The Best Sweet and Salty PMS Cupcake Recipe

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A PMS Cupcake? Yuppers! This blend of salty goodness along with chocolaty decadence calls to the week a month in every woman’s life where you crave BOTH.

We used to make chocolate-dipped ruffled potato chips and call them PMS fantasies, always keeping a batch in the freezer – but these are SO much better at fulfilling that sweet and salty craving that hits every 4 weeks or so.

The Best Sweet & Salty PMS Cupcake Recipe

We worked hard on this delicate blend of both sweet chocolatey goodness and salty crispy crunchiness to create this gem and are beyond pleased at how it turned out. I have to tell you, the taste-testing was the worst part – but I suffered through it. Just for you …

Can you feel my sacrifice?

Does chocolate make PMS worse?

It is kind of a Catch-22. While a chocolate craving is pretty normal during this time, it isn’t really helpful for managing your actual PMS symptoms. Chocolate can elevate your prostaglandins level and you may experience more period cramping.

UGH – more cramps! They DO suggest you stick to DARKER chocolate and don’t overdo it – that is why these cupcakes are perfect: they help keep your chocolate consumption under portion control. Dark chocolate contains a ton of magnesium, which relaxes your muscles and eases aches to reduce the pain.

Who knew – right?

Why do we want salt during PMS?

Blame it on the hormones. A 2016 study suggests that changes in levels of hormones estrogen and progesterone cause cravings for high-carb and sweet foods before your period.

Now here is the thing about salt. Consuming lots of salt leads to water retention, which can result in bloating…So, your body hormones are leading you to crave a substance that is counter-productive to your actual physical needs.

Awesome.

Can PMS change your personality?

Here are my thoughts – if PMS symptoms include mood swings, irritability, anger, anxiety, tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and social withdrawal, etc – then it is OK to indulge in the cravings you have and placate all of those raging hormones.

Honestly, if it is thought that hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle (fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels) affect the mood of women and trigger negative emotions such as anger and irritability, who wants to deny themselves and end up like Lizzie Bordon?

Is PMS a legal defense?

I know that Lizzie got off but is it a real legal defense?

Premenstrual syndrome may be effective as an affirmative defense to a criminal charge if the defendant can show that (i) she was suffering from premenstrual syndrome at the time the crime was committed; and (ii) because of her condition, either that the criminal act was an involuntary act or that at the time of the criminal act she did not possess the mental state required by law for the commission of a crime.

Premenstrual syndrome has been successfully pleaded as a criminal defense in Great Britain but has not been tested in American criminal courts.

Huh. Who knew?

I’m not sure I want to test that though – so you better make sure to have this PMS Cupcake recipe on hand!

How do you store this PMS Cupcake Recipe?

Here is the thing – with the more futzy designs, I like to make them in advance of an event or get-together. The best way to usually store your finished creations? Room Temperature. Granted, they aren’t going to be around that long –a woman with serious PMS can take them out in two to three days… and if your family is “synched”? Stand Back.

You CAN make the bases in advance and freeze them. Let them come to room temperature when you are ready to decorate them.

I know this recipe starts with a boxed mix. It is Triple Chocolate and the closest I can come to a dark chocolate, craving reducing gem. If you want to make my chocolate cupcakes from scratch, you can get that recipe HERE.

You will need:

Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients:

• 1 box of Triple chocolate cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ¼ C water 
• ½ C canola oil 
• cupcake pan
• cupcake liners

Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Using a large bowl, beat together until combined the cake mix, eggs, water, and oil. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with the batter. Put them in the oven and bake for 22 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting ingredients:

• 1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
• 2 1/2 C powder sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream
• 1 large piping bag, fitted with a star tip

Frosting Directions:

Using a standing mixer, beat all ingredients together until combined, smooth and fluffy, but holds its shape. Scoop into the piping bag and set aside.

Sweet and salty brownies 

You will need:

• 1 box of chocolate fudge brownies 
• Eggs
• Water
• Oil 
• Mini pretzel twists 
• 9×13 baking pan 

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Follow the directions on the back of the brownie box and prepare the brownie batter. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Here is a video for box mix brownie hacks:

Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Building the PMS Cupcake Treat 

Cut brownies into squares. Pipe small dollops of frosting onto the brownies. Pile on broken mini pretzel twists.

Pipe a ring of frosting onto the top of the cupcake. Carefully place the brownie on top of the frosting.

Drizzle chocolate sauce on top and then plate them up!

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