White Chocolate Reese’s Cups are the inspiration for these White Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting! This recipe puts a delicious spin on the chocolate-peanut butter combo everyone loves.
Love peanut butter? Try our 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. Or use more white chocolate reeses like we did in these peanut butter cookie cups!
The Best Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Move over, jelly. Step aside, milk chocolate. White Chocolate is peanut butter’s new perfect match!
The star of this cupcake (and, let’s be honest, most cupcakes) is the frosting. Creamy peanut butter whipped with powdered sugar and real butter to fluffy buttercream perfection. It’s so delicious that you’ll be tempted to skip the cupcakes and just eat a bowl of peanut butter frosting for dessert.
You do NOT want to skip the cupcakes though, folks, no matter how good that frosting sugar rush sounds. Made with real bars of chocolate melted into the batter, this is a White Chocolate Cupcake like you’ve never tasted.
As if that weren’t decadent enough, I also mixed up some classic white chocolate buttercream to pipe onto the cupcakes along with the peanut butter version. I mean, why just have ONE kind of frosting when you can have two?
Life is short. Eat more frosting.
Ingredient Notes
- Egg Whites – Separate them from the yolks a few minutes ahead of time so they can come to room temperature before you make the cupcakes.
- Cake flour – This flour is processed to remove more of the gluten than all-purpose, creating a light and airy cupcake.
- White Chocolate Bar – Use a good quality white chocolate for best taste. I used Green & Black’s. You’ll need some for the cupcake batter and more for the frosting.
- Peanut Butter – Regular, shelf stable creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) work best.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1. Make the cupcake batter
Whisk the egg whites and milk together. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together, then add in the dry ingredients and the egg white mixture.
After the other ingredients are combined, fold in a melted white chocolate bar and a little more milk.
STEP 2. Bake the cupcakes
Divide the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake for about 15 minutes. Let the baked cupcakes cool while you make the frostings.
STEP 3. White Chocolate Frosting
Beat butter in your mixer, then add in the powdered sugar, melted white chocolate and a drizzle of milk. Keep beating until fluffy and fully combined, then transfer to a frosting bag.
STEP 4. Peanut Butter Frosting
Make the peanut butter frosting the same way as the white chocolate frosting, adding peanut butter in lieu of white chocolate. Transfer this to another frosting bag and get ready to pipe!
STEP 5. Frost the cupcakes
Put both smaller pastry bags inside of an extra large pastry bag. Swirl the frostings onto the cupcakes however tall you like. I like a LOT of frosting on mine so I pipe it on extra high.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a 6S tip to make the frosting look like the cupcakes in these pictures.
- The peanut butter frosting is light so you won’t see the swirl. That’s okay–you’ll taste it in each bite!
- To get the perfect sized cupcake, fill the liners only half full. This ensures even baking and a flat top perfect for holding all of that extra delicious frosting.
- Garnish with a mini white chocolate peanut butter cup for a pretty (and tasty) finishing touch!
Recipe FAQs
I do not recommend substituting all purpose flour for the cake flour in this recipe. The cake flour has a lower gluten content giving the cupcakes an irresistible light consistency.
You can make the cupcakes and frosting even without a pastry bag. Use a ziploc bag and cut the corner
Shelf stable creamy peanut butters work best in frosting. The oils don’t separate like most natural peanut butters which helps the frosting stay smooth well combined. The plain ol’ jar of Skippy in your cupboard is perfectu, no need to get fancy!
The best way to store frosted cupcakes is in an airtight container. Use a bigger container to leave plenty of room between the cupcake frosting and the lid. The beautiful swirls of frosting will stay in tact and your cupcakes will stay good for 3 or 4 days.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Peanut Butter Bars: peanut butter cookie crust topped with a peanut butter ganache (yeah, there is such a thing) then topped with Reese’s pieces and PB cups!
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: big PB cookies made in my muffin top (whoopie pie) pan. Filled with more Reese’s cups!
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: A rich, soft chocolate fudge topped with peanut butter ganache. Perfect any time of year!
- Peanut Butter Cake
- No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Easy Cupcake Recipes
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White Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 5 egg whites room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk divided
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3.5 oz white chocolate bar melted (I used Green & Blacks)
- 2 ½ cup cake flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the White Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3.5 ounce white chocolate bar melted
- 1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
For the Peanut butter Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ Tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- For the cake, whisk together the egg whites, and 1/4 cup of the milk in small bowl until slightly combined. Set aside.
- In mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly in a steady stream add in the egg white mixture. Beat in remaining milk and melted white chocolate bar.
- Fill cupcake liners half full with batter and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat butter 5 minutes until it becomes pale in color. Add sugar, melted white chocolate and whole milk. Beat an additional 5 minutes until fluffy. Fill a disposable pastry bag with frosting (no tip on the end). Set aside.
- For PB frosing, beat butter 5 minutes until pale in color. Add sugar, peanut butter and whole milk. Beat an additional 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Fill a disposable pastry bag with frosting (no tip on end).
- Take a LARGE pastry bag and add both types of frosting, making sure the ends of each bag go down to the bottom. Using a 6S tip, pipe onto cupcakes. The peanut butter frosting is very light, so it’s hard to see the swirl. That’s okay, you will taste it!!
Notes
Nutrition
It’s the scrumptious marriage of white chocolate and peanut butter makes these cupcakes so wonderful! White Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting are a must try dessert for peanut butter lovers.
‘A face only a mother could love’. That was THE ugliest cupcake I have ever made. That being said…also the best tasting cupcake I have ever made. It forms a crust that is so good that I found myself putting them back in the oven longer. Also I usually like or dislike cupcakes based on the frosting. These don’t even need frosting. They would be good with whipped cream and fruit. Idk if possible but even a peanut butter flavored whip cream. So don’t judge a book by the cover people 🙂 Thank you!
Yes, the cupcake has a unique texture and flavor! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Aimee, can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for this recipe?
You can, but it will change the texture! There are instructions out there on how to make all-purpose flour into cake flour (removing some flour and adding cornstarch, and sifting it). Just google it 🙂
I made these tonight but was very disapointed as to how they turned out. They rose and then fell. The top of the cupcakes were crunchy and tasted like they had too much sugar in them. I have never had cupcakes fail like these did. The frosting also was very rich and almost unedible to the point where it makes you sick. A lot of money wasted on a not so good recipe.
The top does get a crunchy coating (which I actually love!!), but they shouldn’t fall. Sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe.
Hi Aimee. This recipe looks wonderful! I was wondering if it would be possible to substitute the unsalted butter for salted and the whole milk for low-fat 1% milk? I just don’t buy unsalted butter or whole milk regularly.
I love white chocolate Reeses! Must make these.