Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: So much peanut butter + chocolate flavor! And I just love the slight tang the cream cheese adds to the mix.
Texture: The cupcake itself is moist and light, while the cheesecake filling is ultra rich.
Ease: Very straightforward!
Appearance: It’s a good thing these cupcakes dome so beautifully, because their true beauty is hidden inside.
Pros: Fun and delightful twist on the classic cupcake.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Absolutely. This is a peanut butter lover’s dream!
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Is there anything better than biting into a sweet treat only to find out there’s an even more delightful surprise inside?
There’s many things that can inspire a recipe. A random thought or craving. A magazine, book, or foodie TV show. Maybe a restaurant visit or travling to a new place. But sometimes it’s simply imagining the best possible reaction to someone biting into your sweet creation that fuels the creation of a new recipe.
And there’s no better reaction to watch than one of surprise and delight! I’m guessing that’s why the original recipe for Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes has remained so popular over the years since I originally posted it. Recently it’s blown up on Facebook, so I knew I had to run with it and make a fun flavor twist.
Whenever there’s chocolate involved, I almost always find a generous dose of peanut butter can make things that much better. So that’s exactly what I’ve done here. I’ve taken the original recipe and added in peanut butter to the cupcake base, the cheesecake filling, and as a topping! If you love peanut butter as much as me, you’ll die over these cupcakes.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (123 grams) peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups (187 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (66 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup water
For the cheesecake filling:
- 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (123 grams) peanut butter, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) peanut butter chips
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin tins with 16 paper liners.
- Place the chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir until smooth. If not completely melted, return to the microwave for 10 second bursts until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter. Let cool.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl vigorously whisk the sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the melted chocolate chips and peanut butter. Gradually add the flour mixture alternatively with the water. The batter will be thin. Set aside.
Make the filling:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, egg, and salt until creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
- Fill each muffin cup half full with the batter. Spoon a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the cream cheese filling. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely. Melt additional peanut butter for spreading over the tops of each cupcake, if desired. Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
I don’t normally leave reviews of recipes but I had to comment on this one. I am a pretty experienced home baker and very particular about the recipes I use cuz I am a perfectionist. First, this made exactly 16 cupcakes as stated…that almost never happens! I only had a little left over filling and had 16 perfectly covered cupcakes. The cupcakes had an excellent dome and cooked perfectly in the oven. I was worried that it would be a dry chocolate cupcake, as so many are. It was not, the cupcake was moist…it is even still moist after 4 days in the fridge. The cheesecake filling was just right. It is thicker as you would expect given the more solid filling but complimented the slighly denser cupcake. I topped it with some milk chocolate ganache and a chocolate cream cheese frosting with some crushed oreos. It was amazing. I will use this recipe again and can’t wait to try the regular cheesecake recipe.
Thank you SO much for your sweet review, Jessica! I’m absolutely thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe so much! 🙂
where do i start? Maybe with the fact that there was enough of the filling left over to do another 8 cupcakes. Maybe with the fact that there was not enough batter left to cover the 12 cupcakes that this recipe made. And then – 20-25 minutes in the oven? I baked them 27 minutes, toothpick came out clean. But the part I couldn’t see was the practically uncooked filling. So in the trash they go. I’m not going to eat them, wouldn’t expect anyone to, either. Fair warning.
Glad I found your recipe, once I seen ‘professionally trained’ huge sigh of relief knowing it will turn out and isn’t some random idea from some possible weird online. Making this in a few minutes for my boyfriend so they’ll be done at 12 when he comes home for lunch, he doesn’t like chocolate but LOVES white chocolate so going to use white chocolate chips and I will of course share a pic and reaction 😉
going to try this recipe tomorrow as expecting visitors. How do I save this recipe and instructions?
You can print it, or save it to your Internet browser’s bookmarks or pin it to Pinterest!
Made these and yum! Used my mom’s old “black bottom cupcakes” (cheesecake stuffed) recipe for the cake–uses cocoa and vinegar. Easier and cheaper! Also used only chocolate chips, no peanut butter. Made more than 16 cupcakes and had plenty of filling. Be sure to bake long enough so the filling is done. It will still be gooey and good!
Made these last night! Didn’t have peanut butter chips, so I used a cup of chocolate chips <3 Husband and daughter LOVED them! The boys at the shop are loving them too!
Omg i had so many typos :ddd, onr=one and leave= live :ddd
Hey, first of all thanks for all the lovely recipes, handletheheat is onr of my favourites 🙂
Where i leave there are no peanut butter chips, what do u suggest? Thx
OMGosh. These look incredible! Definitely making them for a cookout this summer!
Do you fill them 2/3 full? Can’t wait to make them.
Cannot. Even. Deal. Love the idea with surprising someone with these!