Toasted Marshmallow Fluffernutter Cupcakes Recipe

Fun fact about the fluffernutter: This sandwich originated during WWI, at which time it went by the patriotic moniker of "Liberty Sandwich." More to the point, though, how amazing is that combo of peanut butter and marshmallows? According to developer Patterson Watkins, "Marshmallow fluff has to be the stuff of wizards." It's literally out of this world, in fact, since it was once sent into space. Watkins also praises its sandwich partner, peanut butter, as "the best spreadable substance in the world" and says she was delighted to craft a cupcake using these favorite ingredients.

These cupcakes are full of nutty flavor with crunchy chopped nuts adding textural contrast and sweet, gooey marshmallow fluff standing in for frosting. The fluff is even toasted, too! The result is an almost s'mores like topping, but instead of chocolate and graham crackers, you've got an irresistible peanut butter cupcake base. A big perk to this recipe is that you don't have to worry about whipping up a batch of frosting — a jar of marshmallow fluff is all it takes. If you would be so inclined to make your own marshmallow fluff, we'll cover how to do that a little bit later on. For now, let's hop right into the fluffernutter cupcake goodness.

For the peanut-favored cupcakes, you're going to need butter, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, creamy peanut butter, and roasted peanuts. To frost them, though, you'll only need a single ingredient: a jar of marshmallow fluff.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Place paper liners in a cupcake tin.

Lightly spritz the liners and tin with cooking spray and set aside.

Place softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Blend until combined.

Add eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla to the bowl and continue to whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture, swap out the whisk attachment for the paddle, and blend until combined.

Add the milk and chopped nuts to the mixture and continue to combine until the batter is blended and smooth.

Divide the batter between the liners in the cupcake tin, filling each ⅔ of the way full.

Place the tin in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack for 30 minutes, or until completely cooled.

Place the marshmallow fluff in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the fluff into the center of each. Don't worry about covering the cupcakes completely as the fluff will spread. Once all the cupcakes have fluff topping, place them into the fridge to rest and chill for 30 minutes.

Once rested, use a brûlée torch to toast the fluff on each cupcake.

Serve and enjoy.

One thing you need to know if you'll be making these cupcakes during hot weather (which is exactly what Watkins did) is that the marshmallow topping is going to get goopy, so the fridge is your friend. Stick the cupcakes in there as soon as you frost them, even before you torch the topping. Put them back in the refrigerator after you've toasted the marshmallow creme, as well. Even if you're making the cupcakes in midwinter, they should still be stored in the refrigerator because the marshmallow fluff won't hold up too well at room temperature.

The cupcakes ought to last for at least three days in the fridge, but should be wrapped loosely in foil or plastic so the cake part doesn't dry out. To keep the wrapping material from sticking to the fluff, insert a toothpick into each cupcake so it can serve as a tiny "tent pole."

If you want to try freezing the cupcakes, it might be less messy to do this before you add the topping. If you do freeze frosted ones, though, you might find that the frozen marshmallow fluff reminds you of ice cream.

While this recipe calls for using a brûlée torch to toast the tops of the frosted cupcakes, you may not have one in your kitchen arsenal if you're not a frequent crème brûlée maker. In this case, you can do what Ina Garten does and use your broiler in place of a blowtorch. Before you do, make sure to position the top rack of the oven as high as it will go, then turn the oven to broil and let it preheat. While the oven is heating, don't let the cupcakes sit out on the counter. Instead, store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to broil them.

Once you start toasting the cupcakes, you'll need to keep an eye on them since the ones in the middle of the pan may turn brown before the ones on the outside. To prevent this, you could toast them in batches or rotate the pan as they cook to ensure a more even distribution of heat.

If you don't have any marshmallow fluff on hand or are just in a DIY mood, you can certainly make your own. In fact, there are several different ways to go about this. One way involves making a meringue-based frosting out of egg whites and sugar — preferably an Italian-style meringue instead of a Swiss one, as this type tends to be more stable. Even the easier-to-make Swiss-style meringue, though, might be less runny than store-bought marshmallow fluff, but French meringue won't work as substitute fluff since it's a bit too airy.

The shortcut way to make marshmallow fluff, however, starts with melting marshmallows and then mixing the sugary goo with either corn syrup or simple syrup. To make the amount called for in this recipe, you'll need a 16-ounce bag of marshmallows and 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of syrup. This type of homemade fluff could be even runnier than fluff from a jar, so you might want to plan on eating your cupcakes within a day or two. (A real hardship, we know.)