Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
A homemade version of Reese’s peanut butter cups. This easy recipe comes together quickly and is great for gifting or stashing in your freezer!
There is absolutely no question about where my heart lies when it comes to candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s Pieces are it for me. Reese’s cups were my favorite Halloween candy as a kid, so it’s only natural that I immediately cozy up to recipes that merge together two of my favorite ingredients – chocolate and peanut butter.
Over seven years ago, a reader of mine, Lissa, shared this peanut butter filling recipe with me, citing that she used it as a base for peanut butter bars. At the time, I already had a go-to recipe for peanut butter bars, but what she sent me sounded like a perfect filling for homemade peanut butter cups. After doing some testing, I discovered that it really WAS a perfect recreation of Reese’s peanut butter cup filling.
Behold! The most amazing homemade peanut butter cups – super easy and a great project to do with kids!
How Do You Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups?
They’re super easy and just require a few steps!
First up, you mix melt together peanut butter, butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until bubbling, then take it off the heat and add the powdered sugar a little at a time until it’s completely absorbed, then set it aside to room temperature.
Meanwhile, melt milk chocolate together with vegetable shortening and line the muffin cups with some of the chocolate. Scoop balls of the peanut butter filling and press into a patty, then place on top of the chocolate in the muffin cups. Top with more of the melted chocolate and chill until set.
That’s it!
I’ve seen some people use a pastry brush to brush the sides of the cups with the melted chocolate so you don’t have any little naked spots on the sides, but I’ve never had an issue with glaring open spots, so I’ve never done this.
But consider it an option!
Substitutions for Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
This is my all-time favorite version of peanut butter cups (peanut butter + milk chocolate), but there are tons of variations you can try. Some ideas:
- Substitute semisweet or dark chocolate for the milk chocolate.
- Substitute almond, cashew or another nut butter for the peanut butter.
- You can use chocolate chips instead of the the chopped chocolate.
- You can substitute refined coconut oil for the vegetable shortening.
If you are a fellow chocolate and peanut butter lover, then homemade peanut butter cups are a must in your kitchen!
They make a fantastic gift for Halloween or Christmas, a great addition to cookie trays, and are also perfect for stashing in your freezer for peanut butter cup emergencies (because I’m fairly certain that’s an actual thing, right?).
If You Like Peanut Butter Cups, Try These:
- Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs
- Peanut Butter Buckeyes
- Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Overload Cake
- Buckeye Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- The Best Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
Four years ago: Bacon Jam
Five years ago: Ricotta Cake with Fresh Berries
Six years ago: Tamale Pie
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 1¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped (or substitute milk chocolate chips)
- ¼ cup (51.25 g) vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Line a baking with parchment paper; set aside.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, until completely melted, stirring after each burst.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a couple of teaspoons, spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
- Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop out the peanut butter mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk. Place on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once finished with all of the peanut butter mixture, refrigerate both the muffin tins and the peanut butter patties for about 30 minutes.
- Place a peanut butter patty on top of each chocolate-lined muffin tin. Then use a scoop or spoon to add more melted chocolate on top and around each peanut butter patty. (If the melted chocolate firmed up, just pop it back into the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds or so to re-melt.)
- Refrigerate again for 30 minutes, then they're ready to serve! Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can keep at room temperature in an airtight container if you're going to serve them the same day, but they'll start to get soft if not at cool room temperature.
Notes
- You can substitute milk chocolate chips for the chopped milk chocolate.
- You can substitute refined coconut oil for the vegetable shortening.
- You use different nut butters, I recommend using "processed" versions; the "natural" version of nut butters will be too oily for the filling.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on August 2, 2011.
[photos by Whitney Wright]
I like to keep recipes ( blogs) that my family dearly loves handy on my desktop so I can refer to them easily when shopping for ingredients & cooking, after all time is of the essence. It would be nice if all bloggers put their recipes in the same place (beginning, end/top or bottom) so that we can access them faster. It never fails, I waste valuable minutes scrolling up & down the blog trying to find it. If any other moms have an solutions, I am all Micky Mouse EARS! Thankksss !!!
Hi Diana, At the very top of every single one of my posts, right underneath the big title, is a button that says “skip to recipe” – click it and you will be magically transported right to the recipe. Works every time! :)
I love peanut butter cups! The perfect treat!
Hi Michelle! What do you think of using this peanut butter filling for a homemade pop tart?
