Peanut Butter Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes
by This post may contain affiliate links.
It’s like a Reese’s cup, turned into a cupcake! These Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes are the best gluten free cupcakes ever! They’re moist, decadent and no one will ever guess they’re gluten free!
If you love Reese’s Cups and chocolate cake, you’re going to love this gluten free cupcake recipe! My love of Reese’s Cups is what originally inspired this recipe over 5 years ago. I’ve since made these chocolate cupcakes for several parties, birthdays and events.
No one ever believes me when I tell them they’re gluten free! They are just as moist and decadent as a traditional chocolate cupcake, but they are totally gluten free. Not only are these the best gluten free cupcakes I’ve ever had, these are the best cupcakes I’ve ever had!
Bakery style chocolate cupcakes filled with a sweet peanut butter center and topped with creamy peanut butter frosting, life doesn’t get much better my friends!
How to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Gluten Free Cupcakes
- Prepare the gluten free chocolate cupcake batter.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and peanut butter together. Add white and brown sugar, use an electric hand mixer to combine the ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, and combine. Pour milk and vanilla extract in the bowl, then mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bake the gluten free chocolate cupcakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two cupcake pans to make 24 cupcakes. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full.
- Place the cupcakes in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire baking rack.
- Prepare the peanut butter filling.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar together.
- Place the peanut butter filling in a piping bag or large ziplock bag to pipe into the cupcakes.
- Quick Tip! Do not use the “stand and fill” ziplock bags. They are pleated at the bottom. Therefore they will not work to cut a hole in the corner of the bag for piping.
- Fill the cupcakes.
- Use a sharp knife or cupcake corer to cut holes in the middle of the cupcakes.
- Quick Tip! Use the leftover middle pieces of the cupcake to crumble over ice cream. Yummy!!
- Pipe the peanut butter filling into each cupcake.
- Use a sharp knife or cupcake corer to cut holes in the middle of the cupcakes.
- Prepare the peanut butter frosting.
- In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, powdered sugar, honey, vanilla extract and milk together.
- Place the peanut butter frosting in a pastry bag or large ziplock bag to pipe onto the cupcakes.
- Frost the cupcakes.
- Either cut a small hole in the corner of the ziplock bag to pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes. Or use a piping bag and tip to frost the cupcakes.
Do gluten free cupcakes taste different?
Gluten free cupcakes will taste slightly different from traditional cupcakes because they are being made with a non-wheat based flour. Rice flour, quinoa flour and almond flour are all popular gluten free flours used in baking. I like to use a blend of gluten free flours to create a balance of flavors and texture.
While gluten free cupcakes will taste slightly different, the chocolate and peanut butter flavors steal the show in these cupcakes. This is why people never guess that they’re gluten free!
Do gluten free cupcakes need to be refrigerated?
These gluten free cupcakes can be left at room temperature for 2-3 days. After which they will need to be refrigerated. The cupcakes will dry out slightly in the refrigerator, so I recommend eating the cupcakes within 2-3 days of baking them, if possible.
Once refrigerated, I recommend placing them in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat them up before eating.
What kind of gluten free flour is best for cupcakes?
As I mentioned, I like to use a gluten free flour blend to make these cupcakes. Most gluten free flour blends will contain xanthan gum, which is what replaces gluten to give gluten free baked goods structure.
I’ve used both Premium Gold Gluten Free Flour and Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One Gluten Free Baking Flour to make these cupcakes. They both contain xanthan gum and create light and fluffy gluten free cupcakes every time.
Can I make these cupcakes with wheat flour?
Absolutely! If you’re not gluten free and you have wheat flour on hand, it can be used as a one-to-one substitute for the gluten free flour in this recipe. I’ve tested it and it works the same as the gluten free flour.
Looking for more gluten free sweet treats? Try these popular gluten free recipes!
- Nutella Muddy Buddies – this naturally gluten free treat is always a hit at parties. It’s also great for a sweet lunch box snack!
- Gluten Free Blueberry Oat Bars – this Starbucks inspired recipe can be served as a sweet breakfast treat with coffee or as dessert.
- Gluten Free Nutella Brookies – it’s brownie + a cookie with Nutella, which basically means it’s heaven on earth!
- Fresh Peach Pie with Gluten Free Crust – made with a seriously delicious cereal crust, you’re going to fall in love with this gluten free pie recipe!
- Gluten Free Lemon Dessert Cups – these sweet little mason jar desserts are made with just 4 ingredients in only 15 minutes!
- Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Bread – this is legitimately THE BEST banana bread ever! It’s so moist and delicious!
Made this recipe and loved it? Be sure to rate it 5 stars in the recipe card below!
Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups gluten free flour blend
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tsp honey
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and peanut butter together, then add the white and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and blend.
- Add the milk and vanilla, then cream together.
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the cupcake batter in two lined cupcake pans to make 24 cupcakes. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full.
- Place into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven when a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the peanut butter filling by creaming all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- After the cupcakes come out of the oven, allow them to cool 10-15 minutes then cut a hole in the center of each cupcake.
- Use a piping bag or plastic bag with a small cut in the corner to pipe the peanut butter filling into the cupcakes.
- Prepare the frosting by whipping all of the ingredients together.
- Place in a pastry bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Notes
- Store the leftover middle pieces of the cupcakes in the refrigerator or freezer. They’re delicious crumbled over ice cream!
- If using a ziplock bag instead of a piping bag to fill or frost the cupcakes, be sure not to use the “stand and fill” bags, as they are pleated at the bottom and therefore you cannot cut a hole in the corner for piping.
- These cupcakes can be left at room temperature for 2-3 days, after which they should be refrigerated.
- These cupcakes can be made with traditional wheat flour if you’re not gluten free.
Nutrition Facts
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
10 Comments on “Peanut Butter Chocolate Gluten Free Cupcakes”
What are some dairy-free adjustments that can be made? Does the recipe work with dairy-free butter, almond milk or other dairy alternative?
Hi Dawna, unfortunately I haven’t tested a dairy-free version of this recipe, so I can’t guarantee that it would work with these adjustments, but please let me know if you give it a try how it works out for you!
Went down a treat at work… they are moist and super fluffy. Very tasty you wouldn’t even know they were gf
My grandson wanted this type of dessert for his birthday so I tried this recipe. I added a reese’s sugar free mini peanut butter cup on top. Everyone loved them so much so that I am making them again for my son’s birthday! Thank you!
How much Peanut Butter for the frosting? It only shows a ? instead of a number.
Hi Lisa, sorry about that, it’s 1/3!
Can I sub in almond flour for this recipe? I just already have some this left over from another recipe. Let me know thanks!
Hi Kate, I have not tried the recipe with almond flour so I can’t guarantee the results will be the same. Premium Gold Gluten Free Flour (used in this recipe) is a blend of GF Flours. I’ve found that baking with a blend of GF flours vs. just one type of GF Flour (such as almond) has created better results for me in the past. Hope this helps!
(Sends recipe to fiancee immediately)
Hahahaha awesome! You’re going to LOVE these Sean!!