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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes made with moist chocolate cupcakes, peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache, and Reese's peanut butter cup! These peanut butter chocolate cupcakes are the perfect dessert!

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or electric hand mixer

Ingredients 

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

  • ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

Additional ingredients

  • 6 Reese's peanut butter cups halved

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup, stir together chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, and boiling water until the cocoa powder is dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  • Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
  • Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined and smooth.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, approximately ¾ full.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
  • Remove from the oven and cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color. You will need to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
  • Add in the creamy peanut butter and mix until well combined.
  • Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
  • Add vanilla extract and salt.
  • Drizzle in heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
  • Turn the speed of the mixter to medium and whip the buttercream for an additional 3 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
  • Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is shiny and smooth.

Assembling the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with peanut butter buttercream frosting. Swirl the buttercream onto the cupcake in an "ice cream swirl" style. If desired, chill cupcakes for 30 minutes.
  • Use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to drizzle chocolate ganache over the peanut butter frosting.
  • Add half of a Reese's peanut butter cup to the side of each buttercream swirl.

Notes

Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature. 
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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