That sounds seriously AMAZZZZZZZZING.
Wow this is looking so super delicious, thank you for sharing your blog
I too am a peanut butter and chocolate FREAK…but I have to have dark chocolate! I have made this recipe with dark chocolate and absolutely adore it! So easy and delish! It makes it into my Christmas Cookie rotation regularly :)
Yum! I’m putting this on the To-Make list for my girls and me. Along with the homemade crunch bars, coconut cups, and chocolate-covered potato chips suggested at the bottom of the post. I’ve really got to get stay this site when I’m hungry, lol.
How long might these store in the fridge?
Hi Lauren, They would keep for awhile, I’d say a month.
Could I use butter with the chocolate chips in place of shortening.
I tried to email this recipe and was sent to the comments.
Hmm I just tried it, and the email button worked just fine for me. Try refreshing the page and doing it again?
Hello,
Can I substitute butter for the shortening. I have none :(
Hi Michelle:
I know that this question was probably asked already, but I am still unsure.
–>Could you replace the shortening with vegetable oil or butter?
–>What is the difference between butter, vegetable oil, shortening in melted chocolate?
–>Also, I have read about tempering to give the chocolate that nice “snap” when you bite into it. Would the shortening give it that “snap” or can you only get that from the tempering process?
–> Does the shortening help prevent melting in the finished product and give it a nice texture?
–> Also what is the purpose of the butter in the peanut butter filling?
These look wonderful! I am wondering whether anyone has tried it with natural peanut butter (without stirring in the oil)? Also, has anyone tried them with coconut oil instead of shortening? I have some I need to use up. It has a hint of coconut flavor, but it isn’t strong.
Oops! I now see you mentioned the coconut oil in an earlier comment/question. Sorry about that part! Any thoughts on the natural PB would be greatly appreciated.
Hi JC, I haven’t tried these with natural PB, although I generally find it to be too oily for general baking.
If you store your natural peanut butter upside down the oil on the top doesn’t happen. The peanut butter is ‘loose’ compared to ‘Jiffy’ but I may give it a whirl because that is what we use.
The peanut butter is ‘encapsulated’ in the chocolate so if it runs when you eat it, well… eat it quickly!:-) which will likely happen anyway:-))
Reese is a fav of mine and husband has major love for. Question: Do you use regular milk choco chips (like Chip Its) or do you use couverture milk chocolate to melt? Thanks for the help :)
Hi Jackie, I have used both; either will work just fine.
You answers are always so quick. Thank you for that. I went ‘economy’ and used ChipIts… worked fine. I used the filling from your Peanut Butter Cup Bars for that true Reese ‘grit’ feel. Mouthwatering, I had to put them all right in the freezer to be smashed the next day for your Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. Devine!
FYI: When writing a recipe, the ingredients are written IN ORDER OF USE to make the recipe easier to read and follow. If ingredients are jumbled, it is too easy to omit that item from the recipe. Does sound wonderful, though.
Judy, If you read the recipe, you’ll see that the ingredients ARE listed in the order that they are used. They are not jumbled.
WOW! These are Wonderful !!!!!! I live in Australia and miss peanut butter cups so much. Have tried may recipes to make them but they were always too much effort and the results were average. We don’t have Crisco so I use ‘Copha” instead and the results were amazing! Thank you!
I’ve been making peanut butter cups for 20 years and my trick is to use a Turkey baster to distribute the melted chocolate into the muffin papers first then put the filling in and do it again for the tops.
Was wondering if you think using the coconut oil would make them more stable at room temperature since you mentioned they soften unless it’s cool. I have a jar of coconut oil I’ve been wanting to use for homemade magic shell although I am a bit worried about the taste. Do you find the coconut flavor to overwhelming? My husband is decidedly anti-coconut. Thanks!
I used coconut oil for the shell for my homemade klondike bars. You can definitely taste a bit of the coconut. I wouldn’t call it overwhelming, but unless you have serious issues with vegetable shortening, I wouldn’t use coconut oil for these peanut butter cups.
Michelle. I do a lot of Christmas baking for others, also some for Craft shows. I love making specialty items. I am wondering what you might charge, if you were going to sell these?
Hi Zoe, I actually don’t sell any of my baked goods, so I don’t have a price to give you.
