You will love these Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes! Moist chocolate cupcakes with a delicious Reese's surprise inside and double the frosting. Perfect for pleasing a hungry crowd!
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Reese's Cupcakes
Reese's peanut butter cups are our family's favorite candy, so I always look for fun ways to use them. Last week, I baked chocolate cupcakes with a surprise peanut butter cup in the center.
Swirls of dark chocolate frosting, the best peanut butter frosting, and Reese's candies made these delicious cupcakes my new favorite treat!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes will steal the spotlight at any gathering. Whether hosting a party, celebrating a special occasion, or just treating yourself, these Reese's cupcakes are the answer.
- The Cupcake Magic: We're taking a shortcut here with a chocolate cake and pudding mix. Don't worry. With these secret ingredients, cupcakes will always be perfectly moist and chocolatey.
- A Sweet Surprise: Before adding the batter, drop a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the bottom of each cupcake liner. It's a delightful surprise for everyone to find.
- The Icing on the Cake: What's better than chocolate frosting? Chocolate AND peanut butter frosting swirled together, that's what! Make your favorite recipes (or use store-bought, no judgments here), and swirl them together on cupcakes.
Key Ingredients
These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are easy to make with just a few ingredients. Have fun swirling the frosting and adding the candy decorations.
- Dark Chocolate Cake Mix - A box mix makes this an easy shortcut recipe. Make sure you have eggs and oil, too. If you have a homemade recipe you love, feel free to use it.
- Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding Mix - Adding a dry pudding mix to the batter makes the most moist chocolate cupcakes. Make sure you purchase instant pudding!
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - This chocolate cupcake recipe requires 24 regular and 12 miniature peanut butter cups.
- Frosting - A combination of dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter frosting takes these cupcakes over the top.
How To Make Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Get ready to have a blast creating these delicious Reese's cupcakes. Grab your apron, and let's get baking!
- Make the cake batter. Beat the chocolate cake mix, dry chocolate pudding, eggs, oil, and water in a large bowl.
- Fill the cupcake liners. Drop an unwrapped peanut butter cup into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Spoon the chocolate cupcake batter evenly into the muffin cups. Bake in a preheated oven, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make both kinds of frosting. Spoon a small amount of each frosting into two small clear piping bags. Cut the tips off each bag and place them into a larger piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Close the top of the bag tightly.
- Frost the cupcakes. Fill two bags with frosting, then drop both into a larger bag with an icing tip. You will need to remove the individual bags occasionally to refill them. This can be messy, but the results are so worth the mess.
BruCrew Tip: To give your sweet treat that extra wow factor, top each one with mini peanut butter cups.
Storage Recommendations
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Cupcakes can also be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days longer, but they may dry out slightly.
Freeze unfrosted or frosted cupcakes for 2-3 months in a sealed container or bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before adding the frosting.
- This recipe calls for two batches of frosting. If you prefer less frosting, make half a batch of each kind and pipe smaller swirls.
- Use a piping bag with icing tip 1M to make bakery-style swirls on the tops of the cupcakes.
- Add Reese's Pieces to the top of the cupcakes for more peanut butter flavor.
- These sweet treats are fancy enough for a baby shower or birthday party.
FAQs
You bet. Use whatever frosting you love or have on hand to make this delicious recipe.
My favorite way to swirl two colors is to fill two separate bags with frosting. Cut the corners off and drop them at the same time into a larger pastry bag with a decorator's tip. This will prevent colors from blending as you swirl them on desserts.
These frosted cupcakes can be made ahead of time and stored in a tightly sealed container for a few days.
More Reese's Desserts
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Chocolate Reese's Cookies
- Reese's Ice Cream Cake
- Cherry Chip Cupcakes
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Recipe
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Swirls of chocolate and peanut butter frosting and a hidden peanut butter cup make these Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes disappear quickly.
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 1 - 3.9 ounce box instant chocolate pudding
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- 24 Reese's peanut butter cups
- Dark Chocolate Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- 12 minature Reese's peanut butter cups, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Place 24 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Place an unwrapped Reese's peanut butter cup in the bottom of each liner.
