Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

By Samantha Seneviratne

Published October 20, 2025

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
5(120)
Comments
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These little cuties are light and fluffy, with just the right amount of chocolate flavor to complement but not overpower the salty-sweet peanut butter frosting. Made with oil instead of butter, the batter can be made by hand in minutes, and the resulting cupcakes stay nice and moist. They’re sure to be hit at the next bake sale or picnic. 

Featured in: I’ve Baked Hundreds of Cakes. These 3 Tips Made All the Difference.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 cupcakes

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • ¾ cup/96 grams all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/75 grams granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/83 grams packed dark brown sugar

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons/36 grams natural cocoa powder

  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ⅓ cup/80 milliliters vegetable oil

  • ⅓ cup/80 milliliters buttermilk

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FROSTING

  • 1 cup/270 grams creamy conventional peanut butter (not “natural”)

  • ½ cup/113 grams salted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 cup/123 grams powdered sugar 

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • Chocolate pearls, mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles, for topping (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

46 grams carbs; 36 milligrams cholesterol; 434 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 223 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 35 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the cupcakes: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the liners.

  3. Step 3

    Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one cupcake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 18 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes then transfer the cupcakes to the rack to cool completely.

  4. Step 4

    Make the frosting: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the peanut butter and salted butter together until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (The cupcakes and frosting can be made and stored separately, covered at room temperature, for up to 1 day.)

  5. Step 5

    Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting. Sprinkle with chocolate pearls, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
120 user ratings
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Comments

SL

Natural PB would separate and you'd be left with a greasy, grainy frosting. both Jif and Skippy have 'natural' PB that aren't blended with trans fat but still homogenized. They usually have natural on the label, but read the ingredient list to be sure. and really, people, if you're going to make cupcakes with almost 30g of fat per serving, balking at peanut butter with added sugar and oil is just silly.@Susan

William Wroblicka

If you Google "peanut butter frosting using natural peanut butter," you'll find many recipes, which presumably have been successfully tested. On the other hand, you'll also find many admonitions *not* to use natural peanut butter because you'll wind up with a "curdling oily mess," to quote one such.

Susan

By “conventional “ peanut butter, you mean Skippy or Jif, with the additional shortening and sugar in it? If you prefer to use an all-natural one like Teddy, what adaptations are necessary?

soo

I have to agree that this recipe barely stretches a dozen cupcakes. based on weight, recipe should yield 12 x 40g cupcakes which are on the small side but fine. The peanut butter frosting is excellent and was perfect for 12 piped with a bit of frosting filling. Garnished with split Reeses miniatures. Really does call back to Drake’s Funny Bones - great memory unlocked!

Ilena

Made into a cake for my bestie’s bday- tripled the cake recipe for 2 8-inch round cake pans and doubled the frosting recipe to frost and decorate. Baked for about 25 minutes but just keep a close eye and bake til done. I omitted the extra salt from the frosting and it was great for us- still salty but very peanut buttery. Yum!

lm

It made 12 small cupcakes and they were very dry using the given cooking times.

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