Homemade peanut butter cups are rich, creamy, and so easy to make. A smooth, chocolatey shell and a sweet, salty peanut butter filling make this 3-ingredient treat irresistibly simple and delicious.
Holly’s Peanut Perfect Highlights
- Flavor: This recipe combines smooth, creamy peanut butter with semi-sweet chocolate for a perfect balance of salty and sweet.
- Difficulty: No-bake recipe! With just three simple ingredients and no baking, this peanut butter cup recipe is easy to make and a fun activity for the kids.
- Time-Saving Tip: Use silicone molds for quick release and cleanup.
- Swaps: Try almond or cashew butter or white or dark chocolate for a twist.
Spoonfuls of Sweet Ingredients
- Chocolate: Use semi-sweet chocolate chips or any good-quality light or dark chocolate. Milk chocolate candy melts give soft, melt-in-your-mouth bites, and brands like Ghirardelli, Godiva, or Lindt are fancy but easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Peanut butter: Try natural, smooth, chunky, or somewhere in between. Brands like Jiff already have sugar and oil, so adjust your sugar to taste if needed. Or, use your favorite nut butter. Almond and cashew butter are both good choices, especially for peanut allergies.
- Sweetener: Powdered sugar contains cornstarch that helps peanut or other nut butters firm up, especially if you’re using a natural kind. If you go sugar-free, just add a touch of cornstarch to get the same result.
How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
- Mix peanut butter with powdered sugar and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate (full recipe below).
- Pour melted chocolate into the bottom of each liner and spread it up the sides. Chill.
- Add the peanut butter layer and press to flatten, then chill.
- Top with the remaining melted chocolate. Tap the pan to flatten the top layer, and chill.
Peanut Butter Cup Shortcuts
- To prevent the layers from mixing, don’t rush the chilling steps.
- Be careful when melting chocolate in the microwave; it can get dry and clumpy if you’re not watching it. Stir often, or use a gentle double boiler and take it off the heat while a few chunks remain so they melt perfectly with the residual warmth.
- 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’s 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!
Did you make these Homemade Peanut Butter Cups? Leave a rating and comment below.
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Nothing is better than these sweet and salty homemade peanut butter cups to curb that sweet-tooth craving.
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, for 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
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©The Shortcut Kitchen. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
REPIN this Homemade Peanut Butter Cups recipe!
This might sound dumb, but how much is 2 sticks of butter? Can’t wait to try the recipe!