Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

This Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe is easy to make with only 4 to 5 ingredients. There are 2 ways to make them: either Reese’s-style (using bittersweet chocolate) or you can customize them for the 4^th of July (with white chocolate and food coloring). Both make a treat that you don’t want to miss!

Who doesn’t love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, right?

Well, you can make peanut butter cups from scratch in your own kitchen. All you need is chocolate (I use bittersweet but you can use dark or milk chocolate), creamy peanut butter, unsalted butter, and confectioner's sugar.

But if you would like to give them a patriotic touch, use food coloring and white chocolate instead. It’s really simple and you’ll have a red, white, and blue treat to celebrate your 4^th of July in style – and not even Reese’s itself has peanut butter cups like these.

What are peanut butter cups?

They are a chocolate and peanut butter candy created by H. B. Reese in the 1920s and mass-produced by Hershey’s since the 1960’s – with recent variations in fillings and use of different types of chocolate.

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

As I said before, there are 2 ways to make these treats,  as follows.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from Scratch

1. Start by lining a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups. Then, melt chocolate according to the instructions on the package. You can either use the double-boiler or the microwave. I prefer the latter!
2. If using the microwave, place half of the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for about 2 minutes, pausing and mixing at 30-second intervals until melted and smooth.
3. Using a cookie scoop, pour one scoop of melted chocolate into each of the 12 muffin tins. To distribute into an even layer,  drop the pan many times on the counter in order to flatten out and smooth the chocolate layer. Place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until chocolate has hardened. SEE PIC.1
4. Meanwhile, whip peanut butter with softened butter and confectioner’s sugar until the mixture is well-mixed and smooth. SEE PIC.2
5. Drop one scoop of the peanut butter mixture onto the frozen chocolate layer. Then, drop the pan several times on the counter in order to flatten and smooth the peanut mixture layer. Place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until hardened. SEE PIC. 3
6. Be aware that the chocolate layers may be harder than the peanut butter filling. To avoid any mess while eating them, you may drop about one teaspoon only of the peanut butter mixture onto the center of chocolate layer. In this case, don’t drop the tin on the counter. Freeze to harden. Then, follow the instructions for the top chocolate layer. The filling will be in the very center of the peanut butter cups, completely covered by chocolate including on the sides – just like Reese’s candy. That’s the best way to avoid a mess when eating them!
7. Melt the other half of the chocolate chips until smooth and place one scoop onto the peanut butter mixture. Again drop the tin on the counter many times or until an even layer is formed. Place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or until hardened. SEE PIC. 4
8. Make sure to let these homemade peanut butter cups come to room temp before serving. Then just peel off the paper wrapper and enjoy!

Patriotic Peanut Butter Cups

1. To make these red, white, and blue peanut butter cups, follow the instructions above. But use white chocolate instead. Depending on the quality of your chocolate or the weather, you may need to add 2-3 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil to the melted chocolate and mix very well until the chocolate is smooth.
2. After placing one scoop of the melted chocolate into each paper cup and dropping the pan on the counter to form an even layer, add one drop of red and one drop of blue food coloring onto the chocolate layer of each tin.
3. Using a toothpick, make swirls, and then drop the pan again to smooth the chocolate layer. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. SEE PIC. 1
4. Follow the instructions above for the peanut butter layer and repeat the directions for the red, white, and blue chocolate layers. SEE PICS. 2 to 4
5. If desired, garnish them on top with red, white, and blue sprinkles!

Healthy Version

For making healthy peanut butter cups, use dark chocolate and also substitute melted coconut oil for butter (same amount) and honey or maple syrup (about ¼ cup) for the confectioner's sugar. To make them vegan, use maple syrup.

Keto Peanut Butter Cups

To make them keto or low carb, use keto chocolate as well as monkey fruit instead of sugar. 

Making Ahead and Storage

• You can make them ahead and then cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and keep either at room temp or in the fridge for up to 7 days. If chilled, bring to room temp before serving; otherwise, the chocolate layers will be too hard to bite. It may take 20-30 minutes to come to room temp.
• You may also keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. To do this, wrap them with parchment paper individually and place them into sealable plastic bags (make sure to squeeze most of the air out) or place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the muffin tin and wrap them with plastic wrap. It will protect them against droplets of water and freezer odors.

Other 4th of July Desserts to Enjoy:

• Berry Cake
• Patriotic Brigadeiros
• Red, White, and Blue Popsicles
• Brownie Flag Recipe
• Patriotic Jello Pie
• Chocolate Pudding Ice Crem Pie

PIN & ENJOY!