Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
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- 16 ounces milk chocolate – chopped
- 1 cups creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter – softened
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Instructions
1. Line a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2. Melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, 3–5 minutes (or microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each). Keep warm.
3. Spoon about 1 teaspoon chocolate into each liner and tilt or nudge so it fully coats the bottom; tap the pan to level. Refrigerate until just set but still slightly tacky, 5–10 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the creamy peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and fine salt until thick and doughy, 1–2 minutes.
5. Divide the filling into 24 portions (about 2 teaspoons each), roll or press into discs slightly smaller than the liners, and set one onto each chocolate base.
6. Spoon enough remaining chocolate over each to fully cover the filling (about 1 to 1.5 teaspoons), tapping the pan so the tops level and the chocolate flows down the sides.
7. Refrigerate until firm, 20–30 minutes, until the tops are no longer tacky and a liner peels away cleanly. Serve chilled or let stand 5–10 minutes for a softer bite.
8. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months.
Peanut Butter Cups are bite-size confections that layer a silky chocolate shell around a sweet-salty, creamy peanut butter center. The texture contrast—snappy chocolate yielding to a soft filling—makes them especially satisfying. Their simple, two-flavor profile is balanced and indulgent, appealing to both candy lovers and home bakers.
The modern peanut butter cup traces back to early 20th-century Pennsylvania, where H. B. Reese developed the concept that would become a national favorite. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate gained mass popularity through commercial production and later inspired countless homemade versions. Today, they’re a staple in American candy culture, with seasonal shapes and variations in chocolate type and filling textures.