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.
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!
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F, and place 4 cupcake liners in 4 holes of a muffin pan. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and coffee powder in a small bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla, brown sugar, and buttermilk. Whisk this very well until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until no lumps remain.
Divide the cupcake batter between the four liners, and bake for 16-17 minutes. Test with a toothpick to ensure the cupcakes are done before removing them from the oven.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 minute, and then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Finally, once the cupcakes are completely cool, you can make the frosting. Combine the softened butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream. Whip until fluffy, frost cupcakes and serve.
You can sprinkle some chopped roasted peanuts on these cupcakes for a bit of crunch before serving.
Other Cupcake Recipes You Might Like:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Makes 4 chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) flour
- 2 tablespoons (14 grams) cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder*
- 4 teaspoons (20 mL) oil*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup (50 grams) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (81 mL) buttermilk*
For the frosting:
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (70 grams) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (25 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a muffin pan with with 4 liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso
powder. Whisk well. - In a separate small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and buttermilk until well combined.
- Finally, pour the wet ingredients in the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Do not over
mix. - 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). - 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. - 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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 494Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 4gSugar: 29gProtein: 8g
Softa123 says
It's a miserable, rainy day, complete with thunder storms and lightning. To complete the mood, the only outing we had today was to go to a funeral. Then I Stumbled! across this fabulous website and recipe. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to post this recipe on my website, and, of course credit you and put a link to your website!
Thanks for lifting my spirits!
emily W. says
Ack! What did I do wrong?! These blew up. BUT...they were delicious. Had a wonderful little crust on the top. And I didn't make the frosting because I was sans cream cheese, but they were great with just peanut butter smeared on them lol. Thanks!
Christina says
Aww, honey! So sorry to hear that! How's your oven temp?
Heather says
Yesterday I made the chocPB bars, and today I made these. It's tough to say which I liked more! Deeeeeeelicious.
Lisa says
Can you replace the cream cheese for butter? I just don't have cream cheese in the house. I have plenty of butter ????.
Christina Lane says
Sure, Lisa! Keep them cold so the frosting doesn't melt :)
Ramsey says
I want to make this for my son’s birthday but in a 6” springform pan (then cut it in half to make a layered cake). How would I need to modify the recipe? I thought the amounts may be okay but not sure about baking times/temp.
Thanks in advance!
Christina Lane says
I have no idea, Ramsey. I'm sorry. I only tested this recipe the way you see it written. If you need a 6" cake, try searching my cake recipes because they're all baked in a 6" pan. Substitute 1/3 of the butter for peanut butter in the buttercream recipe, and you should be set!
Ramsey says
Will do. Thanks so much! I always love your recipes.
Cody says
Hello recipe says to add sour cream but it doesn’t have it on the list of ingredients. Could you please clear this up for me?
Christina Lane says
Apologies--it should say buttermilk. Fixed it :) Thank you!