• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Happier Homemaker logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Sides
  • Desserts
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Desserts
Home » Recipes » Desserts

Last updated: Aug 26, 2022 by Melissa Riker · 1 Comment

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Jump to Recipe
peanut butter cupcake text over photo of cupcake with chocolate frosting on white pedestal
peanut butter cupcake text over photo of cupcake with chocolate frosting on white pedestal
text reading peanut butter cupcakes over close up photo of cupcake getting iced with chocolate frosting

Peanut Butter Cupcakes are packed with delicious peanut butter flavor. Once you try one, you'll gobble up the whole batch!

peanut butter cupcake on white pedestal

These cupcakes are one of our family's favorite special occasion snacks. I love to top them with chocolate frosting or even peanut butter buttercream frosting! They are fast and easy to whip up and bake up in just 15 minutes!

How to keep these cupcakes from turning out dry

The key to baking with peanut butter is to make sure they turn out moist. Peanut butter is a drying ingredient so many recipes I've tried in the past turn out hard and crumbly.

To fix this, in this recipe we use oil instead of butter and add in some applesauce for even more moisture. You can use creamy or chunky peanut butter, whichever texture you prefer, they taste good either way!

Ingredients

First, gather your ingredients:

  • brown sugar
  • vegetable oil
  • applesauce
  • peanut butter
  • eggs
  • milk
  • vanilla extract
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • cream of tartar
  • salt
  • frosting of your choice

Step by step

Now it's time to bake! (Full recipe card below)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. In a stand mixer (affiliate link) or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, mix together the brown sugar, oil, applesauce, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
peanut butter cupcake ingredients
peanut butter cupcake batter in glass bowl
beating flour into peanut butter cupcake batter in glass bowl with hand mixer
pouring milk into peanut butter cupcake batter
  1. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
  2. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients alternately with the milk.
  3. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, almost to the top, these cupcakes don't rise much!
spooning peanut butter cupcake batter into muffin pan with white liners
peanut butter cupcakes in muffin pan after baking with no frosting
  1. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
  2. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting them with chocolate frosting or peanut butter frosting.
peanut butter cupcakes with chocolate frosting on white cake stand

Is your mouth watering yet?

Variations

  • add a reese's peanut butter cup to the center of the cupcake before baking
  • stir in mini chocolate chips
  • top with frosting and mini peanut butter cups

You might also like to try my Peanut Butter Pie, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Peanut Butter Cookies!

If you try this recipe, please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
peanut butter cupcake on white pedestal

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 30 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Peanut Butter Cupcakes are packed with delicious peanut butter flavor. Once you try one, you'll gobble up the whole batch!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • 1 ½ cups peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, or grease and flour cups.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, applesauce, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk.

  4. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, almost to the top (cupcakes do not rise much).

  5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost once completely cool.


Notes

  • Spoon batter almost to the top of the cupcake pan, batter does not rise much.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 216
  • Sugar: 16.6 g
  • Sodium: 189.4 mg
  • Fat: 10.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.4 g
  • Protein: 4.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 13.4 mg

Keywords: peanut butter cupcakes

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag @thehappierhomemaker — we can't wait to see what you've made!

More Easy Delicious Dessert Recipes

  • slice of gingerbread cheesecake on white plate
    Gingerbread Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
  • three hot chocolate cupcakes on brown plate
    Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream
  • colorful butter mints in bowl
    Easy Homemade Butter Mints Recipe
  • mummy truffles with one having a bite taken out of it
    Halloween Mummy Truffles
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Flipboard

Popular Posts

roasted bell peppers on white plate

Easy Oven Roasted Bell Peppers

smashed potatoes with parsley garnish

Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes

sliced cheese stuffed meatloaf on white platter

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe

fettuccine alfredoa in skillet with fresh parsley

Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

  1. Harriet says

    August 26, 2022 at 1:16 pm

    So delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Meet Melissa

Hi, I'm Melissa and I have a passion for helping people find effective ways to clean and organize, feed their families, and truly enjoy their homes.
More about me -->

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Reader Favorites

sliced cheese stuffed meatloaf on white platter

Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe

chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream frosting on blue napkin

Peanut Butter Buttercream Icing Recipe

banana chips in white bowl

Homemade Banana Chips Recipe

close up of cheesy bacon potato casserole

Easy Cheesy Bacon Potato Casserole Recipe

More Reader Favorites Here

30 Minute Meals

spoon full of chicken pot pie soup

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

close up of instant pot chicken parmesan in white bowl over penne

Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan - 20 Minute Meal

white spoon with Swedish meatballs

Turkey Swedish Meatballs

two bowls of chicken and dumplings

Easy Chicken & Dumplings

See More 30 Minute Meals

Fall Recipes

A close up of peanut butter Oreo acorn truffles

Peanut Butter OREO Acorn Truffles

hand holding pumpkin cheesecake bar

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A glass of apple cider ginger beer garnished with a cinnamon stick and a apple slice

Apple Cider Ginger Beer Cocktail

pumpkin bread pudding on white plate with fork

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

See More Fall Recipes

Featured On:

collage of logos of major publications and TV networks

Footer

↑ back to top

About

About

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Terms & Conditions

Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

Newsletter

Sign Up! f

Contact

Contact

Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Featured in:

website and magazine logo collage

Copyright Riker Media LLC© 2023