These Snickers Cupcakes transform plain chocolate cupcakes into decadent, candy-bar inspired creations, featuring a peanut caramel filling, fluffy peanut butter frosting, and LOTS of chocolate and candy bars.

Snickers Cupcakes - Multiple snicker cupcakes displayed with chocolate dripping down. | From SugarHero.com
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I have never understood the gourmet cupcake craze. Don’t get me wrong—I understand the appeal of cupcakes themselves. Bite-sized cakes, with a 50/50 frosting ratio, adorably petite, so cute they’re practically batting Disney princess eyes at you, and socially acceptable to eat as an afternoon snack? That I get.

What I don’t get is paying upwards of $6.50 for said cupcake, and waiting in crazy long lines for them, and fetishizing the shops that sell them. It’s just some cake in a cute paper wrapper. Maybe with a scattering of sprinkles or a fondant doodad on top. Let’s all calm down now.

Snickers Cupcakes - A shot of the cupcake filled with caramel sauce and peanuts. | From SugarHero.com

So here’s whatcha do. Instead of spending $50 on a dozen fancy-shmancy cupcakes, take those two twenties and go to the store. Buy a bag of miniature Snickers, and some caramels, and some peanuts if you don’t already have them. Take the remaining money, and buy yourself some slippers and a pair of loose sweatpants, or maybe a Slanket. You are going to want to get verrrrry comfortable when you enjoy these Snickers cupcakes.

Snickers Cupcakes - A cupcake displayed on a plate with bits of snickers, and a spoon dipped in chocolate. | From SugarHero.com

These beauties start with a moist, rich chocolate cupcake. Use the best cocoa you can find, please, because a cupcake made with pale, tasteless cocoa is no kind of cupcake at all. The cakes are hollowed out and filled with a peanut-studded caramel, then they’re topped with peanut-marshmallow frosting that mimics the peanut nougat found in a Snickers bar.

Are we finished, you ask? Not remotely! Top them with a big drizzle of hot fudge sauce, a scattering of salted peanuts, and a chunk of a Snickers bar. Oh, you fancy thing. Resist the urge to sell them to your friends and coworkers for $6.50 apiece and instead bask in the knowledge that you created an edible masterpiece. Snuggle into your Slanket in triumph.

Snickers Cupcakes - A cupcake displayed on a cake stand with bits of snickers around it. | From SugarHero.com

These beauties will win over even the most skeptical cupcake doubters. If you’re a lover of candy bars, and a lover of excess, and a lover of cupcakes the size of your face, you are going to be a lover of this recipe.

Snickers Cupcakes - A shot of the top of a cupcake with a piece of snickers as a topper. | From SugarHero.com

Recipe notes: If the store-bought caramels you’re using are very stiff, you might want to increase the amount of cream to 1/2 cup to make sure that the filling is nice and soft. No one wants to chomp on a big hunk of hard caramel in their cupcake! The pretty cupcake wrappers I used are called tulip cups and can be purchased on Amazon.  

Close up of a Chocolate Cupcake in a pink wrapper with more cupcakes in the background.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Looking for the PERFECT chocolate cupcake? Look
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chocolate flavor, a beautifully moist texture, and pairs with just about any
frosting you can think of.
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Close-up of cupcake frosted with Cookie Dough Frosting.

Cookie Dough Frosting

This easy Cookie Dough Frosting tastes just like chocolate chip cookie dough! Use it to frost your favorite cakes and cupcakes, as a filling for layer cakes, or even turn it into chocolate chip cookie dough dip!
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Snickers Cupcakes

4.84 from 25 votes
These Snickers Cupcakes are over-the-top, in the best way! They’re chocolate caramels with a peanut-caramel filling, fluffy peanut butter frosting, and LOTS of chocolate and candy bars!
Prep1 hour
Cook22 minutes
Total1 hour 22 minutes
Yields20 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 7.8 oz all-purpose flour, (1 ¾ cups)
  • 3 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (1 cup)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk, full-fat, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, full-fat, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp water, can substitute brewed coffee for richer flavor
  • 6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4.75 oz granulated sugar, (2/3 cup)
  • 5 oz brown sugar, (2/3 cup)
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Caramel-Peanut Filling:

  • 14 oz soft caramels
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For the Peanut-Marshmallow Frosting:

To Finish:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate fudge sauce
  • 1/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped
  • 10 fun-size Snickers bars, cut in half or coarsely chopped
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Instructions 

To Make the Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 20 cupcake cavities with paper liners.
  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl or large mixing cup, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and water (or coffee).
  • In the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars until they’re light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla extract.
  • With the mixer running on low speed, add a quarter of the dry ingredients. When it’s mostly mixed in, add a third of the liquid ingredients. Continue to alternate adding drys and liquids, ending with the dry ingredients. When the drys are almost all mixed in and only a few streaks of flour remain, stop the mixer and finish mixing by hand with a spatula. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
  • Scoop the batter into the lined cupcake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool completely.

