These Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes are always a crowd favorite! Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and a Reese's chocolate baked in the center.
It's been really difficult writing this post, editing the pictures and getting it ready to share with you guys. It's been a constant reminder that ALL I WANT is another one! Or two. Or three.
I've been dreaming of them ever since I made them. Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and a mini Reese's chocolate baked in the center. BEST CUPCAKES EVER! You can never, ever go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.
Use a standard muffin pan and place a muffin liner in each muffin cup. Fill with chocolate cupcake batter until each liner is half full. Place a Reese's peanut butter cup in the center of each cup filled with batter. Now your cupcakes are ready to bake! Be sure to allow them to cool completely before frosting.
When your guests are ready to eat one they'll find a happy suprise in the center: a Reese's chocolate!
The peanut butter frosting is the really winner with these cupcakes and it couldn't be easier to make.
How to make peanut butter frosting:
My biggest tip for making peanut butter frosting is to use a commercial brand of peanut butter, NOT natural or homemade peanut butter! I recommend Skippy of Jif. If you use a different kind of peanut butter you may experience separating, oily or texture issues.
Start by using an electric mixer to mix together the butter and peanut butter until completely smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk and mix again until smooth. The butter/powdered sugar/milk ratio here always yields a perfect thick and smooth frosting for me. If you'd like it a little thicker add a bit more powdered sugar, or if you'd like it thinner, add an extra splash of milk.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, frost them with the peanut butter frosting. I used a Wilton 1M decorating tip and an Ateco decorating bag to frost these cupcakes, but you could even use a plastic ziplock bag with a small hole snipped from the corner to pipe the frosting on.
*Disclaimer….these cupcakes are made using a cake mix (gasp!). Here's the honest truth. As much as I totally believe in cooking everything from scratch (here's my favorite homemade chocolate cupcakes recipe) I believe there is a time and a place for boxed cake mixes. I “doctor” cake mixes all the time–I change the add-in's so that the end result tastes like they're from scratch!
Sometimes you only have 5 minutes to throw together a treat, and the batter for these cupcakes only takes that long! And the best part is no one will ever guess (or care) that you used a cake mix!
Try my other popular cupcake recipes:
- German Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Cream Frosting
- Caramel Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
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Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes*
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurts
- 30 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups , divided
For the Peanut Butter Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Mix together the cake mix, milk, eggs, oil and Greek yogurt until smooth. Spoon batter into cupcake pans, filling the liners ½ full.
- Place a Reese's PB cup into the center of the batter in each cup (it's okay if the the tops of the Reese's are showing, like photo above).
- Bake cupcakes for 16-20 minutes or until done. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For the Peanut Butter Frosting
- Beat together butter, and peanut butter and mix until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat again until combined.
- Add milk and mix until light and fluffy. (Add more milk or powdered sugar if needed to make the frosting thicker or thinner).
- Frost cupcakes (I used a wilton 1M tip in the photos above).
- Chop up the remaining pieces of Reese's and gently press into frosting.
- Store leftover cupcakes, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
The material in this blog post references the trademarked brand “Reese's.” The use of this trademark is for informational and editorial purposes only and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by The Hershey Company or any of its affiliates.
*I originally shared this recipe April 2015. Updated June 2018.
This post contains affiliate links.
These look so yummy!! I want to make them for my sons birthday party, which is tonight. Can I substitute the Greek yogurt with sour cream?
You can absolutely substitute Greek yogurt! YUM! Hope he has a great birthday!
I am pretty upset with myself for using this recipe right now. They are for my sons Valentines Day party today, and the cake part is AWFUL. Cardboard dry. I followed this recipe to a T. I am a dessert caterer, I KNOW better than to follow a recipe, but was pimched for time. Will not ever use this “cake” recipe again. Grrrrr….
Hi Erin, I’m really sorry you had a bad experience with the cake recipe. I really don’t know how they could turn out dry–this recipe is just a “doctored” cake mix. Do boxed cake mixes usually turn out dry for you? What altitude are you?
These look so good and i’m so excited to make them!!!
Question: How long do these last?? And the frosting?? Like if I put frosted cupcakes in a box how long will the last? Or would they last longer if I had them kept seperately from the frosting?
Thanks!
Hi Natalia, If you put the cupcakes in a box and they were well covered (like a bakery cupcake box) you could refrigerate them and they’d be great for about 1-3 days. If you have to store them at room temperature they would really be best the same day, possibly the next day. Another option would be to make the frosting and store it in the fridge for several days in an airtight container. Then make the cupcakes and store them in a ziplock freezer bag for several days. On the day you are ready to serve them, remove the frosting from the fridge a few hours in advance to let it come to room temperature. Then frost them. 🙂 Hope that helps!
How long does the frosting last?
Hi Shellie, the frosting will last for at least 1-2 weeks, refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Could you use Adams chunky peanut butter for the frosting?
I’ve never tried it but it should work fine 🙂 –It may be more difficult to pie the frosting on (if you were planing on that)….
These look sooo good! Question though….why is your site called “tastes better from scratch” when these are clearly not made from scratch. A box cake? Really? Not really from scratch but if you say so…
Hi Jennifer, you must have missed my “disclaimer” right above the recipe. I address why I’m using a doctored cake mix, AND I have a link to my favorite homemade chocolate cupcakes recipe if you want to make them from scratch.
Do I place the Reese’s flat out standing on the ridges?
nice recipe! Look so delicious cupcakes 🙁 can I try to make it? I don’t know
I can’t wait to try these! I am wondering if I should keep the cupcakes refrigerated before serving them?
Hi Sylvia, They would do well, covered, in the fridge, before you serve them. Let them sit at room temp for at least 10 minutes or so to allow the frosting to soften before you serve them 🙂 Hope you love them!
The 1/2 cup of evaporated milk or cream in the frosting…..is that heavy cream?
yes, heavy cream of evaporated milk will work great!
Peanut butter cups are my guilty pleasure and these cupcakes looks so good!
Nothing beats the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Thanks for giving me just another excuse to enjoy it with these Reese’s cupcakes!