Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

image of a peanut butter filled cupcake that's been cut into to show it's filling

4.99 from 60 ratings

Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

These peanut butter-filled chocolate cupcakes have the perfect balance of salty and sweet. They're tender, moist, and absolutely delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Additional Time30

Total Time1 3

Course: Cupcakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Calories: 700kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup water, warm 180g
1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or coffee 3g
1/3 cup milk or dark chocolate chips, melted 60g
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 30g
2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 75g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1 tsp white vinegar 4g
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 100g
3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
1/2 tsp baking soda 3g
1/2 tsp fine salt 2g

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 125g
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
1/4 tsp fine salt 1g
4 cups powdered sugar 500g
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g

Cupcake Filling and Garnish

1 cup peanut butter 250g
1/2 chocolate ganache

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175 C. Line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
Pour 3/4 cup of warm water into a large bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp of coffee or espresso powder and stir until dissolved.
Add 1/3 cup melted chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder. Whisk together until the ingredients are fully combined.
Whisk 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp vinegar into the cocoa mixture.
Add 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt into the chocolate espresso mixture and whisk until just combined. The batter will be thin, but that’s how it’s supposed to be.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove the pan from the oven.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them on a wire rack to finish cooling. If you're in a rush, place the whole pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Peanut Butter Buttercream

While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the peanut butter buttercream. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 1 cup of room-temperature butter and 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a hand mixer or paddle attachment until smooth.
Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in 4 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of heavy cream on a low speed. Mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
Stir by hand with a rubber spatula for a couple of minutes to make the frosting SUPER smooth. Place the frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip and seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip. Set aside.

Chocolate Ganache Drip

Place 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Heat 1/3 cup heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it's steaming and just starting to bubble. If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stovetop, you can heat the cream over medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is fully covered by the cream. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes.
Stir the mixture together until the cream and chocolate are fully combined and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is just slightly warm to the touch.

Decorating These Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

Use the wide opening of a large frosting tip or a small knife to remove the center from each cooled cupcake. Fill each cupcake with a little less than a Tbsp of your favorite peanut butter.
Pipe a dollop of peanut butter frosting on top of each cupcake. Chill the cupcakes in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help the frosting firm up.
While the cupcakes chill, warm up the remaining peanut butter for 10 seconds, or until it's thin enough to be drizzled.
Remove the cupcakes from the fridge or freezer and drizzle with warm chocolate ganache and peanut butter. Add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and/or flaky sea salt, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

For a detailed list of ingredient swaps and substitutions that can be made in each component of this recipe, please refer to the "swaps and substitutions" section above.

Making Mini Cupcakes

If you want to make mini chocolate cupcakes, this recipe can be baked in mini muffin tins! It makes about 40 mini cupcakes, and they only need to bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

Ingredients at room temperature mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure and then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Once you add the flour, mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure the cupcakes bake up tender and fluffy.
Use a large cookie scoop to fill your cupcake liners easily. It also makes sure the cupcakes end up being the same height.
Seal off the top of your piping bag with a rubber band to prevent any frosting from seeping out of the top of the bag and make the piping bag easier to use.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcake Variations

To make gluten-free chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten-free flour blend for the AP flour this recipe calls for. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for the best results.

Making These Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted cupcakes can sit at room temperature overnight or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

They can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to fill and frost them until they're thawed.

You can also make the buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. This buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to stir the frosting well once it thaws to make the consistency nice and smooth again.

You can also store buttercream in a piping bag in the fridge. I find buttercream keeps its consistency well in piping bags and doesn't require any mixing after it's thawed.

Nutrition