Irresistible Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes with Decadent SunButter Caramel Sauce: Your Ultimate Allergy-Friendly Dessert!

I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to SunButter® for generously sponsoring this fantastic Peanut Free Snickers Cupcakes recipe! As always, every single opinion and idea shared here is 100% my own, born from a passion for delicious, accessible baking. Prepare to be amazed as we transform everyone’s beloved chocolate bar into an incredible cupcake creation – but with a crucial, delicious twist: it’s entirely nut-free! These delightful Peanut Free Snickers Cupcakes boast a wonderfully rich and fudgy chocolate cupcake base, lovingly filled with a luscious SunButter caramel sauce that delivers that iconic “nutty” flavor profile without any peanuts or tree nuts. This recipe ensures that everyone, especially those with nut allergies, can indulge in a truly satisfying and safe treat.

Why You’ll Absolutely Adore These Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

Incredibly Rich Chocolate Cupcakes: These aren’t just any chocolate cupcakes; they are deeply rich, intensely chocolatey, and wonderfully fudgy. Crafted to perfection, each bite offers a luxurious depth of flavor that forms the perfect foundation for our Snickers-inspired treat. We’ve fine-tuned the recipe to ensure maximum chocolate impact, making these a true delight for any chocolate lover.

Completely Peanut and Nut Free: This is the star of the show! Enjoy all the iconic flavors of a classic Snickers bar – the chewy caramel, the rich chocolate, and that unmistakable nutty undertone – without a single peanut or tree nut in sight. By utilizing SunButter, we create an allergy-friendly dessert that doesn’t compromise on taste, making it safe and enjoyable for those with common nut allergies. It’s truly a game-changer for inclusive baking!

Simple and Straightforward Baking: Don’t let the gourmet taste fool you; this recipe is designed for bakers of all skill levels. Both the intensely flavorful chocolate cupcakes and the smooth, creamy SunButter caramel are surprisingly easy to prepare. We’ve broken down each step to be clear and concise, ensuring a stress-free baking experience from start to finish. You’ll be amazed at how effortlessly you can create such an impressive dessert.

Filled with a Decadent Nutty Caramel Filling: The heart of these Snickers Cupcakes lies within their incredible filling. Each chocolate cupcake is generously piped with a homemade SunButter-infused caramel sauce. This isn’t just any caramel; it’s a rich, buttery, and deeply caramelly concoction that perfectly mimics the sweet and slightly salty notes of traditional Snickers caramel, elevated by the unique, satisfyingly “nutty” flavor of SunButter. It’s the ideal counterpoint to the rich chocolate cake, creating a harmonious and utterly addictive flavor combination.

Essential Ingredient Insights for Perfect Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

Natural SunButter: SunButter is truly the hero of our nut-free Snickers Cupcakes. As a premium, allergy-friendly alternative to peanut butter and other nut butters, it brings a rich, slightly savory, and deeply “nutty” flavor to our caramel sauce without any actual nuts. Beyond its delicious taste, SunButter is a powerhouse of nutrition, brimming with essential vitamins, minerals, and protein, making these cupcakes a slightly more wholesome indulgence. Its creamy texture integrates beautifully into the caramel, creating a smooth, rich filling that pairs impeccably with chocolate. This ingredient is key to achieving that authentic Snickers taste profile in a safe, delicious way.

Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder: For these decadent chocolate cupcakes, we specifically recommend Dutch processed cocoa. Unlike natural cocoa, Dutch cocoa has been treated with an alkali, which neutralizes its acidity. This process results in a cocoa powder that is darker in color, milder in flavor, and delivers a much richer, smoother, and more profound chocolate taste. It contributes significantly to the fudgy texture and intense chocolate experience of our cupcakes, enhancing the overall Snickers-like quality.

Full-Fat Sour Cream: Incorporating full-fat sour cream into the cupcake batter is a secret weapon for achieving unparalleled moisture and richness. The fat content contributes to a tender crumb, while its slight acidity reacts with the baking soda, promoting a light and airy texture. It ensures your chocolate cupcakes stay incredibly moist for days, providing a luxurious mouthfeel that complements the rich caramel filling.

Hot Brewed Coffee: Adding hot coffee to our chocolate cupcake batter isn’t just for flavor; it’s a critical step that “blooms” the cocoa powder. The heat helps to unlock and intensify the cocoa’s full aromatic and flavor potential, making the cupcakes even more intensely chocolatey. Don’t worry, your cupcakes won’t taste like coffee; instead, the coffee acts as a flavor enhancer, deepening and enriching the chocolate notes, which is essential for our Snickers-inspired creation.

