Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
115 comments » 
As a kid, Easter Sunday always fell very closely behind Halloween when it came to raking in the candy loot. In some ways, it was actually better. Sure, on Halloween you got candy in quantity. However, Easter was definitely all about the quality. Let’s face it – without fail, someone always ended up with a box of Nerds, or raisins, or some other type of unsavory candy on Halloween night. Some of us may have tried to goad their younger sibling into a trade. (Sometimes parents acted as commissioners, intervening to veto the trade.) These things just didn’t happen with the Easter basket, thanks to the Easter bunny being tight with Santa. The bunny knew what kind of candy you liked and you always got the good stuff. For me, the good stuff meant peanut butter eggs (this is shocking news, I know). If there was just one thing in my basket, and it was a peanut butter egg, I would be in my glory. All these years later, I still can’t shake my affinity for them. Since I already tackled homemade peanut butter cups, I decided this Easter would be the year for homemade peanut butter eggs. I don’t think I’ll ever go back!
Let’s break down these peanut butter eggs…
6 ingredients.
1 pot + 1 bowl. Wooden spoon + cookie scoop. 1 baking sheet + 1 piece of wax paper.
1 hour.
There are days that it would take me longer to work up the effort to actually go to the store to buy Reese’s eggs than it would take to just make them myself. I’ve loved tackling homemade versions of treats that I have always eaten from a wrapper; it’s incredibly satisfying to know exactly what I’m eating, and that I’m not using any crazy preservatives or chemicals.
Whether you put them in someone’s Easter basket on Sunday, or share them on a dessert platter, you just have to make these peanut butter eggs this week! They’re too easy and too cute not to. I am planning to put them in individual cellophane treat bags, tie with a ribbon, and place in a basket so everyone can grab one on their way out the door on Sunday. No matter how much we eat, there’s always room for a treat on the car ride home! Right? Or is that just me? 
One year ago: Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
Two years ago: Italian Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
Yield: About 15 eggs
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1¼ cups powdered sugar
2 cups milk chocolate chips (or 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped)
2 tablespoons vegetable shorteningDirections:
1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until completely melted and starting to bubble a little, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add the powdered sugar a ¼ cup at a time, stirring until completely combined with the peanut butter mixture after each addition. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
3. Using a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, scoop out peanut butter mixture and shape into eggs. I found it easiest to roll the scoop into a ball, and then roll it into a short cylinder. I placed it on the baking sheet, and then used my fingers to shape the ends into an egg-like oval. Refrigerate to allow the peanut butter eggs to set, about 30 minutes.
4. Once the peanut butter eggs are set, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted. One at a time, dip a peanut butter egg into the chocolate and, using a fork, flip it over so it is completely covered. Remove it from the bowl, letting any excess chocolate drip off. Return it to the baking sheet, and repeat with all of the peanut butter eggs. Sprinkle with decorations, if desired. Return the chocolate-covered peanut butter eggs to the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to set, about 30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to serve.
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These look delicious!!
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Pat Thompson on April 7th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
These are easy to make. Fun to decorate and delicious to eat! Thanks for another wonderful recipe BEB!
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Is there any substituion for the shortening? Or do you think I could omit it if I’m using the semi-sweet baking bars? Thanks for another great recipe!
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Averie @ Averie Cooks on April 3rd, 2012 at 12:57 am
Not Michelle but in my experience, the shortening will help keep the chocolate smoother and “thinner” so that you don’t end up with a big “wad” of chocolate around each egg. It keeps the chocolate layer to a more manageable size and keeps it from building up too much when dipping anything from truffles to cake pops but a thick layer of chocolate, i.e. no shortening, never hurt anyone
Just sharing my personal experience on that one.
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Lorraine on April 3rd, 2012 at 10:14 pm
The shortening also helps the chocolate “set”. I never leave it out!
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Melissa on April 7th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
If you add a big heaping spoon of peanut butter instead of shortening, it adds to the flavor, and produces the same result as the shortening. I did this with the bars, and it was fantastic!
