Small Batch Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These small batch peanut butter cupcakes are soft, moist, and made with peanut butter powder to deliver deep, concentrated flavor. The batter comes together quickly with a handful of simple ingredients, plus sour cream to keep every bite tender. The batch of six is ready in 35 minutes, and a finish of chocolate peanut butter frosting gives you a from-scratch peanut butter cup moment.

These cupcakes exist because my husband is a peanut butter fanatic — and in a household of two, that means peanut butter shows up in everything. Cupcakes included.

While a jar of peanut butter seems like the obvious choice to flavor cupcakes, I didn’t have success in testing. The cupcakes were dense and gummy, and I was somewhat limited with the small batch batter to get the ratios right to avoid that. I turned to peanut butter powder — the same kind I use in smoothies — and it turned out to be exactly what the batter needed. All the flavor, none of the density.

From there, the rest of the peanut butter cupcake recipe came together around keeping the crumb light. A whole egg for richness, sour cream and milk to balance the powder, and the reverse creaming method for lift and texture.

Chocolate frosting was never really a question. Peanut butter and chocolate are a combination that exists for a reason. I suggest chocolate peanut butter buttercream, or a lighter alternative with whipped chocolate peanut butter ganache (shown on the cupcake below). And fair warning — these cupcakes have been known to disappear over the kitchen sink before they ever make it to a plate. True story.

How To Make Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This is another recipe where I use the reverse creaming method. The same method I rely on across most of my cakes, and first tested on my small vanilla cake recipe. Instead of creaming butter and sugar, you mix the butter into the dry ingredients first, which limits gluten development and gives you a tender crumb. And honestly? It’s just easier.

After you mix the dry ingredients with the butter, you’ll have a texture that resembles coarse sand.

The wet ingredients are added to the dry and mixed until you see that the egg is fully combined and no flour streaks are visible. The small batch batter will come together in about 90 seconds.

I usually give the batter a couple of extra mixes with a spatula to make sure nothing is stuck to the bowl. Expect a normal, drippy cake batter.

Use a cookie scoop to portion out the batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full. The cupcakes will poof up and should bake for about 18 minutes.

Has all the talk of chocolate and peanut butter made you crave even more? No worries, I have you covered. These small batch cookie cups filled with chocolate will satisfy that sweet tooth.

Before You Bake

• Keep an eye on the bake time. I usually start checking the cupcakes at 15 minutes. Every oven is different, so being flexible with bake time is a must.
• Cupcake rise. The cupcakes will come out with a soft, plush dome — not a dramatic peak. Which makes them perfect to hold a scoop or swirl of frosting.
• Cupcake liners. Let the cupcakes cool completely before removing the paper liners. Pulling them while still warm or using inexpensive liners can cause them to stick to the cupcake.

Small Batch Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These small batch peanut butter cupcakes are easy to make with a light, pillowy crumb and true peanut butter flavor. This batch of six is made with peanut butter powder for deep flavor and sour cream to keep every bite tender. Finish with chocolate peanut butter frosting for a perfect peanut butter cup moment.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield6 Cupcakes

Prep10 minutes minutes

Cook15 minutes minutes

Total Time25 minutes minutes

Equipment

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  Muffin/Cupcake Pan
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  Stand Mixer
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  3-Quart Mixing Bowl
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  Odd Size Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 g) brown sugar, light or dark
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons peanut butter powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
• ▢ 3 tablespoons (59.15 ml) milk, room temperature (whole or 2%)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (12 g) full fat sour cream, room temperature
• ▢ 1 large egg, room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

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  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a cupcake pan with 6 cupcake liners.
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  In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugars, peanut butter powder, baking powder, and salt. Give it a quick mix to combine. If flour sprayed up the sides of the bowl, scrape it down with a spatula. Note – If using a stand mixer, I recommend the 3-quart mixing bowl (link above) for the small batch batter. Otherwise, you can use a hand mixer and a medium mixing bowl.
  1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, 2 tablespoons peanut butter powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
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  Add the butter cubes to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed until the butter is broken up and the mix resembles coarse sand. This will take about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
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  In a liquid measuring cup, add the milk, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together until well combined and smooth.
  3 tablespoons milk, room temperature, 2 tablespoons full fat sour cream, room temperature, 1 large egg, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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  Turn the mixer on low, and slowly drizzle half of the wet ingredients into the dry. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for about 60 seconds. The batter will be velvety and smooth. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining wet ingredients and keep mixing for another minute.
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  Pour equal amounts of batter into the prepared cupcake liners. They will be about 1/2 full. Tip – Use a small cookie scoop to help with portioning.
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  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool completely.
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  Frost the cooled cupcakes with either my whipped chocolate peanut butter ganache or chocolate peanut butter frosting. Unfrosted cupcakes can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. For frosted cupcakes (especially with the chocolate peanut butter frosting), I recommend refrigerating them after 6 to 8 hours.

Notes

• Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled.
• Peanut Butter Powder Instead of Peanut Butter – The powder gives the cupcakes a strong flavor without weighing down the batter. 
• Stand Mixer – You can use your stand mixer with a standard bowl and attachments, but the smaller mixing bowl I linked above works more efficiently to mix the small batch batter. 
• Reverse Creaming Method – You will notice we mix the butter and sugar with the other dry ingredients first. This method of mixing limits gluten development and yields fluffy cupcakes.
• Room Temperature Ingredients – It is important all of the cold ingredients are brought to room temp so they can properly emulsify. Which is anywhere from 65F to 72F degrees. Take them out of the fridge about 30 to 60 minutes before using. 
• Freezing – Baked, cooled, and unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to frost and serve.

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.