Homemade Peanut Butter Cups: A homemade version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, this recipe is made with 3 simple, clean ingredients for a treat you can feel less guilty about devouring.
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I have always been obsessed with Reese’s Cups.
I can never resist the combination of chocolate and peanut butter together and a peanut butter cup is perfection in my book.
But take a look at those ingredients in a Reese’s Cup: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, nonfat milk, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, pgpr, emulsifier), peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, tbhq (preservative), citric acid (to maintain freshness).
Um–pgpr and tbhq–NO THANK YOU!
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Truth be told, I have ZERO will power if you place a Reese’s Cup in front of me. Despite the questionable ingredients, I will more than likely succumb to eating the chocolate peanut butter cup.
But, I MUCH prefer making my own peanut butter cups. When making homemade peanut butter cups, you can control the quality of ingredients and it is a breeze to put together.
How to Make Copycat Reese’s Cups
Step One: Melt the Chocolate
- Use any type of chocolate you like for these homemade peanut butter cups.
- Melt the chocolate in either the crockpot or microwave.
- Add in melted coconut oil and stir until well distributed into the melted chocolate.
How to Melt CHOCOLATE IN THE SLOW COOKER
- Place chocolate in heat safe glass jar.
- Place jar in slow cooker and then carefully pour water into slow cooker until the water line reaches halfway up the jars.
- Be cautious not to get any water into the jar of chocolate.
- Turn slow cooker on high, do NOT put lid on the slow cooker, and in about 30 minutes your chocolate will be perfectly melted (no need to stir while chocolate melts).
- Check on chocolate after 20 minutes, as all slow cookers vary in temperature.
Step Two: Prepare the Muffin Tin
- Line a muffin tin with silicone liners.
Step Three: Chocolate Base
- Using a small cookie scoop, place 1/2 tablespoon melted chocolate in each liner.
- Swirl the chocolate to cover the bottom of the muffin liner.
- Using a spoon, gently spread a 1/4″ of the chocolate up the sides of the muffin tin liner.
- Place muffin tin in fridge or freezer for 5 minutes for chocolate to harden.
- Place melted chocolate BACK in slow cooker to keep the chocolate melted as base hardens. (If microwaved your chocolate to melt, you may need to reheat before topping off your peanut butter cups.)
Step Four: Peanut Butter Layer
- Once the bottom layer of the peanut butter cup has hardened, remove from fridge/freezer.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter in each liner.
- Gently spread the peanut butter out over the chocolate base.
Step Five: Chocolate Top
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of the remaining melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer.
- Use a spoon to spread evenly.
- Place the peanut butter cups back in the fridge/freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden.
How to Store Homemade Reese’s Cups
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups need to be stored in refrigerator or freezer to prevent melting of chocolate.
- Peanut Butter Cups will last 4 days in refrigerator.
- PB Cups will last 1 month in freezer. (After that, the quality of taste of the chocolate diminishes)
Modifications for Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
- Use dairy-free chocolate to make Vegan Peanut Butter Cups.
Keto Peanut Butter Cups
- Use sugar-free chocolate to make Keto Friendly Peanut Butter Cups
Peanut Free Reese’s Cup Recipe
- Replace peanut butter with almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a peanut free chocolate cup.
Are Peanut Butter Cups Healthy?
I am asked all the time if I feel my homemade Reese’s Cup is healthy.
Friends, this recipe is NOT low fat nor is it low in sugar.
BUT, these peanut butter cups are made with clean ingredients that just as good as the original. I use high quality chocolate and shelf stable natural peanut butter.
In my book, this simple Peanut Butter Cup recipe is a great way to indulge.
Copycat Dessert Recipes
- DIY Drumstick Ice Cream
- Dairy Free Fudgesicles
- The $250 Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Recipe
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 12 ounces chocolate chopped in small pieces
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a muffin tin with silicone liners.
- Melt the chocolate in either the crockpot or microwave.
- Add in melted coconut oil to melted chocolate and stir until well distributed.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place 1/2 tablespoon melted chocolate in each liner. Swirl the chocolate to cover the bottom of the muffin liner. Using a spoon, gently spread a 1/4″ of the chocolate up the sides of the muffin tin liner.
- Place muffin tin in fridge or freezer for 5 minutes for chocolate to harden.
- Once the bottom layer of the peanut butter cup has hardened, remove from fridge/freezer. Using a small cookie scoop, place 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter in each liner. Gently spread the peanut butter out over the chocolate base.
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of the remaining melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Use a spoon to spread evenly.
- Place the peanut butter cups back in the fridge/freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden.
