To me, the best thing about Halloween isn’t the candy or the costumes, but rather what the day after Halloween represents: The official beginning of Christmas Season! Yes, I am one of those people. I tune into the 24-hour Christmas music radio station starting on November 1st (Shout 100.3 WNIC!). I put up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving, and, by golly, I will start saying “Happy Holidays” on Veterans Day! When it comes to Christmas, I go hard.
However, that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate Halloween for what it is. I enjoy the holiday just as much as the next gal. Especially if I can find a way to combine Halloween candy with baking. But when I told my father that I wanted to try Halloween candy themed cupcakes, I could hear the disdain through the phone. If it’s not “Almond Joy” or “Mounds” flavored, he wants no part of it. I swear, if a Baby Boomer could turn into a candy bar, it’d be an Almond Joy… But I digress…
I knew if I were going to choose any candy, it HAD to be a Snickers bar. Not only is it the most fabulous candy bar in the world (the Beast agrees with me on this one, even though she’s never had one), but it’s also packed with tons of flavor. Chocolate, caramel, nougat, peanuts! It’s literally a party in your mouth. And I was rather intrigued by the concept of a chunky, peanut-y, snicker bar flavored center in the middle of a dark, chocolaty cupcake. So I scoured the internet to see what could be done. Sugar Hero posted a recipe that looked amazing, but I couldn’t bear to part with my favorite chocolate cake recipe. So I improvised. And if I do say so myself, my improvisation was delicious.
Not only are these treats bursting with flavor, but they are SO decadent. I made midi-sized cupcakes (think one step up from a mini cupcake), and one was just enough. Since I’m “big-eyed and greedy” as my grandmother would say, of course, I had three, but the average person would totally be satisfied with one or two! Since I was making this for my entryway filled with 24 hungry college students, I made 48 midi-sized cupcakes, but this will easily make 24 standard-sized cupcakes. I store my cupcakes in the fridge and remove them about two hours before serving, but you could keep these puppies at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 days… if they last that long.
What’s your favorite Halloween Candy? Are there any millennials and Gen Zer’s who like Almond Joys? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Baking!
Alysha
Snickers Bar Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ cups Granulated sugar
- ¾ cups Unsweetened cocoa powder (I use ½ cup regular and ¼ cup special dark)
- ½ tbsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cups Buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup Hot brewed coffee
- ¼ cup Warm water
- ¼ cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Peanut Caramel Filling
- 11 oz Soft caramels (I used the Kraft Brand)
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup Coarsely chopped peanuts, salted
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
- 2 sticks Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth
- 4 cups Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Marshmallow fluff
Topping
- 12 mini Snickers bars, cut in half
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake tins with cupcake liners
- Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) in a large bowl and mix with a whisk or use a stand mixer to combine
- Add wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, coffee, warm water, vegetable oil, and vanilla) to the bowl and blend together on medium speed until smooth, but DO NOT over mix. This should take about 1-2 minutes
- Fill cupcakes 1/2 – 2/3 of the way full and bake for approximately 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean
- Once done, allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool
- Once cool, core the cupcake and fill with a tablespoon of Peanut Caramel filling
- Frost cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting and top with half of a mini snickers bar
Peanut Caramel Filling
- Add caramels, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds
- Stir the mixture and put in microwave for another 30 seconds
- Stir the mixture again until smooth. The mixture should be smooth, but thick
- Add coarsely chopped peanuts to mixture and stir.
Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
- Combine butter and peanut butter in a stand mixer and mix on medium until smooth
- Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and blend on low. Alternate with one tablespoon of heavy cream. Scrape down sides to ensure everything is mixed properly
- Add vanilla and blend until smooth
- Fold in 1 cup of marshmallow fluff with a rubber spatula
Almond Joy bars are quite healthy, just coconut and almonds!!
Thanks for the comment, Gregory! I’m sure, in some circles, Almond Joys are considered a “health food” 🙂 Maybe I’ll try an Almond Joy dessert soon! Stay tuned 🙂
Baby boomers love almond joys!!!!
Thanks for the comment, Jazzy J! Now I’ll definitely feature an Almond Joy inspired recipe! Stay tuned 🙂
I made these for my husband’s birthday. They were a huge hit! I followed the recipe exactly, did have some extra frosting which keeps well in the refrigerator and he eats it
right from a spoon.
Delicious!! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much for the comment, Chauncey!! I’m so glad you and your husband like the recipe! I’m glad you’re enjoying the leftover frosting too 🙂