I make these every christmas and gift them in mason jars wrapped with ribbons!! Everyone always loves them and raves about the recipe. They are a little time consuming with all the refrigeration, but it makes so many and they are so rich that it doesnt even matter!!! Ive also made them using Adams peanut butter, an oily refrigeration PB, and i just found i had to keep them stored in the fridge or freezer or else they would melt and get really soft, but for the most part, no one minded!!!! =))
Thanks!!!!!!
I LOVE THIS!!! It’s so sinfully simple not to mention the fact that its 10 times cheaper than buying peanut butter cups!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
I would love to make this for a Christmas cookie exchange. Are they freezable? I was thinking they would freeze well, but provide instructions to thaw in the fridge. Is this possible? – Thanks
Hi Karen, Yes, they are freezable. And yes, I would thaw in the fridge. Enjoy!
Thanks, Michelle, I did use shortening and they came out fantastic! Much better than store bought…they’re almost gone, time for another batch. Thanks again.
These look terrific…my youngest son’s favorite new snack! Have you tried them with a substitution for the veg shortening? Will butter work? thanks much!
Hi Karen, Butter will not work as a substitute. The shortening helps to thin the chocolate to easily coat the peanut butter filling. If you don’t want to use shortening, you could substitute coconut oil, but beware that it will impart some coconut flavor.
They look great but, I am concerned about the veg shortening. Soy is a Genetically Modified organism that causes many horrible health problems and powder sugar has corn starch in it which is also GM….substitutions?
Erin, The shortening is to keep the chocolate thin enough to easily coat. You can substitute coconut oil if you’d like, but realize that it will definitely impart a coconut flavor.
Made these for my boyfriend and he loved them! Im sure hes going to be bugging me again soon to make some more ;)
I plan to make these with dark chocolate and homemade almond butter. My friend is a vegan. Any thoughts for an alternative to the butter? Can I use more vegetable shortening or margarine for this part?
Hi Zach, You could use either; if you use shortening I would go with the butter-flavored variety.
Ok…..so disappointed…cuz I LUVE REESES. But something went wrong. Made them for the 1st time tonight and my son and i had to spit them out. The choco was horrible. I am 95% sure it had to do with the shortening..1\4 of a cups seems too much b we cld clearly taste the shortening thru the choco. Or perhaps it was the off bbrand choco. Chips. …. thinking its the shortening issue. I wld really like to try this again…any subs. for shortening? HELP!
Hi Andrea, I don’t think that it’s an issue with shortening, as long as you followed the correct measurements, you shouldn’t be able to taste it at all. It helps to thin the chocolate when dipping and coating things. You could substitute coconut oil for the shortening, but that has its own distinct flavor as well. I would be more apt to think that it was an issue with the chocolate, especially since you said it was an off brand.
I am totally gonna try this again with different chips. Ill let u know how it goes….
I’ve made these a few times, and they’re always a hit (would make them more often but it’s very time consuming!) I don’t know if it’s me or what, but I always end up with AT LEAST 4 dozen peanut butter “patties”, and that’s with them being at least a teaspoon and a half, usually 2, big. & always at least 1/2 C of melted chocolate left! Bit frustrating, but what can you do?
Anyways, these are fantastic, especially with dark chocolate chips, as the inside can be very very sweet! :-)
OMG sooooo good!! Made them for friends @ xmas – went down a treat. Thanx so much for the recipe.
Tried these today as a Christmas treat and they’re fantastic. The only thing I subbed was a little bit of canola oil for the shortening, and instead of letting the chocolate cups harden all the way first I pushed the peanut butter balls into them so they were more level with the top of the cups. everyone has been going nuts over them – they really taste just like a Reese’s!
Made these with Sunbutter because our daughter has a life threatening peanut allergy and they are delish!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try and make them. But I’m wondering how long will these last without spoiling?
Hi Eli, I think you could store them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
These are delicious
For the shortening is that the crisco solid shortening or is that vegetable liquid?
Hi Gerri, It’s the Crisco solid vegetable shortening. Enjoy the peanut butter cups!
I can’t wait to try making these, the recipe seems pretty easy, so there’s no way I could mess it up!
We deal with all sorts of allergies in our house, so I’m always on the lookout for recipes I can adapt! My husband used to LOVE peanut butter cups, but learned a couple years ago that he doesn’t tolerate dairy – so milk chocolate is out. And our daughter has a peanut allergy so peanut butter doesn’t enter our house. So I made these with Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) and dairy-free chocolate chips and they were really yummy! Thanks!