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katie on April 3rd, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Yep a great substitute for shortening is wax believe it or not. make sure it’s food grade wax. my mom and i made these the other day and without the wax, our first batch didn’t harden as fast, were not as shiny, and the chocolate was harder to manage.
for a half bag of large chocolate chips, i’d put in what would be about 1.5 tbsp.
hope this helps!
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Hi E, I would not omit the shortening. I find it essential when melting chocolate for dipping or coating. It really keeps the chocolate thin and from clumping up.
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E on April 5th, 2012 at 2:15 am
Thanks everyone for your input and help!
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Kim Tutin on April 7th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
Hi Michelle, first Happy Easter to you and your family!
If you don’t have the say Crisco shortening (in the can or sticks) can you substitute with liquid vegetable oil? Thanks, Kim
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Katy on April 7th, 2012 at 9:03 pm
No, but butter (not margarine) or coconut oil will work. Vegetable oil might not help the chocolate set, since it’s a liquid at room temp, whereas the others are solids. Hope that helps!
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Hi Kim, I would recommend coconut oil. And Happy Easter to you as well!
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Jenna on April 8th, 2012 at 1:12 am
I didn’t put the shortening in mine cause i don’t much care for it and they turned out just fine.
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Mel on March 7th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Use palm shortening, much healthier.
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amy on March 14th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
You can you parafin wax instead of shortening when dipping chocolate. It keeps the chocolate from melting in your fingers, and keeps the chocolate thin and smooth.
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Your eggs look delish! They do double-duty of being a great Easter treat AND you posted them on Natl PB&J day. You could dip them in a side of jelly…Lol
Seriously they’re perfect and I love making at-home PB Cups..better than storebought!
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These remind me of the peanut butter balls I make for Christmas. Yours look so festive!
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Like Kristen, these remind me of the peanut butter balls, I used to make at Christmas time. I love the idea of this Easter egg alternative!
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You had me at peanut butter and chocolate…!
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I am lost for words! I want these! That is all.
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These are so cute!
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These look perfect!!!
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Amazing! My Husband was walking past and saw the screen and just begged me to make these for him!! He LOVES Peanut Butter (and so do the kids!) so think I’ll have to whip up a batch!
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Oh man, these look fantastic!! Well done – dangerous to keep around, though
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These are lovely! I love the look of them!
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Only seeing that peanut butter color there in the middle I drool! They look so lovely!
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These look delicious! What a great Easter chocolate gift idea
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Yum! I have seen peanut butter chocolate around the blog world but haven’t made it because, well I have an peanut butter addiction, but since it is Easter I am going to make these. But stupid question, is shortening, Crisco?
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Amber R R on April 3rd, 2012 at 9:25 am
Actually Crisco is a Brand of Shortening.
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
Not a stupid question! Yes, vegetable shortening would be Crisco.
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Divine! I’m so trying these. I live for Reese’s peanut butter eggs!!
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Completely adorable! They wouldn’t stand a chance at lasting here
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Mmmmmm YES! Peanut butter eggs are my FAVORITE easter candy! I am so happy you posted this, THANK YOU!
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Will you marry me? I love your recipes thank you so much for sharing these I am going to make them as a little favor for Easter
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Yay! These are my husband’s favorites. I love everything peanut butter and chocolate as well, but I’m not traditionally a candy person. You did a great job; these are beautiful!
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These look wonderful! Who knew they would be so easy to make?
I have 2 questions. 1: I use natural peanut butter normally (the kind you have to stir before using and then keep in the fridge). Do you think that would work or shoud I buy whipped peanut butter? 2: Are these as peanut-buttery as Reese’s? I find that most homemade peanut butter eggs just don’t have the peanut butter intensity that Reese’s do. We REALLY love peanut butter at our house.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
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Chris on April 3rd, 2012 at 2:41 pm
I’d like to know, also, about natural peanut butter vs. regular…so I searched the peanut butter cup BAR recipe comments. Many seem to have successfully used natural peanut butter so I’m going to give it a try here! Please comment ‘back’ if you try it!
