Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
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If you love chocolate and peanut butter – then make these chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. The chocolate cupcakes are incredibly moist and fudgy, then the peanut butter frosting is super creamy with the perfect salty sweet flavor.
**This post was updated February 6, 2026 with a slightly adapted recipe, new photos and new recipe tips**
A Note from Fiona
Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes!
If you love rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and cupcakes piled high with swirls of frosting – then you’ll love these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes.
The chocolate cupcake is moist, fudgy and tender in the middle. It’s a very simple cupcake recipe that’s not difficult to make and turns out with a delicious chocolate flavor.
But for me, the frosting is the star of the show. It’s creamy, peanut buttery, not too sweet, and extremely fluffy – almost like a peanut butter soft-serve ice cream.
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
The chocolate cupcakes are fluffy and moist without being the least bit oily. The recipe is adapted from my recipe for double chocolate cupcakes – but here’s the run down on the important ingredients:
- We’re using just the right amount of oil, sour cream & buttermilk for the ultimate texture and zero dry cupcake crumbs.
- We’re replacing some of the white sugar with brown sugar to up the flavor & moisture level.
- Then a hefty dose of cocoa creates the perfect chocolate taste. I like to use Dutch process cocoa for a richer chocolate flavor.
At the end of the day, you get chocolate cupcakes with a delicious chocolate flavor that are soft, moist & fluffy.
Make sure that you only fill your cupcake liners about 1/2 to 2/3 full – otherwise, your cupcakes can end up overflowing and then sinking in the middle.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
To make this peanut butter heaven, it’s very similar to making traditional buttercream – only we’re substituting some of the butter with peanut butter. Because peanut butter is so thick, you don’t actually need as much powdered sugar. This means that the frosting isn’t overly sweet either. You’ll need butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and a little milk or whipping cream.
Note: Make sure that you use regular, smooth peanut butter – such as Jiffy, Skip or Kraft. Do not use natural, whipped or homemade peanut butter as it can separate and make the frosting chunky or oily.
The recipe will make enough frosting to pipe each cupcake with a generous portion, but feel free to frost the cupcakes by simply swirling on the buttercream using a flat-edge knife.
You can decorate your chocolate peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, Reese’s Pieces or plain jane style with no decorations would be just perfect too.
These chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting are the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. And if peanut butter cups call to you – make sure to try these other treats:
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Equipment
- 12-cavity muffin pan
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour (156 grams)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (28 grams)
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120 ml)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream* (120 ml)
- ½ cup buttermilk* (120 ml), room temperature*
For the Peanut Butter Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams), softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup peanut butter , do not use natural, homemade or whipped
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar (220-330 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons whipping cream* (30-60 ml)
- peanut butter cups, Reese's Piece , for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line a muffin tins with cupcake liners. You will get 12-14 cupcakes
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift the cocoa first if its lumpy.
- In a separate bowl – whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir in the sour cream.
- Whisk in about 1/2 of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk. Whisk in the second half of the dry ingredients. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about 1/2 to 2/3 full. You should get 12-15 cupcakes in total.
- Bake 1 pan at a time in the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 18-23 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean ant the tops are slightly springy to the touch. Cool in the muffin pan for at least 10 minutes, then remove and continue cooling on a wire rack.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft.
- Then add in the peanut butter and continue beating until until evenly combined.
- Add in the 2 cups powdered sugar, the vanilla extract and salt and carefully beat together with the mixer on low speed.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the whipping cream/milk until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
- Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag or with the flat-edge of a knife. I frosted mine using a 1M Wilton tip.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Buttermilk, eggs and sour cream should be room temperature before making the cupcake batter.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon distilled vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Add in 1/2 cup milk (1% or 2%) and stir the mixture. Let it stand for 5 minutes before using.
- Filling your Cupcakes: Do not fill the cupcake liners more than 1/2 – 2/3 full. If you end up with 10 or 11 cupcakes, then they are likely too full. Otherwise, they can sink in the middle.
- Make-ahead Tips: Cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead, cooled fully, and then stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. Frost the cupcakes the day you plan to serve. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container, then thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Nutrition: Information is based on 1 cupcake, with the recipe yielding 14 cupcakes
Nutrition
These cupcakes are fantastic! The chocolate base is a very simple and basic chocolate cupcake. The frosting, however, is totally over-the-top delicious. It is the perfect consistency, not too sweet, and tastes just like peanut butter. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
I’ve made these before and they’re so good! Have you ever tried freezing them?
These were so amazing. I added a Recess cup to the middle to add even more deliciousness!
So, the cupcake recipe for me was a giant fail! Tried to make them for my hubs birthday and I just don’t know what I did wrong but the cupcakes rose really fast and then spread out and fell, so I did not find it easy. However the frosting was AMAZING! I ended up making a box mix cupcake but I’m keeping this recipe and will return for that incredible peanut butter frosting!
Possible to add expresso powder to the batter to enhance the chocolate?
Definitely – I’d add probably 1 teaspoon.
Can the frosting be made a day ahead of time
Yes, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. If it still seems pretty thick/too hard to frost – beat it again with an electric mixer to help it soften up.
Hi! I would like to make these tonight- but don’t have sour cream.. could I use nonfat greek yogurt instead?
Yes – that would be fine
Made these yesterday and they turned out perfectly! Only needed to add 3 cups of icing sugar to the frosting, and had a little left over when I was done! Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
I’m so glad you loved the cupcakes! I definitely like a lot of frosting on my cupcakes – so I usually make a little extra 😉 Happy baking
I am absolutely in love with the buttercream. I made it and it was a big hit!
So glad it was such a big hit!
HOW MANY SERVING DOES THESE CUPCAKES MAKE?
You’ll end up with about 18 cupcakes total 🙂
Mmm these look delicious! Your very right they’re the best combinations ever. Thanks for sharing. ?
Thanks Lucy! Peanut butter lovers unite!
Hey there, I am going to make these and was wondering if you made home made whipping cream or if you bought it at the store? They look sooooo good
Hi Kim, I’m not 100% sure if I understand your question. For the cream – you want to get cream that comes in a carton that’s labelled as Whipping Cream or Heavy Cream as opposed to cool whip or something that comes in a tub. For the whipping cream you’ll want to measure out 2-4 tablespoons of cream from the carton. You don’t need to whip it first.