• Home
  • Recipes
    • Baking & Sweets
      • Bread
      • Brownies and Bars
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecake
      • Cookies
      • Desserts
      • Ice Cream
      • Muffins
      • No Bake
      • Pie
      • Pops
    • Meals
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunches
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dish
      • Drinks
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Vegetables
    • Pets
  • About
    • Life
      • Travel
      • Pets
      • House & Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Baking & Sweets
      • Bread
      • Brownies and Bars
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecake
      • Cookies
      • Desserts
      • Ice Cream
      • Muffins
      • No Bake
      • Pie
      • Pops
    • Meals
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunches
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dish
      • Drinks
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Vegetables
    • Pets
  • About
    • Life
      • Travel
      • Pets
      • House & Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
↑

Love From The Oven

Delicious Recipes For Easy Meals, Desserts, Cookies, Cakes, Breads, Brownies And More!

Categories

search

[post_category before="" sep=" &"]

Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Jump to Recipe

I have some delicious cupcakes for you today that really don’t fall under the “less is more” way of thinking, Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes. Well, to be even more specific, these are actually Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffle Cupcakes, but *that* might be a bit of a lengthy title, so we’ll just round down. That’s a whole lot of good stuff in a cupcake.

Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

I blame these cupcakes on Trader Joe’s. I always go into Trader Joe’s with the best intentions and as much willpower as any over tired, under caffeinated mom can muster. And most of the time I do pretty well. But darn you Trader Joe’s and your oh so brilliant placement of candies, chocolates and cookies directly over things like frozen peas. Yep, just trying to buy some boneless skinless chicken breasts and a few bags of veggies, and staring right at me is candy. Like these.

Trader Joe's Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Truffles

Well played Trader Joe’s. It’s impossible to not have something catch your eye, call your name and be almost magnetically pulled into your basket. Those evil geniuses not only cover anything and everything in chocolate, but they know a thing or two about strategic product placement. I’ve learned to avoid that whole check out lane temptation thing, but somehow I don’t fare so well when they stock all this good stuff right over the frozen salmon. While I may be able to resist for a few trips, eventually I give in, and things like this wind up in my cart. Of course you could simply eat them straight out of the box while driving home from the store at 8:23am, I thought it would fun to make cupcakes with them.

I know a lot of you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, and that’s okay.  Any chocolate and peanut butter or chocolate and caramel candy can go on top of these. Dove Chocolate Promises, Ghirardelli Squares, Hershey’s Bliss, even peanut butter cups or Rolos – work with what you have.

Peanut Butter Caramel Cupcakes

Yeah. Now that is a cupcake. These are actually fairly simple to make. The base is a nice dark chocolate cupcake, not overly sweet, with a touch of sea salt added to the top before baking, to help balance out all of the excess sweetness you are about to load on top. The frosting is a buttercream with both peanut butter and caramel added to it, with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt on top for good measure, and of course the tasty truffle. I told you, we are not in less is more territory here.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Salted Caramel Truffle Cupcakes

Let’s get baking and cupcake making, shall we?

Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

Print Pin Rate Save Saved!

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder I prefer dark cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk regular milk will work, though buttermilk preferred
  • Sea Salt

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter softened (do not use margarine)
  • 1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter the natural varieties that need to be kept in the fridge do not do well, so stick with a kind that does not need to be refrigerated for the best results
  • 1/4 cup caramel sauce the kind you use for ice cream sundaes
  • 2-4 tablespoons of whipping cream you can use milk or half and half
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Toppings - all optional

  • Caramel Sauce for drizzling
  • Sea Salt for sprinkling
  • Trader Joe's Truffles or any other chocolate and caramel or chocolate and peanut butter candies you prefer

Instructions

Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla, mixing well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add half a dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well to combine, followed by half of buttermilk, mixing well to combine beating well after each addition. Add remaining dry ingredients, mix well, and finish with remaining buttermilk, mixing well to combine.
  • Line muffin pans with liners, and fill with batter, about 2/3 of the way full. If desired, top each cupcake with a pinch of sea salt prior to baking. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and/or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely prior to frosting.

Frosting

  • Cream together butter and peanut butter until well blended and creamy. Add in caramel sauce and mix well. Add in powdered sugar, beating well, slowly adding in whipping cream until your desired consistency is reached. Beat for approximately two minutes. Add to cupcakes by piping or spreading. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt, a drizzle of caramel and truffles, if desired.
Tried this recipe?Mention @lovefromtheoven or tag #lovefromtheoven!

You might want a glass of milk and some elastic pants to go with these. Just sayin.

If peanut butter, chocolate and caramel are your thing, check out some of these recipes…

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Filled Cookies

Chocolate Salted Caramel CookiesBrownies topped with homemade Caramel Sauce

Brownies With Homemade Caramel SaucePeanut Butter Cup Brownie Push Pops

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Push PopsPeanut Butter Ball Stuffed Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Ball Stuffed Cupcakes

Peanut Butter And Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

About author Christi Johnstone of Love From The Oven

Christi is the baker, cook, blogger, food photographer, recipe developer and sprinkle lover behind Love From The Oven. As a busy mom, it's important to Christi that her recipes are family-friendly and picky eater approved. In addition to running Love From The Oven, Christi is the author of The My Little Pony Baking Book and Smart Cookie, and the co-author of Peeps-A-Licious.
Interested in working with Christi? please contact her by email.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our disclosure policy.

Home » Baking & Sweets » Cakes & Cupcakes » Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

#LoveFromTheOven Cakes & Cupcakes
March 23, 2014 by LOVE FROM THE OVEN

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Emily @ Life on Food says

    March 23, 2014 at 4:24 pm

    I kind of hate Trader Joe’s for all of the amazing things they bring me. And then I get real in about a second and decide I am in love. Same goes for you and all of your treats. I couldn’t think of anything better than these cupcakes.

    Reply
    • Christi says

      March 23, 2014 at 6:25 pm

      Emily, seriously such a love hate with TJ’s! I love the store so much, so many great and simple foods and I can get in and get out so quickly (really, do we need 10,000 cereal choices other stores?), but omg, the sweets and treats are beyond amazing. And you can’t avoid them, being that there they are, right by your frozen meats and veggies. Gah, what’s a chocolate loving girl to do? 🙂

      Reply
  2. Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent says

    March 23, 2014 at 6:22 pm

    Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Carmel could there be a better combination. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Christi says

      March 23, 2014 at 6:24 pm

      You are so welcome Laura!

      Reply
  3. Medeja says

    March 24, 2014 at 1:55 am

    These cupcakes look so irresistible!

    Reply
    • Christi says

      March 24, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks Medeja!

      Reply
  4. Carpet Cleaning Services Ashford says

    March 26, 2014 at 3:36 am

    I’m a big peanut butter fan and these cupcakes look so tempting! Chocolate, peanut butter and caramel in one place – the perfect combo! Thanks!

    Reply
Hi, I'm Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I'm a mom, cookbook author...Read More

TRY MY FAVORITE RECIPES

  • Free Cookies e-Cookbook
  • Cookie Recipes
  • Cake Recipes
  • Main Dish Recipes
  • Bread Recipes
  • Breakfast Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes

MY COOKBOOKS

Copyright ©2021, Love From The Oven.
Design by Pixel Me Designs