Fudgy chocolate cupcakes, creamy peanut butter frosting and a drizzle of caramel – these Snickers cupcakes have everything you love about the classic candy bar! Then top them with a chunk of Snickers, and these cupcakes are truly next level delicious.
If you love Snickers bars – then let me introduce you to your new favorite dessert: Snickers cupcakes. This recipe starts with moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes. Then they’re toped with peanut butter frosting, drizzled with caramel and finished with a hunk of Snickers. I love the combination of chocolate, peanuts and caramel and these cupcakes truly have everything that you could want. The salty-sweet peanut butter frosting complements the rich chocolate cupcake and sweet caramel perfectly. Then add a snickers on top and you’ve gone one delicious cupcake.
Making The Chocolate Cupcakes
The chocolate cupcake base is moist and tender. You’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, sugar baking soda, baking powder and salt. Then in a separate bowl you’ll whisk together the wet ingredients: oil, egg, vanilla extract and milk. The wet ingredients get mixed into the dry ingredients and then you’ll carefully whisk in hot coffee (or boiling water). The oil, milk and hot coffee keep these cupcakes incredibly moist. The hot coffee also helps to improve the chocolate flavor. The heat makes the cocoa powder bloom – which essentially means that the flavor is activated.
For The Peanut Butter Frosting
Peanut butter frosting is truly one of my favorite things – creamy, salty, sweet and delicious in copious amounts. The frosting is very simple and made with butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, a little vanilla and salt, and cream (or milk). In baking, and especially when making this frosting, I highly recommend using store-bought smooth peanut butter. Do not choose anything where the oil sits on top or that’s labelled natural. Peanut butter with stabilizers (such as natural peanut butter) can separate and make your frosting either way too oily or way too thick and clumpy.
Note: The frosting recipe will make enough to pipe each cupcake with a lot of frosting, as is what’s pictured in the photos. If you prefer a thinner amount, feel free to divide the recipe in half.
For the Caramel Drizzle
I’ve included my favorite caramel sauce recipe in the recipe card below. Of course, feel free to use store bought or your own favorite recipe. A thicker caramel works well because it won’t simply run off the frosting, but will “stick” to it. For drizzling the caramel sauce, I spooned it into a small freezer/Ziploc bag and cut the very end of the bottom corner off. I used this as a piping bag to drizzle on the caramel.
Note: If you’ve made your own caramel, be sure to cool it fully before drizzling on top of the frosted cupcakes. If it’s even slightly warm, it will melt the frosting.
Make Ahead Tips
If you’re looking to save some time on the day you plan to serve, then I recommend:
- Making the chocolate cupcakes the day before you plan to serve. Cool fully, then store in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.
- If making homemade caramel, make it the day before you plan to serve. Cool fully, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge.
- Then make the frosting and decorate the cupcakes you day you plan to serve.
And if you love chocolate bars – then why not try these recipes:
Snickers Cupcakes
Equipment
- 12-cavity muffin pan
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce (or use store bought)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams) cut into cubes
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream (90 ml) 33-35% MF
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- ½ cup cocoa powder (45 grams) sifted
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (80 ml)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk (120 ml)
- ⅓ cup hot coffee (80 ml) or boiling water
Peanut Butter Frosting
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (168 grams) softened to room temperature
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter do not use natural or anything where the oil sits on top
- 2 - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (220 - 275 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoons cream (30-45 ml) or milk
To Decorate
- ½ cup caramel sauce (120 ml)
- 6 fun size Snickers bars chopped in half
Instructions
Caramel Sauce (if making your own)
- Add the sugar to a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
- Begin stirring gently. The sugar will first form clumps and then melt into an amber liquid.
- Once the sugar is an amber liquid without any clumps, add in the butter. Stir together as the butter melts and bubbles. Turn down the burner to a low temperature.
- Then carefully whisk in the cream until the caramel is an even consistency.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and salt. Cool fully.
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 12-cavity muffin tin with muffin papers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla extract.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Whisk the mixture together.
- Once the batter looks about 80-90% combined, whisk in the hot coffee/boiling water until the batter is an even consistency.
- Spoon the cupcake batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin paper about ½ to ⅔ full. If you only end up with 9 or 10 cupcakes, then your liners are too full.
- Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to continue cooling.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the peanut butter until combined.
- Add in 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla and salt. Start with the mixer on a low speed and gradually mix in the ingredients.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream/milk until the desired consistency is reached.
To Decorate
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag - I used a 1M tip.
- Frost the cupcakes starting by drawing a circle around the edge with the piping bag, then swirling up.
- Add the cooled salted caramel so a small Ziploc bag or piping bag with a small round tip. Drizzle on top of each cupcake.
- Place half a fun sized Snickers bar on top of each cupcake.
Notes
- Caramel Sauce: Feel free to make your own or use store bought. With the recipe provided, you will likely have some leftover.
- Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 hours, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. If cupcakes have been in the fridge, let them sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cupcake with frosting, caramel and ½ a fun-sized Snickers bar. It is an estimate only.
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