Did you know that you could make mouthwatering Reese's cupcakes with only 6 ingredients? These chocolate and peanut butter flavored cupcakes are perfect for fans of that peanutty Reese's Pieces taste! The texture is light yet rich and the recipe is so quick and easy that you can whip these up in under half an hour.
Jump to:
Chocolate and peanut butter have a natural affinity. They’re just so good together in recipes. If you are as fond of peanuts as I am, you might also like this peanut butter blondies recipe. Oh, and peanut butter fudge is seriously amazing too!
Using a chocolate cake mix as the basis for your Reese's cupcakes saves time and effort. Hiding a Reese's cup in the center of each cupcake is a pleasent surprise that everyone will love.
Main Ingredients
By now I bet you can't wait to take a closer peek at the recipe and find out what you need to prepare these amazing Reese's cupcakes. These are the key ingredients you will need to make these delicious treats:
- Chocolate cake mix: The basis of the cupcakes. Use any brand and type of chocolate cake mix. Devil's food, chocolate fudge, and dark chocolate boxed cake mixes are all good.
- Peanut butter: For the perfect nuttiness. I recommend using your favorite commercial brand of peanut butter, perhaps Jif. Using the stiffer, peanut-only kind can give an oily result when the oil and peanuts separate during baking.
- Reese's miniature cups: To add a rich chocolate and peanut flavor to the Reese's cupcakes. If you're concerned about the peanut cups getting too gooey in the cake, you can freeze them first. Feel free to use a store brand instead of Reese's if you prefer.
- Confectioners' sugar: Makes the frosting sweet. Confectioners' sugar (also known as icing sugar or powdered sugar) is very fine in texture, meaning it can sweeten frosting without making it grainy like regular white sugar would.
- Milk: To thin the frosting. Don't add too much milk to start with or else you will have to add extra sugar to thicken it back up. Any kind of milk works here, such as whole, coconut, oat, rice, or almond milk.
Instructions Overview
Follow the directions on the box of cake mix to make the cake batter since brands can vary. Divide the batter between the 12 holes of a paper liner-lined muffin pan. Push a Reese's mini cup into the middle of each one to cover it.
Now bake for about 16 minutes and allow the cupcakes to completely cool in the pan. Cream the peanut butter with the butter then add some of the confectioners' sugar and some of the milk.
Repeat these additions, about a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting tastes good and has the right consistency, then pipe it onto the Reese's cupcakes. Sprinkle chopped Reese's mini cups over the frosting.
Common Questions
Not only is using a boxed cake mix quicker than making batter from scratch, but it makes delicious cupcakes. One box of cake mix yields up to 24 cupcakes. In this recipe, I used muffin cups since they are larger.
Nope and that's the whole point of them. If you have no liners you can always grease the muffin cavities instead or else make your own rustic-looking ones using parchment paper! I like using a silicone muffin pan for muffins and cupcakes because it's naturally more nonstick than metal.
Let's face it. One Reese's cup is never enough, but why is that? I think it's because they pair saltiness with sweetness. In fact, I sometimes add a pinch of salt to Reese's cupcakes since the salt really brings out the sweet flavor!
Chopnotch Tips
- You can use regular Reese's cups if you can't find the mini ones; just chop them up into smaller pieces.
- You can make them a day ahead with the frosting if you want to. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze them unfrosted for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Allow them to come to room temperature before frosting the Reese's cupcakes.
A heavenly combination of chocolate cake, Reese's peanut butter cups, and creamy, peanut-flavored frosting, these Reese's cupcakes are an especially tasty and satisfying homemade cupcake choice.
Related Recipes
Let us know what you think! Give this recipe a rating in the comments section below.
Recipe
How to Make
Reese's Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the box
- 10.5 ounces Reese's Miniature Cups, 1 “share pack” size package
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk, as needed to thin the frosting
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
- Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the instructions on the box and then spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin filling each liner about ½ of the way full. Place one Reese’s mini cup into the center of each one and gently press in place into the batter.
- Bake for 16 minutes and then remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely in the tin.
To make the frosting:
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter until well combined. Then mix in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time. Add one tablespoon of milk at a time, as needed, if the frosting is becoming too thick as you mix the sugar in.
- Once you have the right consistency, transfer the frosting into a piping bag and pipe it onto each cupcake.
- Chop the remaining mini Reese’s cups to garnish the cupcakes with. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use regular Reese's cups if you can't find the mini ones; just chop them up into smaller pieces.
- You can make them a day ahead with the frosting if you want to. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze them unfrosted for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Allow them to come to room temperature before frosting the cupcakes.
