This mouthwatering recipe for peanut butter cups will turn your kitchen into a fun candy factory!
Soft layers of chocolate surrounding a creamy peanut butter center make the best flavor combo of all time!
This homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups treat will beat out the store-bought version every time!
DIY Peanut Butter Cups
- No bake recipe! With just three simple ingredients and no baking, this peanut butter cups recipe is easy to make, and a fun activity for the kids.
- Customizable! Homemade peanut butter cups enable you to use good quality or even gourmet chocolate, and all-natural ingredients. You can also alter the sweet and salty profile to your liking. Alternate ingredients or nut butter can be introduced according to your taste or dietary needs.
- Make it healthy! Use dark chocolate for health. Sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, or monk fruit instead of sugar will lower calories while appealing to keto dieters.
3 Ingredient Recipe!
Chocolate – Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or good quality light or dark chocolate. Milk chocolate candy melts give reliably soft bites. Ghirardelli, Godiva, or Lindt are on the gourmet spectrum and easy to find in most grocery stores.
Peanut butter – Try natural, smooth, chunky, or somewhere in between. Be aware that brands like Jiff already have sugar and oil, so adjust your sugar to taste. If your store offers peanut grinding, then try different textures. Or, use your favorite nut butter. Almond and cashew butter are both good choices, especially for peanut allergies.
Sweetener – Powdered confectioners sugar contains cornstarch, which will help the peanut or nut butter to solidify, especially if you are using a natural version. If using a sugar-free sweetener, you will probably need to add a bit of cornstarch to compensate.
Peanut Butter Cup Variations
- Sprinkle some kosher salt crystals on the top, chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, or any of your favorite toppings.
- Make milk, semisweet, and dark chocolate peanut butter cups to please every palate. Or, use dark and light (or even white!) chocolate in alternate layers.
- Add some crunch by sprinkling in some crushed Oreos or Rice Krispies in between the layers, much like these peanut butter Rice Krispie treats, or dip the chilled cups in Magic Shell.
- Use candy molds to make bite-sized mini peanut butter cups.
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Just three ingredients and no baking are required here!
- Mix peanut butter with powdered sugar and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate (per recipe below).
- Pour melted chocolate into the bottom of each liner and spread it up the sides. Chill until hardened.
- Add the peanut butter layer and press to flatten, then chill.
- Top with the remaining melted chocolate and toppings of choice. Tap the pan to flatten the top layer, and chill until hardened and set.
Tips for Success
To prevent the layers from mixing, don’t rush the chilling steps.
Use caution when melting chocolate in the microwave. It can become dry and clumpy, so remove and stir it often. Or, use gentle double boiler heat and remove from the water bath when there are still a few chunks remaining that will melt with the retained heat.
Tap, (or thump, if you have to!) the pan to flatten each layer. To give dark and semisweet chocolate a softer bite, add a little oil during the melting phase.
To firm up loose nut butter, add extra confectioner sugar, which includes corn starch as a thickener.
Store up to two weeks in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
Other Delish Hand Held Desserts!
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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a muffin tin with 6 liners (or you can use a chocolate mold).
- Melt chocolate chips, in a microwave safe bowl, at 30-second intervals until melted, stirring in between.
- Drop a tablespoon of melted chocolate into each muffin liner and drag the chocolate up the sides of the liner with a spoon. Place in the fridge to set.
- Meanwhile, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Scoop 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter mixture into each chocolate shell and press down to fill. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Top peanut butter cups with the remaining melted chocolate. Tap the muffin tin to level out the chocolate. Place back in the fridge and allow to fully set, about an hour.
Notes
- Melt chocolate in the microwave using short intervals. Or use a gentle double boiler instead.
- Add a bit extra confectioner sugar to firm up the nut butter.
- Refrigerate homemade peanut butter cups for up to two weeks, or up to three months in the freezer. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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This might sound dumb, but how much is 2 sticks of butter? Can’t wait to try the recipe!