The perfect chocolate peanut butter cupcake recipe for anybody who takes their sweets seriously!
It’s one of the greatest truths that we know in this life: peanut butter and chocolate are a perfect pairing!
You could get me a whole line of people to tell me I’m wrong, and I still won’t believe them. Throw my daughter in the group so she can tell me ONCE AGAIN that she doesn’t like chocolate with peanut butter. It doesn’t matter, I still believe it to be an absolute truth.
Chocolate + Peanut Butter = A GREAT BIG SMILE!!
Now I know I’m always over here screaming about “Keep it simple” and “Don’t try to impress people”!! And I promise that I normally believe that junk and follow it religiously.
Except with baked goods. I’m telling you, these are worth a couple extra steps and are guaranteed to be the first to go on a dessert spread!
The Perfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe
- Cupcakes:
- 1 15.25 ounce package chocolate cake mix
- 1 3.4 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
*Cookies:*
- 24 Nutter Butter cookies
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tsp. shortening
- 1/4 chopped peanuts
*Buttercream:*
- 2 cups shortening
- 2 cups butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 8 tbsp. milk
- 4 tsp. vanilla
- 3 lbs. 7.5 oz. powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- additional milk as needed
- Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350.
- Using a serrated knife, cut each Nutter Butter in half. Place 1 half in the bottom of each paper liner.
- Place all of the cupcake ingredients in a mixer bowl and mix on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat about 2 minutes until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Scoop cupcake batter into the liners. Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes until they test done or tops spring back when you touch them.
- While cupcakes are baking, line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Next, place chocolate chips and 1 tsp. shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue microwaving 20 seconds at a time until smooth. Do NOT overheat! Once your chocolate is smooth, dip your remaining 24 Nutter Butter halves into chocolate and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Lay on wax paper lined sheet to set. I pop them into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to get them to set faster.
- For buttercream, in large stand mixer, beat shortening, softened butter and peanut butter until completely smooth. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Then add milk and vanilla until thoroughly incorporated. Gradually add powdered sugar, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Once cupcakes are completely cooled, fill a pastry bag with the buttercream. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe the buttercream. Just do one swirl of the peanut butter buttercream without building it up into a peak.
- Now take about 1.5 cups of the remaining peanut butter buttercream and mix in the tbsp. of cocoa powder. If it is too thick, you can add additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time until it is piping consistency. Using a 1M tip, pipe a dollop on the top of the cupcake. Take one of the chocolate dipped Nutter Butters and place on top before the icing sets.
