So I came across this recipe from The Realistic Nutritionist and I thought I had found the holy grail of peanut butter cupcakes – delicious, peanut buttery, and healthy. Well, it ended up being two out of three – it failed on the healthy thing. But then again, if you’re going to eat a cupcake why would you want it to healthy? Wouldn’t you just eat a salad instead? Yeah, I know you feel the same way. I could tell you the Weight Watchers points other nutrition information if you really want to know. Otherwise, whip up a batch and enjoy the heck out of them. You can always tell yourself they are healthy.
Peanut Butter Lovers Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup skim Chobani yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Dash of salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons low fat extra crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup low-fat extra crunchy peanut butter*
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons skim milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons light cream
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup peanut butter chips (optional)
- Chocolate glaze (optional)
*Sub in creamy if you’d prefer
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, applesauce and sugars until soft and fluffy. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and yogurt until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda together.
- Add the flours to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. In another bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar together until creamy. Roll the filling mixture into 12 small balls and place on a baking dish.
- Fill the paper liners 1/4 of the way full with chocolate cupcake batter. Place one peanut butter ball into the center of each one. Top the balls with the remaining cupcake batter.
- Bake for about 19 – 23 minutes, or until they bounce back when touched. Let cool completely before you frost.
- While the cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting. Beat the peanut butter, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and cream together (until mixture is thick and fluffy).
- Once the cupcakes have cooled, put the peanut butter frosting into a piping bag fitted with a flower tip and frost each one. Top with peanut butter chips and chocolate glaze.