• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Recipe Index

Feasting not Fasting

Because life's too short to be hungry

  • Home
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
    • 30-Minute Meals
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Drinks and Smoothies
    • Lunches
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Condiments
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups & Stews
  • By Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Blender
    • Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
    • Freezer
    • Instant Pot
    • Oven
  • By Diet
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Keto
    • Low-Carb
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Appetizers
  • Baked Goods
  • Breakfast
  • Desserts
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
Home » Recipes » Desserts
5 from 1 rating

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes made Healthy

June 9, 2016 by Christy Gurin (updated February 13, 2025) | 6 Comments

Pin Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Pin810
Share
Tweet
Yum
810 Shares

Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that are outrageously decadent and rich but made with oat flour, protein powder, honey, banana and a delicious coconut cream based peanut butter frosting.

frosted chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter cup on top on a dark wood backdrop with a stand of cupcakes in background

Yes, you heard me right, I’m sharing oat flour cupcakes with you today! And they have protein powder too so they’ll keep you full and act as a powerful snack not just a sweet treat. The best part though? They still taste like a cupcake! Still sweet, not too wholesome and with great texture.

In fact, with that extra protein, I ate a cupcake for breakfast three days in a row and felt great about it. We’ve got to count the victories where we can people. A dessert that can also sub in for breakfast is a win in my books.

frosted chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cups on a stand of cupcakes against a dark background

I come from a long line of chocolate peanut butter lovers. We all fancy a good Reese’s cup and don’t even get me started on peanut butter ice cream. Seriously, you’ll wish you hadn’t.

If you’ve ever paused at the checkout stand and wondered who on earth actually buys those chocolate peanut butter trees, santas, eggs, pumpkins, and whatever other misshapen holiday goodie the candy gods decide to crank out, wonder no longer. They’re made for us.

These cupcakes are a way to do this in a more nutritious way though. Make your snack work for you!

frosted chocolate cupcakes on a glass cake stand on a dark wood backdrop from overhead

This recipe took a lot of trial and error to get right. Even using my oat flour peanut butter banana muffin recipe as a base, it still took an incredible number of tries to perfect. So many that I lost count. Somewhere between 7 – 100. I am not a newbie to chocolate peanut butter cupcakes, and wanted this healthy version to hold it’s own with the regular versions.

Aaand not to toot my own horn too loudly, but at this point, I think I’ve pretty much nailed it. They’re moist, delicious, chocolatey and the frosting is near perfection!

Chocolate peanut butter cupcake with a bite taken out on a white plate on a dark wood backdrop

They aren’t overly sweet but they’re just the right amount of sweetness. Not too much, but sweet enough to satisfy my dessert cravings. If you know you prefer stuff like this on the sweeter side, or if you’re just in the mood for a full on sugar laden frenzy, you might want to add some coconut sugar to the batter.

You can easily skip the frosting and just call it good at muffins too if you prefer. They’re plenty delicious that way too. The second I added this coconut cream peanut butter frosting though, I knew there was no going back. Consider yourself warned. These chocolate peanut butter cupcakes just might be the best protein powder dessert I’ve ever made. Ever.

And for you dairy free folks, just leave the yogurt out and replace it with dairy free yogurt or applesauce. The end result is slightly less moist in my opinion, but still really good. Also make sure to use a dairy free protein powder. I have a lot of dairy-free family members and friends that I’m super excited to share these with.

spoonful of cocoa powder on a dark wood backdrop next to spilled cocoa powder and oats

If you haven’t tried coconut whipped cream yet, you’re missing out! As always, I’m late in jumping on board with this trend. Better late to the party than not attending at all though in my opinion.

I used coconut cream, which works absolutely fabulously, but you can make it with coconut milk too. The Kitchn has a great tutorial on how to do this, if you want to go that route.

opened can of coconut cream on a wood backdrop

Its easy as can be too. Add coconut cream to a bowl with a touch of maple syrup and a good scoop of peanut butter.

glass bowl with coconut cream, peanut butter and maple syrup in it before mixing

From here, blend until its smooth and creamy, like dis. The problem here is that it’ll be soupy and not exactly frosting material. This is where the refrigerator comes in. Chilling makes it the perfect consistency.

creamy off white frosting in a glass bowl with a hand mixer resting on the side of it

As a heads up, you’ll have to keep these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes in the refrigerator after icing or the frosting will get melty.

This is a small price to pay though and they’ll keep for several days. They’re best the first day, but still perfectly delicious on day two and three. I dusted the top with raw sugar and then added a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Sprinkles would hold up far better though I’m sure.

close up of a frosted chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter cup on top on a white plate on a dark wood backdrop
Hand holding up a frosted chocolate peanut butter cupcake with a bite taken out against a dark wood backdrop with a stand of cupcakes in the background

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Recipe
A chocolate cupcake with whipped cream and chocolate pieces sits on a white plate. More cupcakes are displayed on a glass stand in the background, with cocoa powder and other ingredients nearby.
Recipe
5 from 1 rating
click the stars to rate!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes made Healthy

