2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups

Name: 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks); 1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter (I use Teddy’s Salted Smooth); Extra peanut butter for the filling

Jump to Recipe

Our latest obsession is homemade peanut butter cups that are 1000X better than anything you will ever buy at the store! The best part is these peanut butter cups are made with only two ingredients and only take about 15 minutes to spin up plus a quick freeze.

Close up of homemade peanut butter cup cut in half with peanut butter filling.

I make my peanut butter cups with vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips and creamy natural peanut butter, making these dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free. Optionally finish with a sprinkle of sea salt for the ultimate sweet and salty snack. They taste better than “the real thing”, the peanut butter stays creamier, and they’re better for you!

These peanut butter cups are best stored in the freezer so they stay fresh. Remove from the freezer a few minutes before eating and enjoy!

Table of Contents

Why This Recipe Works

The combination of melted dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter in the exterior shell is what really makes this recipe rich and delicious.
The sea salt makes all of the flavors pop and delivers a sweet and savory snack.

Ingredients

Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I use Enjoy Life, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks. They’re delicious and vegan.
Creamy natural peanut butter: I use Teddy’s Salted Smooth. It’s important to use natural peanut butter because it’s not overly thick.
Sea salt: I usually set my salt grinder to the largest setting and crank some out.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities below.

How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

The secret to this recipe is mixing extra peanut butter into the chocolate exterior. This adds extra sweetness and richness that balances the semi-sweet chips. I melt my chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals and then stir in creamy peanut butter.

Step 1.

Add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Heat until smooth and fully melted. Stir in peanut butter until fully incorporated and smooth.

Smooth melted chocolate and peanut butter in a small dish.

Step 2.

Fill a muffin tin with liners. Fill cups with a small spoonful of chocolate, spreading so you have an even layer that is roughly 1/8 inch thick (about 1 scant tablespoon). Jiggle the pan to smooth the chocolate out.

Step 3.

Place a small dollop of peanut butter in the center of each cup, about 1 teaspoon.

Layered chocolate and natural creamy peanut butter in muffin tin.

Step 4.

Top with another 1-2 teaspoons of chocolate sauce to cover the peanut butter. Use the spoon to gently spread and cover the peanut butter. Jiggling the tin will help to distribute the chocolate sauce and smooth the top. Touch up the top with a little extra chocolate as needed. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Homemade peanut butter cups sprinkled with sea salt before freezing.

Step 5.

Cover with foil and freeze for 30 minutes. Enjoy frozen or let rest on the counter for 5 minutes before eating.

finished homemade peanut butter cups in muffin tin.

Tips & Tricks

A muffin tin with liners makes for easy assembly and removal and also gives your peanut butter cups those signature ridges. Fill each liner with a chocolate base, a dollop of peanut butter, and then a final layer of chocolate to seal everything in. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Finish with sea salt and freeze for 30 minutes. Enjoy the rich goodness.
This recipe works best with smooth natural peanut butter because it’s a little runnier and easily drizzles off the spoon. Chocolate should still be slightly warm when assembling for easy handling.
These are best stored in the freezer in a sealed container so they stay fresh. Keep them in the liners and stack them in a Tupperware container.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make peanut butter cups so perfect?

The muffin tin/cups do all of the work here. Warm melted chocolate and creamy peanut butter make for perfectly smooth chocolate.

What’s the best peanut butter to use?

Creamy natural peanut butter is smooth and spreads very easily. Regular peanut butter is too thick. I like Teddy’s.

How should I store homemade peanut butter cups?

I like to keep mine in the freezer. Take them out before eating and let them warm up for a few minutes to soften. Eating them frozen is good too.

More Dessert Recipes

Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments!