Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Celebrate back-to-school with this fun Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake recipe! Moist and fluffy peanut butter cupcakes are filled with grape jam, and topped with swirls of peanut butter buttercream frosting. They’ll make you feel like a kid again!
Woo-hoo Fri-DAY! We made it, folks.
Made it through the first week of school. Made it through all the preparations, the lunch-packing, the pencil-sharpening, and the scads of papers sent home to be filled out. I’m ready for a glass of wine. And a cupcake.
It sounds like I’m complaining, but really, I love this time of year, and always have. Even- no especially, when I was a little kid and it was me who was heading off to school each morning. Yes, I was that dorky kid. So I decided to celebrate all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I packed this week with what else? But more peanut butter and jelly. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment PB&J.
This cupcake recipe is based off of my favorite basic vanilla cupcake recipe, so you know it’s easy to make with minimal cleanup. Everything happens in just one bowl! And they bake up moist and fluffy, but sturdy enough to stand up to lots of rich peanut butter buttercream frosting. And we are also going to go ahead and fill them with a generous dollop of grape jam.
Just use the point of a sharp knife to cut a little well in the center, and the jam nestles right in.
I used a 4B tip to pipe the peanut butter frosting swirls, and if you just slightly warm the jam in the microwave, it’s the perfect drizzling consistency. 😉
Here’s to a new school year! Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 1/2 cup (187.5 g) cake flour
- 3/4 cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 1/8 cup (255.38 g) unsalted butter, (2 1/4 sticks), softened
- 3/4 cup (193.5 g) smooth peanut butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (66.67 g) Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup (81.33 ml) milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (510 g) grape jam, (plus a little more for garnish)
For the Frosting
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), slightly softened but still cool
- 1/2 cup (129 g) smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
Instructions
To make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a cupcake pan with papers.
- Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and mix on medium-low speed, until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Stir in the peanut butter, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Mix on medium-high speed for approximately 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and build the cake's structure.
- Place about 1/4 cup of batter in each well of the cupcake pan.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely, then cut a small well in each and fill with grape jam.
- Top with buttercream and drizzle with more grape jam.
To make the Buttercream:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large metal mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Set the bowl over a small pot of simmering water, and heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture becomes translucent and no longer feels gritty when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger.
- Remove from heat and whip on high speed until the meringue becomes glossy and thick.
- Cool completely (there should be no hint of warmth when the hand is place on the side of the bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, if necessary.)
- Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, while whipping on medium-high.
- When all the butter has been added, fold in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.
Perfect back to school treat!
These are a brilliant idea! And perfect for back to school. Thanks for the great recipe!
Do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated after the made with the icing?
Hey Barbara! I think it depends on how long you’re talking. Anything more than a day or so, it’s probably a good idea since the frosting has egg whites. Hope that helps! Thanks so much for reading!
These are definitely for the peanut butter and jelly lover. Beautiful!
Thank you so much Chineka!
Fact: I eat PB + J every day during the work week. It’s my routine. People think I’m crazy and that it must get boring, but it doesn’t. I love PB+J. And now I can have it in cupcakes?! Done. Do you deliver? Lol… I can totally see me trying to make these and them ending up as a #Pinterestfail. I don’t have your amazing skillset when it comes to decorating so darn perfect!
Oh no you could totally do this Chris! You have an amazing eye for stuff like that. I never get bored with pb&j either. I could totally eat it every day and look forward to it!
Oh hello gorgeous Cupcakes! these look delicious Allie, just like everything you make 🙂
Aw, you are too sweet, Manali! Thank you so much <3
Oh my god. So much better than a trio of oreos and milk for an after school snack. You rule!
I don’t know, oreos and milk are pretty good! Darn it now I’m craving oreos and milk :/ Thanks Jessie!
These cupcakes are just perfect! YUM!!!
Thank you sweetie! Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend!
I want to go to school with these!!! They are pretty, childhood reminder and a great treatt! Hope you have a great weekend!
Thank you so much, love! You too!
These are so great, my oldest would especially love these!
I’m sure! Thanks so much Matt and enjoy the holiday!
Allie these look fabulous! I never really ate peanut butter and jelly when I was younger, but now I LOVE it! What I’ve been missing! The icing looks perfect! You are bringing back such memories of when my boys were younger and ALL those papers that come home the first week to school! UGH! Love your photos! Enjoy the long weekend!
Thank you so much Mary Ann! The PAPERS! I’m drowning over here, lol. Hope you are enjoying the long weekend, friend!
Allie these are stunning!! I am in love with your photography skills!! 🙂 Happy long weekend girl!
Thank you so much Ami! I must have gotten really lucky with the light that day, lol! So happy you enjoyed, and thank you for the sweet compliment!
These photos are stunning and I seriously want to sink my teeth into one of these! I will never get tired of PB+J in any form!
Me neither! It’s definitely one of my favorite flavor combinations and I think I will always love it. Thank you so much Rachel!
I am so in love with these. I was an INCREDIBLY picky eater for the first 18 years of my life and basically ate a PB+J every.single.day. And I still love them. I don’t think you ever outgrow a PB+J. But in cupcake form = even better in my opinion!
Congrats on making it throught the first week of back to school! I was SO that nerdy kid too, who LOVED going back to school! Seriously, I would get so excited to buy new binders and pens. lol. #NerdsUnite. Anywho, these cupcakes are EVERYTHING! I have never grown out of the whole PB&J phase of life, so these cupcakes have me all sorts of giddy! Genius Cupcake idea! Pinned! Cheers, girlfriend! And Happy Labor Day weekend!! <3
Happy holiday Cheyanne! So good to know that we have the nerd thing in common 😉
PB and J takes me straight back to elementary school 🙂 LOVE the flavor combo and that PB frosting piled high!
Same here Medha! I’ve never outgrown my love for it. Thanks so much sweetie!
Peanut butter and Jelly is seriously my most favorite flavor combo ever! And then in a cupcake? EVEN BETTER! Pinned!
Thank you so much Taylor! Happy Friday girlfriend 🙂
I made it through my second week of school this week, so does that mean that I get DOUBLE helpings of these cupcakes?? Girl, these are nothing short of stunning! Looove the way you piped the frosting and that melty jam is just perfect!
Hooray! Congratulations Sarah and yes you definitely deserve a second helping! Thank you so much dear and have a great holiday weekend 🙂
Allie, yes, hooray, we made it through the first week!!! woot woot!!! LOVE these cupcakes! these are PERFECT!!! and so pretty! love love love that peanut butter frosting!
Thank you so much Alice! Have a great holiday weekend sweetie. Hugs to you and your family 🙂