Does Honey Barbecue Sauce Belong In Chocolate Cupcakes? Sweet Baby Ray's Thinks So

Yup, you read that right: We're talking about a bottle of classic barbecue sauce, used as the filling inside box mix-made chocolate cupcakes. Or at least, that's what Sweet Baby Ray's, arguably one of the best barbecue sauce brands, recommends in a recipe posted on its website. To be fair, though, the company might just think barbecue sauce goes well with everything — so does this flavor combo actually work?

Chocolate has quite a lot of versatility when it comes to flavor pairings, and contrasting choices can often help bring out the deeper notes of the chocolate itself. And as it turns out, Sweet Baby Ray's recipe actually isn't the only one online for BBQ cupcakes, so it's possible this wasn't entirely a shot in the dark. People who have tested this out say the slight spiciness of the sauce adds complexity to the flavor of the cupcake in the same way that adding spices like cinnamon or cayenne directly might. This works especially if you go for a sauce on the sweeter side (like honey barbecue), because the combination likely won't be that jarring — although the thick texture of biting into a glob of sauce might be. And we should note that other recipes typically incorporate a couple tablespoons of sauce into the batter rather than using it straight as a filling. The picture on Sweet Baby Ray's website also shows a drizzle of barbecue sauce on top of the cream cheese-frosted cupcake. You do you, but if you ask us, that might be pushing it.

In the recipe that Sweet Baby Ray's has posted on its site, the company specifically recommends using a bottle of its honey barbecue sauce. The brand also has Hawaiian, buffalo, golden mustard, and more flavors, but unless you're really going with a savory vibe, we'd recommend sticking to the sweeter stuff. And if you really are going to fill the cakes with a dollop of straight-up BBQ sauce — without it being an April Fool's Day prank — it might be a good idea to label the tray so that no unsuspecting snackers are caught off-guard.

Leaning into this idea can definitely be fun, though. If you're looking for something creative to bring to a barbecue to actually impress your friends, whether it's for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, the idea is certainly all-American — especially if you top the cupcakes with bits of crispy bacon like Sweet Baby Ray's recommends. If you're willing to fully commit to the bit, try piping little "grills" out of melted chocolate and putting them on top of your frosted cupcakes to give them a barbecue-themed look. But if you change your mind about serving your friends a dollop of this savory sauce hidden within a chocolatey, cakey shell, use the barbecue sauce you bought to add a punch of flavor to chili and bring that to share instead.