Vegetable Oil: While butter is often favored in baking, using vegetable oil in these chocolate cupcakes serves a specific purpose: it creates a supremely fudgy and moist texture. Oil remains liquid at room temperature, contributing to a consistently soft and tender crumb that stays fresh longer. This ensures our cupcakes have that melt-in-your-mouth quality, providing a perfect contrast to the chewy caramel.

Brown Sugar for Caramel: Brown sugar is an integral component of our easy, no-fuss SunButter caramel sauce. Its molasses content gives the caramel a deeper, more complex flavor profile and a wonderfully soft, chewy texture. The beauty of this recipe is that it utilizes brown sugar to create a rich caramel without the tricky process of caramelizing granulated sugar, making it accessible for even beginner bakers to achieve perfect results every time. It melts smoothly and combines effortlessly, yielding a consistently delicious filling.

Crafting Your Delicious SunButter Caramel Sauce: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Gently Boil Sugars, Butter, Cream, and Salt: Begin by combining the brown sugar, white sugar, butter, heavy cream, and kosher salt in a sturdy saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir these ingredients frequently as they slowly come together and warm. The goal is to melt the sugars and butter completely while allowing the mixture to gently heat up. This process typically takes about 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to rush this step; a slow, steady boil ensures that the sugars dissolve properly and prevents the caramel from becoming grainy. Watch for a gentle, rolling boil before moving to the next stage.

2. Incorporate the SunButter and Cool: Once your caramel base has reached a steady boil, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the natural SunButter directly into the hot caramel mixture. Working quickly, whisk vigorously until the SunButter is completely smooth and thoroughly combined with the caramel. This ensures a uniform, creamy texture and infuses the caramel with that signature nutty flavor. Once fully integrated, transfer the caramel sauce to a heatproof bowl or jar. Allow it to cool down to room temperature before using it, or for a quicker cooling process and a firmer consistency, you can place it in the refrigerator for a few hours. This cooling period is crucial for achieving the perfect texture for filling your Snickers cupcakes.

Baking Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes: A Simple Process

1. Combine Your Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, crack in the large egg, then add the granulated sugar, full-fat sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Using a whisk, beat these ingredients together until the mixture is beautifully smooth, light in color, and perfectly combined. This step ensures an even distribution of flavors and moisture throughout your cupcake batter, setting the stage for tender and delicious chocolate cupcakes.

2. Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, measure out the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients thoroughly to ensure they are well combined and evenly distributed. This step is important for proper leavening and consistent texture in your cupcakes. Set this bowl aside for a moment.

3. Bloom the Cocoa Powder: This is a critical step for intensifying chocolate flavor! In a small bowl or a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, add the sifted Dutch processed cocoa powder to the hot, freshly brewed coffee. Whisk gently until the cocoa powder is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, without any lumps. Allow this potent cocoa mixture to sit for about 2 minutes. The hot liquid “blooms” the cocoa, unlocking its full flavor potential. Once bloomed, carefully add this rich cocoa-coffee mixture into your bowl of wet ingredients and mix until smooth and uniform.

4. Gently Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Now, pour the combined wet mixture (containing the bloomed cocoa) into the bowl with your whisked dry ingredients. Using your whisk or a rubber spatula, gently mix until just combined and smooth. Be very careful not to overmix the batter at this stage; overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough cupcakes. Mix only until no dry streaks of flour remain.

5. Fill Your Pan & Bake to Perfection: Spoon or pour the prepared chocolate cupcake batter into a cupcake pan lined with paper liners, filling each cup about two-thirds full. This ensures they bake evenly and rise beautifully without overflowing. Place the pan into your preheated oven and bake according to the recipe instructions. Once baked, a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. Allow the baked chocolate cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before you even think about topping and filling them. This step is crucial for maintaining their structure and preventing the caramel filling from melting.

Expert Tips & Tricks for Outstanding Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

Always Use Room Temperature Ingredients. This is a golden rule in baking, especially for cupcakes! Eggs, sour cream, and butter (for buttercream) should all be at room temperature. This ensures that all ingredients emulsify and combine much more easily, resulting in a homogenous, lump-free batter. A well-mixed batter allows the cupcakes to bake more evenly, leading to a consistently softer, lighter, and fluffier texture that melts in your mouth. Plan ahead and take your ingredients out of the fridge at least 30-60 minutes before you start baking.

