ full, then place a Thin Reese's Cup on each one, top with a bit of peanut butter, and press down.
Step 4: Top with more batter. Then, bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
Step 6: Beat the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until creamy.
Step 7: Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until mixed.
Step 8: Add the peanut butter and mix. Then, add the vanilla, salt, and a little cream and mix. Add more cream if necessary to create a rich, smooth frosting consistency.
Step 9: Frost the cooled cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting. Then, chill them in the freezer until the frosting is set, firm and solid.
For the Ganache
Step 10: Add the chocolate chip and oil to a microwaveable bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring after each until melted.
Step 11: Remove the cupcakes from the freezer. Then, dip the frosted top of each cupcake into the ganache. Then, top them with a chunk of Thin Reese's Cups.
Step 12: Chill the cupcakes in the refrigerator until the ganache is set, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when mixing both the cupcake batter and the frosting to ensure everything is fully combined.
- Mix your frosting on low when first adding the powdered sugar to avoid a mess.
- Add just a bit of cream to start. You can always add more, but you can never take it out!
- Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing and better cupcake texture.
Hint
Be sure you freeze the frosted cupcakes long enough for the frosting to fully set and harden. This helps it keep its shape when you dip it into the warm ganache.
Storage
Refrigerate these cupcakes for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
The rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors of these cupcakes are classic Americana, and they make a sweet end to a meal with equally classic dishes like rotisserie chicken, tuna casserole, or pork chops.
For sweeter pairings, try walnut apple cookies, Oreo cheesecake, or cinnamon pound cake. They all work well with the chocolate and peanut butter in these cupcakes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes FAQ's
All varieties of the classic Reese's Cups flavor are gluten free. However, special holiday editions of the candy may not be gluten free, as other ingredients are added to augment their color, flavor, and texture.
Boiling water helps bloom cocoa powder, creating a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. In addition, the hot water helps the other ingredients in the batter mix more evenly with less stirring.
There are several reasons that cupcakes may come out dense.
1: If your leavening agents are old, they won't be able to make the cupcakes rise.
2: If you add cold eggs, milk, sour cream, or other such ingredients, it will be harder to mix them into the batter, creating more gluten and a tougher cupcake.
3: Using too much flour can make cupcakes dense and dry.
4: Filling your cupcake liners with an uneven amount of batter can result in some of your cupcakes overbaking and some undertaking.
Measure your dry ingredients carefully to ensure you don't add too much. In addition, using oil in cupcakes helps make them very moist.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Singing Dog vanilla
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup OliveNation 22/24 Dutched cocoa powder
- ¾ cup Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- 2 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 Thin Reese's Cups
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- ½ cup dairy free butter room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Singing Dog vanilla
- 3 tablespoon almond milk or plant cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 ½ cups dairy free chocolate chips
- ¾ tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Line a 12-count cupcake pan with cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, whisk the baking powder, cocoa powder, gluten free flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the eggs and oil and mix on medium until combined.
- Then, add the white and brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water and mix on medium-high until well combined - about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Then, place a Thin Reese's into each one and top it with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter.
- Press the peanut butter-topped Reese's down into the batter, then finish filling the liners with the rest of the batter.
- Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 17 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes and cool them for an hour on a wire cooling rack before frosting.
For the Frosting
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high for about 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing slowly at first, then increasing the speed to medium until fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to fully combine the ingredients.
- Add the peanut butter and mix on medium-high for 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer off and add the vanilla, salt, and 1 tablespoon of almond milk or plant cream and mix.
- Add more almond milk, a little at a time, mixing until you get a smooth, creamy frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag with an open tip.
- Place the frosted cupcakes in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to harden the frosting.
For the Ganache
- Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwaveable bowl and heat them at 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Remove the cupcakes from the freezer and dip the frosted tops into the ganache. Place them on a wire cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath them.
- When all the cupcakes are dipped, place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to harden the ganache. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Wrap chilled cupcakes in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Bring the cupcakes to room temperature on the counter before serving.
- Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing and the best texture.
- Mix your cupcake batter until just combined. Overworking the batter will make the cupcakes dense and tough.
- Chill the cupcakes before wrapping them in plastic wrap when freezing them. This prevents sweating.
Genevieve says
Peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite combo! I can't wait to try making these.
Nora says
These cupcakes are as cute as they are delicious! So wonderful!
Swathi says
Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes is delicious my kids approved it.
nancy says
thanks for the easy recipe to get my PB fix on!
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!