Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

This chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting recipe features a rich chocolate cake, creamy frosting, cute sprinkles and a Reese’s cup.

If you have a craving for something sweet and chocolatey, this homemade chocolate cupcake recipe is a great option! These peanut butter chocolate cupcakes are among my absolute favourite, any peanut butter lover is sure to enjoy them!

These cupcakes are moist with a rich chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder in the batter and frosting swirled with peanut butter. The easy peanut butter frosting makes them taste like an inside-out Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – only better because it’s homemade!

The best part about these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes is that they are easy to make from scratch and taste delicious! Plus I will show you how to decorate them for ANY occasion.

How to Store Chocolate Cupcakes

To prevent these fluffy chocolate cupcakes with their fluffy peanut butter frosting from drying out, store them as you would other chocolate baked goods. These chocolate cupcakes should last up to three days at normal room temperature covered in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, and about a week if refrigerated.

If you don’t plan on eating the chocolate cupcakes within two to three days of baking them, place the unfrosted chocolate cupcakes in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.

Thaw at room temperature for about 5 hours, and frost with delicious peanut butter frosting when you are ready to serve.

About the Ingredients for Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cupcakes

Flour – Spoon and level the flour when measuring it, otherwise you’ll wind up with a dense cake.

Baking powder & soda – Leavens the cake, make sure they are still active so your cake rises perfectly.

Salt – Helps to balance all the flavours and make em shine.

Eggs – Make sure you have room temperature eggs to start with.

Milk – Make sure your milk is room temperature before starting.

Oil – You can use any neutral flavoured oil, just don’t substitute with butter, oil makes for more moist cupcakes.

Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavour, but artificial is just fine too.

Boiling water – Hot water creates moist chocolate cupcakes with a more tender crumb.

Peanut butter – Use your favourite brand of creamy peanut butter. Don’t use crunchy, that would be weird since we want a creamy peanut butter frosting. I haven’t tested with natural peanut butter so cannot say if this is an option or not.

Powdered Sugar – Sometimes called icing sugar or confectioners sugar.

Cream – Milk works too if you don’t have any heavy cream.

Sprinkles – I chose to use a fall mix of spinkles but you can change things up for any season or celebration using the same method.

**Note: I used two packages of Sweet Tooth Fairy Forever Fall Sprinkle Mix found at Michaels but Wilton also has a fall sprinkle mix that is similar in case you are unable to source this particular one. You can also find some other really cute fall themed sprinkles for cakes on etsy.

Peanut butter cups – You could also use mini cups instead.

Looking for More Tasty Chocolate Cupcake Recipes?

Check out even more variations on the classic chocolate cupcake!

This decadent Twix cupcakes recipe features a from-scratch recipe for the chocolate cupcakes and a luscious caramel buttercream all topped off with caramel sauce and pieces of Twix.

Capture all the flavours of Cherry Coke with these scrumptious Cherry Coke Cupcakes starting off with a chocolate cake mix!

Andes Mint Cupcakes are perfect for any chocolate mint lovers out there. They feature real crushed Andes Mints!

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Makes 18 Cupcakes | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 25 mins

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 ¾ cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
1 C creamy peanut butter
2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
2 – 8oz package of Sweet Tooth Fairy Forever Fall Sprinkle Mix (Found at Michaels)
12 Reese peanut butter cups, cut in half
1 medium ice cream scooper
1 large piping bag with a star tip

Cupcake Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another large bowl, stir together eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl and stir together.

Beat on medium using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add boiling water and continue to beat. The mixture will be a little runny.

Fill the cupcake liners with the cupcake batter about ¾ way full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully transfer cupcakes to a wire baking rack to continue cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until combined, smooth and fluffy

Scoop 1 C of the frosting into the piping bag and set aside

Pour the sprinkles into a medium bowl

Using the ice cream scoop, scoop frosting on top of the cupcakes and smooth lightly into a thick disk

Coat the frosting in the sprinkles.

Pipe a dollop of frosting in the center of the frosting mound

Place a reese cup on top of the dollop

Enjoy!