Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes
Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes💘
Good Afternoon Friends + Happy Friday!
We have something special in store for you today– three delicious versions of our Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes! These treats are exceptionally scrumptious, so we wanted to accommodate as many dietary restrictions as possible.
We have a grain-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened version, a paleo version w/ almond butter and a vegan version. (You will find all three recipes below). You will have a blast making these cupcakes and even more fun eating them–it’s a perfect activity for the whole family! I mean, who can resist a naturally sweetened cupcake covered in fluffy peanut butter + dipped in a magic chocolate shell??😋
Tips for today:
-all three recipe versions are listed below this post.
-read through the recipe ingredients + instructions before baking, it will save time and guarantee an easier process!
-make sure your cupcakes are cooled completely before adding your peanut butter (almond butter) filling.
-store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container, room temperature must not exceed 75 degrees.
-with the exception of the vegan version, this recipe uses Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate which does contain a small amount of soy lecithin.
Happy Baking!
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Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes (naturally sweetened version)
- Total Time: about an hour
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
- FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 2 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Hain brand is grain-free)
- 6Â squares (1.5 oz) Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup milk or coconut milk (full fat).
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2Â eggs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
- 6 tablespoons egg white powder or egg white protein powder.
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 cup butter (slightly softened)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- 4 ounces Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate (16 pieces)
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.
- In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt just 6 squares of Baker’s chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals. (Alternatively, you may use a double broiler)
- When chocolate is melted and smooth, stir in honey until combined. Slowly blend in coconut milk and vanilla.
- Pour chocolate mixture over dry mix and combine thoroughly. Blend in eggs and apple cider vinegar.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool cupcakes completely on wire rack.
- FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together egg white powder and salt. Add in butter, peanut butter, honey + vanilla extract. Blend with hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt 4 oz of Baker’s chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals (stirring chocolate each time). (Alternatively, you may use a double boiler).
- When chocolate is melted, slowly add in coconut oil 1 tbsp at a time and stir until smooth. Then pour in your 2 tbsp of maple syrup, stir again until smooth. Set aside.
- DECORATING YOUR CUPCAKES:
- Place your peanut butter filling into a large ziplock bag and cut an inch off the corner tip. Pipe a large dollop of peanut butter filling onto each of your cooled cupcakes. Place them in the freezer for 10 minutes, this will allow frosting to harden a bit.
- After removing your cupcakes from the freezer, hold one over the bowl of chocolate at an angle and spoon chocolate mixture over the peanut butter filling on all sides until covered. Allow excess to drip off.
- Place your cupcakes onto a large plate and back into the freezer for 10 minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden. Once it has solidified, remove from freezer and serve. Chocolate will maintain it’s structure and will not melt at this point unless room temperature exceeds 75 degrees.
- Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 40 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes (paleo version)
- Total Time: about an hour
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
- FOR THE CUPCAKES:
- 2 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Hain brand is grain-free)
- 6Â squares (1.5 oz) Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2Â eggs
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ALMOND BUTTER FILLING:
- 6 tablespoons egg white powder or egg white protein powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1/2 cup butter (Earth Balance Spread or Coconut Spread)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- 4 ounces Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate (16 pieces)
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.
- In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt just 6 squares of Baker’s chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals. (Alternatively, you may use a double broiler)
- When chocolate is melted and smooth, stir in honey until combined. Slowly blend in coconut milk and vanilla.
- Pour chocolate mixture over dry mix and combine thoroughly. Blend in eggs and apple cider vinegar.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool cupcakes completely on wire rack.
- FOR THE ALMOND BUTTER FILLING:
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together egg white powder and salt. Add in butter, almond butter, honey + vanilla extract. Blend with hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt 4 oz of Baker’s chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals (stirring chocolate each time). (Alternatively, you may use a double boiler). When chocolate is melted, slowly add in coconut oil 1 tbsp at a time and stir until smooth. Then pour in your 2 tbsp of maple syrup, stir again until smooth. Set aside.
- DECORATING YOUR CUPCAKES:
- Place your almond butter filling into a large ziplock bag and cut an inch off the corner tip. Pipe a large dollop of almond butter filling onto each of your cooled cupcakes. Place them in the freezer for 10 minutes, this will allow frosting to harden a bit.
- After removing your cupcakes from the freezer, hold one over the bowl of chocolate at an angle and spoon chocolate mixture over the almond butter filling on all sides until covered. Allow excess to drip off.
