These dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting are a dream come true for anyone who loves this iconic flavor pairing. Each bite delivers deep, rich dark chocolate flavor and the creamiest, silkiest peanut butter frosting you can imagine. For good measure, top each with a little crunch of Reese’s Pieces. Think of today’s cupcakes as the perfect harmony of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, classic and a little over-the-top (in the best way possible).
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips.
Readers can’t stop raving about this recipe… and for good reason! Between the ultra-moist dark chocolate crumb and the light, peanut-buttery frosting, these cupcakes turn any ordinary day into a special occasion. They’re a spin off of my favorite dark chocolate peanut butter cake, a recipe I included in my NYT best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
One reader, Jennifer, commented: “These were phenomenal! I made them for a birthday party and shared some with coworkers (I frosted them at work before the party). One of my coworkers ate the leftover frosting from the bowl with a spoon. Your recipes are perfect and trustworthy—thank you! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Katie, commented: “I have never made a peanut butter buttercream that I love as much as this one, and the combination of the chocolate and peanut butter in this recipe is just perfection. It’s so easy to turn this into a lovely 6-inch layer cake as well! ★★★★★“
And one more reader, Lisa, commented: “These are perfection, and that means something from Peanut Butter Chocolate’s Number One Fan. lol Thank you for another excellent and easy to follow recipe! I added Reese’s Pieces and I think it should not be skipped. They make a delicious cupcake even better. ★★★★★”
Tell Me About These Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
All we did here was make a batch of these chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream, intensify the chocolate flavor by using dark cocoa powder, and swap out the frosting.
- Texture: The dark chocolate cupcake’s texture is soft, airy, and sponge-y; because they’re made with oil, they are much softer than these buttery vanilla cupcakes. The frosting is incredibly creamy. Imagine indulging in a spoonful of pure peanut butter, but with a fluffier, silkier texture.
- Flavor: The cupcakes offer a rich dark chocolate flavor and what you’ll love most about the frosting is that it’s not overly sweet. All you taste is peanut butter. Which makes sense because it’s mostly all peanut butter—only 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar, which is low for an American buttercream-style frosting!
- Ease: There’s really nothing complicated in this recipe besides making sure you have the right cocoa powder. If you can’t find Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, just use regular natural unsweetened cocoa powder. (The cupcakes will still have an intense chocolate flavor, similar to this triple chocolate cake.)
Want to reverse the combo? Try these peanut butter cupcakes topped with chocolate!
Choosing the Right Ingredients
- Dark cocoa: Instead of using unsweetened natural cocoa powder, we reached for a darker cocoa powder instead. Hershey’s makes a “Special Dark” cocoa powder that has a deep, dark, and bold chocolate flavor. Here’s something interesting, though. Hershey’s special dark contains both natural and Dutched cocoa powder—it’s a blend of both. As you know, there’s a difference between Dutch process vs. natural cocoa powder. And I never suggest substituting, but this recipe is an exception. If you want to go SUPER dark by using black cocoa powder, try these black velvet cupcakes!
- Hot coffee: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. I promise these cupcakes don’t taste like coffee at all! If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and richer flavor, though, use coffee. You can either brew it in a coffee maker or make instant coffee. Decaf coffee works!
- Oil: Cocoa powder is a very drying ingredient, so you’ll usually find it paired with oil in cake and cupcake recipes. Oil provides moisture and doesn’t weigh down a baked good. Vegetable or canola oil is ideal, but avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or even light-flavored olive oil may be used instead.
- Buttermilk: If you can’t find buttermilk at the store, you can make this DIY buttermilk substitute with whole milk and either white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Sprinkles: Crushing Reese’s Pieces turns them into Reese’s Pieces “sprinkles.” You can certainly skip them or garnish the cupcakes with sprinkles or even crushed peanuts instead.
Key Success Tips for Chocolate Cupcakes & Peanut Butter Frosting
- Fill your cupcake liners only 2/3 full. If you fill the liners too full, the cupcakes will overflow and you’ll be left with crisp mushroom tops and a sunken center. This recipe makes enough batter for 14 to 16 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with a few liners, or bake in batches.
- My #1 tip for the peanut butter frosting: Make sure you use a processed creamy/smooth peanut butter, not natural-style or homemade. While I love eating natural peanut butter, it just isn’t ideal in frosting because it tends to separate from the butter. I usually use Jif or Skippy for this frosting. You can also find peanut butter frosting on these peanut butter & jelly cupcakes and these snickers cupcakes.
More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Treats
Description
Rich, moist dark chocolate cupcakes topped with a silky, creamy peanut butter frosting and a crunchy Reese’s Pieces garnish. A chocolate and peanut butter lover’s dream dessert!
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (42g) Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk*, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot coffee* (decaf is fine) or hot water
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- optional: crushed Reese’s Pieces, for topping
- Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields about 14 to 16 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with a few more liners or bake in batches.
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, and buttermilk together until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the hot coffee/water, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. Batter is thin.
- Pour the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.
- Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before decorating.
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.
- Frost cooled cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. Top with crushed Reese’s Pieces, if desired.
- Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing decorated cupcakes.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can bake the cupcakes 1 day in advance. Store cooled, unfrosted cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature (I store mine in a cupcake carrier) and frost the day of serving. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls or Mixing Bowl with Pour Spout | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip | Cupcake Carrier
- Cocoa Powder: I don’t recommend using Dutch-process cocoa in this cupcake recipe. If you can’t get your hands on Hershey’s Special Dark, use regular unsweetened natural cocoa powder. Read more about the difference between Dutch-process and natural cocoa powder.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks can work for this soured milk, but the cupcakes won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe. You could also substitute sour cream.
- Hot Coffee: Hot liquid enhances the cocoa powder’s flavor. It also encourages it to bloom and dissolve appropriately. I promise these cupcakes don’t taste like coffee at all! If you don’t drink coffee, you can use hot water. For deeper and richer flavor, though, use coffee (regular or decaf, but make sure it’s black with no sugar or cream). You can either brew it in a coffee maker or make instant coffee.
- Peanut Butter: I do not recommend using natural peanut butter for this frosting. The processed, smooth/creamy kind is best for peanut butter frosting.
- Mini Cupcakes: Fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10–12 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Yields about 3 dozen.
- Can I Turn This Into a Cake? Yes! Try my chocolate peanut butter cake, or try the cupcakes as a smaller 6-inch cake. Cupcake recipes are PERFECT for turning into 6 inch cakes. Here are the exact instructions to follow, but use this dark chocolate cupcake batter.
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room-temperature ingredients.
- Recipe Update in 2024: This chocolate cupcake recipe used to match my recipe for super moist chocolate cupcakes (but with Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder). This recipe now matches these recipes for cream-filled chocolate cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting.
- More Success Tips: Be sure to check out my How to Use Piping Tips post for instructions on how to fill a piping bag, and you can also read my 10 Tips for Baking the BEST Cupcakes, and learn How to Fill Cupcakes with this video tutorial.
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