Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 16 ounces milk chocolate – chopped
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar (90g)
- 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.
