Your Peanut Butter Strawberry Jelly Dreams in a Cupcake
Peanut butter strawberry jelly combinations have been a classic staple in American culture, I think many others have started to enjoy it too! I have always loved the PBJ combo in any format – sandwich, cookie, blondie, you name it. I had seen these before but I really wanted to make them myself, a cupcake version! This is your peanut butter strawberry jelly cupcake dreams coming true!
As an Asian American growing up in the midwest, I was surrounded by the macaroni and cheese and sloppy joes of the world but I didn’t instantly like it all. I was so used to eating Japanese food at home, that those foods didn’t really appeal to me. Until I started attending middle school, where lunches were plentiful of pop-tarts, fries, grilled cheese and rubbery cheese pizzas. I didn’t really eat any of it!
Until I noticed a friend brought peanut butter strawberry jelly sandwiches to school all the time. I didn’t understand what it was about, so I asked my mom to make me one. Lo and behold, I didn’t realize my love for peanut butter was extreme! The combination with strawberry jam was literally, my jam. PBJs are common in many households in America and it is also a quick pleasurable lunch when I’m in a pinch for time.
Like I said, I love peanut butter jelly in all forms. There’s ways to eat it sandwiches, or cookies. When I thought of the idea to cupcake this idea, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to make the base peanut butter or strawberry. And the buttercream, should I make it peanut butter or strawberry? Well I think it could go either way, but I prefer a lot of jam on my peanut butter. So that’s why I opted to the strawberry buttercream instead. You could go a bit further, and be extra by topping it with crushed peanuts!
Here’s a really quick recipe – it only makes 6-7 cupcakes, so you could easily double this to make a full muffin pan of peanut butter jelly cupcakes. Enjoy!!
Peanut Butter Strawberry Jelly Cupcakes
Relive your childhood favorite turned into a cupcake!
- Muffin tin
- Mixing Bowls, Measuring Spoons
Peanut Butter Cupcake base
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp AP or GF 1:1 flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (olive, canola, coconut oil)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 beaten egg (or 1 flax egg)
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt (fage, or DF yogurt works as well)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk (DF milk works as well )
Strawberry Jelly Buttercream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature (or vegan butter))
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp strawberry jelly or jam
- 2 tbsp salted crushed peanuts (optional to top on buttercream)
Peanut Butter Cupcake base
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and line 6-7 in the muffin pan
Sift together in a smaller bowl, flour, baking soda and salt
In a larger bowl (or stand mixer) combine oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, yogurt, vanilla and milk. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until all ingredients are incorporated well.
Slowly pour in dry ingredients into the wet, and beat slowly. Be careful not to over beat (only beat until almost all flour streaks are gone).
Pour the batter into 6-7 muffin liners and bake at 350 degrees for 20-21 minutes. Let cool while you make the buttercream.
Strawberry Jam Buttercream
In a mixing bowl, cream with a hand mixer the room temperature butter until creamy.
Add in the powdered sugar, and start beating on a slow, be careful not to increase speed until all the powdered sugar is combined (to avoid powdered sugar flying everywhere!). Finally add in your strawberry jelly into the buttercream until all the jelly is thoroughly mixed through. Set aside.
Construct the cupcakes!
If you would like to add in the jam filling, start by using a paring knife to cut a small circle on the top of the cupcake where you jelly will go in. Don't go down too deep or else you will cut through the bottom of the liner. 1-2 teaspoons of jelly will fill it nicely. Feel free to skip this step if you only want the buttercream on top.
Add your buttercream in a piping bag with any tip you prefer. I used an Ateco #846 tip. On top of the filled cupcake, pipe from the outer side of the cupcake in a circular motion inward, feel free to layer on the same motion to make a dome shape. This part is entirely up to you, but it's a simple topping to the cupcake.
Top with a fresh strawberry and crushed peanuts if you'd like! Last but not least, enjoy!
I ate one for breakfast and tempted to eat another one for a lunch break 🙂 You really can’t get over a staple classic like a PBJ combo. In case you want to spice up your sammy, I thought this was a fun article suggesting ingredients to add – like marshmallow fluff (YASSS)!!
I hope you love the cupcakes as much as I do!! Please do let me know if you make this recipe and share in the comments.
P.S. if you’re in the mood for other spring or fruity ideas, check out my Matcha Zucchini Muffins.
Thank you for stopping by!
Love,
Rina