- Place the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, and oil in a mixing bowl. Beat until completely mixed together.
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops spring back. Cool completely.
- Spoon the chocolate frosting into a small clear disposable piping bag. Repeat with another bag and the peanut butter frosting. Do not fill the bags more than half full.
- Cut off the tip from each bag. Drop both bags of frosting into another large piping bag that is fitted with icing tip 1M. Close the top of the frosting bags and hold tight with the palm of your hand.
- Swirl the frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes, refilling the individual frosting bags as needed.
- Top each cupcake with the halved peanut butter cups. Store in a loosely sealed container for a few days.
Notes
*If you do not want a large swirl of frosting on the cupcakes, make ½ a batch of each kind of frosting instead of the full batch.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was first published in October 2010. The photos were updated in May 2018, and then it was republished in October 2023.
Carissa Nelson | Spoonful of Easy
Dang, poor guy, what a birthday! I was in a fender bender last year on my birthday, and I firmly believe it's a once in a lifetime thing -- so all future birthdays will be smooth sailing (or driving 🙂 -- love this swirled frosting and can't wait to try these!
Jocelyn
It was a pretty rough day. Although, it was years ago and I think he has totally forgotten about it. I hope you get a chance to try the cupcakes. They are one of my absolute favorites! It was fun to give them a facelift!
booturtle
These look amazing! Do you share your frosting recipes? I make a peanut buttercream but I'm always looking for ways to improve or make alternates. I've also never found a chocolate buttercream I'm truly happy with. I'd love to see how you do yours, if you're up to passing it along. Also, regarding the candy bat, is that the peanutbutter frosting you put inside the mold? resa (at) booturtle (dot) com
Andrea C
wow that does look good x
carissa @ lowercase letters
so sorry about the accident! happy belated birthday to your sweet boy! the cupcakes look superb, as always. i'm convinced that you NEED to open a cupcakery.
Mindy
Those bat pics are so cute! I recently tried a peanut butter frosting topped chocolate cupcake. Will be posting soon.
Kimberly and Ashley @ Everyday Expressions
That cupcake looks delish!!!! Mmmm.... I'm craving one already 🙂
Creative Cupcake Recipes
What a great combination. These cupcakes look delicious. Your buttercream looks light and fluffy. Thanks for sharing.
Katie
those look delicious and professional! found you on the blog hop. stop by if you get a chance.
Joann
That is so cute! New follower from Wandering Wednesday!
Jami
LOL I eat mine for breakfast too. This looks DIVINE!
Miranda
Are you kidding me with the multiple chocolate + peanut butter layers of that cupcake? I love it! And you made the PB filled bat? Okay. Am seriously inspired by your skills.
Kristin
These look amazing! Hard to resist as a huge peanut butter and chocolate fan. Great Blog! Stopping by from the Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop. Following you now.
Kristin
cheryl@scrapaddict4sure
Hey cute project thanks for linking up with me!
Nikki
OH EM GEE....Those look soooooooooooooooo good! Thanks so much for linking these up to gettin' crafty on hump day! 🙂
Melinda
These look so yummy! I am a new follower from Blog Hop Skip and Jump.
Mommies 2 Cents
YUMMMMMMMY! Great blog! I'm following from Wandering Wednesday. I hope you'll stop by soon!
Jess
Mommies 2 Cents
YUMMMMMMMY! Great blog! I'm following from Wandering Wednesday. I hope you'll stop by soon!
Jess
Heather
Sorry to hear about his day! I hope that it got better ~ LOVE this cupcake though! I'm throwing a peanut butter cup into my next batch! YUM!
Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet
Oh, my! My favorite combination! These sound delish! 🙂 Great to meet you!
Visting from iFellowship today!
Have a great day!
Sherry
Julie
Everything here looks SO good! Glad I found you. I'm your newest follower from the Wednesday blog hops. Hope you stop by and say hi too. :)