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High Altitude Chocolate Peanut Cluster Cupcakes

April 25, 2023 by Heather Smoke 2 Comments

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High altitude chocolate peanut cluster cupcakes, starting with moist and fluffy chocolate cupcakes, topped with chocolate peanut butter frosting, salted peanuts and chocolate chips.

You might also love these peanut butter swirl chocolate fudge brownies, salted peanut butter blondies, and no churn chocolate peanut butter cookie ice cream.

Chocolate peanut cluster cupcake with a bite taken.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Chocolate + Peanuts. Chocolate and peanuts are a winning combination. I often eat a small handful of salted peanuts and dark chocolate chips for a quick snack. Or sometimes I’ll even mix melted chocolate with peanuts and drop the mixture by spoonfuls to make homemade dark chocolate peanut clusters.

Reader Favorite Chocolate Cupcakes. The cupcake recipe today is a reader favorite – my high altitude chocolate cupcakes – that so many of you have made and loved. But with peanut butter swirled into the chocolate buttercream and a handful of salted peanuts and chocolate chips on top, they’re transformed into these delicious chocolate peanut cluster cupcakes. You could even fill the centers of the cupcakes with some sweetened peanut butter for even more peanut butter goodness.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

Peanuts and chocolate chips on chocolate frosting.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Chocolate Cupcakes. This is an easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes with rich and fluffy chocolate buttercream. These cupcakes are completely made from scratch, and they come together quickly with just a bowl and whisk. If you’re looking for moist chocolate cupcakes that are high altitude tested, you’ll love these cupcakes!
  • Peanut Butter. To make the chocolate peanut butter frosting, you’ll be adding some creamy peanut butter to the chocolate buttercream. You’ll need to use peanut butter that does not need to be stirred, since all natural peanut butter that separates is not stable enough for buttercream.
  • Salted Peanuts. Use any kind of roasted and salted peanuts that you like. The salt on top of the cupcakes plays nicely with the sweetness of the frosting.
  • Chocolate Chips. I added a few dark chocolate chips on top, just to add that peanut cluster candy essence.
Chocolate peanut cluster cupcakes, with salted peanuts and chocolate chips on top.

Instructions

Cupcakes

  • Prepare the Chocolate Cupcakes as instructed. Let cool completely before frosting.
Dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl.
Bowl of dry ingredients for chocolate cupcakes.
Bowl of chocolate cupcake batter.
Chocolate cupcakes about to be baked.
Chocolate cupcakes cooling in a muffin pan.
Unfrosted chocolate cupcakes on a black cooling rack.
  • Optional: If you want to add even more peanut butter goodness, remove the centers of the cupcakes and fill them with peanut butter frosting or just some lightly sweetened creamy peanut butter, before adding the chocolate peanut butter frosting on top.

Buttercream

  • Prepare the Chocolate Buttercream as instructed. Add the creamy peanut butter, and fold it in until combined.
Peanut butter swirled into chocolate frosting.
Peanut butter chocolate frosting.
  • Fit a piping bag with tip 8B, and fill with the buttercream. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes. (If you don’t have tip 8B, I also like tips 1M or 2D for piping buttercream on cupcakes.)
  • Sprinkle the salted peanuts and chocolate chips on top of the buttercream.
  • Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Chocolate peanut cluster cupcakes with salted peanuts and chocolate chips on top.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do these cupcakes stay moist?

My chocolate cupcakes stay moist for 2-3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Can I freeze the frosted cupcakes?

Yes, you can freeze these cupcakes with or without the frosting. Just keep them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate peanut cluster cupcake with a bite taken.

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Favorite Products

Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

Chocolate peanut cluster cupcake with a bite taken.

High Altitude Chocolate Peanut Cluster Cupcakes

Heather Smoke
Moist and fluffy chocolate cupcakes, with chocolate peanut butter frosting, salted peanuts and chocolate chips.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 18 minutes mins
Total Time 33 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings15

Equipment

  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment

Ingredients
 

Cupcakes

  • 1 recipe Chocolate Cupcakes

Buttercream

  • 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream
  • â…“ cup creamy peanut butter (NOT a natural peanut butter that needs to be stirred)
  • ½ cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • ÂĽ cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

Cupcakes

  • Prepare the Chocolate Cupcakes as instructed. Let cool completely before frosting.
  • Optional: If you want to add even more peanut butter goodness, remove the centers of the cupcakes and fill them with peanut butter frosting, before adding the chocolate peanut butter frosting on top.

Buttercream

  • Prepare the Chocolate Buttercream as instructed. Add the creamy peanut butter, and fold it in until combined.
  • Fit a piping bag with tip 8B, and fill with the buttercream. Pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes.
  • Sprinkle the salted peanuts and chocolate chips on top of the buttercream.
  • Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Keyword Chocolate, Cupcakes, High Altitude, Peanut
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/

Filed Under: Cupcakes

Previous Post: « High Altitude Brioche Buns for Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
Next Post: High Altitude Strawberry Sheet Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maureen Murray

    May 1, 2023 at 4:52 pm

    Your recipes look so good. Do you Are all of your recipes specifically for high altitude. Will they work if you don’t live in a high altitude area?

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      May 1, 2023 at 8:20 pm

      Maureen, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for various altitudes: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/

      Reply

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