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I feel kind of bad.
I have been sitting on these cupcakes for weeks now.
Okay, technically I obviously have not been sitting on them. No, that is just nasty. Plus, they were demolished the second I shot the last photo……
Which was exactly twenty-six days ago. 
I know, I am so sorry, and also completely shocked, that I am just now posting them.
I mean, I have never, not once held on to a post that long. This is for sure a record. Meaning this never, ever, happens. Normally you guys see posts a couple days after I make something. Sometimes I’ll even post it the very next day. When that happens it means I am crazy excited about whatever the posted food is. Meaning it’s crazy good and I cannot contain, nor control, my excitement. Meaning I must blab on and on about it the very next day.
If you can believe it, I actually have one more post that I made a few weeks ago while I was still home in Colorado. I really tried to crank a lot of recipes out while I had the time and had no dirty boys begging for food every hour. Honestly, I’m still shocked that I have not told you guys about these yet…
Because honestly, these are so stinkin’ good.
Like crazy insane, rock your world good.
I just wish I still had at least a few. Cause I promise I can so remember what these cupcakes tasted like.
I made them the day before I went to South Carolina.
This meant I had twelve cupcakes and me. Now sure, I probably could have downed them all myself. No I could have, but I did not want to end up with a giant stomach ache all night and then have to get up and get on an airplane at three in the morning.
So I did the nicer and smarter thing and gave a few to the worker dudes next door.
Remember them?
Yeah, they really liked me after that.
Pretty sure the next day when I made these burgers they were looking over wishing I was giving those to them too, but my brother ate those.
Sorry guys. Maybe if you guys are still around in August when I get home you’ll get some then.
These cupcakes have it all going on.
The sweet, the salty, the peanutty and even the boozy.
Ah yes, you better believe I added at least a little scotch to my butter scotch sauce. It is obviously totally optional, but highly recommended.
Oh and the frosting is amazing!!
So good. Just make it. Eat with a spoon and go to your happy place.
Seriously, though these cupcakes will become your happy place.
And yes, I know I am asking you to turn on your oven for these, but I promise they are worth every ounce of sweat you drip to make them.
Every last once.
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Boozy Butterscotch Frosting
Ingredients
- 24 pretzel twists
- 6 ounces chocolate, (milk, dark or semi-sweet)
Butterscotch Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 stick
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon scotch or whisky, optional
Peanut Butter-Butterscotch Cupcakes
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, may use peanut butter chips
Butterscotch Frosting
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butterscotch sauce
Instructions
- To make the butterscotch sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot. Add the brown sugar, heavy cream and salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and scotch, if using. Set a side to cool until ready to make the frosting.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
- You may also use a double broiler. Dip each pretzel in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on wax paper lined cookie sheets and chill in the freezer until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
- Mix the canola oil and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar, sugar and eggs and beat together until fluffy. Add vanilla.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Add the milk and mix well. Fold in butterscotch chips.
- Remove the chocolate covered pretzels from the freezer and place 1 or 2 in the bottom of each cupcake tin. Pour the batter into cupcake tins right over the chocolate covered pretzels and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Let cool, then frost.
- While the cupcakes bake, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the 1/2 cup butterscotch sauce until completely combined.
- To assemble, pipe the fristing onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish each cupcake with the chocolate covered pretzels. Then when ready to serve, generously drizzle cupcakes with the remaining butterscotch sauce. If your kitchen is hot keep the chocolate covered pretzels in the fridge until ready to eat. If you have a cool kitchen they will probably be fine on the counter.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Can’t even help it. I must make more (especially after my mom sees this post, then I really won’t have a choice). Really, I must.
I’ll have to try this.
Oh I hope you do! They are awesome. Let me know what you think!
Mmmmm, these look so decadent!!
Thank you, Jocelyn! it is real decadent!
Wow! These look fantabulously spectaculous!
Yeah – I know those words dont exist – but I didn’t think this combination existed – till now – in a cupcake!
I’ve made cupcakes with oreos at the bottom – but this – noiw this Ive gotta try! Thanks for sharing – even if you sat on it for awhie 😉
Haha! Thank you, Shashi!
I have so many posts I’ve never posted. But nothing like this – OMG!
Haha! Thank you, Dorothy! Oh and post those post, I need to see them. I have a feeling they are awesome!
I’m looking at my oatmeal for breakfast right now and REALLY wishing I had one (or five) of these cupcakes in front of me instead. So yum!!
Haha! Thanks Stephanie! Wishing I could send you some!
Sweet, salty, peanuty and boozy?! These cupcakes are perfection!! They look so delicious!!
Thank you so much, Cate!
Oh my gahhhh that last picture! Get in mah bellayyyyy
Haha! Thank you, Mimi!
Chocolate and pretzels and peanut butter ugh I’m drooling. This looks incredible! Totally worth the 26 day wait. 🙂
Thank you, Faith!
Everything about this needs to happen to my piehole. You’re such an inspiration, Tieghan! So smart and beautiful and creative .. I want to be you when I grow up.
Haha! I don’t ever want to grow up. Ever!!
Thanks so much, Hayley! You are too nice!!
I want to reach through the screen and grab a handful of these cupcakes! Tieghan, you are a baking genius. Truly my idol. So many amazing flavor combinations in such unique ways! I love visiting your website! You always have me in awe. I adore chocolate covered pretzels SO much and butterscotch, too! YUM!
Hehe! I was hoping you would like these!! I know how much you love chocolate covered pretzels!!
Thanks so much for you nice words, Sally!!
HECK yes, there is nothing better than the combination of sweet and salty. The salty pretzels… covered in delicious chocolate. Man I am making myself drool all over again. I need these in my life!
Thank you so much!! I love the sweet and salty combo so much!
Making these for sure! I just about died when I read the title of this post 😉
Haha! Yes! Thanks so much, Nessa!
Wow the topping alone looks great!
Thank you so much, Erin!
These are sort of over the top but over the top wonderful. All flavors I love. When you were in Colorado you should have come to visit…and you could have brought me some!
Don’t worry, I’ll be back home soon! Only a few more weeks here in Oregon. I miss my colorado mountains and my nice comfy house! LOL!
Thanks so much, Barbara!
I have no words for how delicious these look. Also, I LOVE that you put a pretzel or two at the bottom of the cupcake for a fun little surprise. That is genius! 🙂
Thank you, Hannah! The pretzels in the bottom are delicious!