Can you freeze these? Or how far in advance can you make them?
Hi Jen, Yes, I have frozen them. I’d say you can freeze them for up to a month or so.
Instead of using chocolate and shortening can I use coating chocolate candy melts?
Hi Janira, I have never used candy melts for coating these, so I can’t guarantee how they’d turn out, but if you try it I’d love to hear how it worked for you. Note that you’ll probably lose that distinct chocolate flavor by foregoing the real chocolate.
You have no idea how happy and excited, pleased, etc. I am to have found this website you have wonderfully allowed us to see. I’m going to college next year for Baking & Pastry and you creations are incredible! I love them all so awfully much, and I’ve spent the past 30-45 minutes just adding a bunch of recipes to my “Recipe Box” thank you SO much for this! Amazing.
Hi Danielle, I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the site! Good luck at school and happy baking! :)
I’m all for the homemade peanut butter cups but has anyone tried substituting coconut oil for the vegetable shortening. It does stay pretty firm in cooler weather and is so much better for you. I may just give it a try.
Hi Michelle my peanutbutter came out super sticky which made it very difficult to roll into balls. Should I pop the peanutbutter in the fridge so it can harden up a bit or did I do something wrong ? ):
Came across this recipe last night after I had already found another recipe for peanut butt cups. Was already to make that recipe today for my Christmas goodies. I changed my mind. Made this one instead. I’m in deep trouble. Like you, Reeses are my favorite but stopped buying them when I found out that Hershey buys chocolate from farms that use child labor in West Africa. You saying these are just like the real deal swayed me! They’re in the fridge on the last 30 minutes. Will dig in soon!
:-O Hershy does WHAT????
Now i really have to make these, like really really.
Could a person just melt Reeses peanut butter chips, put in the mini cups, refrigerate or freeze and then add melted chocolate chips on the top?
Hi Carrie, Just melting peanut butter chips won’t give you the flavor or the texture of the inside of a peanut butter cup. I don’t think you would be able to make an actual patty for the middle out of it.
oh man! I just made these using almond butter instead of peanut butter. Sooooo darn tasty. Thanks for the recipe!!
Michelle, hi! I just made these for my holiday party tomorrow. This was really easy to follow and make. I still had about 2 cups of pb mix, ill just have to melt more chocolate tomorrow. Lol thanks again for this wonderful receipe.
Hey I tried this and it seems to be working good, except i was having trouble with melting the chocolate…. It melted mostly at first, then the more I tried to melt it it just started getting thick kinda granulated… Ideas?
Hi Chantel, Did you get any water into the melted chocolate? Any water at all, even the smallest drop, will cause melting chocolate to seize and separate. Another thing could have been heat – did you microwave at 50% power? If you melt chocolate at too high a heat it can singe, dry out and get chalky/grainy.
Hiii, this looks absolutely dangerous and my mouth is watering. Just a quick question, (I live in Australia) What is powdered sugar??? I know here we have Sugar – big granules, Castor sugar – a lot finer and icing sugar – which is powder form. I’m dribbling now (: Thaaannnxxx…
Hi Candice, I think icing sugar would be your powdered sugar equivalent. Enjoy!
Awesome/Dangerous (: &Thank youuu, will be trying those out for Family Home Evening with the kids (:
Thanks for the amazing recipe! I made some today, and they taste just like the real thing!
What if I don’t gave vegetable shortening, can I use regular vegetable or canola oil?
Hi Jamie, The oil won’t work for thinning out the chocolate, the shortening really does the trick here.
Butter and oil work fine too…I always use oil to thin out my chocolate
I’m having trouble rolling the peanut butter mixture….it’s too gooey any suggestions?
Hi Marsha, They really shouldn’t be gooey. Did you use natural peanut butter by any chance?
I plan on making 400 of these for chritsmas…am I crazy!???! I can’t wait to get started, they look so delish!!!! Thanks for sharing, will be back for sure in the next few days…and weeks!! hehe!!
I’ve heard so much about Reese’s PB Cups that I’ve been wanting to make my own (since they’re not available here in Malaysia). Do they store well, Michelle?
Yes, they do! You can keep them in the fridge for a week or two, or freeze them for up to a month.
In response to this question:”do you think i could just put mini paper liners on a tray?”
I saw this picture which looks like they turned out great:http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2009/02/dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups/
Can oil replace the shortening?
