I do love peanut butter cups and pretty much anything peanut butter and chocolate. Add in peanut butter flavored cheesecake and I start to drool. Swanky Recipes kicked it up a notch by stuffing a peanut butter cup INTO the cheesecake. I know! And who wouldn’t love a cheesecake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting? I must have these cupcakes!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cupcakes
Makes about 18 cupcakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 + ½ cups Honey Maid® Graham Crackers, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 18 bite-size peanut butter cups
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup creamy Skippy® Peanut Butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Topping
- 1 cup softened butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- Extra Peanut butter cups, sliced to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- To make the crust, melt butter in microwave in a medium bowl. Crush 1 and ½ cups graham cracker crumbs in a blender or use a cup to crush. Add sugar and graham cracker crumbs to butter. Mix together well, making sure crumbs are moist. Press crumb mixture into cupcake liners. I used a about 2 spoonfuls to each cupcake. Press mixture into liners using a glass or fingertips. Place 1 peanut butter cup into the center of each cupcake liner.
- In a large bowl fit with a mixer, beat cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy. Add sugar, flour and vanilla extract and continue to beat on medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time and continue to beat for 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully fill each cupcake liner with cheesecake batter. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the center is no longer jiggly. Open the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Chill in refrigerator 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare frosting. Whip butter and cocoa together until smooth in large bowl. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Slowly pour in milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Scrape sides and whip again until light, fluffy and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Frost cupcakes using a spatula or piping bag. Slice peanut butter cups and place on top.