Did you know you can make Peanut Butter Cups in your own kitchen with just 4 ingredients and a fraction of the sugar? They’re super easy, great for the holidays, perfect for gifting, and absolutely delicious!
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Healthier Peanut Butter Cups
When you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, Peanut Butter Cups never disappoint. With their salty-sweet taste, creamy filling and crunchy chocolate coating, it’s no wonder they’re a crowd favorite! As the holidays roll around and the candy starts to trickle, peanut butter cups are one of the first to disappear from the candy bowl.
One of the things I love to do is recreate some of our favorite treats. For one, I can control the ingredients! This means I can reduce the sugar or make allergy substitutes if needed. When you use quality ingredients, the end product is so much better. Plus, it’s so much fun to give away homemade treats. And one of our favorite ways to celebrate the holidays! Swap sprinkles to match the season and boom. These homemade peanut butter cups are sure to spread the love and are guaranteed to be a hit!
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Ingredients for Homemade Peanut Butter Cups:
- High quality chocolateIf possible, grab a solid candy bar. We used milk chocolate here, but dark chocolate would be delicious!
- peanut butter– we used all-natural creamy peanut butter. If you have nut allergies, you can easily use sun butter here!
- Graham crackers– Graham cracker crumbs add great texture that mimics store-bought peanut butter cups.
- maple syrup– Maple syrup created the perfect consistency for our filling. You can use powdered sugar if you like, but you might end up with a drier filling.
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How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups:
- Place the peanut butter in a medium-sized bowl. Microwave for about 15 seconds or until your peanut butter is soft.
- Crumble the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add to the peanut butter along with the maple syrup. Stir until combined.
- Chop up your candy bar and place in a microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Melt in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds until chocolate is smooth and melted. It shouldn’t take longer than 90 seconds.
- Pour half of your melted chocolate into a silicone mold or muffin pan with liners.
- Top with about a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture.
- Pour the remaining chocolate over the peanut butter. Tap your pan or muffin tin on the counter to remove air bubbles and ensure the chocolate settles into any crevices and coats your peanut butter mixture.
- Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over finished peanut butter cups and sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired. To achieve the thin drizzle of white chocolate in our photos, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate back and forth over the candy and hold your hand high over it.
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Tips & Suggestions
These will keep at room temperature for a few days or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you stack them, put parchment paper between the layers to avoid sticking.
Yes! They freeze great. Place in freezer or airtight container for 2-3 months. Allow to come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before enjoying. Or eat cold!
Really any good chocolate can be used here. White, milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate would be delicious! Semi-sweet and dark chocolate will be firmer than white or milk chocolate. Adding about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil to your melted chocolate can help with this. almond bark too
This is a great place to get creative! We drizzled some of ours with chocolate and topped them with sprinkles. Alternatively, you can omit the drizzle and add the sprinkles before the chocolate sets. Use different sprinkles depending on the occasion! Sea salt flakes or chopped peanuts are also delicious.
You have a few different options! We also made these in a mini muffin pan with liners and that works great. Don’t try to do it without the liners or you’ll just scrape them out. You can also make these in a pan! Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Squeeze the peanut butter mixture into the pan and sprinkle with melted chocolate. Once cool, cut into squares. They won’t look exactly like peanut butter cups, but they will taste just as delicious!
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Rather homemade Peanut Butter Treats:
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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups that have less than half the sugar and taste better than the real thing!
- 1 Cup peanut butter melted
- 4 leaves Graham crackers finely crushed
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Pound Chocolate bar chopped
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Place your peanut butter in a medium-sized bowl. Microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and maple syrup.
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Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until smooth and melted. This shouldn’t take longer than 75-90 seconds! Don’t overheat. When there are only a few pieces left, keep stirring. The residual heat will smooth it out.
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Pour a small amount of chocolate into a silicone mold or mini muffin pan with liners. Tap it to allow the chocolate to spread.
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Add about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture to each cup. Cover with the rest of the melted chocolate and tap lightly to allow the melted chocolate to settle into the mold.
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Place the peanut butter cups in the fridge for 20-30 minutes or until set.
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If desired, drizzle with additional melted chocolate and sprinkle with sprinkles. Enjoy!
nutritional information
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
amount per serving
calories 262
Calories from fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 8g40%
Trans Fatty Acids 0.01 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
cholesterol 1mg0%
sodium 87mg4%
potassium 277mg8th%
carbohydrates 20g7%
fiber 4g16%
Sugar 11g12%
protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 10 IU0%
calcium 33mg3%
iron 3mg17%
*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Natalie Monson
I am a Registered Nutritionist, mother of 4, an avid food lover and a strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you’ll find lots of delicious fruit and veg-packed recipes, tips on how to get your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters, and plenty of resources to feed your family.
Learn more about Natalie