Hi Michelle, Typically no, the shortening has specific properties that help to thin the chocolate and have it coat items nicely, instead of glopping on.
Thanks Michelle and Lissa. I can’t wait to give these a try. Peanut butter cups are all my daughter requests for Christmas baking, and these will be perfect!
can i use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar? it’s kinda hard to buy them :/
Hi Jenn, Unfortunately granulated sugar won’t work in this recipe because it won’t dissolve the way powdered sugar does.
I don’t have a mini-muffin tin… do you think i could just put mini paper liners on a tray? or am i going to end up with a peanut butter cup disaster?
I’m honestly not sure. You could test it with one. My concern would be the melted chocolate running and not keeping the cup shape. Having them in a mini tin also helps the ridges form in the chocolate.
Peanut butter and chocolate, my favorite combo. I only have regular sized paper muffin cups, so I’m thinkin’ go bigger, just maybe not so tall. :)
Do you ever eat the Trader Joe’s PB cups? And the mini Trader Joe’s PB cups? They are even creamier and more tasty than Reeses. And they look alot like yous with the cute swirled top.
I am going to try making these this weekend.
Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is simple and delicious.
–however, a note about peanut butters: Not thinking, after reading this I immediately ran out to my local Whole Foods and picked up a jar of “natural” peanut butter, my eagerness to make these treats taking over my rational thinking skills. Not only is the consistency quite different (much more viscous/oily, similar to an almond butter), natural peanut butter has only a fraction of the amount of salt as does, say, Jiff. To compensate for this, I used only 1 cup powdered sugar, a pinch of flour to make up for the lost quarter cup p. sugar, and a pinch of salt. came out just right, or at least, tasted great to me. I hope this helps!
Thank u so much for this recipe and to cupcakes and cashmere for forwarding me to your blog. I can’t wait to make them
This has got to be one of the best blogs I’ve happened upon. Quickly adding this site to my favorites, right now!!!
Welcome Lana! Thank you!
Hi! These look delicious I am going to try the recipe for sure this weekend! Just two questions: Do any of the ingredients have gluten? and, do you have an alternative to vegetable shortening?
Thanks for the awesome post!!
Hi Camila, I am not familiar with gluten-free baking, so I would not be comfortable declaring anything gluten-free. I would probably check the actual ingredient packaging you have to be sure there is no gluten. No substitute for vegetable shortening – its properties help to thin out the chocolate and keep it from glumping together.
These were delicious. Even my mum who is a very fussy eater thought they were awesome. How long can these be kept for?
Hi Mel, You can keep them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or freeze them for a few months.
omg you have no idea how badly I want to try this.
I make many, many of the recipes you post, and I rarely take the time to write. But I just love your blog, and turn to it all the time. I made these today, and must’ve nibbled too much on the milk chips as they were melting :) so I ran out of “topping” chocolate for the last few, and just couldn’t let them go to waste. So I melted an ounce of semi-sweet choco I had, with a tsp of butter, and topped with that. If you like all kinds of chocolate (and who doesn’t?), it’s a sort of twist on the classic Reese’s PB cup. Tks for sharing all your recipes, and please, keep up the delicious work!
I just made these and they are delicious. They were easy to make and my kids loved helping! I love all your recipes and this one definitely did not let me down!
This is one of my mum’s favourite snack. I’m planning to make it for her birthday at the end of the month. What makes Reese so irresistible and addictive is the salty tinge that tickles your tastebuds. Does this peanut butter mixture taste that way too? I know my mum is not gonna go ga-ga over it if it lacks in that department. Thanks!
Oh my goodness- I just made these and they are fabulous!!
Just a suggestion for those of you that want to substitute the shortening in the chocolate for these, (or any other chocolate dipped delight!) try coconut oil. It solidifies at room temperature and thins out the chocolate very nicely. A family friend of mine is one of the pastry instructors at the CIA at Greystone and he taught me that trick. Have you tried that for these Michelle? Can’t wait to make them-thanks for sharing the recipe!
Megan: Would that be a 1:1 substitution? I have coconut oil, just not shortening! :)
I think this is seriously the most dangerous recipe I have seen. Reese’s pb cups are my husbands absolute favorite. This one is going into my file to make for my hubby’s b-day!! Thanks so much!!
Is there something I can use as a substitute for the veggie shortening?? That’s the one ingredient that I don’t already have!
