This homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups recipe will satisfy your peanut butter cravings in just minutes, and they taste just like the real thing!
Peanut Butter Cups, A Family Tradition
We love our peanut butter cups in our family, and take them quite seriously. This homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups recipe came from our grandma, who made them for us for years. The filling has the same creamy texture as the candy you buy at the store, with rich, sweet chocolate on the outside. But these taste even better, because they’re homemade!
What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use for the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Shell?
While this homemade peanut butter cups recipe calls for chocolate chips (either milk or semi-sweet works great) you can use chocolate melts instead. It won’t be quite as soft as the chocolate on the store-bought brand, but they’ll still taste chocolatey and delicious!
Do Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Need to Be Refrigerated?
Once the chocolate shell has hardened, there is no need to refrigerate these peanut butter cups. You can store them at room temperature until ready to eat! But if you’re like me and you happen to love cold chocolate, pop a few in the refrigerator. Perhaps hide them behind the veggies so nobody but you knows they’re there!
How Do I Get This Recipe to Look Like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups?
They may look fancy, but making these into cute cups couldn’t be easier.
- Place cupcake liners into a mini cupcake pan, or regular cupcake pan, depending on how large you want your homemade peanut butter cups.
- Using a paint brush (I like to use a flat brush, about an inch or so wide) paint melted chocolate on the inside of each cupcake liner until about halfway up.
- Place them in the refrigerator to cool.
- Then, put a ball of peanut butter cup mixture into each cup (see recipe for instructions below) and top with more melted chocolate.
- The amount of chocolate needed tends to vary each time, so keep a few extra chocolate chips on hand if you need a bit more.
A Quicker Method for Reese’s Cups
If you don’t have a lot of time or patience to create the “cups” in the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, you can make things a bit easier on your self. Here’s how:
- You can make these “fondue” or “buckeye” style by first rolling the peanut butter mixture into balls.
- Next, dip them directly into the melted chocolate.
- Then, place them on wax paper to cool and harden. You will get the exact same taste and it’ll only take you about five minutes!
More Reese’s Recipes
If you love the taste of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and candies, check out these delicious recipes!
- Really Reese’s Cookies – With three different types of Reese’s candies, these are REALLY REESE’S Cookies! Chocolate and peanut butter in every delicious bite.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl – This fudge is so easy to make and it is incredibly delicious! It tasted like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in fudge form.
- Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats – It’s so easy to turn a traditional Rice Krispie Treats into Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats. Creamy peanut butter and mini Reese’s cups make it an extra special treat!
- Candy Bar Hot Chocolate – You’ve got to try this Reese’s Hot Chocolate. It is amazing how a little peanut butter can give a creamier, richer taste to hot cocoa!
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake – This cake is so fun! It is a round cake that looks and tastes just like a giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup!
How to Make Homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup graham crackers crushed
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 9 ounces peanut butter either creamy or crunchy is fine
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 12 ounces chocolate chips you may want to have a little extra on hand just in case
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar until well blended. Set aside.In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat 6 Tbsp butter and peanut butter together in microwave for 15 second increments until melted. Stir until combined and pour over graham cracker mixture. Continue to stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Melt half of the chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of butter in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 15 second increments (stirring each time) until chocolate is melted. Place cupcake liners in cupcake tin (mini or regular depending on what size peanut butter cups you want to make-- makes about 36 mini cups or 18 full-sized cups).
- Using a paint brush (I used a flat brush about 1/2" wide), "paint" each cupcake liner with melted chocolate. Be sure to evenly coat the bottom and half way up each cup (if using the "mini" cupcake liners). If you are using full-size cupcake liners paint about 1/3 of the way up each cup. Tip: You don't need to paint the chocolate super thick, just enough so you don't see any of the liner underneath.Place in the refrigerator to cool for about 5 minutes or until chocolate hardens.
- Press about 1 teaspoon of graham cracker mixture in each mini cup (about 1 Tbsp. for regular-sized cups) making sure the top is somewhat flat (it doesn't need to be perfect). Just make sure you don't go above where you "painted" the chocolate on the cup.
- Add remaining chocolate chips to remaining melted chocolate in the microwave-safe bowl and melt together with remaining 2 tablespoons butter (stirring every 15 seconds).Spoon a little chocolate over each peanut butter cup until the peanut butter filling is completely covered (you can lightly shake or tap the cupcake pan to even out the chocolate over the filling). You want the top of the peanut butter cup to look completely flat.
- Place in refrigerator or cool area until chocolate hardens, then serve!
Recipe Video
Nutrition
Nancy says
Can the powered sugar be left out of the peanut butter mixture.
Favorite Family Recipes says
It won’t be quite the right texture if you leave it out!
Private Name says
I really want to try this recipe, but unfortunately, I do not have a microwave at all.
Is there a way to modify this recipe to no microwave for those of us without one?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, you can boil a pot of water and then put a glass or other heat-safe bowl over the top of the pot and stir it until it is melted!
Private Name says
Thank You!!
Sydney Sledge says
Cool
Jen says
Wow, these are a game changer!! So fun to create and even more fun to eat!!
Beth says
These look so delicious and fun to make! My daughter love anything chocolate and peanut butter! Can’t wait to make these!
Suzy says
LOVE that I can make these in bulk at home! The kids loved them!