Easy Peanut Butter Cupcakes Recipe

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Indulge in these delightful Peanut Butter Cupcakes that offer a rich, nutty flavor in every bite. With a tender crumb and a delicious peanut crumble topping, these cupcakes are perfect as-is, or you can dress them up with a creamy peanut butter frosting or chocolate drizzle. This is a recipe for peanut butter lovers, featuring pantry staples like brown sugar and peanut butter.

A Family Favorite

This recipe has been a family staple for decades, bringing back fond memories of my mom baking these cupcakes during my school days. While I love them plain, she would occasionally elevate them with a homemade chocolate drizzle, making them extra special. Whether you enjoy these cupcakes with a topping or prefer them unfrosted, they’re a treat you’ll crave time and time again!

My mother’s recipe has been a family favorite for decades. It was one of the treats she would make when I was in elementary school and it still makes me feel nostalgic as an adult. My mom would go the extra mile and make them fancier by making chocolate drizzle to go on top. With or without the drizzle of chocolate on top, these cupcakes are delicious. If you want them with chocolate, you can make a simple drizzle out of chocolate chips and butter.

Why Peanut Butter Cupcakes?

Not only are these cupcakes a nostalgic dessert, but they also feature peanuts—a “brain food” thanks to their high protein and healthy fat content. According to research, incorporating peanuts into your diet can help promote cognitive health. So, while these cupcakes include sugar and should be eaten in moderation, their peanut content offers some redeeming health benefits!

According to The Peanut Institute (TPI)’s Research Director Dr. Samara Sterling, “A safe suggestion would be to eat a handful of peanuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter almost every day, or better yet, every day. ” (I love the way she thinks!)

So, while these cupcakes do include those healthy ingredients, let’s not forget that they also have sugar and should be enjoyed on a limited basis. Let’s take a look at how to make them.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cupcakes

For these irresistible cupcakes, you’ll need the following simple ingredients:

Peanut Crumble Topping

• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• ¼ cup peanuts, chopped

Cupcakes

• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ⅔ stick butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cups brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup milk

How to Make Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Step 1: Prepare the Topping

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir in peanut butter, melted butter, and chopped peanuts until crumbly. Set aside.

Step 2: Mix the Cupcake Batter

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together peanut butter and room-temperature butter on medium speed. Gradually add brown sugar, followed by the egg, beating until the mixture is fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Alternating with milk, add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, mixing after each addition.

Step 3: Bake

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cupcake liner about halfway. Sprinkle the peanut crumble topping over the cupcakes.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

Tips for the Best Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• For an extra peanutty treat, add chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into the batter before baking! Be sure to invite me over if you do!
• Use room-temperature butter for a smooth batter. This ensures your cupcakes have a light, tender crumb.
• Natural peanut butter can be substituted for a slightly healthier option, though it may alter the texture slightly.

Storage and Freezing Tips

Store these cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want to keep them longer, they freeze beautifully! Simply wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

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Substitutions and Variations

• Add-ins: Mix in chocolate chips or chopped peanuts into the batter for added texture and flavor.
• Gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour for regular flour. [Please note that this recipe has not been tested using gluten-free flour.]
• Peanut butter frosting: For those who want to take these cupcakes to the next level, whip up a creamy peanut butter buttercream frosting by combining peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. Skip the crumble topping, or better yet, sprinkle the topping over the frosted cupcakes.
• Chocolate lovers: Drizzle melted chocolate or make a chocolate peanut butter frosting for a decadent twist.

Ready to bake? Give these Peanut Butter Cupcakes a try, and don’t forget to share your creations with us! Whether you enjoy them plain or with a drizzle of chocolate, these cupcakes are sure to become a family favorite.

Learning More About Peanuts

I had the unique opportunity to learn more about peanut farming in Alabama, the second-largest peanut-producing state in the union. About half of all peanuts in the United States are grown within a 100-mile radius of Dothan, Alabama.

Peanut farming is big business in the Wiregrass region. It’s also a lot of work and takes a lot of resources.

One farmer I met uses 50,000 gallons of diesel per year. When gas prices rise, that means that his cost to cultivate and harvest peanuts goes up. $1 increase per gallon of gas means that he loses $50,000. Yikes!

I was not a good student in economics, but if my memory is correct, peanuts are a commodity and farmers are at the mercy of whoever sets the price.

Homage to Peanuts

All around the region, you can see tributes to the beloved legume.

In nearby Enterprise, you can order an Evil Weevil, the signature drink at The Rawls, a farm-to-table restaurant inside a converted hotel that was built in 1902 across from the Enterprise Train Depot. The drink is a bourbon cocktail garnished with local peanuts.

In Dothan, you’ll find a peanut shell statue filled with beautiful flowers at the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens.

There are over 40 fiberglass peanut statues around Dothan.

Another place to learn more about peanuts, farming, and old ways of life are at Landmark Park, a Blue Star Museum.

This is one of the coolest parks to visit with animals, historic buildings, gardens, and peanut crops. There’s even a soda shop inside Martin Drug Store at the park where you can order a milkshake made with peanut products!

I’d like to thank the Alabama Peanut Producers Association for taking me on a peanut tour of the area and letting me meet some of the awesome farmers who help feed America.