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:

Four years ago: Bacon Jam

Five years ago: Ricotta Cake with Fresh Berries

Six years ago: Tamale Pie

Print 3.56 from 18 votes Did you make this recipe? Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Servings 36 cups Prep 45 minutes Cook 1 hour Refridgeration time 1 hour Total 1 hour 45 minutes Course: Snack Cuisine: American Author : Michelle 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! Ingredients: 1 cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup light brown sugar

1¼ cups powdered sugar

24 ounces milk chocolate (finely chopped (or substitute milk chocolate chips))

¼ cup vegetable shortening US Customary - Metric Directions: 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. Recipe 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. Nutritional values are based on one cup Nutrition: Calories: 183kcal Fat: 12g Saturated fat: 5g Cholesterol: 3mg Sodium: 36mg Potassium: 103mg Carbohydrates: 18g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 15g Protein: 2g Vitamin A: 40% Calcium: 9% Iron: 0.7% 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]