Hi Jenny, There is no substitute for the shortening; its specific properties help to thin the chocolate to create a nice coating.
Coconut oil is supposed to work as a substitute for vegetable shortening. I’m going to try it out tonight.
Sarah, did you try it with coconut oil?
Shortening isn’t available where I live so I was wondering how it worked out?
Reeses are my favorite too. It’s amazing how close they are in taste, now I can make them from home and surprise all of my friends. They’ll never guess that I made them.
finally made these, but had to tweak a little, and they worked out SO well. inspiring, delicious and very dangerous! thanks!
Hey!
Made these today but didn’t have any shortening so I just use the chocolate by itself. What difference does the shortening make? The chocolate set very hard. Does the shortening make the chocolate set a bit softer?
Thanks :)
Hi Maddie, It doesn’t make it softer, but it helps to thin the chocolate so that it’s not as thick. It creates a smoother, thinner coating.
Hi Michelle,
Been trying some recipes on your blog for a few months now, and I’ve never found one that I didn’t like!! THX :D
On a side note, I have a recipe really similar to this one, that uses graham cracker crumbs in the PB mix. I find it helps with the texture, and doesn’t affect the taste (1/2 cup PB, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs). I’ll be sure to compare the recipes once I get the chance :)
Ooh! I’ve actually made peanut butter cup bars with graham cracker crumbs in the filling: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/01/12/peanut-butter-cup-bars-recipe/
HI
Can I just use granulated sugar instead of powdered?
Thanks
Hi Julie, No you need powdered sugar for this recipe – must different textures and flavors.
Can I melt the chocolate on the stove? I don’t own a microwave.
Hi Olivia, Yes you can do it on the stove. I would use a double-boiler so you don’t risk burning the chocolate in a pan.
Thank you! Living in Australia now I don’t have access to the store bought version anymore; it’s nice to know I can do it at home now. Already made my first batch and yum!
Yum!!!! What about an almond butter and dark chocolate version????
For sure! You could certainly replace the peanut butter with almond butter, and dark chocolate for the milk chocolate.
Oh my goodness, I’ve been making homemade pb cups for a while and I thought they were delicious…but these are even better! The recipe I’d been using didn’t have the brown sugar or vegetable shortening. Store bought pb cups can’t touch these. Chocolate and peanut butter are so fantastically perfect together.
P.S. I’ve been following your blog for a while and finally figured I should start commenting:)
Oh. My. God.
I love you. And your chocolate-peanut butter fetish.
:-)
Definitely a treat to make for my husband. He loves peanut butter. Honestly though, I love peanut butter and chocolate so I have a feeling I’ll be eating more of these than he will. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
oooo my husband would love these!! he just loves Peanut Butter Cups! he’s birthday is coming up! I’ll have to make these for him! :)
My husband’s favorite candy is Reese’s so I should make of these for him
This look wonderful! I made a version of homemade peanut butter cups last Halloween and sent them to my sister because they are her favorite candy too! It is such a special treat to make your favorite candy at home!
These look so tasty. Reeses have always been my favorite candy so I cannot wait to try out a homemade version!
Wow, those look great! And way cheaper than buying the premade candy all the time! Thanks!
BEB: You should make some Buckeyes! I’m sure you know that they are chocolate coverd peanut butter balls =]
Oh I definitely know buckeyes, love them!! I actually linked to the ones I make in the post above: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/12/18/christmas-baking-buckeyes/
I am soooo making these at Christmas time. Santa tends to stuff our stockings to the brim with reeses pb cups (crazy why he’d choose my most favorite candy ever). I must say…I might just eat a few less if I know how much work it takes to make them. lol. Maybe not. They look delicious!
Gratson Top 9! Love this.
Can I use butter in place of the vegetable shortening? If so, how much butter should I use? thanks! These look soooooooooo good!
Hi Erin, You really can’t; for the purposes of thinning out melted chocolate for coating and candies, the butter doesn’t have the same properties as the shortening.
Oh my word! Chocolate and pb is my favorite combo ever!!! :D
Wow..these look great. So easy and so delicious!
These look awesome, good enough to sell in a candy shop.
How did you get over your peanut allergy? Just out grew it?
I was diagnosed with multiple environmental and food allergies in my mid-20’s. I avoided all of the food completely for 5 years and underwent allergy shots for a full year. I re-tested five years after I was diagnosed, and there was no trace of any of the food allergies. I gradually started trying the foods and haven’t had a problem with them since!
