Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Muffins
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Featuring a soft chocolate muffin outside and creamy peanut butter inside, plus a touch of sea salt on the top, these chocolate peanut butter stuffed muffins are perfect for breakfast or brunch, or as an afternoon treat.
Why Make These Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Muffins?
Chocolate and peanut butter really is one of those perfect food pairings. Sweet, creamy chocolate and salty, this classic combo features prominently in many desserts, snacks, and sweet treats. (Think peanut butter cups, Reese’s cookies, trail mix, puppy chow, ice cream, chocolate peanut butter pretzels, frosted layer cakes, peanut butter Easter eggs. I personally love a good Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, a Snickers bar, or handful of Peanut Butter M&Ms.) This chocolate peanut butter muffin recipe starts with a chocolate batter base, made even more chocolatey with the addition of chocolate chips. Before baking, each muffin gets a generous sprinkling of sea salt. They’re finished with a big squirt of creamy peanut butter for a salty-sweet contrast reminiscent of salted caramel.
Key Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder – Opt for unsweetened cocoa powder, not the sweetened kind you’d use for hot chocolate. Do not use Dutch processed cocoa powder; it won’t create the baking soda reaction that helps the muffins to rise.
- Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt also adds moisture, along with a tangy note. Choose plain, unsweetened, and unflavored yogurt for this recipe. Do not use sweetened or flavored yogurt. I haven’t tested this recipe with plant based yogurt.
- Peanut Butter – I recommend creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Opt for a sweetened, commercially-made peanut butter, not the “natural” kind which can make the muffins too oily. And avoid chunky peanut butters, which will clog the piping tip. If you have some creamy peanut butter left over, it’s great for making my peanut butter ice cream recipe, PB&J hand pies, or these magic middle cookies with chocolate and peanut butter.
Tips and Variations
- Use a silicone pan. For easy removal, I highly recommend a silicone mini muffin pan for this recipe. You can use a standard metal mini muffin tin but if going this route, you’ll want to grease the pan generously and line the cups with paper or silicone cupcake liners to prevent the muffins from sticking.
- Make them mini…or massive. I tested this recipe with a silicone mini muffin pan, and ended up with about two dozen mini muffins. You can fill the cups with more batter for “oversized” mini muffins (about 28-30 pieces) or make this recipe in a traditional muffin tin for approximately 12-14 full-size muffins.
- Pre-poke before filling. To make it easier to fill the muffins with peanut butter, use a paring knife or a metal skewer to pre-pierce a hole into the bottom of each muffin, similar to the process you’d use for filling choux buns or eclairs. Pierce, then insert the piping tip into the hole.
- Scrape away the excess. After filling, allow the excess peanut butter to bubble up from the bottom, then gently scrape it away using a butter knife, a bench scraper, or a small stepped palette knife.
- Keep a few tools handy. In addition to a skewer and a small stepped palette knife, disposable piping bags and a round metal piping tip will make piping and filling a breeze.
- Decorate the muffin tops. To add even MORE chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness to this recipe, punch things up by decorating the tops of your muffins with a peanut butter candy like Reese’s Pieces or Peanut M&Ms. The addition of candy will make these more of a dessert rather than a breakfast muffin, but is there anything wrong with that?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins
- Total Time45 minutes
- Yield44-48 mini muffins 1x
Mini chocolate peanut butter muffins with chocolate outside and a creamy filling inside, plus crunchy sea salt on top.
Ingredients
Nonstick spray, for greasing pan
256 grams all purpose flour (2 cups; 9 ounces)
75 grams cocoa powder (3/4 cup; 2 2/3 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup; 7 ounces)
150 grams plain Greek yogurt (1 5.3-ounce container)
60 milliliters canola oil (1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80 milliliters water (1/3 cup)
150 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup; 5 1/3 ounces)
Coarse sea salt, or flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
225 grams creamy peanut butter (1 cup; 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C). Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan* with cooking spray, or line with paper liners. Sit pan on a tray. Set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
In a separate bowl, use a whisk or electric hand mixer to combine eggs, granulated sugar, Greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla extract, mixing until thoroughly combined.
With a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until a thick dough forms. Drizzle in the water. If batter feels too thick to pipe, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop batter into a disposable piping bag. Pipe muffin batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until muffins bounce back when touched.
Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining batter.
In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar.
Fit a disposable piping bag with a 1/4-inch round metal tip. Fill with peanut butter mixture.
Turn each muffin upside down and inject it with the peanut butter mixture.** Do not overfill.
With a butter knife or small stepped palette knife, scrape away any excess peanut butter.
Serve immediately.
Store leftover chocolate peanut butter stuffed muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 44-48 mini muffins.
*You can use a silicone mini muffin pan for this recipe, or a standard metal mini muffin tin. If using a metal tin, I suggest lining it with paper liners to prevent the muffins from sticking.
** To make the process easier, you can use a knife or metal skewer to pre-pierce a hole into each muffin bottom. Then simply insert piping tip into the pre-made hole and fill. For mess-free muffins, use a soft cloth or paper towel to clean the piping tip periodically.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These peanut butter muffins are best enjoyed on they day they are made. Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, for up to one week.
To freeze: Layer muffins between sheets of parchment, or individually wrap in foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
Other Peanut Butter and Chocolate Recipes You Might Enjoy
Chocolate Peanut Clusters
Quadruple Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Eggs
Rainbow Peanut M&M Cookies
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Recipe with Reese’s
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Magic Middle Cookies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
