Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
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These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are rich, moist, and topped with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting! This is a treat for any chocolate peanut butter lover. These cupcakes can easily be made dairy-free, so they’re perfect if you have food allergies!
You know I can’t get enough of the chocolate peanut butter combo! From my chocolate peanut butter brownies to vegan reese’s peanut butter cups, it’s a classic combo for a reason.
When I was testing these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, I wanted to make the frosting slightly different, so I made these chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting instead of regular buttercream! The cream cheese frosting keeps these cupcakes from being too sweet, it’s just so good.
I think these cupcakes are perfect for birthday parties or celebrations, but honestly, you should make these just because they’re so good!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- You can easily make these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes dairy-free.
- The chocolate cupcakes are so moist since they’re made with oil instead of butter!
- These chocolate cupcakes are frosted with the best peanut butter cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients Needed
- Cream Cheese: You can use regular cream cheese or vegan cream cheese if you’re dairy-free.
- Peanut Butter: I recommend using commercial peanut butter, not the natural peanut butter, which has a layer of oil on top!
- Butter: Feel free to use regular butter or vegan butter.
- Cocoa Powder: Dutch processed cocoa powder is darker and richer than regular cocoa powder.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.
- Milk: You can use regular whole milk or vegan milk!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Step 3: Add in the egg, oil, milk, vanilla, and hot water. Mix until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the chocolate cupcake batter into the liners, so they’re ⅔ full. Bake in the preheated oven for 11-15 minutes.
Step 5: Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let them cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Step 6: In a medium bowl with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in the peanut butter, salt, and vanilla extract.
Step 7: Slowly add in the powdered sugar, a ½ cup at a time.
Step 8: Refrigerate the frosting while the cupcakes cool. Once completely cool, frost!
Frosting Your Cupcakes
Because I’m using a cream cheese frosting, I recommend chilling your frosting so it has time to firm up in the fridge while the cupcakes cool. I usually chill my peanut butter cream cheese frosting for a couple of hours!
You also want to make sure your cupcakes are completely cool before you frost them. Warm cupcakes and chilled frosting are going to lead to the frosting sliding right off!
If you don’t want to use a cream cheese frosting, swap it out for a regular peanut butter buttercream like I use on my banana cake with peanut butter frosting!
Expert Tips
- I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your flour and cocoa powder! It’s so easy to add too much of either if you’re using measuring cups, and that’ll make your chocolate cupcakes super dry and dense.
- Don’t have a kitchen scale? Then make sure to use the scoop and level method to weigh out your flour and cocoa powder!
- Make sure to only fill up the cupcake liners so they’re ⅔ full. If you fill them too much, then they’ll overflow in the oven.
- Want to get a little fancy? Decorate the cupcakes with a peanut butter drizzle! Add a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter to a small bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Drizzle over the cupcakes.
Storage Instructions
Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store any leftover buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
To freeze the cupcakes, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag or container. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let the cupcakes thaw at room temperature before frosting.
More Peanut Butter Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (113 ml) water, hot
- ½ cup (108 ml) sunflower or canola oil (or other neutral oil)
- ¼ cup (63 ml) milk, (regular or dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup (158 g) butter, softened, (regular or vegan)
- ½ cup (130 g) smooth peanut butter, (like Jif, Skippy, or Kraft)
- ½ cup (115 g) plain cream cheese, room temperature, (regular or dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (300) powdered sugar (icing sugar/confectioners sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, oil, milk, and hot water, then mix until the cupcake batter is smooth.
- Pour the cupcake batter into the liners, filling up to 2/3 full and bake for 11-15 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool on a wire cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In a medium bowl, use a handheld mixer or standing mixer to mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
- Refrigerate the buttercream until the cupcakes have cooled completely. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost as desired.
- If you'd like to decorate with a peanut butter drizzle, add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to a small bowl and microwave until liquified, around 20-30 seconds. Drizzle it over the cupcakes. Enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.