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!
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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 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