Easter Peanut Butter Eggs

chocolate peanut butter easter eggs recipe like Reese's

These fun, decadent chocolate-coated peanut butter eggs make the best Easter candy, just like a homemade Reese's egg. Make the (no-bake!) dough, chill, coat in melted chocolate, and enjoy!

Prep Time30

Cook Time0

Chilling Time1

Servings: 12 peanut butter eggs

Calories: 205kcal

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Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Bough

▢ 2 cups confectioners' sugar
▢ 1/2 cup peanut butter (not natural; see notes)
▢ 5 tablespoons melted butter
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the Chocolate Coating and to Finish

▢ 8 ounces chopped millk- or dark chocolate (not chocolate chips; see notes)
▢ 3/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
▢ Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or candy sprinkles, to decorate

Instructions

Make the Peanut Butter Dough and Chill

Make the dough by combining the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir until it is fully combined into a soft dough.
PRO TIP: If using a stand mixer, do this on the lowest setting to start, so you don't have a confectioners' sugar explosion!
Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop the peanut butter dough into generously rounded scoops, or slightly larger if you'd like a bigger treat. It should be about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per scoop. Place the peanut butter dough balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
Working one at a time, use your hands to shape each scoop of dough into a slightly-flattened oval or egg shape. Taper the shape a little narrow at the top for the most realistic egg shape. They should be just over 1/2" high, or thereabouts. Place each one back on the baking sheet as you go.
PRO TIP: If the dough is crumbly, it might be too cool. Knead each dough ball with your hands a bit more to see if it holds together. If not, add an additional tablespoon or two of peanut butter to the entire batch of dough, or a little vegetable oil, teaspoon at a time. Less is more.
Cover and chill fully for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator. It is essential to fully chill the peanut butter eggs, or else they will fall apart or lose their shape when they get dipped in the hot, melted chocolate.

Coat in Chocolate and Decorate

In a heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring frequently. Use a spatula to stir in the oil and mix until fully emulsified. Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes. It should have a goldilocks consistency: not watery thin (too hot), but not thick like molasses (too cool). Think somewhere between honey and maple syrup.
PRO TIP: The bowl needs to be deep enough to fully submerge the peanut butter eggs, so if it's too shallow, you may want to transfer the chocolate to a smaller, deeper bowl once it is melted.
How to do a double boiler: Place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Keep the water at a low simmer and make sure there's space between the top of the water and the bottom of the bowl; you want the steam to heat the chocolate, not the hot water.
Working one at a time, place a chilled peanut butter egg on a fork and gently dip the peanut butter eggs into the chocolate, fully submerging to coat.
Let the excess drip off for a couple of seconds, and transfer the chocolate egg back onto the sheet pan to harden. If you are sprinkling the tops with sprinkles or flaky sea salt, do so now, before the chocolate sets up. You can also use a spoonfuls of chocolate to streak the peanut butter eggs with leftover melted chocolate once they've set up.
Let dry, uncovered, at room temperature or in the fridge (this is faster!) and enjoy.
PRO TIP: IF your chocolate starts to get too cool while you work, just pop it back on top of the double boiler for a few seconds, stirring, or in the microwave in 10-second increments to rewarm.

Notes

Which peanut butter to use for the peanut butter eggs

Do not use natural peanut butter, which separates and is often too grainy. Instead, use a smooth peanut butter spread like Skippy or Jif.

Don't use chocolate chips. Use real chocolate.

Be sure to use a bar of baking chocolate -- a.k.a. "real chocolate" -- and not chocolate chips. Chocolate chips contain lots of emulsifiers, and will be too thick when melted to form a good coating. Likewise, avoid candy melts as well. For dark chocolate, choose a bar that says anywhere from 56% to 72% cacao. Milk chocolate will say so on the bar.

How do I know if the chocolate is a good temperature?

The chocolate should be thin and move quickly if you let it drip off a spoon: think maple syrup, not molasses. The oil helps loosen the chocolate, but mainly the viscosity will be because the chocolate is at a warm-enough temperature -- hence needing the peanut butter eggs to be well chilled before dipping them.

If the chocolate starts to become too cool and thicken up, just place it back on your double boiler and stir until its thinned out again, or microwave in 10-second increments.

What if the peanut butter dough is too soft? What if it's crumbly?

It's funny how different something can turn out depending on which brand you use, or even the humidity and temperature of the air.

If your peanut butter dough is too soft, make sure it is sufficiently chilled before dipping in chocolate, and see if that helps firm it up. If it's still too soft, add an additional tablespoon or two of powdered sugar.

If the dough seems too dry or crumbly, it might be too cool. Work it with your hands a bit more to see if it holds together. If not, add an additional tablespoon of peanut butter, or a little vegetable oil, teaspoon at a time. Less is more.

How to store thesepeanut butter Easter eggs

These tasty, no-bake sweet treats will keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to five days. My preference, however, is to keep them stored in the refrigerator, where you know the chocolate will not get tacky or overheat, then serve them at room temperature. They will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.

These also freeze very well! Just thaw at room temperature, uncovered, for a couple hours before serving.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.