- Remove from silcone liners and serve or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (if they last that long.)
Melting Chocolate in Slow Cooker
- Place chocolate in heat safe glass jar.
- Place jar in slow cooker and then carefully pour water into slow cooker until the water line reaches halfway up the jars. Be cautious not to get any water into the jar of chocolate.
- Turn slow cooker on high, do NOT put lid on the slow cooker, and in about 30 minutes your chocolate will be perfectly melted (no need to stir while chocolate melts). Check on chocolate after 20 minutes, as all slow cookers vary in temperature.
Notes
- Feel free to use any peanut butter you like.
- Feel free to use any chocolate you like. We even chop up leftover chocolate bunnies from Easter to use at times.
Oh yum! My favorite candy and now a better version. I will be trying this! Thanks
I knew I loved you for a reason! And I do believe that you have the perfect kitchen helper to whip these up for you 🙂
Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! Your post has been pinned to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest board 🙂
Chocolate peanut butter cups are a FAVORITE in my house! I can’t wait to try this.
What kind of chocolate did you use? Like baking chocolate? Semisweet? What brand if you know. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try!
Hey Kimberly!
I mentioned that you could use any of your favorite chocolate bars. So basically, anything you are willing to eat–I would not do a 80%dark chocolate. For this recipe, I prefer a lighter chocolate than a dark chocolate. I used a Trader Joe’s milk chocolate bar. I have even used semi sweet chocolate chips before–it is all about your preference. The key is chop the chocolate into pieces no larger than a chocolate chip and to not get water on the chocolate while melting. If you do, your chocolate will seize up and be nasty!!
Hope that helps. And I know you will LOVE them!
These look SO SO SO good! My husband would love these because I could increase the peanut butter to chocolate ratio for him 🙂
Yea. To increase the peanut butter ratio…juat make into tablespoon balls and then dip partially in chocolate (sorta like a buckeye). Enjoy!!
Oh my golly these look good! I agree about not getting too crazy when recreating things. Peanut butter and chocolate really don’t need to be messed with!
Yep, no need for pb and chocolate to be messed with. I had a momentary lapse in my sanity!
Oh. My. Yum. I think I need these RIGHT NOW. Well…it’s almost midnight so that’s not going to happen. 😉 But thanks for sharing this recipe, I will definitely be trying it soon! 🙂
Well, when it is not the wee hours of the morning, you need to make these and devour!! Enjoy!
G’day Thanks for sharing at our #SayGdayParty We do hope you will stop by if you haven’t already and say G’day to someone else at the party and perhaps you will answer a question or two for me! Pinned
Cheers! Joanne What’s On The List?
My husband would be so happy if I made these for him! Thanks for linking up to the Tasty Tuesday’s Linky Party. I’ve pinned this post to Creative K Kids’ Tasty Tuesdays’ Pinterest Board.
My hubbie tends to eat the whole batch 🙂 I have to hide them from him!
What a delicious treat! Hope you are having a fantastic week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
I LOVE chocolate and peanut butter together! Great recipe! I need to try this!
I think I could live on chocolate and peanut butter! So grateful I do not have any nut allergies!
Wow, those look delicious! I bet they taste so much better than the store-bought kind!!
Truthfully, I was at a Halloween Parade today and snagged a Reeses Cup–I could only eat 1 bite…disappointed in it’s taste after having my homemade version!
What a great idea! And I usually ALWAYS have peanut butter and chocolate on hand.
This would probably be better than my usual “spoon full of peanut butter dipped in chocolate chips.” 😉
Ha! Karen, it is better than a spoonful of peanut butter with chocolate chips, but you will still find me in my pantry doing just that!
I’ll bet these forever ruin you for the commercially made kind. 🙂
Totally Dorothy. And I NEVER thought that was possible!
My kids would be thrilled with these, they look so tasty and much better than the store version!
So much better 🙂
Peanut butter cups are one of my top 3 candies. I can’t wait to try to make them at home. Love your step by step guide.
You will love these Christie! How can you ever go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?!
I was SO disappointed with the lack of vegan candy options for my (yes, *my*) Easter basket. But these are perfect, and I always have chocolate chips and natural peanut butter on hand!
Ha! I make them for my nephew as well because he is allergic to all corn products–you can imagine his limited choices (and they we all indulge in them) Hope your Easter basket is complete now!
Oh dear those look so good. So much better than commercial ones with all kinds of added who knows what. Can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Jenny! You won’t miss the store bought ones at all after having these!
Made these this evening, and they are incredible!!! Thank you for the recipe!!!