Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
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You had to figure that it was only a matter of time before I showed up here with a peanut butter and jelly cupcake, right? I honestly can’t believe it’s taken me so long. If only my little 5-year-old self had been introduced to these… oh boy. I don’t think she would have ever eaten another thing. It would have been a nightmare for my mom, for sure. It’s a good thing I was a responsible adult (who still, at times, sustains herself with only peanut butter and jelly) before I discovered these beauties. I’ve had them bookmarked forever in my cupcakes book, but they sat on the back burner of my mind for some time before a reader asked a couple of months ago if I had a recipe for peanut butter and jelly cupcakes. As a card-carrying member of the peanut butter addict club, I was slightly ashamed that they weren’t already nestled in a cozy little spot on the site. I’m happy to say that they now their spot. Too bad I don’t still have my old peanut butter and jelly sleeping bag I used as a kid – what an appropriate way for peanut butter and jelly cupcakes to cozy up!
The cupcake base tastes almost exactly like a peanut butter cookie – lovely, moist, and dense with pieces of chopped peanuts studded throughout. If you closed your eyes and ate it, you might think you were eating a peanut butter sandwich. With a bit of cake-like texture, of course. Throw on peanut butter frosting and a healthy dose of strawberry jam (you can use your favorite flavor – jelly or jam) and you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In a cupcake. Which is every kind of awesome.
The frosting for these cupcakes is very, very similar to the peanut butter/cream cheese mousse filling that is used in the Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte (one of my all-time favorite desserts and my Chief Culinary Consultant’s favorite birthday dessert). You mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar, and then separately whip cream to medium-stiff peaks and fold it into the peanut butter mixture. The result is a rich, smooth, mousse-like frosting that spreads on like a dream. Carve out a little nest in the top and drop in your favorite jam or jelly.
Share some, and hoard some. Then proceed to eat at least one a day until they are gone. Oh how I wish there were still some left!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Yield: 22 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
¾ cup coarsely chopped salted peanutsFor the Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream½ cup strawberry jelly or jam
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and mix in peanut butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture; beat until just combined. Mix in the sour cream and peanuts.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups. Bake, rotating the tins halfway through, until golden and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.
4. Make the Frosting: With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the salt and peanut butter, and beat to combine. Beat in vanilla.
5. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture. use immediate, or refrigerate, covered tightly, up to 2 days. Before using, bring to room temperature and stir with a flexible spatula until smooth.
6. To finish, use an offset spatula to spread frosting over each cupcake, leaving a small well in the middle. Dollop about 1 teaspoon jelly into each well. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 1 day in airtight containers; bring to room temperature before serving.
(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes)
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These look wonderful. PB & J is my #1 flavor combo, ever. It even trumps chocolate I think!
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YES Please!! I will be dreaming about these all night!
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I could eat peanut butter frosting with a spoon…I made your chocolate peanut butter cupcakes a couple years ago and nearly did just that. These look amazing!
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Back to basics! This sounds simply amazing.
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I am not a pb & j person, but I could just use nutella instead … *dreamyface*
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YuM! I would probably add more jam cause I love it!
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These are s sure treat! Yum!
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I am actually shocked that I’ve never made pb&j cupcakes either, I need to try these!
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Oh YUM!! I bet these are amazing
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Wow… these definitely make the top of my baking to do list! I am wondering if you could even substitute the jam with Nutella? I come from a house of chocolate lovers!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
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Michelle on March 7th, 2012 at 9:20 am
Hi Ally, You could totally do Nutella! Yum!
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Looks great! Thanks for sharing
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These. Are. Adorable. You had me at PB&J. It’s my favorite combo. I approve!
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One of my favorite flavor combinations – and cute to boot!
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These cupcakes sound heavenly. I’ve been wanting to make PB&J cupcakes, but I am terrified that I will eat them all. This recipe looks amazing!
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Love it! No matter what fancy concoctions I can cook up, PB&J sandwiches will always have a special spot in my heart. Now I can bake up a fancy PB&J cupcake. Yay!
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Where do you find coarsely chopped salted peanut butter?
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Michelle on March 7th, 2012 at 10:22 am
Oops! That should say peanuts! I just corrected the recipe, sorry about that!
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Oo, I made these same cupcakes from Martha except I put the filling in the middle. I have to say I like your technique much better, it’s much prettier!
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Wow, these are genius! I might have to make a few that are more PB and less J though, I’m more of an “all-peanut butter” kind of girl. Thanks for the recipe!
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I keep meaning to make these, but they always get pushed to the back burner in favor of another project. Or maybe it’s because I know I won’t be able to resist the temptation to eat waaaaay too many! They look great
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Michelle, these are SO cute! Buzz!
I just adore peanut butter frosting! Mouth watering!
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From one PBJ feen to another – - THANK YOU!! Im sitting here, reading your recipe dreaming of this peanut buttery goodness. These will be happening TONIGHT and I can’t promise to share :$
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LOL! I thought so but I just thought I’d double check
I’m totally making these for my family this weekend. YUM!
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LOOKS AMAZING! Love that you shared! Buzzed ya.
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Yummm!! Totally drooling over these right now! Who doesn’t love a delicious peanut butter & jelly anything, especially a cupcake! Amazing!
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Since i’m not a fan of crunchy chunks in cupcakes, do you think the recipe would be okay if I grind the peanuts to a powder in a food processor?
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Michelle on March 7th, 2012 at 4:29 pm
Hi Laura, You could actually just omit the nuts if you don’t like them. No need to grind them down or anything like that.
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Oh I have made these and they are so good. And my boys love them.
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I love peanut butter and jelly. Putting it together in cupcake form is just brilliant!
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That blob of jelly on too is my undoing – these cupcakes look beautiful
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Brown Butter Mixed M&M Chewy Cookies
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Yum! These look so delicious. I can’t wait to try them.
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I have a vegan bday party to go to on Sunday and currently have 2 failed peanut butter cakes in my kitchen. I feel like if I just go put your version out this weekend, it might be worth it to her to just convert out of veganism for the day.
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These are divine! I feel like eating some peanut butter with a spoon right now! Love this recipe! The frosting alone has me excited….mmm
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Amazing cupcakes….!!! That combination of peanut butter and jelly is wonderful.
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I had a peanut butter jelly cupcake from a local baker and I fell in love with the cupcake combination. I have to try these. Thanks!
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Yummy looking. Why didn’t I think of this?
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Oh my god these look AMAZING! And very cute!
xx
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I can’t wait to try this
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I’m going to use these this evening as the base of a fluff-n-nutter cupcake. Can’t wait as they seem to be getting rave reviews. Now… if I could just find a marshmallow frosting recipe that I liked…
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THese look amazing – going to make this today, but possibly as a cake
Thanks for sharing – Sarah
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I baked at 375 as per instructions. Kind of toasty on top. I wonder if 350 better? Also 18-20 minutes might be a better baking time
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