The Best Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

This Easy and Delicious Chocolate Treat Beats any Store Bought Candy

Dec 29, 2008 Shelley Donohue

Think nothing can beat the delectable chocolate and peanut butter combination made famous by Reese's? Think again!

In the mid 1920’s Harry Burnett Reese, a former dairy employee of Milton S. Hershey of Hershey Foods Corporation, left the dairy industry to become a fulltime candy maker. He began selling his peanut butter cups in wholesale markets. Due to the hardships at the time around World War 2, Harry focused solely on making peanut butter cups, putting all of his efforts into one product. Few would argue he made a mistake!

Peanut Butter Types

Peanut butter can be crunchy or creamy, organic or raw, salted and unsalted. The best peanut butters have no sugar, flavorings, or preservatives added and are usually called "all natural".

Peanut Butter Cup Recipe

Makes 32 - 40 peanut butter cups

Ingredients

2 cups of creamy peanut butter
1 ½ sticks of butter or margarine
2 ½ cups of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
2 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs (well crushed)
2 teaspoons of vanilla
12 ounces of chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Directions

Melt the peanut butter and the butter together.
Remove peanut butter and butter mixture from heat. Add sugar, crumbs and vanilla.
Press mixture into 13” x 9” x 2” pan.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. If no double boiler is available, use two saucepans, one on top of the other. Boil about 2” of water in the bottom pan. Put the chocolate in the top pan to melt. The double pan allows the chocolate to melt slowly, without burning.
Pour melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture.
Freeze for 15 minutes.
Cut into squares. Refrigerate when not enjoying them.

Variations on this Recipe

Just like Reese’s has variations on their world renowned peanut butter cup, this candy recipe can be altered in a similar way.

Replace the semisweet chocolate chips with the same amount of white chocolate.
Replace the semisweet chocolate chips with a dark chocolate chip to add healthy antioxidants to this sweet treat.
Use the same amount of crunchy peanut butter in place of the creamy peanut butter.
Put a layer of chocolate on the bottom of the dish before laying down the peanut butter. Add another layer on top of the peanut butter for a sandwich type peanut butter cup.

A Treat for Any Holiday

For a holiday treat make these in a special pan and tie a festive ribbon around it, or gift wrap in a holiday themed box. These are a sweet gift for Valentines Day, Christmas, or a hostess gift for any party, any time of the year. Peanut butter cups can be enjoyed year round for any occasion.

The copyright of the article The Best Peanut Butter Cup Recipe in Baking & Desserts is owned by Shelley Donohue. Permission to republish The Best Peanut Butter Cup Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Good Peanut Butter Makes Great Peanut Butter Cups