Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs are the ultimate Easter treat! With just 6 simple ingredients and the perfect chocolate to peanut butter ratio, this EASY no-bake recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Eggs is so much better than the original!
Perfect Peanut Butter Eggs
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs is a treat the masses wait anxiously for year-round. With slightly more peanut butter to chocolate ratio, it just hits different than a classic peanut butter cup.
Now imagine that same delicious chocolate peanut butter egg you anticipate year long–BUT BETTER! SO MUCH BETTER!
I took my fan-favorite recipe for homemade peanut butter cups, which uses simple ingredients you can pronounce, and tweaked it just a bit to deliver a peanut butter egg is simply perfect. Dangerously perfect!
And while this is one Easter treat you will certainly want to include in everyone’s easter basket, you don’t have to wait on these Easter eggs to hit the store shelves–make them anytime the craving strikes!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Peanut Butter: Just like my recipes for peanut butter buckeyes and peanut butter blossoms, it is best to use shelf-stable creamy peanut butter for this recipe. It will keep the peanut butter filling creamy, smooth, and thick.
- Powdered Sugar: This recipe uses more powdered sugar than my original peanut butter cup recipe. It is necessary to help shape the eggs, provide structure for dipping, and mimic the texture of a classic Reese’s egg.
- Chocolate: Use chocolate chips (most affordable) or pure chocolate bars that have been chopped (smoothest melt). I tested coating these peanut butter eggs in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate. And while they all will work, dark chocolate was the favorite. It helps to balance out the extra powdered sugar added to the peanut butter mixture.
- Vanilla + Salt: Both added to enhance the flavor.
- Coconut Oil: Optional, but helps the chocolate harden quickly and adds a nice glossy finish.
No Butter?
I created these Copycat Reese’s Eggs without butter for a couple of reasons–the butter takes away from the rich peanut butter flavor and it makes the recipe easier to adapt to be dairy-free (simply use your favorite dairy-free chocolate.)
How to Make Peanut Butter Eggs
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make Peanut Butter Filling. Using a handheld mixer, mix together peanut butter, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and powdered sugar in large mixing bowl until creamy and combined. The mixture will be a bit crumbly, but should easily roll into a uniform shape. If your mixture feels too dry, add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter at a time; if the mixture won’t shape easily, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the right consistency is reached.
- Shape Peanut Butter Eggs. Using 1½ tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture, roll the mixture into a ball. Gently flatten the ball, until it is about ½-¾ inch thick and use your fingers to shape into the classic egg shape–with one end narrower than the other.
- Chill. In order for the eggs to hold their shape when dipped into melted chocolate, it is crucial to fully chill the peanut butter mixture. To do this, pop them into the freezer for 20 minutes or fridge for 60 minutes.
- Melt Chocolate. Place chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into a medium heat-safe narrow bowl (or large glass measuring cup) in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, stir in the coconut oil if using. Let cool for 5 minutes before dipping the eggs into the chocolate.
- Dip Eggs in Chocolate. Place a chilled egg on a fork and submerge into the melted chocolate, lift, and tap on the edge of a bowl to remove the excess chocolate, and carefully slide the egg onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Similar to the process I use for making Tagalong Cookies.
Leftover melted chocolate?
Use it to make chocolate bark or to coat raisins, nut, and/or pretzels!
- Set. Pop the peanut butter eggs into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the chocolate set up.
- Decorate. If desired, use colored cookie icing and sprinkles and decorate–so much more fun than coloring hard-boiled eggs!
Dietary Modifications
Besides the far-superior taste, another advantage of making peanut butter eggs at home is that you can swap out ingredients to make these treats safe for anyone to enjoy.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life) or dairy-free chocolate bar (like Hu brand–my personal favorite) chopped into small pieces.
- Peanut-Free: Yes, you can make peanut butter eggs without the peanut butter! In place of peanut butter, use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
Storage Tips
Because these peanut butter eggs are made without preservatives and stabilizers, they should not be left at room temperature longer than a few hours. Let the candies set up, then place them into an airtight container, between layers of parchment paper, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Desserts Perfect for Easter
Did you make this recipe?
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Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer on low speed to beat together ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon table salt, and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract until well combined. The mixture should be a bit crumbly (it will come together in your hands), but if lumps of powdered sugar remain that can’t be dissolved into the peanut butter by mixing longer, add ½ tablespoon more peanut butter at a time until the right consistency is reached. Conversely, if the mixture won’t shape easily, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the right consistency is reached.
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Using about 1½ tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture, roll the mixture into a ball. Gently flatten the ball, until it is about ½-¾ inch thick. Then use your fingers to shape into a disk that is shaped like an egg and place it onto the prepared pan.
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Place the peanut butter eggs in the freezer for 20-30 minutes or the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes to fully chill and harden slightly. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP–your peanut butter eggs would fall apart in the chocolate if not fully chilled.
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Once the peanut butter eggs are fully chilled, prepare the chocolate. If not using morsels, wafers, or chips, chop 16 ounces dark chocolate into small bite-sized pieces and place into a narrow heat-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted. Once melted, stir in 1 tablespoon coconut oil, if using. Let cool for 5 minutes before dipping the eggs into the chocolate.
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Place a fully chilled peanut butter egg onto a fork and submerge the egg into the melted chocolate, immediately lift out, and tap on the edge of a bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Use another fork or butter knife to carefully slide the chocolate coated egg back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. If adding sprinkles (but not frosting), do that now before the chocolate hardens. Repeat the process the remaining eggs.
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Return the eggs to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the chocolate set up. At this point, feel free to decorated with frosting.
Peanut Butter: Use shelf-stable, not brands that need refrigerated after opening.
Coconut Oil: Optional, but helps the chocolate harden quickly and adds a nice glossy finish.
Storage: Let the candies set up, then place them into an airtight container, between layers of parchment paper, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftover melted chocolate? Use it to make chocolate bark or to coat raisins, nut, and/or pretzels!
Calories: 105kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 72mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
