When someone says “peanut butter cups”, I’m sure there’s a 9.9/10 chance you’ll think of the Reese’s brand. While I’ve always been a fan of Reese’s anything – the “pieces” kind, especially – I couldn’t help but give a homemade version a shot. This recipe is no-bake, and an adaptation of several different recipes that I found across the web.
The final verdict? I think I’m in love. Like, deeply madly in love. I don’t think I can ever go back to the store bought kind. Sorry Reese’s! It’s not me, it’s you.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Peanut Butter (I used Smart Choice Rich Roast Creamy Peanut Butter)
- 1.5 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 cup (or a little more) Melted Salted Butter *
- 11-12 Ounces Dark Chocolate Chips
- Canola/Vegetable Oil (for melting chocolate chips)* 1/2 Cup = 1 Stick Butter, or 8 Tbs
You’ll Also Need:
- Large Mixing Bowl
- 9×13 Pan
- Small Stainless Steel Bowl **
- Small Stainless Steel Pot **
** You will be creating a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips. Make sure that the bowl is slightly bigger than the pot, enough so that it does not fall in. It should essentially create a seal, trapping in steam. However, the bowl should not touch the boiling water… otherwise you’ll burn your chocolate.
How-To:
1) In the mixing bowl, blend all of the ingredients together (except the dark chocolate chips).
2) Spread the mixture in the 9×13 pan; you can line it with parchment paper before doing so, if you’d like.
3) Boil some water in the small stainless steel pot. Place the bowl of chocolate chips on top.
4) Add just a little bit of canola or vegetable oil to the chocolate chips. This will help smooth out the chocolate and retain moisture.
6) Once all of the chocolate has melted, spread it evenly across the top of the peanut butter mixture.
7) Pop it in the fridge for at least an hour!
I cut mine into squares using a butter knife. If you have metal cookie cutters, try forming shapes about half an hour into the fridge time (before they fully set). Shapes like hearts for Valentine’s Day or eggs for Easter would be pretty fun.
These were a hit with everyone that tasted them. I personally love them because they are significantly less sweeter than store bought peanut butter cups, but sweet enough to hit that spot. The dark chocolate and organic peanut butter are both totally optional, of course, but you know how I like my fancy semi-kinda-healthyish treats.
As I’m typing this, I just had an idea: what if I replaced the peanut butter with Nutella? Looks like I know what my next experiment is.
xx K