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Hi Ashley, I would not use the natural peanut butter that needs to be stirred and refrigerated – it would be too oily for this. You could, however, use the no-stir variety that is kept in the pantry (JIF and Skippy make versions of this). And to answer your second question – I do think these are very peanut butter-y!
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Ashley on April 6th, 2012 at 8:33 pm
I made them with the natural Jif and they turned out perfectly! They are delicious, super peanut-ty! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
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Jenna on April 8th, 2012 at 1:24 am
Win-Dixi has Reese’s brand peanut butter and after adding all the ingredients that the recipe called for i think the peanut butter filling tasted just like the filling in the store bought Reese’s eggs.
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I love treats that look like they were way more difficult to make than they actually are. The secret is not to tell anyone how easy they are, so they can think you slaved all day and conquered some culinary feat!
.. or is that just me?
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Having this recipe is trouble!! Yikes…I LOVE Reese’s!
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holy moly
these are good! Just finished them up and I can not wait for Rob to get home he is going to fall in love with me all over 
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Yay!! I’m betting the Easter Bunny at this house is going to bring lots of these little goodies for my kids!
Bonus they can be made after they go to bed Saturday night!
Thank you for the recipe Michelle!
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Peanut butter eggs are my favorite! I’m so drooling over these.
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yum!
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I think I just died and went to heaven! These are my ALL TIME favourite Easter treats! Now I can make them at home, awesome!
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Have been wanting to make something similar with white baking chips since I’m allergic to chocolate. This gave me just the push I needed to get in the kitchen and do it.
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I wonder if you could use nutella or almond butter instead of PB. just curious. I love me some PB and chocolate.
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
I definitely think you could!
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Erin B on April 4th, 2012 at 2:20 pm
I made the cups with nutella on the inside and a mix of dark chocolate and cinnamon chips on the outside. yummm!
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I love these! They are one of my all time favorite treats! Your dipping looks amazing! Mine never look this pretty!
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Nicely done! We adore chocolate-covered peanut butter in all shapes and sizes. But the bigger, the better
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These look absolutely perfect and scrumptious! One of my favorite Easter treats!
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I have never made my own Reese’s eggs, however I am all about trying this as they look just as good if not better than the original!
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Would chunky peanut butter mess it up? I accidentally bought a jar and no one will eat it. I thought if it was in a candy who could say no?!?!
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Hi Corynn, Good question! I think chunky peanut butter would work just fine! You’ll just have crunchy peanut butter eggs
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Wow! These are just perfect! My Reese’s peanut butter cup gene has activated and is urging me on to make these! Bet they are so much better!
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Can’t wait to make these with my children this weekend with soynut butter, since they are allergic to peanut butter. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
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Can’t wait to try this. Yum!
Also, anytime I try to share your recipes via Twitter (through your share buttons) I always get an error… just FYI.
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Hi Joy, Thank you for the heads up! I will look into it.
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I love all your recipes, yet rarely comment. However, seeing this post I couldn’t help but wonder if we are somehow related. I love peanut butter eggs! You are my hero.
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This is my very favorite candy of all time! I buy the hearts around Valentine’s Day to last me until Easter and then I load up on the eggs
Your homemade take looks perfect!!
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Would butter or lard work instead of the veg shortening? These look delicious!
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Hi Autumn, I would use lard, not butter.
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Your photographs are excellent! The eggs look delicious.
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i think Easter has way better candy than Halloween. Mini Eggs are my all time favorite candy ever but I think if I make these I will be changing my story. YUM!
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good lord! I need these now!…but my hips certainly don’t. ;D
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one word amazing i will never buy a reese cup again
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I am totally making these! Thanks for the recipe. My husband is a peanut butter egg freak. :0) How long do these typically last in the ‘fridge?
