*These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes made with Reese’s peanut butter taste just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup! They even have a little peanut butter surprise inside!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
If you know my husband, you know that one of his favorite foods is peanut butter. Most of his favorite desserts include peanut butter so it was only fitting to make some Reese’s chocolate peanut butter cupcakes to celebrate his birthday.
These chocolate cupcakes are a variation of these peppermint mocha cupcakes, but I used less instant coffee. Using coffee in chocolate cupcakes enhances the chocolate flavor without giving it the taste of coffee.
The peanut butter frosting is a variation of my vanilla buttercream recipe. It’s super creamy and when you use Reese’s peanut butter, it tastes just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup! I typically use salted butter, but peanut butter is already salty, so I used unsalted. Also, make sure you use butter and not margarine. Margarine gives a weird, broken up consistency.
If you make these cupcakes, be sure to leave a note below letting me know what you thought!
- 1 cup AP flour
- ½ cup dark cocoa powder, sifted (can use regular cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 tbsp instant coffee granules
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 18 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- 1 cup unsalted butter (NOT margarine), softened (2 sticks)
- 1.5 cups Reese's peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- pinch of salt
- 9 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, cut in half
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners
- In medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- In large bowl, beat oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, and instant coffee granules
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk until well combined.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into cupcake liner, insert 1 peanut butter cup, then fill liners until about ¾ full
- Bake 16-18 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean
- Allow to cool completely, then frost with peanut butter frosting and garnish with peanut butter cups
- Beat softened butter in bowl of stand mixer (or with hand mixer if stand mixer is unavailable)
- Mix in Reese's peanut butter
- Sift powdered sugar into bowl and begin mixing on low speed
- Add milk and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy. (Start with 2 tbsp of milk and add more if needed)
You may also enjoy these dessert recipes:
Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes
Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
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