These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are rich chocolate cupcakes stuffed with peanut butter cup filling, topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, and dunked in a soft chocolate shell. Perfection!!

So I asked you guys the other day on my Facebook and Instagram whether you enjoy the chocolate and mint combo or the chocolate and peanut butter combo more.  You guys answered pretty overwhelmingly in favor of the chocolate and peanut butter combo over the chocolate and mint combo. I get it, I really do. There is just something about the combination of rich chocolate and creamy, sweet and salty peanut butter that is really amazing. I’ve been obsessed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for my entire life and would pick those out of a Halloween bag of candy before anything else.

Speaking of which, have you guys had those giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups stuffed with Reese’s Pieces yet? They’re over the top and I feel a little queasy after eating half of one, but they’re SO WORTH IT.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Anyway, these Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are not just any cupcakes – these are over the top decadent and perfect for any chocolate/peanut butter lover. I don’t know why these cupcakes took so long to happen, honestly. They’re amazing!  They are chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling, topped with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate shell. I went ahead and made my own homemade chocolate cupcake recipe, but feel free to use a chocolate cake mix if you want! 

How to Make the Peanut Butter Filling and Peanut Butter Frosting

• I used crushed graham crackers in the filling. This causes it taste like a peanut butter ball and OMG – so delicious. I love the flavors of graham crackers and peanut butter together.
• I would skip using a natural peanut butter that separates easily in favor of a commercial peanut butter like Jif. The oils in the natural peanut butter could cause your filling and frosting to separate and that wouldn’t be good for anybody.
• For the filling, make sure your butter is room temp and fully softened. The butter needs to mix extremely well with the other ingredients.
• To fill the cupcakes, use a small paring knife to carve out a 1/2″ – 1″ deep hole in your cooled cupcake. I use a spoon or a piping bag to fill the hole up about halfway. You don’t want to overfill.
• I used a Wilton #1A tip to frost these cupcakes.

More Peanut Butter Deliciousness Here:

1. No Bake Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars
2. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake
3. Peanut Butter White Chocolate Kit Kat Cookies
4. Sweet and Salty Cake
5. Fluffernutter Brownies

Print Recipe

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

These Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes are rich chocolate cupcakes stuffed with peanut butter cup filling, topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, and dunked in a soft chocolate shell. Perfection!!

Prep Time1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time1 hr 45 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Cupcakes, Peanut Butter

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

For the peanut butter filling:

• 9 sheets graham crackers crushed very finely
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter do not use peanut butter that needs to be stirred
• 6 tbs butter room temperature
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

For the peanut butter frosting:

• 2 sticks salted butter slightly softened
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• ? - ½ cup heavy whipping cream

For the chocolate shell:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbs vegetable shortening
• 24 miniature peanut butter cups for garnish

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins with grease proof paper liners and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in boiling water. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, until cupcakes are puffy and spring back when lightly touched in the center. Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For the peanut butter filling:

• Combine graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth and combined.
• Using a cupcake corer or a small paring knife, remove a circle of cake out of the top center of each cupcake (should be about  1/2" inch – 1" deep).
• Fill hole with a scoop of peanut butter cup filling.

For the peanut butter frosting:

• In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.
• With the mixer on medium low, slowly add powdered sugar until just combined.
• Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and slowly increase mixer speed to high. Beat at high for one minute. If frosting is too thick, add a bit more cream and beat until smooth.
• Generously frost or pipe frosting on cupcakes. Chill cupcakes until frosting is cold and firm, a few hours.

For the chocolate shell:

• In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and shortening, stopping to stir every 20 seconds until smooth.
• Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in chocolate shell, allowing excess to drip off.
• Gently press a mini peanut butter cup into melted chocolate before it sets.

You can also find this Peanut Butter Cupcakes recipe on Food Fanatic, where I am a regular contributor of all things sweet. Enjoy!

If you make these cupcakes, I would love to see them! Upload them to Instagram and tag me @cookbookqueen!