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Michelle on April 4th, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Hi Christy, I would say a couple of weeks, as long as they are stored in an airtight container.
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I made these last night and they’re SO yummy! Thanks for sharing!
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thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! i love anything reese’s and jumped at the chance to make my own (especially since i would get to lick the bowl!). i made them last night and they absolutely taste like reese’s! i even used reduced fat peanut butter (all i had on hand) which didn’t seem to affect the taste at all. instead of using shortening, i drizzled the chocolate chips with vegetable oil before melting. can’t wait to share these family and friends!
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I made these today, they are very easy to make, I had a hard time dipping them in the chocolate, my fork kept getting away from me and there was a quite a bit of excess on the wax paper on it. I am hoping I can chip those off so they look prettier, all and all these was a really positive experience, I just have to learn to dip better!
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Can I sub semi-sweet mini chocolate chips? That’s all I have!
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Michelle on April 6th, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Yes, definitely!
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These look so tasty! I’ve always loved peanut butter eggs and wanted to find a recipe this week, so THANK YOU for posting. I’m wondering if I can substitute sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) for the peanut butter for my son with nut allergies. Sunbutter is really tasty, I can’t imagine why I couldn’t swap it out. Happy Easter!
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Michelle on April 6th, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Hi Margaret, Yes, I definitely think you could use sunbutter in place of peanut butter here.
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Has anyone tried this with dark chocolate?
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What a great recipe! I made mine with natural peanut butter and they came out fine — they were a little soft and spread out at first, so after I refrigerated, I just reformed them (like playdough) into a thicker egg shape. I ended up with a TON of leftover chocolate. Next time, I’d probably make it with only one cup of chocolate chips and on T of coconut oil (I didn’t have shortening). Thanks for posting!
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Was just wondering if you have come across a recipe with the following ingredients : peanutbutter, sweetened condensed milk, confectioners’ sugar & chocolate chips (I believe that is all). Mix all together and then roll into balls. I had the recipe but can not find it. Didn’t know if you had anything like this, for exact measurements.Thanks
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Oooh I haven not, but that sounds great, I will be on the hunt!
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Not sure what I did wrong. The eggs wldnt stay on the forks. Seems when the chocolate hit it, it became too soft and fell off. Nothing worked as a dipping method. So I decided to pour it of the eggs. Can’t say they’re the prettiest since when I chipped away some if the edges, it took too much off and exposed the peanut butter. What did I do wrong??
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Michelle on April 9th, 2012 at 1:17 pm
Hi Stac, Did you actually pierce the eggs with the fork? You really just use the fork to push it around; I drop the egg in the chocolate, use a fork to flip it over (but don’t actually stab the egg with the fork) and then lift it out almost like a forklift (the fork stays flat and you just scoop underneath the egg to lift it, letting the excess chocolate drip off between the tines). I hope that makes sense!
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I was wondering if you have come across a recipe with the following ingredients : peanutbutter, sweetened condensed milk, confectioners’ sugar & chocolate chips (I believe that is all). I had the recipe but can not find it. I didn’t know if you had anything like this. Basically all I need is exact measurements. Thanks! Happy Easter!
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I just finished making these and almost didn’t want to let them cool down before trying one. They turned out so good and i used the leftover chocolate to draw little designs on top the eggs that I didn’t put sprinkles on. Soooo happy with this recipe!!!
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These treats look so charming and sweet, I just had to make them for my family Easter dinner which was on Friday. Everyone loved them and I’ll be making them for years to come! I’ll be writing about these on my blog, with a link back to yours, of course. Thank you for sharing! Mar
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made these today! THANK YOU for the recipe, they turned out wonderful!!!
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….oh and I want to try making them with white chocolate next time!
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I made these to bring to my in-laws for Easter and they were a huge hit! I should have made 2 batches, because the adults were fighting the kids off of them. Everyone loved them. Another great one – thanks!!