Opt for Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. As mentioned earlier, Dutch cocoa is less acidic than natural cocoa, which contributes to a deeper, richer, and more profound chocolate flavor and a darker color. This makes it ideal for achieving that luxurious, intense chocolate taste characteristic of a Snickers bar. It also reacts differently with leavening agents, typically pairing with baking soda. For the absolute best results, use a high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Here is a link to my favorite brand for guaranteed success.

The Magic of Hot Coffee. Incorporating hot coffee into your chocolate cupcake batter is not just a suggestion; it’s essential for maximizing the chocolate experience! The hot liquid ‘blooms’ the cocoa powder, meaning it fully dissolves and intensifies its flavor and aroma, releasing the deepest chocolate notes. While it enhances the chocolate to an incredible degree, rest assured, your cupcakes will not taste like coffee. The coffee simply acts as a powerful enhancer, making your chocolate cupcakes exceptionally rich and satisfying, just like the best chocolate desserts should be.

Remember to Sift Your Cocoa Powder. Cocoa powder has a notorious tendency to clump together, which can lead to pockets of dry, bitter powder in your final batter. To avoid this and ensure a perfectly smooth and uniform cupcake batter, always sift your cocoa powder. Simply dump it over a fine-mesh sieve with your other dry ingredients (like flour) and tap or press it through. This simple step guarantees no lumps and a consistent chocolate distribution throughout your delicious Snickers cupcakes.

Weigh Your Ingredients for Precision. For consistent, professional-quality baking results, measuring ingredients by weight (using a kitchen scale) is always superior to volumetric measurements (cups and spoons). Volume measurements can vary significantly depending on how ingredients are packed, leading to inconsistent outcomes. Weighing ensures accuracy, which is crucial for the delicate balance in baking, especially for tender cupcakes. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in the consistency and quality of your baked goods.

Whip Butter Until Pale and Fluffy for Buttercream. When preparing your caramel buttercream, the initial step of whipping the room temperature unsalted butter is paramount. Beat the butter on high speed in your stand mixer until it becomes significantly lighter in color – almost pale white – and incredibly fluffy and aerated. This process incorporates air, creating a light, silky, and voluminous buttercream that is a joy to pipe and melts delicately in the mouth. Don’t skimp on this step; it’s the foundation of a truly exquisite buttercream.

Cook Caramel Just to a Gentle Boil. When making our easy peanut-free SunButter caramel sauce, precision in cooking time is key to achieving the perfect consistency. Combine the butter, sugars, and cream over medium heat, stirring gently. Heat until the mixture just begins to boil and you see a light, consistent bubbling across the surface – typically after about 3-4 minutes. At this point, immediately add the SunButter and whisk briskly for an additional 30 seconds to combine. This careful timing ensures your caramel is perfectly rich, creamy, and fluid enough to easily fill the cupcakes without being too runny or too thick. The result is a beautifully smooth caramel that holds its shape and flavor within the cupcake.

Essential Equipment for Baking Success

High-Quality Cupcake Pan: A good, sturdy cupcake pan is essential for baking perfectly shaped and evenly cooked cupcakes. Opt for a non-stick metal pan that conducts heat well. This ensures golden-brown bottoms and even rising. Here is a link to my personal favorite cupcake pan, which I rely on for consistent results every time.

Stand Mixer (or Hand Blender): While you can manually mix some parts, a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or a powerful hand blender) is almost indispensable for making light, airy, and truly fluffy caramel buttercream. It saves a tremendous amount of time and effort, ensuring your butter is properly aerated and your frosting achieves that desired smooth, pipeable consistency. It makes the entire process of whipping butter and incorporating confectioners’ sugar a breeze.

Storing Your Delicious Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

Room Temperature Storage: If your Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes are frosted and filled, they can be kept safely at room temperature for up to one day. For best results and to prevent them from drying out, always store them in an airtight container. This keeps the cupcakes fresh and the caramel filling and buttercream moist.

Refrigeration: For extended freshness, especially if you’ve used dairy-based buttercream or your kitchen is warm, place your frosted and filled Snickers cupcakes in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will remain wonderfully fresh and delicious for 5-6 days. Remember to let them come closer to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.

Freezer Options: You can prepare parts of these delicious cupcakes ahead of time! The unfrosted and unfilled chocolate cupcakes can be placed in a freezer-safe bag or container and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before filling and frosting. Additionally, the SunButter caramel sauce can also be made in advance and frozen for up to 1 month. Simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and gently warm it slightly if needed, to regain a pipeable consistency before use. This makes advanced meal prepping for your next event or craving incredibly convenient!

