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Smooth and creamy peanut butter wrapped in rich, sweet chocolate. This recipe is the thing dreams are made of!

Homemade peanut butter cups, stacked on each other. One with a bite taken out.

Stealing your kids candy? This Peanut Butter Cups Recipe is for you

I’m just going to own this fact: I am the mom that steals the peanut butter cups from her kids Halloween bag! It’s true, and I am not even ashamed! And this homemade peanut butter cup is better than anything you can buy at the store. 

Chocolate and peanut butter may quite possibly be the world’s best combination. I love it in all forms! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Pie, and even Peanut Butter Cheesecake. This is as good as it gets!

Candy making is one of those things that feels intimidating and a little overwhelming. But no fear, these peanut butter cups are dangerously easy to make! And they can be ready faster than it takes to go to the store!

Why You’ll Love this Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Here’s the deal – everyone knows the novelty shapes are the BEST Reese’s peanut butter cups. And for a long time I thought it was because they’re cuter? The reality is, they taste so much better because they are FRESH! You’ll love this copycat Reese’s peanut butter cup recipe because you get the delicious, fresh flavor of the Christmas tree cups without having to wait until Christmas. You can make them whenever. You. want. And spoiler alert? They’re even more delicious and a lot cheaper, too.

chocolate and peanut butter cups in a mini muffin pan

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Ingredients

  • Chocolate Chips- One of my favorite things about making homemade peanut butter cups is the fact that you can use quality chocolate. Feel free to use chocolate as inexpensive or as luxury as you want!
  • Butter
  • Creamy Peanut Butter- Any brand will do, but if you are looking for a more exact Reese’s peanut butter texture, try using natural peanut butter. It will give you that slightly grittier texture. 
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Vanilla
  • Salt
dipping chocolate chopped in front of an Instant Pot

How to make Peanut Butter Cups

How to Melt Chocolate in the Instant Pot 

Essentially, you’ll use your Instant Pot and a glass bowl to create a double boiler!  I use this all the time! 

Put about 2 cups of water into the liner of the Instant Pot. Turn the Instant Pot onto Sauté HIGH. Place a large glass bowl on top of the Instant Pot (as shown in the pictures). Add chocolate to the bowl and stir while the chocolate melts. 

Steps to Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

  1. Using and electric mixer, combine the butter and peanut butter and mix until smooth.
  2. Add in the powdered sugar. Start with 1 cup, then add the last half cup 1 tablespoon at a time until the peanut butter has a cookie dough consistency.
  3. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (Or the Instant Pot! See my note above!)
  4. Line a mini muffin pan with liners. Spoon a small amount of chocolate to the bottom of each liner. Tap the muffin tin on the counter until the chocolate has spread evenly on the bottom of the liners.
chocolate on the bottom of the muffin liner with peanut butter balls on top

5. Roll small portions of peanut butter into balls and place them in the liners. 

6. Using either a spoon or a piping bag, pour melted chocolate over the peanut butter, again, tapping the pan to remove any air bubbles and to flatten the tops of the chocolate. 

7. Place the muffin tin in the fridge until the chocolate sets. 

Finished peanut butter cups, in the pan still.

It is easy to make these peanut butter cups in mass, for Christmas gifts…or you know…weekends. 😉

Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups FAQs

Why does my chocolate not harden?

This is probably because it got too hot while melting! Try to keep your melted chocolate under 90° to insure that it will still harden nicely. 

What is the ratio for peanut butter cups?

I like my peanut butter cups to be about 75% delicious peanut butter filling and 25% creamy chocolate exterior. But the best part about making them yourself is YOU get to decide what the perfect peanut butter cup ratio is for you! Feel free to experiment until you find your ultimate combo.

Peanut Butter Cup Recipe storage

I personally like them chilled, but this isn’t necessary. Once the chocolate has set, you can put the Peanut butter cups into an air tight container and leave them at room temp. 

You can also freeze the peanut butter cups to make them last up to 3 months!

Pin image for peanut butter cups recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Smooth and creamy peanut butter wrapped in rich, sweet chocolate. This recipe is the thing dreams are made of!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
chill time: 1 hour
Servings: 24 cups

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 24 mini muffin liners

Instructions 

  • Using a stand or electric mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, vanilla and salt until smooth.
  • Add in the powdered sugar (1 cup to start) and mix until it has the consistency of a thick cookie dough. Add in the extra half cup little by little until you have the right consistency.
  • Melt your chocolate chips using the microwave (30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until smooth) or with a double boiler.
  • line a 24 mini muffin pan with the muffin liners.
  • Spoon a small amount of chocolate into the bottom of each liner. Tap the bottom of the pan onto the counter until the chocolate has spread to the bottom of the muffin liner.
  • Roll a small portion of the peanut butter into a ball and place in to each muffin liner.
  • Either spoon or squeeze the melted chocolate over top of the peanut butter balls, again tapping the pan to remove air bubbles and flatten the tops of the chocolate.
  • Place in the fridge until the chocolate has set.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Karli Bitner

This blog is a little glimpse into my kitchen, family & life. I hope you’ll giggle the days away with me and enjoy the craziness that goes on at my house. If you are Cookie obsessed like I am, check out my Sister Site, Cookies for Days.

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3 Comments

  1. I’m excited to try this recipe! Do semi sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chocolate chips give you that Reese’s chocolate taste?

  2. 5 stars
    Holy smoke, I am in great danger of losing any self-control I might ever have had with these things in front of me. Just delicious. I used a mix of several stashes of dark chocolate, Trader Joe’s crunchy PB. Thank you very very much!