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Okay, so I made these for Easter – I found out at the last minute I didn’t have milk chocolate, so I had to use semisweet. I would tell you how they turned out, but I didn’t even get one. They were gone by the time I got to the plate. I think that’s a pretty good indication that they were yummy.
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I made these eggs with dark chocolate instead of the milk chocolate and they were absolutely delicious! My husband was really wowed by them. Thanks for a great recipe!
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These were yummy and SO easy, though mine weren’t as pretty as yours. Also, I think I might not have cooked it long (or slowly) enough because the sugar stayed a little grainy.
Enjoy your posts!!
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I made these at Easter and they were a hit. My brother even said that Reese’s should be worried! Mine were not as pretty as yours. I had the same problem as another post mentioned….the pb mixture kept falling apart as I tried to coat them. It was more like they were melting…maybe I should have kept them in the refrigerator longer?? Today I am going to try your pb cups! I can’t wait! Thanks for sharing.
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Michelle on June 4th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Hi Sue, If they were cold from the fridge, they shouldn’t fall apart. If you notice they are too soft to dip, I would pop them in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes before trying again. Also, did you use natural peanut butter? If so, that could cause them to stay soft.
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I am going to make these today!! My son is allergic to peanuts so I can’t buy the actual Reese’s eggs but I am going to sub soy butter…it’s what we use for a pb replacement, I use it in anything that calls for pb. YUM!! Thanks for the recipe!
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These were amazing. I almost wish I had made them smaller. They are so rich. I am just wondering what to do with all my leftover chocolate??
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Melinda on March 29th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
I made choc covered pretzels with the little pretzels. = )
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I love “gritty” PB eggs! These are da bomb!! I added 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to make it less sweet, like a Reese cup. This recipe is a keeper! I’ve tried 4 recipes from this blog and so far they have all been hits!
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Do these have to be kept in the refrigerator?? Will they go bad?
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Michelle on March 26th, 2013 at 12:17 am
No, they don’t. Unless your kitchen is really warm or humid, in which case the chocolate could get soft and melty.
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What do u do to get them not to stick to your hands when rolling?
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Michelle on March 28th, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Hi Tonya, I didn’t really have an issue with them sticking too much to my hands. You could always coat your hands in a light dusting of powdered sugar.
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Does the recipe need to be altered if i want to dip them in white chocolate?
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Michelle on March 28th, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Nope, not at all! Enjoy!
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I made these last year and LOVED them! This year, I found out that my son is lactose intolerant, so I tried to modify the recipe to work around the food sensitivity. I was really nervous about changing the recipe, but they are wonderful! I used Smart Balance Light instead of butter, and melting chocolate that does not contain milk. I followed the directions exactly, and they turned out great! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
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I plan to make these delicious-looking eggs today, but I didn’t see anywhere in anyone’s comments what the very cute decorations were that you used for the tops….
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Michelle on March 28th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Hi Bonnie, I just used some spring-themed sprinkles that I got at the grocery store
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Awesome recipe! I’m planning to make this on Easter Sunday.
I’m just confused, and I wanna make sure I’ll be doing the right thing. Do I really need to mixed the peanut butter with brown sugar and powdered sugar? It’s already sweet. @_@
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Michelle on March 28th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Hi Charlyn, Yes, you need those to achieve the right consistency (and flavor!).
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Hi Michelle, I made these last year and they were very good. However, I found them a little too sweet. I found a similar recipe that didn’t have the brown sugar and instead added about a teaspoon of salt, which brought it closer in taste to a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Your pictures of these, however, are second to none!
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I made this last year, came out great! I just made them again and the pb filling is a little gritty- what did I do wrong? Did I cook the pb, sugar mixture too long or not long enough?
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Michelle on March 30th, 2013 at 5:24 pm
Hi Melinda, It could have to do with not cooking it long enough.
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Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs | Brown Eyed Baker
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I made these for my mom as an Easter gift (Reese’s Eggs are her favorite!) and she loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
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