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Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes let you enjoy all the flavors the classic PB & J in a fun and easy dessert. Start with white cupcakes from a box mix or your favorite homemade recipe. The stuff them with swirled peanut butter and jelly and top them with peanut butter frosting and another dollop of jelly. Celebrate the first day of school or any day that deserves a special dessert) with a kid-favorite sweet treat.
This recipe was contributed by Serene from House of Yumm.
Hi! Serene here from House of Yumm to bring you another cupcake! Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes to be exact. It’s that time again. Kids are heading back to school. Whenever I think about my days of school there are so many memories that come back.
One of my fondest memories is the classic Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. On white bread of course. Although growing up that white bread was banned in my home. My mom never bought that stuff. I dreamed of having my Peanut Butter and Jelly on white bread instead of the whole wheat my mom made me eat. Now of course I do the same to my kids. Whole wheat all the way!
But I did let them indulge on these Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes. What’s the fun in being good if you can’t have a little cheat now and then?
Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and PB&J Filling
Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes are easy to make and explode with your favorite flavor combination. Kids of all ages will make sure this batch up PB & J cupcakes will disappear in no time.
Start with your favorite cake mix or cupcake recipe and stuff them with peanut butter and jelly, then top them with a creamy homemade peanut butter frosting and another dollop of jelly.
For the cupcakes
In a nod to that white bread I always wanted, these cupcakes are made from white cake.
You can keep it simple by using any white cake mix that you love or happen to have on hand. Or you can use your favorite homemade white cupcake recipe.
For gluten free cupcakes
You can also use a gluten free cake mix. White cake mixes are a bit harder to find, though Kinnikinnick makes one. A gluten free yellow cake mix would be a perfectly good subsititue.
You can also make gluten free cupcakes from scratch. I haven’t tried using the Gluten Free Cake recipe from my strawberries and cream cake, but I bet it would make some tasty cupcakes.
For the PB&J filling
These little cakes are filled with a peanut butter and jelly mixture. You can pick your favorite flavor of jelly. I used grape, but if you’re more of a strawberry (or any other flavor) person, go for it!
You can see in the picture above I used a frosting bag and tip to fill the cupcakes. You can also cut a small hole in the center, and scoop the peanut butter and jelly inside, or use a plastic bag to fill them. So many options, so many ways, basically the goal is to get some peanut butter and jelly in the middle of the cupcakes.
For the peanut butter frosting
Now let’s talk about this peanut butter frosting. Just look at it – thick and fluffy, sweet and peanutty.
How can a frosting be everything you need and crave all at the same time?
This isn’t just frosting with a little peanut butter for flavor. This is peanut butter, with a few extras to make it sturdy enough to go on a cupcake as frosting. If I were to just plop peanut butter on a cupcake it wouldn’t really hold its shape and would most likely melt off the cupcake at some point.
Although I doubt the cupcake would be around long enough for that to happen. But this peanut butter frosting is the best of all worlds.
The recipe for the frosting will be for 24 cupcakes. If you make a smaller batch of cupcakes, make sure you adjust accordingly. Unless you want to sit and eat the remaining peanut butter frosting with a spoon. And then lick the bowl clean. No judging here. This is a safe place.
Once frosted, please spoon some jelly onto the top. It gives the cupcakes magical powers. It makes you feel young again.
Personally I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the coming school year than with these Peanut and Jelly cupcakes! I hope you enjoy!
More cupcake recipes
More peanut butter and jelly recipes
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Apple Nachos
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Stuffed White Chocolate Bark
- Strawberry Peanut Butter Granola
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Parfaits
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Dough Dip
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Whole Wheat Crackers
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- one box White Cake Mix plus required ingredients or homemade cupcake batter, regular or gluten free
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons jelly (flavor of choice)
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 3 tablespoons room temperature butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup jelly (flavor of choice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the cupcake batter according to directions. Bake in cupcake liners for approximately 16 minutes, or according to directions for homemade batter.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then remove to wire rack to continue cooling.
- Once cupcakes are completely cooled, spoon the 1/4 cup peanut butter and 3 tablespoons jelly into a pastry bag using a smaller round tip (I used Wilton 4). Insert tip into the center of the cupcake and fill with the peanut butter & jelly mixture. Once filled remove the tip from the cupcake. Set aside and continue filling remaining cupcakes.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- Add the room temperature butter to mixing bowl. Beat over medium speed for about 1 minute, until butter is creamy. Add in the peanut butter and continue to beat over medium speed until completely combined with the butter. Will be a creamy mixture.
- Add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract. Mix over medium speed until completely combined. Then beat with high speed until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Spoon the frosting into a pastry bag to pipe onto cupcakes or frost with a knife. (I used a Wilton 2A tip)
- Spoon a teaspoon of jelly onto the tops of the cupcakes if desired!
- Serve and enjoy
- Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
If you like this Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes recipe, here’s some others I think you’ll enjoy!
Cookie Dough Milkshake (Healthy & Dairy Free)
Skinny Chocolate Muffins
Can I omit the jelly in the frosting? Would like to make it strictly a pb frosting for your vanilla cupcake recipe!
Yes, absolutely!
Hi Brianne! I will be making these cupcakes today or tmro and cannot wait! I am wondering if it is ok to use store bought peanut butter frosting. I bought some for another recipe and thought it would be ok in this recipe. I always make a recipe exactly the way described then make my own adjustments to my family’s preference. Thank you for this yummy recipe and have a great day!!
Yes, I think it would be fine to use a store bought frosting. Enjoy!