This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Chocolate and peanut butter is one of the most reliable flavor combinations in existence, and these cupcakes make the most of every bit of it. A rich, tender chocolate cake is stuffed with a hidden peanut butter filling that bakes right into the center, then topped with a creamy, tangy peanut butter cream cheese frosting that’s thick enough to hold a swirl and rich enough to steal the show. Every bite has three distinct layers of flavor working together, and the result is the kind of cupcake that disappears off a plate faster than you can frost them.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Ready In: 50 minutes
- Serves: 20 cupcakes
- Main Ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, milk, vanilla
- Why You'll Love It: A classic chocolate cake is stuffed with peanut butter cups and topped with a creamy peanut butter cream cheese frosting!
The peanut butter filling is the detail that sets these apart from every other chocolate peanut butter cupcake recipe. Rolling the filling into small balls and nestling them into the batter before baking creates a soft, creamy pocket in the center of each cupcake that tastes exactly like a peanut butter cup. It’s not complicated, it’s not fussy, and it makes these cupcakes genuinely unforgettable.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Three components, all straightforward. Here’s everything you need:
The Chocolate Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (the base of the deep chocolate flavor)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sour cream (adds moisture and a slight tang that balances the richness of the chocolate)
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
The Peanut Butter Filling
- Confectioners sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Vanilla extract
The Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Confectioners sugar
- Cream cheese, at room temperature (adds tanginess and a creamy body that plain peanut butter frosting doesn’t have)
- Unsalted butter, at room temperature
- Creamy peanut butter
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Three separate components that each come together quickly. Work through them in order and you’ll have beautifully stuffed, frosted cupcakes ready in under an hour.
Step 1: Prep and Preheat
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two standard cupcake pans with paper liners. This recipe makes 20 cupcakes, so you’ll use most of two pans. Make sure all your butter, eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly and produce a better texture in both the batter and the frosting.
Step 2: Make the Cupcake Batter
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated after each addition and stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten and makes the cupcakes tough rather than tender.
Step 3: Make the Peanut Butter Filling
In a separate bowl, beat together the confectioners sugar, creamy peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and well combined. The mixture should be thick and holdable, similar in texture to soft cookie dough. Using your hands, roll the filling into 1-inch balls, making at least 20, one for each cupcake. Set aside on a plate or small baking sheet.
Step 4: Fill the Cupcake Liners
Spoon one to two tablespoons of chocolate batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner, just enough to cover the base. Place one peanut butter ball in the center of each liner, pressing it down gently into the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the top of each filling ball, dividing it evenly until all the liners are filled. The batter should come to about three-quarters full.
Step 5: Bake and Cool
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. The peanut butter filling will be soft and warm, so a little residue on the toothpick from the filling is fine. What you’re looking for is no wet, unset batter. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting. Frosting warm cupcakes will melt the frosting and make a mess.
Step 6: Make the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the confectioners sugar, room temperature cream cheese, room temperature butter, and creamy peanut butter. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth and well blended with no lumps. The frosting should be thick, creamy, and hold its shape when piped. If it seems too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes before piping.
Step 7: Frost the Cupcakes
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred tip and pipe generously onto each cooled cupcake. A large open star tip creates a classic swirl that showcases the creamy frosting beautifully. If you don’t have a piping bag, spread the frosting with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon for a more rustic look.
Storing and Reheating
Because the frosting contains cream cheese, these cupcakes need to be handled a little differently than a standard buttercream-frosted cupcake.
At room temperature, they’re fine for up to 2 hours, which makes them great for parties and dessert tables. Beyond that, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The cold does firm up the frosting considerably, so pull them out of the fridge about 20 to 30 minutes before serving to let the frosting soften back to its ideal creamy texture.
To freeze unfrosted cupcakes, let them cool completely and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. Store in a zip-lock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and frost fresh. Freezing already-frosted cupcakes is not recommended since the cream cheese frosting doesn’t hold up as well after thawing.
How to Serve Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
These cupcakes are bold enough to anchor any dessert table on their own. The swirled peanut butter cream cheese frosting is visually impressive and the chocolate and peanut butter combination is universally crowd-pleasing, which makes them a reliable choice for birthdays, potlucks, bake sales, and holiday gatherings.
For an extra finishing touch, press a mini peanut butter cup into the top of the frosting on each cupcake right before serving. It signals the flavor inside, looks great, and adds another hit of chocolate and peanut butter on top of everything already going on in the cupcake. A drizzle of melted chocolate or a sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the frosting are two other simple additions that elevate the presentation without any extra effort.
Serve at room temperature for the best texture and flavor. A cold cupcake straight from the fridge doesn’t showcase the soft center or the creamy frosting the way a room temperature one does.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Natural peanut butter, the kind where the oil separates and the only ingredients are peanuts and salt, is not recommended for this recipe. It behaves differently than conventional creamy peanut butter in baked goods and frosting. The filling and frosting both rely on the stable, emulsified consistency of conventional peanut butter like Jif or Skippy to hold their shape and texture. Natural peanut butter can make the filling too soft and the frosting greasy or broken.
Yes. Pour the batter into two greased and parchment-lined 9-inch round cake pans and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Spread the peanut butter filling between the two layers and frost the outside with the peanut butter cream cheese frosting. The hidden peanut butter layer between the cake layers mimics the stuffed center of the cupcakes.
The most common cause is ingredients that are too warm. If the cream cheese or butter is too soft or borderline melted, the frosting will not emulsify properly and will look greasy and separated rather than smooth and creamy. Make sure both are softened to cool room temperature, not warm. If the frosting breaks, refrigerate the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes and beat again. This usually brings it back together.
A toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. A little residue from the soft peanut butter filling is expected and fine. What you’re looking for is no wet, liquid batter on the toothpick. The tops should look set and spring back lightly when touched. Start checking at the 18-minute mark and add time in 1-minute increments if needed.
Other Cupcake Recipes:
- Churro Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
- Cannoli Cupcakes
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
- Apple Pie Cupcakes
Cupcakes are an impressive treat that everyone loves. Combine chocolate and peanut butter to make a delicious sweet treat. Try them and let us know what you think!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
For the filling:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
- To make the cupcake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. Set aside.
- To make the filling, combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 20).
- Spoon one or two tablespoons of the batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake liner and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat mixture until smooth and well blended. Pipe as desired onto each cupcake.
- Store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: Use creamy peanut butter for the best texture.
- Cocoa Powder: Standard unsweetened cocoa powder works great. If you use dark cocoa powder, it may change the flavor of the cupcakes as it creates a richer flavor and darker color.
- Sour Cream: You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
- We use a large closed star tip for piping frosting onto cupcakes.
- Store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving to allow them to come to room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in March 2013, but was updated with new photos, information and process shots in August 2020.
You had me at stuffed peanut butter cups. This recipe is at the top of the list of things to bake.
Loving that these are homemade! The chocolate and peanut butter go so well together!
Those cupcakes look sooo good. I want one now!
The filling and icing look so amazing! Pinned!
Thank you for this recipe! They look WONDERFUL!
I wish I had one right now !
Girl, you had me at chocolate and peanut butter, the best combination ever on the face of the planet! These look SO yummy, and I will definitely have to give them a try. Pinned! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
~Abby =)
Thanks Abby! You should definitely try them. Have a great week 🙂