Giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Giant Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a tasty treat. There’s no need to purchase packaged chocolate peanut butter candy when you can easily make Reese’s cups to enjoy anytime.

a stack of homemade Reese's peanut butter cups on a plate.


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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is a classic for a good reason: it’s darn delicious. Reese’s has been satisfying the cravings of millions of people with its peanut butter cups made by the Hershey company since 1928. I know you are going to love biting into your own homemade Reese’s cup, just as much as pealing open a package of the store-bought ones.

But if you want to recreate the old-school, all-natural original-style peanut butter cup that you probably ate when you were a kid, give this copycat recipe a try. This is the perfect gluten-free dessert for your peanut butter lover.

Peanut Butter Cup Recipe Ingredients

You only need 5 simple ingredients for this recipe. Here’s the list:

  • Peanut butter
  • Butter you can use salted or unsalted butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chocolate
Reese's peanut butter cups ingredients.

How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Filling

There are lots of peanut butter and chocolate snacks out there. But, perhaps the enduring popularity of Reese’s peanut cups is because of the brand’s uniquely sweet and creamy peanut butter filling.

To get the same peanut butter filling texture as Reese’s, you have to start with smooth-style peanut butter. Of course, if you prefer a crunchy texture, go with crunchy peanut butter instead.

Look for a brand without any added sugar since the peanut filling recipe calls for a significant amount. While there is no need to buy the premium stuff, all-natural peanut butter will make the recipe a tiny bit healthier.

  1. Place peanut butter and unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Make sure they are both at room temperature.
  2. Use an electric mixer at medium speed to whip and combine them until smooth. At this point, you want to incorporate a little air into the mixture.
  3. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
  4. Beat until thoroughly combined.
collage of steps to make Reese's peanut butter cups filling.
  1. Shape the peanut butter filling mixture and into a patties. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture.
  2. Place the patties on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and refrigerate them for 30 minutes.
peanut butter patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

How to Make Peanut Butter Cups

  1. Melt chocolate chips and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
bowl of chocolate chips and bowl of melted chocolate chips.
  1. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Spread a little chocolate in the bottom of a cupcake liner. If you use a silicone muffin pan you do not need to use the cupcake liners.
chocolate mixture in a muffin pan.
  1. Put a peanut butter patty on top of the chocolate.
peanut butter patties on top of chocolate in a muffin pan.
  1. Cover the patty with chocolate. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and peanut butter patties.
homemade Reese's peanut butter cups in a muffin pan.

Let the peanut butter cups sit for a couple of hours to harden the chocolate then remove the cupcake liners or pop them out of the silicone muffin pan.

homemade Reese's peanut butter cups on a plate.

Peanut Butter Cups Without Ridges

Classic Reese’s peanut butter cups have ridges on the side. However, if you want to make peanut butter cups without ridges, you can do so by using a silicone muffin pan. Chocolate will not stick to the silicone and you can easily pop them out of the pan.

As you can see from the photos, this is the method I used for making peanut butter cups. It’s a nice touch that makes homemade peanut butter cups stand out over store-bought. You are going to love this delicious snack, and they are perfect to make for game nights!

Recipe Variations

Using this same Reese’s copycat recipe, there are many ways you can make these peanut cups your own.

  • Change the size of the peanut butter cups. Make them as big or small as you want. One great thing about homemade candy is the ability to make it giant, king size, extra large, or even mini.
  • Use dark chocolate. Semi-sweet, dark chocolate adds sophistication to these peanut butter cups.
  • Add a layer of crunch. Although this is a peanut butter cup recipe without graham crackers, you can try sprinkling a layer of crushed graham crackers on the lower chocolate half before putting the peanut butter filling on top.
  • Flavor up the filling. Stir in chopped peanuts, crushed potato chips, pretzels, peanut brittle, mini Reese’s pieces, or mini chocolate chips.

Best Way to Melt Chocolate

The ideal way to melt the chocolate is using a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by placing a metal mixing bowl on top of a pot with simmering water. Just make sure that the water never touches the bottom of the bowl, or the chocolate may burn.

  1. Start by roughly cutting up the chocolate. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they will melt, and there is less chance of scorching.
  2. Add the chocolate pieces to the top of the double boiler and use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate continuously until melted.
  3. Once the chocolate melts, turn off the heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the butter into the warm chocolate.

Tips for Making and Storing Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

  • Use silicone cupcake liners. These reusable liners come in various sizes and creative designs to add a bit of style to your peanut butter cups.
  • Don’t store the peanut butter cups on the counter. Refrigerate them for up to a month or freeze them for up to three months.
five homemade Reese's peanut butter cups and peanut butter on a wooden spoon.

Frequently asked questions about homemade peanut butter cups

When making peanut butter cups is it best to use smooth or crunchy peanut butter?

This is a personal preference, it depends on what you like the best. Smooth peanut butter is traditional, but Reese’s also has a crunchy version, so use what you like best.

Can I use other nut butters for this peanut butter cup recipe?

Yes! you could consider making this with almond butter, or even mixed nut butter. If you really want something exotic try vanilla almond butter!

What type of chocolate is best for the shell of this peanut butter cup recipe?

You could use creamy milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or you could try making these with white chocolate. If you are using “almond bark” chocolate there is no need to thin the chocolate with butter.

I can’t wait for you to try this recipe. The truest peanut butter fans will love this recipe. Your kitchen can become a candy company when you make these at home. Let me know which type of combination of nut butter and chocolate you like best!

More Homemade Candy Recipes

Favorite Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recipes

Check out more of my easy candy recipes and the best DIY Recipes here on CopyKat!

Take a look at more of our commercial candy-inspired recipes on YouTube.

a stack of homemade Reese's peanut butter cups on a plate.

Reeseā€™s Peanut Butter Cups

Homemade Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a great candy treat to make for family and friends.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chilling: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 24
Calories: 219kcal

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Filling

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating

  • 16 ounces chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Peanut Butter Filling

  • In a medium bowl, use a mixer to combine the peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter.
  • Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue mixing until combined and smooth.
  • Use your hands to shape 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture into a patty. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture.
  • Place the patties on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Coating

  • Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in the microwave in 30-second increments.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter to the chocolate, and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
  • Spoon about 2 teaspoons of chocolate into the bottom of a cupcake liner.
  • Place a chilled peanut butter patty on top of the chocolate.
  • Spoon just enough chocolate on top to cover the patty. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and peanut butter patties.
  • Allow the peanut butter cups to set for a couple of hours before removing the cupcake liner.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 78mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. matrim

    Adam’s peanut butter was the most like reese’s once adding some sugar in my experience, their creamy even has the tiny pieces of peanut in it like reeses.

  2. Ashley

    5 stars
    I love these. I am so glad this recipe didn’t need any graham crackers in the peanut butter. I used dark chocolate.

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