Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are a classic sweet treat. Topped with a creamy frosting, these cupcakes are sure to be a hit in your house!
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There are just some flavor combinations that rise above all others. Chocolate and peanut butter is one of those combos. So is maple and walnut. And vanilla and vanilla. (Hey, what can I say? I’m a sucker for a good vanilla bean flavored dessert!) But for these cupcakes, I left the vanilla beans and maple syrup in the pantry. The jar of peanut butter and a bit of melted chocolate came out for these tasty treats!
For starters, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes make exactly 12 cupcakes. That’s perfect since my muffin tin has 12 spots in it. I’ve also got 12 places in my stomach to fit a cupcake. See? The math works out well. Just kidding! Like most desserts around here, we enjoyed a couple of these cupcakes after dinner and then spoiled Laura’s coworkers with the rest.
Speaking of Laura’s coworkers, it’s become a bit of a race to the breakroom when she brings leftover desserts in. She’s actually started an email list for friends at work, and she sends a note out whenever she drops off something sweet. We had folks complaining that the desserts were all gone before they could get there. So now she gives folks fair warning. If you happen to be stuck in a meeting when that email goes out, well that stinks. (Although I know Laura has made special deliveries in the past and left treats on coworkers’ desks. She’s nice like that.)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Back to these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes. The cupcake base is my classic, go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. Instead of cocoa powder, this recipe calls for a bit of melted chocolate. The microwave works wonders here. Just microwave the chocolate in rounds of 25-30 seconds each, stirring after each round. 3-4 rounds should be enough to give you a nice melted chocolate…perfect for stirring into the cupcake batter.
The peanut butter frosting is also no stranger here on the blog. In fact, that exact same peanut butter frosting has appeared in these frosted cinnamon rolls, this no-bake pie and these frosted donuts. Why mess with a good thing? And this peanut butter frosting is a good thing! Creamy peanut butter sweetened with a bit of powdered sugar and whipped with cream cheese and whipped topping. The result is a light and creamy frosting that you’ll want to eat with a spoon. In fact, that might have happened when I made the frosting for these cupcakes. I needed to make sure the frosting tasted good! You know, quality control and all. That, and my mouth really wanted a spoonful of peanut butter frosting!
If you’re in the mood for a classic cupcake that’s sure to be a household favorite, then save this recipe! Pin it on Pinterest. Bookmark it. Print it out. Do whatever you do to keep recipes. But promise me that you’ll make a batch of these cupcakes soon, ok? They’re delicious!
Did you make a batch of these Peanut Butter Cupcakes at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). Happy baking!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate melted
For the Frosting
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 oz. frozen whipped topping thawed
- {optional garnish} peanut butter chips and mini chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° Line muffin tin with paper baking cups; set aside.
- Using a large bowl, add dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt); stir until well combined.
- Add milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla; stir until smooth. Add melted chocolate and stir until well combined.
- Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups.
- Bake for 19-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean. Let cupcakes cool before frosting.
For the Frosting
- Using a handheld mixer, beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar.
- Add peanut butter; beat until well-combined.
- Add whipped topping; beat until well combined.
- Using a large star tip, frost the tops of the cooled cupcakes.
- {Optional} Sprinkle tops of cupcakes with peanut butter chips and mini chocolate chips.
Looking for more tasty chocolate + peanut butter desserts? Check out these other favorites, too:
Chocolate and peanut butter is always the BEST! And now I’m craving cupcakes for breakfast :). (I mean, there’s protein in the frosting so it’s ok right?) These look absolutely perfect, David!
Oh, you can absolutely have a cupcake for breakfast, Kelsie! The only problem is I bet you already have some yummy desserts sitting on your kitchen counter. Hah!
Aaaaah, chocolate + peanut butter! It really doesn’t get much better. All of your desserts with this magical combo are amazing! These are very welcome in my house, and I love the chips on top! ~ Valentina
Why thank you very much, Valentina! I must admit that I go to the chocolate + peanut butter combo regularly…but then again, can you blame me?? 🙂
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! Loving these cupcakes, David. That frosting looks so light and creamy!
Thanks so much, Marissa! You really can’t beat a good dessert with chocolate + peanut butter!
ok showing my ignorance here but what is frozen whipped topping? is it like cream? these cupcakes (aka patty cakes) look absolutely delicious david. i love PB and chocolate together, unlike my hubby. He knows not what he misses…:-)
Yet again, I’ve stumped you with an American ingredient! Haha. So whipped topping is basically frozen whipped cream. I’m not exactly sure how it’s made, but it’s sold in the frozen section, and it has a light and airy texture like, well, frozen whipped cream. 🙂 I love using it in my peanut butter frosting recipe as well as my no-bake pies!
so do you have to thaw it first before using? and what is its purpose? just in place of cream?