To Make the Filling:

  • Don’t make the filling until you’re ready to fill the cupcakes. Combine the caramels, cream, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well after every 30 seconds. They may resist melting and coming together at first, but continue to stir and heat until you have a smooth, fluid mixture. Add the chopped peanuts and stir them in.

To Make the Frosting:

  • Combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, cream, and powdered sugar, and mix on low speed until the sugar is moistened. Raise the speed to medium, and continue to beat until the mixture lightens and becomes fluffy and smooth. Add the marshmallow cream and stir it in by hand using a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl well. Once the frosting is well-mixed, spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Assembly:

  • Use a sharp paring knife to cut a cone-shaped hole out of the top of the cupcakes. Scoop the caramel-peanut filling into the hole, coming almost all the way to the top. Cut the bottom off of the cupcake cone, and replace the top of the cupcake on top of the caramel. (The cupcake filling can be eaten or thrown away—I trust you will find something to do with it.) If the caramel starts to get a little hard to work with, microwave it briefly until it is fluid again.
  • Once all of the cupcakes are filled, pipe the frosting on top in one big decorative swirl. Add a drizzle of fudge sauce or chocolate ganache, a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, and half of a fun-sized Snickers bar on top. Store Snickers Cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature, and enjoy within 3-4 days.

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Measuring Tips

Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.

Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?

Nutrition

Calories: 786kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
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143 Comments

  1. I made these for my mothers birthday in January, they were a huge hit with my family and coworkers. I took the leftovers to work. They were so good that my step daughter has requested them for her birthday next month. The caramel filling I can eat all on it’s own.

  2. I noticed you said it makes 20 cupcakes but in a comment you said 14. How many does it make if I want the size in your picture?

  3. I’ve made this cupcakes twice now and my brother in law loves them, but I am finding that my frosting starts to run or melt, and I follow the directions to a tee..Can you tell what may be wrong.

  4. The frosting flavor was so good! However the caramel all dissolved into the cupcake and just left a hole. I made sure the caramel was very thick and cooled b4 putting in cupcakes. How do I keep filling from disappearing?

  5. How would I make these gluten free? The only gluten is in the flour right? But what would the measurements and what else would I need to add if I used coconut flour instead? Any suggestions?

    1. I used a gluten free chocolate cake mix and replaced the water the box called for with strong decaf coffee and buttermilk. I also replaced the oil with butter. I followed the cake box directions for baking. After that, I followed all the rest of the directions for this recipe. They turned out fantastic! I got rave reviews from the family. For me, they were easy to make gluten free using the mix!

      Recommended!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

      Thank you Sugar Hero! I never thought I’d get to have snickers cake again because of gluten! Dream come true!

  6. I plan on making these for a retirement party and was wondering if I make them the day before, should I refrigerate them? By the way, they look absolutely amazing! Thank You!!

    Marcia

    1. Hey Marcia, I would say for a day they should be fine and the texture will hold better if its not in the fridge. I would suggest putting them in an air tight container. Thanks so much, I hope it goes well!

  7. I am going to make these today as a “practice run” for a future formal party. Can you tell me whether they freeze well (esp. if I defrost them in the refrigerator). Thanks for the step-by-step, easy to follow directions!

    1. Hey Melissa, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. My concern would be the caramel in the center and how it will survive the freezing and defrosting texture wise. My preference would be to freeze just the cupcakes beforehand then assemble them when you are ready to make them. If you do try it a different way I would love to hear how it goes and see pictures! Thanks so much!

    1. Hey Havee, typically we use room temperature ingredients when baking a cake because they will mix better if they are the same temperature. For instance if it is cold it may tend to create lumps when mixing with another ingredient and have a little bit of an affect on the texture. So that could be the case! Hope that makes sense. I would love to hear how it goes when making these and see pictures!

  8. I was just wondering if you can sub a chocolate in place of the peanut butter for the frosting? I’m wanting to make them for my mom but she doesn’t like peanut butter.

    1. Hey Marenda, I wouldn’t try and substituting chocolate for the peanut butter in the recipe however you can definitely swap out that frosting for a chocolate buttercream. My favorite is https://www.sugarhero.com/the-easiest-swiss-meringue-buttercream/ In the instructions on step three it gives directions of how to make it into a chocolate buttercream. I hope that helps, I would love to hear how it goes. I’m sure your mom will love them!