Created by: Christy Gurin
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 16 minutes mins
Total Time 56 minutes mins
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes mins
Cook Time 16 minutes mins
Total Time 56 minutes mins
15
Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that are outrageously decadent and rich but made with oat flour, protein powder, honey, banana and a delicious coconut cream based peanut butter frosting.
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 

Cupcakes

  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 extra large or 3 regular, speckled with brown spots)
  • 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (use diary free yogurt or applesauce to make dairy free)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
  • 1/4 cup plain protein powder (I used whey but use your preferred protein powder)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • Cooking spray or muffin wrappers

Peanut Butter Coconut Frosting

  • 14 ounces coconut cream* (1 can)
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. pure Grade A maple syrup

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
  • Add ingredients for peanut butter icing to a medium bowl and mix with the whisk attachment on a hand mixer. Place bowl in refrigerator while you bake the muffins and let them cool (approximately 1 hour)
  • Mix mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, yogurt and eggs using a hand mixer. Make sure that you use a full cup of mashed banana and measure that first.
  • Add oats to a food processor and blend to a fine powder. Add protein powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and pulse to combine.
  • Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix in with a hand mixer while scraping the sides of the mixing bowl until just mixed together. Do not over mix!
  • Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with muffin wrappers. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup a little over 3/4 of the way full.
  • Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until muffins are cooked through. Don’t over bake or they will be dry! Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and rest on a wire rack for 20 – 30 minutes until cool.
  • Remove frosting from fridge and stir. Either spread on top of each muffin or use an icing bag to add frosting to each muffin. Store cupcakes in fridge until about 15 minutes before serving to keep the frosting from melting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.9mg

did you make this recipe?

Make sure to follow on Pinterest @feastingnotfasting and on Instagram @feastingnotfasting

 

posted in: Baked Goods, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Oven, Recipes, Vegetarian

Previous
5-Minute Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oats
Next
Coconut Chia Pudding

Reader Interactions

    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Review Cancel reply

    If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. I read every review and your support means a lot to me!

    Sincerely,
    Christy

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Comments & Reviews

  1. Jenna says

    April 10, 2018

    How much bake time do you suggest if making this as a full on round cake instead of cupcakes?

    Reply
    • Christy says

      April 16, 2018

      Hmm, not sure actually. I would assume that would add another 10 minutes or so but haven’t baked as a cake yet so that’s just a guess. Thats a great idea though! I was thinking about making this into a bundt cake soon with a peanut butter drizzle which would be pretty close to a round cake pan. When I get around to testing that recipe out I’ll let you know!

      Reply
  2. Carly Sears says

    February 23, 2018

    Can I use something other then the protein powder?

    Reply
  3. Carly Sears says

    February 23, 2018

    5 stars
    Can I use something other then the protein powder??

    Reply
    • Christy says

      March 1, 2018

      Just using more oat flour should work fine instead.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

A person with long hair and a striped dress smiles while holding a pan outside. There is greenery in the background.

Hi, I'm Christy

I started cooking, baking, and helping in the kitchen when I was old enough to reach the counter. I am a food lover with a focus on quick and easy dinners using wholesome ingredients that are approachable for the home chef. If you crave flavor but always find yourself short on time, you’re in the right place.

More About Me
almond flour blueberry muffin on a plate with bite taken out

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

Subscribe to the newsletter for all the latest recipes delivered straight to you.

Sign up

Featured Recipes

  • A bowl of Mediterranean salad with grilled vegetables, feta cheese, pine nuts, and fresh herbs on a striped cloth.
    Mediterranean-Style Roasted Eggplant Salad with Feta 
  • A spoon rests in a bowl filled with a reddish-brown spice mix, containing visible flecks of different textures.
    Chicken Taco Seasoning
  • close up picture of kale salad on a white plate
    Lemon Kale Salad
  • A skewer with melon, prosciutto, mozzarella, pesto, and balsamic glaze on a white plate.
    Prosciutto Melon Skewers
  • Baked pear halves with nuts and cranberries on black plates, surrounded by a honey dipper, whole pear, and silver spoon on a wooden table.
    Baked Pears with Honey and Almonds
  • A tall glass of purple smoothie topped with seeds, placed on a white napkin. A metal spoon with seeds is in the background. A polka dot straw is in the glass.
    Beet Smoothie with Strawberries and Kale
Allure Logo.
Boston Mag Logo.
Buzzfeed Logo.
Glamour Logo.
Healthline Logo.
The Huffington Post Logo.
MSN Logo.
sheknows Logo.
almond flour blueberry muffin on a plate with bite taken out

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

Feasting Not Fasting

About

  • About
  • Blog
  • Web Stories
  • Contact Us
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Collaboration

By Method

  • Air Fryer
  • Blender
  • Slow Cooker
  • Freezer
  • Instant Pot
  • Oven
  • Stovetop

By Diet

  • Dairy-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Keto
  • Low-Carb
  • Meal Prep
  • Paleo
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

By Course

  • Appetizers
  • Baked Goods
  • Breakfast
  • Dinner
  • Lunches
  • Main Dishes
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
©2025, Feasting not Fasting. About Contact Privacy Policy Back To Top
Design by Pixel Me Designs
×

Simple healthy recipes straight to your inbox!

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.