A deliciously creamy and crunchy peanut butter filling wrapped in rich chocolate!
I don’t think I know anyone who isn’t at least a little obsessed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. There’s a reason why they’ve been around for almost 92 years and have yet to change the recipe. They’ve got the perfect ratio of peanut butter filling to chocolate, and they’re just so creamy and unbelievably satisfying to bite into.
So with those heavenly peanut butter cups on my mind this week, I decided to put my own spin on the classic peanut butter cup by making these Peanut Butter Crunch Cups!
As opposed to the classic, these heavenly hunks have a much creamier filling as well as a little crunch to give you the best of both worlds!
Being the crunchy peanut butter gal that I’ve always been, I just knew I had to add some kind of crunch to the filling. So why not toss in a little Rice Krispies cereal? To me, nothing can create that light and almost delicate crispiness quite like Rice Krispies cereal. It’s also the least sweet of the cereal kingdom, so it helps to balance out the sweetness of the peanut butter and powdered sugar in the filling. Speaking of filling, you’ll only need 4 ingredients to make it! Just combine some peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar until smooth. Then stir in some Rice Krispies cereal. That’s it!
And I have to tell (more like WARN) you, this peanut butter filling is BEYOND bliss. Seriously, I won’t judge you if you only end up making the filling, grabbing a spoon, and going to town on it while binge-watching Disney+ for the rest of the day. However, if you do manage to fight the urge and get through the entire recipe, I can guarantee it’ll be SO worth it.
Of all the steps, making the chocolate cups is the one that takes the longest. Luckily, I came up with a tip to make the process easier. Use a chopstick! To coat the bottom and sides of the paper liner, I found that the fat end of a chopstick worked the best. Not only does it get the chocolate into the ridges/crevices better, but it’s not as cumbersome as a spoon, making the process a whole lot easier. I actually discovered this step when I made my White Chocolate Peanut Butter and Jelly Cups.
I also found it easier to keep the paper liners in the pan as you’re coating them with the chocolate. I just stabilized the paper liner with one hand, while using the other hand to swirl the chocolate along the sides of the liner with the chopstick.
Because I’m a sucker for dark chocolate and peanut butter, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the shell. There’s just something so euphoric about the combination of dark chocolate and peanut butter. The slight bitterness of the semi-sweet chocolate with that salty sweetness of the peanut butter never fails to make my eyes roll into the back of my head EVERY time.
Depending on what kind of chocolate you use, you might need to melt in a few tablespoons of oil (coconut, vegetable) or shortening, so that the chocolate isn’t so thick. In my experience, chocolate chips tend to need a little oil to thin out the consistency and make the chocolate easier to work with.
Once the chocolate cups have hardened in the freezer (about 10 minutes), it’s time to fill them! This is also where a chopstick comes in handy. After scooping about a tablespoon of the peanut butter filling into each cup, use a butter knife to push the filling evenly into the chocolate cup.
Right after filling, more melted chocolate is spread on top before the whole pan goes into the freezer for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Once the chocolate hardens, peel off the paper and dive on in!
Sweet, salty, creamy n’ crunchy, these Peanut Butter Crunch Cups have it all!
Peanut Butter Crunch Cups
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup chocolate chips or chopped*
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons butter softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Line a mini muffin pan (24 count) with mini paper liners; set aside.
- Pour the chocolate into a bowl and microwave until smooth and melted. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the melted chocolate into the paper liner. Using the fat end of a chopstick (or the handle of a wooden spoon), swirl the chocolate around, pushing it all the way up the sides and into all of the crevices. Repeat with the remaining paper liners, then chill until set.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and continue beating until combined. Stir in the cereal.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture into each chocolate cup, using a butter knife to push filling evenly into the cups.
- Once all of the cups have been filled, top each with about a teaspoon of melted chocolate, using an offset spatula or butterknife to spread evenly. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
- Peel off the paper liners. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.