Decadent Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Swirl

These tender cupcakes are made with peanut butter in the batter and topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting. They offer a double dose of peanut butter for the ultimate peanut butter cupcake.

This post was updated April 23, 2020, with new photos and a slightly revised recipe for an improved cupcake crumb.

Peanut butter often brings cookies to mind first, but these peanut butter cupcakes are a delightful alternative. The cake is moist and tender with a pronounced peanut butter flavor that isn’t overly sweet. The frosting is fluffy and creamy, creating the classic salty-sweet peanut butter combination. With peanut butter in both the batter and the frosting, these cupcakes deliver on flavor and texture.

Finding the Perfect Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipe

Developing the best peanut butter cupcake took several attempts. Peanut butter is dense and absorbs moisture, which can make cakes dry or heavy. After testing multiple variations, the following elements proved essential to produce a light, moist cupcake:

• Use oil instead of butter. Oil yields a lighter, moister crumb than butter.
• Two eggs add tenderness and help the cupcakes rise when whisked into the batter.
• Milk and sour cream provide extra moisture. This recipe uses a higher liquid-to-flour ratio than many cupcakes to counteract peanut butter’s drying effect.

The cupcake tops may appear slightly crinkly, but the interior will be moist, tender, and full of peanut butter flavor.

For the Frosting

These cupcakes are finished with a rich peanut butter buttercream that’s creamy and not overly sweet. If you prefer less frosting, the frosting recipe can be halved. Alternatively, chocolate frosting also pairs well with these cupcakes. I like a generous swirl of frosting, but you can adjust to taste.

These cupcakes have been described as “smacking you in the face with peanut butter,” which is exactly the bold peanut butter experience many of us want from a peanut butter dessert.

• Bold peanut butter flavor
• Moist and tender crumb
• Fluffy peanut butter frosting
• Optional peanut butter candies for decoration

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

By: Fiona Dowling

These tender cupcakes are made with peanut butter in the batter and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting. They have a double dose of peanut butter for the perfect peanut butter cupcake.

Prep: 45 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 2 hrs

Servings: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
• 1 cup light brown sugar* (see notes)
• 2 large eggs*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup peanut butter* (do not use natural, homemade, or whipped)
• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk*
• 1/4 cup sour cream*

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter*
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2–3 tablespoons cream or milk
• Peanut butter candies, for decoration (optional)

Instructions

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two muffin tins with paper liners. This yields about 16–18 cupcakes.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. You can whisk by hand or use a mixer.
3. Beat in the peanut butter, ensuring there are no lumps of brown sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
5. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream and milk.
6. Gently whisk about half of the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture, followed by half of the milk-sour cream. Repeat with the remaining dry and wet ingredients until just combined. Mixing by hand helps prevent overmixing.
7. Spoon batter into the prepared liners, filling each cup about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You should have roughly 16 cupcakes; if you only get 12, the liners were overfilled.
8. Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1. Beat the softened butter in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Add the peanut butter and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in the vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar on low speed until combined.
4. Add the remaining powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream or milk, until the frosting reaches your desired sweetness and consistency.
5. Frost the cooled cupcakes with a knife or a piping bag (a 1M tip works well) and decorate with peanut butter candies if desired.

Notes

1. Substitute for brown sugar: 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup brown sugar equals 1 cup light brown sugar.
2. Bring the eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before you begin for better mixing and texture.
3. Use smooth, American-style peanut butter (brands with stabilizers such as Jiffy, Skippy, or Kraft). Avoid natural, homemade, or whipped peanut butter; these contain extra oil or inconsistent texture that can affect the batter and rise.
4. If you prefer a thin layer of frosting, use:
   • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
   • 6 tablespoons peanut butter
   • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
   • 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream
5. Storage: Store leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days or in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge before frosting.
6. Nutrition info is based on one cupcake with frosting (no peanut butter candy topper), assuming 16 cupcakes per batch.

Nutrition

Calories: 486 kcal, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 31 g, Saturated Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 59 mg, Sodium: 185 mg, Potassium: 187 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 38 g, Vitamin A: 451 IU, Calcium: 42 mg, Iron: 1 mg