Frequently Asked Questions About These Nut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

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Ultimate Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes

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Indulge in these magnificent Peanut-Free Snickers Cupcakes! Each features a moist, rich chocolate cupcake base, generously filled with our luscious homemade SunButter caramel sauce for that perfect nutty flavor, and crowned with creamy caramel buttercream. It’s a sensational allergy-friendly treat that mimics the iconic candy bar perfectly!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 12 cupcakes

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Ingredients

 

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1 ¼ cups (150g) All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 1 Large Egg,, ensure it’s at room temperature for best emulsification
• 1 cup (200g) Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup (120g) Full-Fat Sour Cream,, also at room temperature for smooth blending
• 1/4 cup (55g) Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 6 tbsp (38g) Sifted Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• 6 tbsp (90g) Hot, Freshly Brewed Coffee

Nut-Free SunButter Caramel Sauce

• 1/4 cup (58g) Unsalted Butter,, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) Light Brown Sugar,, packed
• 2 tbsp Granulated White Sugar
• 2/3 cup (150g) Heavy Cream
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/3 cup (80g) Natural SunButter

Creamy Caramel Buttercream

• 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter,, softened to room temperature
• 3 ½ cups (420g) Confectioners’ Sugar,, sifted
• 1/3 cup Cooled SunButter Caramel Sauce
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• Heavy Cream,, as needed to reach desired consistency for piping
• Dark Chocolate Shavings,, for an elegant and tasty garnish

Equipment You’ll Need

• Stand mixer with whisk attachment (or electric hand mixer)
• 12-cup standard muffin/cupcake pan
• Cupcake liners
• Large mixing bowls (2)
• Saucepan
• Whisks
• Cupcake corer or small paring knife
• Piping bag and piping tips (optional, for frosting)

Step-by-Step Instructions

 

For the Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

• Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly to ensure they are well combined and aerated. Set this bowl aside for a moment.
• In a separate large bowl, add the room temperature egg, granulated sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together vigorously until the mixture is smooth, uniformly combined, and light in color. This ensures a consistent batter foundation for your cupcakes.
• Prepare your cocoa bloom: In a small mixing bowl or a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine the hot, freshly brewed coffee and the sifted Dutch processed cocoa powder. Whisk them together until the mixture is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Allow this potent cocoa mixture to sit for about 2 minutes to fully “bloom” the cocoa flavor. Then, carefully add this warm cocoa mixture into the large mixing bowl containing your wet ingredients (egg, sour cream, etc.), and whisk until everything is thoroughly smooth and integrated.
• Now, pour the wet chocolate mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Gently mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until the batter is just smooth and no dry streaks of flour remain. Be very careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cupcakes. Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each approximately two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before proceeding with filling and frosting.
• Once the chocolate cupcakes are fully cooled, use a cupcake corer, a small paring knife, or the back of a large piping tip to carefully remove an approximately 1-inch deep circular core from the center of each cupcake. Discard the removed cake pieces or save them for snacking! Then, generously fill each cavity with the cooled SunButter caramel sauce. Ensure the caramel nearly reaches the top of the cupcake for a decadent surprise in every bite.

For the Irresistible SunButter Caramel Sauce

• In a medium saucepan, combine the softened unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, granulated white sugar, heavy cream, and kosher salt. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously as the ingredients melt and combine, slowly bringing the mixture to a gentle, steady bubble. This process typically takes about 3-4 minutes. Do not rush this step, as proper dissolution of sugars is key to a smooth caramel.
• Once the caramel mixture has reached a consistent bubbling, immediately remove it from the heat. Add the natural SunButter into the hot caramel. Quickly whisk the mixture until the SunButter is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Transfer the finished caramel sauce to a heatproof bowl or jar and allow it to cool down to room temperature. For a firmer consistency, you may place it in the fridge for a few hours. This cooling is essential before using it as a filling or in the buttercream.

For the Creamy Caramel Buttercream

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the softened room temperature unsalted butter. Beat the butter on high speed for 5-7 minutes, or until it has doubled in volume, become very pale in color, and is wonderfully light and fluffy. This step is crucial for an airy buttercream.
• Reduce the stand mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sifted confectioners’ sugar, a cup at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding more. Once all the sugar is combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, add the cooled SunButter caramel sauce and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and perfectly combined. If the buttercream seems too thick, add heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired piping consistency.
• Finally, transfer the creamy caramel buttercream to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip. Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto each of the filled chocolate cupcakes. For an extra touch of elegance and flavor, sprinkle the tops with dark chocolate shavings and drizzle any remaining SunButter caramel sauce over the frosted cupcakes. Serve immediately and enjoy these incredible allergy-friendly Snickers cupcakes!

Cuisine: American

Course: Baking, Dessert, Cupcakes

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