Thud! Awesome!
My absolute favorite combination… my sisters would love this one!
I am SOOO making these…there’s NOTHING I love more than peanut butter and chocolate…Reeses ALL the way!!! I’m SO excited to make these…Thank you!
whoa, these look fantastic! can’t wait to try them! i just had a pb+chocolate+banana quesadilla and that was good, but these look even better!
My hubby loves these and especially the ones at the chocolate candy stores. I’m trying really hard not to make these right this moment, but i might be fighting a losing battle. Might just have to find something sweet to hold me over.
Oh my! These look fabulous and so easy to make!
Just like you my husband loves Reese’s Peanut butter Cups. I will definitely be trying these soon.
Oh there goes my diet! Simple and easy adn I can’t wait to give them a try!
Michelle, congrats on getting posted on Foodgawker! I can’t wait to try these…this weekend I think!
This sounds soo good!! I can’t wait to try it!
Does the shortening add something to the chocolate shell? Basically, can you just eliminate it, and just have more chocolate?
Hi Ashley, I always add shortening to melted chocolate for things like this, buckeyes, chocolate-dipped strawberries or pretzels, etc. It thins out the chocolate a bit, gives a smoother consistency and keeps it from being a bit “gloopy”. I’ve found it’s much easier to work with.
Hi! I know this post is on the older side but this recipe looks delish and my sister and I are planning on making homemade Reese’s for Christmas. The only problem is that we live in Switzerland and shortening isn’t available. any ideas how we could replace it??
Hi Emilie, You could replace it with coconut oil.
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. These are one of my favs and knowing I can make them at home could be quite dangerous! They look just like the Reece’s ones!
No special equipment? Hmmm, well, I don’t think everyone has a mini-muffin tin and mini-paper liners. . . or is that just me? haha I guess I will have to get some special equipment to make these cups when I have more time. They look fantastic. Your photos are always so amazing.
Wow! And the recipe makes three dozen! Probably way cheaper to make these than shelling out $4 for a little bag at the store. Yum!
Oh man! My 2.5 year old appears to have outgrown his peanut allergy (he was anaphylactic just 17 months ago), and once we go through the testing with his doctor to know 100% for sure, I’ll be making these. I have a feeling I’ll be ODing on peanut butter goodies!
These look like the real deal! I’m so excited to try to make them!
I’m with you; peanut butter cups are the best candies around. Swedish fish take a close second, but nothing can beat Reeses. Except maybe these.
Is it just me, or did anyone else notice the 3-d effect as you scroll quickly by the empty muffin tin picture? Try it – back and forth…..you’d swear you had embedded some cool effect! Even my high-school aged boys were impressed when i showed them – well done! However, we all like the pic of the finished product better :) and now that they know i have a Reese’s PB cup copycat recipe, they’ll not let me rest until they taste it, too! Thanks for sharing. Love all your recipes. Gonna try the Primanti Bros. sandwich tonight. Can’t wait.
This looks both simple and so amazing. I see you suggest melting choc chips, but do you think you could use any chocolate? Melting a good belgian milk chocolate for example?
Rats. I see too you’ve already answered that. Thanks for such a brilliant food site. I love how you embrace the fact that there’s not only one way of doing something, and how you research and celebrate the diversity. So inspiring.
Thank you so much for the very kind words! Much appreciated :) I’m so happy that you enjoy the site!
These look fantastic! I love the peanut butter and chocolate combo and to top it off it’s no bake. i feel these already adding to the junk in my trunk ;)
I always make my Reese peanut butter recipe in square form but I’m lovoing the idea in individual wrappers! xo
Will this recipe work with natural peanut butter?
It will work with the no-stir kind. I actually used Jif natural for this. However, if it’s the kind you store in the refrigerator that needs to be stirred, it will likely be too oily for this.
This is just an idea, I’m not sure if it would work or not. But maybe if you wanted to use the natural peanut butter that you had to stir, you could remove one of the oily type ingredients from the recipe. The oil in the peanut butter would replace it and the recipe would still work, wouldn’t it? I haven’t made too many things like this, but it usually works in recipes for meals. I’m just now learning about dessert type dishes. I’ don’t know. Just a thought.
I am on such a high seeing my recipe on your blog. Thank you so much for posting it!