Don’t you love when a recipe makes exactly the right number for the muffin tin and places in your stomach?! 😉 Haha, perfection!
Chocolate and peanut butter belong together. Love these!
Exactly! All too often, recipes call for 2 muffin tins. (I’m guilty of doing this in the past myself…oops.) But this one? Perfect! Also, chocolate + peanut better is perfect, too. That means this recipe ranks pretty high up there on the list! Thanks, Alexandra!
You are spot on the money about chocolate and peanut butter being a perfect match. I also have space in my stomach for 12 of these cupcakes. I’m not kidding! I hear you about your other half, whenever the Great British Bake Off is on the TV over here I arrive home to be told how many desserts I need to produce for his inter-office bake-off competition!
Haha! Exactly. I now have a neighbor who wants to hire me for her office bake off competitions. Little does she know, but I’m always looking for ways to offload extra desserts! 🙂 Thanks, Matt!
Well, aren’t Laura’s co-workers lucky!! I can see why treats like these would disappear fast! Love chocolate and peanut butter together too so I know these cupcakes would disappear in a flash! Love the generous layer of frosting on these too, David! Hope you’re having an awesome week 🙂
I’ve gotten to where I plan desserts around nights that I have a curling game. And when curling season is over, it’s Laura’s coworkers who reap the benefits! I mean I love desserts, but let’s be real…I can’t keep ’em all here on the counter. My willpower just isn’t strong enough! Thanks, Dawn!
Laura’s coworkers are so lucky! I can just see the mad rush to try and get to the break room! These cupcakes would be a sure hit at work or at home. Great combination!
Hah! Fortunately I’m not there to see the mad rush to the breakroom. But I have to admit that I appreciate having folks to taste test all of the desserts I make. 🙂 I mean, I’d love to eat ’em all myself…but…
Peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favourite combos! Weirdly, many people are sceptical about it (At the same time, they don’t mind the combo of peanut butter and jelly. Go figure!) Peanut butter chocolate ice cream? Yes, please. Peanut butter toast sprinkled with some dark chocolate? Sure! I even enjoy my oatmeal with peanut butter and chocolate. Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes? No thanks! Just kidding – of course I approve it. These bad (good) guys look incredible! 🙂
Right! I’m actually the other way around. I love peanut butter and chocolate, but I stay away from peanut butter and jelly. Call me weird! These cupcakes were a definite winner in our house, Ben! 🙂
These cupcakes sound fantastic, David! I love that the flavors are separate: chocolate in the cake and peanut butter in the frosting. I think that’d accentuate both. Wouldn’t it be nice if Laura, when she got to work, used company funds to overnight your blogging friends a cupcake or two? 😉
You know, you make an excellent point. Watch for a package coming your way! 🙂
You can never go wrong when it comes to chocolate and peanut butter! These cupcakes look wonderful. That is so nice that you send over the leftover dessert to Laura’s work.
Thanks so much, Dawn! I agree with you about chocolate + peanut butter. Yum!!
YUM!!! I am such a fan of using melted chocolate in chocolate cakes/cupcakes! I love the rich chocolate flavor that results. 😋 And peanut butter frosting?!!! it’s been too long since I last had it, which means I have to make your recipe ASAP! I can totally see why Laura’s co-workers scramble to get to the break room when the email alert goes out–everything you create and bake is absolutely PHENOMENAL!
Yes! I appreciate that you noticed the melted chocolate in the cupcake recipe here. It really does take the cake flavor up a notch…or six! 🙂 You are too kind, Shannon. I really appreciate it! Also, this PB frosting is a must make. It’s so light and creamy!
I couldn’t agree more – pb + chocolate is where it’s at! My father-in-law would die over these cupcakes – he has a crazy sweet tooth & loves peanut butter – and he’s visiting in a few weeks.. I might need to whip these up for him! Butwho am I kidding.. I want to eat these cupcakes too! 🙂
Ah, if your father-in-law is a peanut butter lover, then you absolutely need to introduce him to this PB Frosting! It’s so easy, but it’s crazy addicting. 🙂 And then put it on top of cupcakes, too? Yum! Thanks, Nicole!