We always joke that my Dad’s favorite “holiday” is the day after Easter, when all the candy goes on sale. Easter candy is his fave- mine too- so he heads to the store first thing to stock up on his favorites. He gets my favorites, too, and the kids’ favorites and even my husbands’ favorites.
The one candy that’s EVERYONE’S favorite? Chocolate peanut butter eggs, of course! That combo of peanut butter and chocolate is the best, no matter what shape it takes. Even if that combo isn’t in candy at all, and is actually in cupcakes!
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes are THE cupcake for anyone who waits all year for those Chocolate Peanut Butter eggs {or, anyone like me who just buys them all year round in different shapes- hearts, trees, pumpkins}.
To make these cupcakes, you start with a rich, moist chocolate cupcake. Then you add peanut butter on the inside– yes, it’s as magical as it sounds- and finally you top each cupcake with a homemade chocolate and peanut butter frosting swirl.
The best thing of all? You can make these ANY time of year, and they’re actually easy to make!
The Best Way to Fill Cupcakes
Filling cupcakes is an easy way to step it up a notch and impress anyone you share your cupcakes with. But here’s the secret- it’s actually really easy!
You can use just a normal butterknife to cut a hole in the top, or you can get a special cupcake corer {I use a corer- it’s just faster and cleaner and they only cost a few dollars}.
Then you just fill your cupcake with your filling of choice, and frost the top like you would anyway to cover where you filled it from!
Tip: If you like chocolate & peanut butter together but want it to be a little more on the chocolate side, feel free to skip the peanut butter filling on this recipe and swap it for chocolate frosting.
How to Make Swirled Frosting on Cupcakes
In another example of when you can use what you have or a special tool, frosting swirls can be done a couple of ways.
Below I share how to swirl flavors together using just piping bags, but I typically use {affiliate link} this super convenient color coupler that lets you use up to 3 colors together {but works just fine with 2}.
You can see another batch of cupcakes I made using the coupler here: Team Spirit Cupcakes– check it out and decide if you want to invest in the coupler {it’s under $10 and you can use it forever}.
Can the Kids Help?
Kids can ALWAYS help in the kitchen! For this recipe, I’d suggest letting them help with:
- Picking cupcake liners
- Mixing dry ingredients
- Mixing wet ingredients
- Filling the cupcake pan with batter
- Making the filling and frostings
I’d also suggest that you help a little extra with:
- Cracking eggs
- Combining wet and dry ingredients {older kids can likely handle this}
- Using the oven
- Using the cupcake corer or whatever tool you choose to core the cupcakes
- Filling the cupcakes with peanut butter filling
- Frosting – swirled designs can be a bit tricky for younger kids {though older kids can likely do it, especially if you use a coupler}
What Supplies Do You Need to Make These Cupcakes?
To make Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes, you’ll need:
{These links are affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!}
- Muffin/Cupcake pan
- Cupcake liners
- Medium Bowl and Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Piping Bag
- Cupcake Corer
- Recommended: Frosting Coupler
- Recommended: Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Optional: Ice Cream Scoop for filling liners with batter
Hungry for More?
Want more delicious cupcake recipes? Try these:
- Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream Icing
- S’mores Cupcakes
- Lemonade Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
- Galaxy Cupcakes
- Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
- Treasure Chest Cupcakes
- Carrot Garden Cupcakes
- Mummy Cupcakes
- Easter Chick Cupcakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Yield: 24
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
These impressive and sweet cupcakes are way easier than they seem! With swirled chocolate and peanut butter frosting and more peanut butter on the inside, these chocolate cupcakes are perfect for Chocolate Peanut Butter lovers to enjoy year-round.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for the cupcakes:
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- Ingredients for the filling:
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Ingredients for the peanut butter frosting:
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ingredients for the chocolate frosting:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing between each addition.
- Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way full with batter and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 15 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the filling, beat together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and melted butter until smooth and well combined. Add the mixture to a piping bag. Scoop out a small hole in the center of each cupcake and pipe the peanut butter mixture into the hole.
- Make the peanut butter icing by beating together the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Make the chocolate icing by beating together the butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Add more milk, if needed, to thin the icing.
- Place each icing flavor in a small piping bag and cut the tip off each bag. Place a large piping tip in the bottom of a large piping bag and put the tips of the two smaller piping bags inside. Swirl the icing on top of each cupcake.
