Baseball Spring Training was the inspiration for these Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Cracker Jack. This year we went to see the Cactus League in Arizona to watch our favorite team, the San Francisco Giants. We watched four games and went to three different stadiums and of course ate our favorite stadium food - hot dogs, tacos, nachos, peanuts, and caramel corn.
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In honor of baseball’s opening day, we are making Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Caramel Icing topped with Cracker Jack. Yes, this cupcake has everything in it and on top that will remind you of a box of Cracker Jack with peanuts, caramel, and popcorn.
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These cupcakes are perfect anytime -
For us, we will be making these for the 7th inning stretch when we need a snack during the game.
Next time you need a dessert for the Little League banquet or maybe a softball game, look no further than these cupcakes. They look impressive without much effort, and they taste even better! It's a home run dessert, if I say so myself.
Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, these Peanut Butter Cupcakes are perfect on any dessert table.
Don't let this recipe throw you a curveball. They may look complicated but trust me, everything is simple in this recipe.
Here is your list of cupcake ingredients -
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla
- Peanut Butter
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Milk
- Powdered Sugar
- Cracker Jack
Mix the cupcake batter and scoop into your pan lined with paper liners.
Bake for 16-20 minutes until nice and golden brown.
Cook the caramel and mix with the powdered sugar
Top the cupcakes with frosting; I used the 2D piping tip to make these nice rosettes.
Drizzle on a little caramel and top with Cracker Jack.
That's how we knock a dessert out of the park!
Our previous Opening Day treat was these fun and colorful Orange and Black Surprise Inside Cookies in honor of the Giants. These sweet butter cookies are covered in sprinkles and hide a tasty surprise middle layer.
If you love peanut butter, try these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins full of that classic peanut butter chocolate duo.
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting and Cracker Jack
Ingredients
Making the peanut butter cupcakes
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs. large
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cup flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ cup milk
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Cracker Jack
Instructions
Making the Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake pan with liners.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Beat in the peanut butter.
- Combine the dry ingredients and then add ⅓ at a time alternating the flour and milk. Beat well and scrape the sides of your bowl.
- Scoop into the prepared cupcake pans and fill ⅔ full. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until golden brown and an inserted toothpick, comes out clean.
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- In a medium saucepan stir together the brown sugar, butter, and milk.
- Cook over low heat to dissolve the brown sugar, then increase the heat to medium and cook for 4- 6 minutes without stirring. The mixture should be an amber color with small bubbles around the pan.
- Set aside 3 tablespoons of the caramel to drizzle on the cupcakes.
- Pour the remaining caramel into a mixing bowl and let cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is thick and creamy. You may have to add some milk if your mixture is too thick.
Decorating the cupcakes
- You can frost the cupcakes with a knife or fill a pastry bag to frost the cupcakes. I use a Wilton 2D tip
- Drizzle on the reserved caramel You may have to heat the caramel a bit if it has thickened.
- Top each cupcake with Cracker Jack.
- Store the cupcake in an airtight container for up to three days.
Notes
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Nutrition
~ Here is a little Cracker Jack history for fun ~
- Cracker Jack first sold in 1896
- The name came about after a guy sampled it and said that’s a cracker jack – meaning top quality
- Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo were introduced in 1916
- There is always a prize in every box
- On June 16, 1993, the 100th Anniversary was celebrated at Wrigley Field
- Cracker Jack was also considered the first junk food
It's the 7th Inning...time for cupcakes!
Go Giants!!!!!
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!
About Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
April
Peanut butter cupcakes have never been better. They look absolutely amazing! And I love the story - such an interesting read.
Jere Cassidy
Thanks for the kind comments. These cupcakes are amazing
Maman de sara
The Cracker Jack on top of these cupcakes are attractive to the eyes and make these cupcakes absolutely delicious.
Jere Cassidy
Thanks, I always eat the Cracker Jack first.
Amanda
These cupcakes are too cute for baseball season! And that caramel topping is divine, and you can never go wrong with peanut butter. Thanks for sharing!
Kelly Anthony
These peanut butter cupcakes look amazing! My husband is a huge peanut butter fan and he is going to love these.
Jacqueline Debono
These cupcakes are fabulous. Love the combo of peanut butter and caramel and those cracker jacks on the top are such a great idea!
Jere Cassidy
The crackerjacks are my favorite part of these cupcakes.
Stine Mari
Peanut butter is so delicious with caramel, and that frosting just sounds so delicious. I bet the Cracker Jacks give a nice texture to the whole thing. Wonderful cupcakes!
Jere Cassidy
Thanks for the comments. Yes, the Cracker Jacks are the best part.
Jeannette (Jay Joy)
I am pretty dang sure Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Caramel Icing topped with Cracker Jack is a dessert that will be in heaven. Cracker Jack toppings just look so good.
Jere Cassidy
Haha, so funny. I hope they are in heaven, something to look forward to.
Samantha H.
Oh my gosh, it's been so long since I've had cracker jacks! These are so cute and such a great idea for baseball season.
Jere Cassidy
I actually bought extra boxes for snacking and now I am a bit addicted.
Colleen
I haven't had Cracker Jacks in years, but I loved them as a kid! Combined with the peanut butter, these cupcakes are a home run dessert for sure!
Mikayla
Gotta love those cracker jacks! These do remind me of baseball season, and I love the flavor combo. Can't wait to try them!
Tisha
Cracker jacks bring back a lot of memories! I love that you used them in this cupcake recipe! Can't wait to try it
Veena Azmanov
Cute Cup Cakes with amazing and delicious frosting. The Kids to love it. The Cracker Jack's on it makes it all the more interesting.
Adrianne
I can see a baking day coming on where I need to give these a go!! Peanut Butter is one of my favourite ingredients to cook with as it is so rich and delicious. Thanks, I will whip up a batch!
Jere Cassidy
Hope you give these a try. They are such a hit in my family.
Jessie
The Cracker Jacks make this so much fun for the upcoming baseball parties! I love this idea and flavors.
Jenni LeBaron
I used to love getting a box of Cracker Jacks as a kid so this is so nostalgic for me! I love the idea of using them as a topping for these scrumptious peanut butter cupcakes, and the caramel frosting makes it even more decadent and delicious!
Jere Cassidy
I know we used to get Cracker Jack's all the time. I bought three boxes. The surprise isn't as good as it use to be.