Name: Peanut Butter Cups
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 47 min
Cuisine: American, French
Ingredients: 2 cups of good quality chocolate (dark, white, milk); 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening; Filling:; 1 cup or more of creamy peanut butter; zip-lock bag; for mix-ins and substitutions refer to our notes below

If you’re looking for a quick, melt-in-your-mouth treat that tastes even better than the store-bought version, homemade peanut butter cups are the perfect sweet project.

With just two simple ingredients—good-quality melting chocolate and creamy peanut butter—you can create rich, smooth, perfectly layered cups right from your own kitchen.

There’s no baking, no complicated steps, and no fancy equipment needed.

Whether you’re whipping up a batch for the holidays, filling a dessert tray, or simply satisfying a craving, these homemade peanut butter cups deliver classic candy-shop flavor with very little effort.

Peanut butter cups are a favorite here; however, this easy recipe is versatile, and there are several kinds of candy cups you can transform with a basic recipe guide.

We have filled them, left them solid, topped with nuts, coconut, or dried fruits, and we have also placed the melted chocolate into fancy molds for special events.

These are not only great for parties, fundraisers, weddings, and showers, but mainly they're fantastic to eat, and the sky's the limit of possibilities.

We love experimenting with using these mini muffin tins and liners, which makes the whole candy-making process a breeze.

If you have a peanut butter cup lover, this is the easiest way to make them, not to mention economical.

Scroll through all our tips, substitutions, and filling ideas. These are fun to make, and everyone will rave about them!

homemad peanut butter cups on a poinsetta plate

12 year old Antonio making peanut butter cups for Christmas with Grandma

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Only Two Ingredients: Chocolate + peanut butter = instant magic. Simple, budget-friendly, and pantry-friendly.
Better Than Store-Bought: Using good-grade melting chocolate gives these cups a silky, luxurious finish that tastes gourmet.
Fast & No-Bake: These come together in minutes and chill quickly. Perfect for last-minute treats.
Customizable: Choose dark, milk, or white chocolate; adjust the peanut butter layer to be thicker or thinner; or drizzle the tops for a decorative touch.
Kid-Approved Project: No stove-top cooking or complicated steps. Great for little helpers!

melted smooth chocolate for candy making

Other Mix-In Substitutions

any kinds of nuts
crushed candy bars
chopped caramel or caramel bits
funfetti or other colorful sprinkles
crushed peppermint or another hard candy
crushed toffee chips
any kind of chocolate chips
marshmallow cream
plain coconut, toasted or shredded
dried fruits like raisins or another you prefer
use almond butter
use carob instead of chocolate
any kind of chocolate can be used: milk, white, dark, or semi-sweet

How to Melt Chocolate in the Microwave

Place the chocolate in a small microwavable bowl
Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening per 2 cups of chips.
Microwave for 45 seconds, remove and stir.
Continue microwaving until completely melted and smooth, every 30 seconds, stirring until smooth

homemade peanut butter cups in holiday liners

Must-Have Tools to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Candy Cups

mini muffin pan
mini muffin paper liners
teaspoon
candy molds optional
microwavable bowl
zip lock bag for the peanut butter for easy filling the cups

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Holiday Ideas for Chocolate Candy Cups

Easter: tint white chocolate into pastel colors with food coloring
Christmas: add crushed peppermint or tint white chocolate red or green
St. Patrick's Day: tint white chocolate green and add gold glitter on top
Patriotic: make solid chocolate cups sprinkled with red, white, and blue funfetti candy
Birthday: add a favorite chopped candy bar to the chocolate sprinkle with the theme funfetti on top
Baby Showers: for a baby reveal tint white chocolate the color of the new arrival sprinkled on top coordinating colorful sprinkles
Weddings: make solid white chocolate cups sprinkled with bridal party-themed colors or white pearl candies
Gift Giving: Make an assortment of chocolate for the holiday season by adding nuts, candy bars chopped and other ingredients to the chocolate
Fund Raisers: these can be made into a mold for fundraising events in the shape of whatever the theme is

homemade peanut butter cups, peanut butter candy, mini peanut butter cups, chocolate candy cups, assorted filled chocolates

peanut butter recipes, candy recipes, chocolate-filled candy recipes, holiday recipes

American, French

Yield: 24

Author: Claudia Lamascolo