- Place your cupcakes onto a large plate and back into the freezer for 10 minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden. Once it has solidified, remove from freezer and serve. Chocolate will maintain it’s structure and will not melt at this point unless room temperature exceeds 75 degrees.
- Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 40 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
Peanut Butter Dream Cupcakes (vegan version)
- Total Time: about an hour
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 3/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Hain brand is grain-free).
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup apple sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
- 2 cups powdered sugar (Wholesome! brand is grain-free)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (or almond butter if desired)
- 1/3 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance Spread)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- 10 ounces Vegan Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, melted
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Whisk together almond flour, potato starch, sugar, cocoa powder, guar gum, baking soda + baking powder..
- Place vegan chocolate in a separate, microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 30 seconds intervals, stirring chocolate each time. (Alternatively, you may use a double boiler). Set chocolate aside.
- Add almond milk, apple sauce, olive oil, vanilla + apple cider vinegar to whisked dry mix. Mix until combined thoroughly, batter will be loose. Then add melted chocolate and incorporate evenly. The batter will start to thicken a bit.
- Spoon batter into cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Make sure the batter is level and smoothed in each cup. Bake for 25-30 minutes-cupcakes will be just firm + slightly springy. Cool on rack completely before decorating.
- FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:
- Whisk together powdered sugar and salt. Add peanut butter, vegan butter, almond milk and vanilla. Blend with hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHELL:
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt 10 oz of Enjoy Life Chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals (stirring chocolate each time). (Alternatively, you may use a double boiler).
- When chocolate is melted, slowly add in coconut oil 1 tbsp at a time and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- DECORATING YOUR CUPCAKES: Place peanut butter filling into a large ziplock bag and cut an inch off of the corner tip. Pipe a large dollop of peanut butter filling onto each of your cooled cupcakes. Place them in the freezer for 10 minutes, this will allow frosting to harden a bit.
- After removing your cupcakes from the freezer, hold them over the bowl of chocolate at an angle and spoon chocolate mixture over the peanut butter filling on all sides until covered. Allow excess to drip off.
- Place your cupcakes back in the freezer for 10 minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden. Once it has solidified, remove from freezer and serve. Chocolate will maintain it’s structure and will not melt at this point unless room temperature exceeds 75 degrees.
- Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 40 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
Oh Catherine, these are amazing! I am usually not a big frosting person, but that peanut butter filling looks so delicious! You really went all out with this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to create three versions. That is so helpful when trying to accommodate dietary restrictions. You are incredible!
Thank you so much, Noelle! Your comment totally made my day!
These look so super delicious! Totally my kind of recipe.
Oh thank you so much, Carolyn! They were so much fun to make, but way too easy to eat 😉
This.looks.incredible. I can just imagine biting into that fluffy peanut butter topping! YUM!
You’re so kind, thank you Melissa! They really are such a treat! 😀
I’m dying over here. I want to face plant into those cupcakes, they look So. Freaking. Amazing!!!!
Haha, thanks so very much Christina! They’re hard to resist! 😀
These are so perfect for the chocolate peanut butter addicts in the world! So gorgeous!!
You are so kind Kim, thank you so very much!! 😀
They look really delicious, but I do have two questions, is the substitute to 1/4 cup honey two cups of powdered sugar? The sugar sound so much more sweeter. Secondly the vegan filling, I guess, is less fluffy than the one with egg white powder? I am just asking because I checked for egg white powder and it is very expensive here in Germany, so I am looking for a substitute besides using the real stuff.
Thanks
Hi Ulrike! Thank you for your comment. I’m so sorry about the high price of egg white powder. I can tell you that the texture in the frosting variations does differ a bit, however they are all really delicious. The frosting with the egg whites is a touch fluffier, but you can achieve a lighter, fluffier vegan frosting by changing the butter measurement from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup. As for the sweetness, we find that honey is sweeter in taste than sugar, which is why we add less honey to our paleo + naturally sweetened recipes. You can add an extra tbsp or so of honey without altering the structure of the frosting if you find you would like it sweeter. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy the recipe! 😀
You had me at fluffy peanut butter… oh my goodness Catherine!! Everything about this is perfect!! Thank you for always sharing different versions and being so accommodating… food allergies can be so hard… however blogs like yours make us feel excited to get baking again!!! Can’t wait to make these … I guarantee they will be gone in a day!!
Aw thank you dear Natalie!! You’re so sweet, I appreciate your kind words so much! There really are so many different diets out there, many of which are such a challenge to follow. I like to give options whenever I can. I hope you all love these, they’re truly addicting! 😀