You are very welcome! It’s totally amazing, thank you for sharing it! I am going back to edit the post and include a link to your blog (didn’t have it before).
I made these and the did not turn out the way they are pictured. I have read this recipe over and over and I followed the recipe to a tee. Too much chocolate in the bottom, peanut butter balls too big. too much powdered sugar. The whole thing is a mess. I happen to be a good cook and like to experiment, but these need to be tossed and 4 cups of chocolate chips are expensive. This recipe needs some work.
These look heaven!! Can I replace the chocolate chips with a chocolate bar? If so, what type?
Hi Leah, Sure thing! I would recommend the Ghiradelli milk chocolate bar (they are sold in the baking aisle, 4 ounces each). I actually used a combination of the chips and a leftover bar since that’s what I had in my pantry. Chips are cheaper though :)
yum!!!!
i drool every pic u put up, every recipe!
i can’t wait to try more things after i have my baby. only 5 weeks left :)
Wow, everything you post looks so fantastic! I LOVE peanut butter cups! I will definitely have to try this one out!
Thank you! I know what I’ll be making soon!
I’m in love! as will my husband and daughters be when i make these asap. Thank you! Thank you! from us all. :)
My weakness!!! i LOOOOOOVE peanut butter cups :)
I want these! I’m definitely pinning this….
Yum! After seeing the picture I began to really crave peanut butter and chocolate so I made some peanut butter chocolate chip quesadillas to hold me over until I can make these! Nevermind that it was 9:00am and I might have had 2 giant quesadillas…peanut butter cups this weekend!
DROOL!!!!
Hi Michelle, I’d say you hit the Peanut Butter Cup goldmine with these! How sweet a reader graciously shared what looks to be THE peanut butter filling. I’m in line with other comments here – peanut butter cups evoke wonderful memeories tracing back to when I was just a little guy.
Oh My these look fantastic, and not all that hard to make.
Thanks Lissa!!!
Dee-lish. And I would even pop a couple of these lovelies in my maw for breakfast!
The brown sugar is interesting, it’s not in regular PB cups but molasses is in the reese’s jarred PB.
Did you use herhsey’s choco chips? I thought it might be fun to try other brands like Scharffen Berger and the like.
I actually used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips, they are delish!
Thanks for sharing! I will save these for my Christmas candy list. Yum!
Thanks so much for the recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Looks so easy!
This is one of my hubby’s favorites. I am going to have to try this. Who does not love chocolate and peanut butter. Thanks for sharing this wonderful treat.
These look fantastic!
oh man. this is danger at it’s finest. they look sooooo good!
Peanut butter cups are so hard to find in Australia, so glad I found this recipe!
http://theskywasneverthelimit.wordpress.com/
You make it look so easy!
I wish you had a CLARK bar recipe too. The closest I could get was chocolate covered RITZ and peanutbutter crackers. We have a devil of a time finding them anymore.
Cracker Barrel is the only place where I could find them around here.
I’ve seen Clark Bars at Big Lots.
Clarks RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yummy.. definitely a keeper! Ever thought of mixing these in with vanilla ice cream? My children adore peanut butter cup ice cream, which is not always available where I live. Hmm, think I’ll make a trip to the supermarket for some stuff!
Thanks so much for sharing
I’m thinking I’m going to have to unsubscribe soon. I keep trying your recipes and if I continue this way, especially with this recipe, I’m going to gain a ton and be unable to leave the house. Only half kidding, am gleeful when I see your emails listed in my inbox. Love Reese’s candies and am going to try this one tonight. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t run my business from home.
Reeses have nothing on these babies :)
MY fav candy, also. I’ve made homemade ones and they did NOT last long!
These are my favorite! Yum!
Oo I just got mini muffin pans (I meant to get regular sized ones, but ended up with mini…long story), and have been wondering what I should make with them. Thanks for answering my question!
My absolute favorite!
I made these tonight and had the powdered sugar sitting to the side for the peanut butter mixtue and COMPLETELY FORGOT TO INCLUDE IT IN THE PEANUT BUTTER! But guess what, you don’t need it !!!! Yes the peanut butter mix was soupy, but all you need to do is put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes and it hardens up enough to pat into balls then pat down. Also, I had added about 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs to the mix. So instead of adding all that sugar to add calories you don’t need it,, they came out very good, the grandboy says they are better than Reeses’, how about that???. Great recipe, a keeper for me!!!! Thanks