Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Homemade peanut butter cups with rich semisweet chocolate and creamy, slightly salty peanut butter filling create a perfect balance of sweetness and texture.

June Arthurs
June 24, 2025
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Ingredients

  • 12 ounces (~340 grams) semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Before You Begin

You can swap semisweet chocolate with milk chocolate if desired. Ensure to use chocolate bars, avoiding chocolate chips. A regular 12-cup muffin tin can be substituted to make 12 larger peanut butter cups if a mini-muffin tin isn’t available.

Line the Muffin Tin

Line a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with 24 paper liners.

Prep the Chocolate

Place the chocolate in a large zipper-lock plastic bag and seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Use a rolling pin to gently pound the chocolate into small pieces.

Add half of the pounded chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave again at 50% power until melted, about 1 minute more. Stir until completely smooth.

Transfer the melted chocolate to a quart-size zipper-lock bag. Push the chocolate to one corner, twist the top, and snip 1/8 inch off the corner with scissors.

Pipe the Chocolate Base

Pipe the chocolate in a spiral into each muffin cup, working from the outside in, to fully cover the bottom. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.

Make the Peanut Butter Filling

Warm the almond butter in a microwave-safe bowl for about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and sea salt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Transfer the peanut butter mixture to a second quart-size bag and snip 1/8 inch off one corner.

Pipe the Peanut Butter Layer

Remove the muffin tin from the freezer. Pipe the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate base in each muffin cup in a spiral to cover the bottom layer.

Finish with More Chocolate

Melt the remaining pounded chocolate using the same microwave method. Stir until smooth. Transfer to a third quart-size bag, snip the corner, and pipe the chocolate in a spiral over the peanut butter layer to seal each cup.

Chill and Serve

Place the muffin tin back in the freezer and chill for 30 minutes. Remove the peanut butter cups from the tin and serve. Store any extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Homemade peanut butter cups with rich semisweet chocolate and creamy, slightly salty peanut butter filling create a perfect balance of sweetness and texture.
prep time20 minutes
cook time2 minutes
resting or cooling time45 minutes
total time1 hour 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces ~340 grams semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’, powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Line a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with 24 paper liners.
  • Place semisweet chocolate in a plastic bag, seal, and pound into small pieces.
  • Microwave half the chocolate at 50% power for 1 minute, stir, then microwave again until melted, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth.
  • Transfer melted chocolate to a zipper-lock bag, snip the corner, and pipe into each muffin cup to fully cover the bottom. Freeze for 15 minutes.
  • Microwave peanut butter for 1 minute, stir in confectioners’ sugar, softened butter, and sea salt until smooth. Transfer to a zipper-lock bag, snip the corner, and pipe over the chocolate base.
  • Melt remaining chocolate using the same microwave method, stir until smooth. Transfer to a zipper-lock bag, snip the corner, and pipe over the peanut butter layer.
  • Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove peanut butter cups from the tin and serve. Store extras in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.