If you’ve never heard of peanut butter Easter eggs, count yourself as one of the lucky few. For those of you who haven’t heard of them, I’m going to tell you just how good they are. Boiling eggs is a necessary evil, but it doesn’t need to be all that complicated. These Peanut Butter Easter Eggs will teach you how to boil eggs without all the fuss.
PEANUT BUTTER EASTER EGGS
This homemade Peanut Butter Easter Eggs recipe has it all–a sweet, salty, slightly crumbly peanut butter filling, a coating of creamy chocolate on the outside, and sweet pastel decorations for that perfect Easter touch. Once you try these Peanut Butter Eggs, you’ll never buy store-bought again!
🥜 WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS PEANUT BUTTER EGGS RECIPE
Homemade candy is the best. Of course store-bought candy has its place, but let me make the case for homemade:
- It’s fresher. No stale filling or crumbly chocolate coating if you’re making it from scratch!
- you know exactly what goes into it! No mystery ingredients with unpronounceable names.
- You can customize the flavor, texture, colors, appearance, etc. Custom candy? Now you’re livin’ like a millionaire.
When I started thinking about Easter recipes, I knew I needed to re-create one of my favorite Easter basket treats, the Reese’s peanut butter egg! No shade, I still love a classic peanut butter egg, but I like this homemade version a LOT more, and I think you will too.
For one, look at all that filling! Every true peanut butter lover knows that mo’ filling, mo’ betta. No thin, skimpy filling layer here.
For another, the filling is fresh-fresh-fresh. It actually tastes like peanut butter, not sugar-with-a-smattering-of-peanut-dust! I also recreated the classic PB egg texture by adding in some graham cracker crumbs.
🧾 WHAT YOU’LL NEED
INGREDIENTS
To make these easy peanut butter eggs, you’ll need the following ingredients: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Graham Crackers: Graham crackers might be a surprising ingredient, but in my opinion they’re completely necessary. Traditionally, peanut butter eggs are a little dry and crumbly. I use graham cracker crumbs to give the filling a bit of that crumbly texture, and to keep the peanut butter mixture from becoming too gloopy and sticky.
- Smooth Peanut Butter: This recipe was made with standard super market smooth peanut butter. (Jif and Skippy both work well!) Looking to use a different nut butter? Check out the Variations section below.
- Powdered Sugar: Two cups of powdered sugar is the perfect amount to give the filling body and sweetness, without being overly sweet.
- Butter: Butter adds a smooth, creamy richness to the filling. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If using salted, I recommend leaving out the added salt at first, taste the filling, then adding additional salt if desired.
- Vanilla & Salt: Both add great flavor to round out the peanut butter filling.
- Candy Coating: I use chocolate candy coating to make the shells, and pastel coating for decorations. Merckens and Ghirardelli both make coatings that are easy to work with and tasty! If you prefer, you can use real chocolate–just make sure you follow these instructions to temper the chocolate so it turns out hard and shiny.
🥄 EQUIPMENT
You only need a few tools to make these cute peanut butter eggs!
- Silicone egg mold:I recommend this silicone egg mold for making the perfect size peanut butter eggs.
- Mixer: A hand mixer or stand mixer will both work.
- Paintbrush: For the brush decorating effect, you’ll want a food-safe paintbrush.
📋 HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER EGGS
STEP 1: MAKE THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING
Mix all of the filling ingredients using a mixer, until you have a smooth mixture that’s just a bit dry and crumbly. Refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
STEP 2: MAKE THE CHOCOLATE SHELLS
The pastel decorations on the eggs are completely optional. If you want to add them, you should do the decorating first, on the inside of the shell. This keeps the finished product looking perfectly glossy and smooth. If you decorate at the end, the dots/swirls will be raised and textured. I’ve included instructions for making polka dots, brush strokes, and color swirl eggs.
Once your decorations inside the mold have set, the dark chocolate coating is brushed on the inside of the molds. I tried the technique of filling the molds and then inverting them, letting the chocolate run out, but that caused the colorful decorations to bleed and run. The brushing technique is more reliable and produces better results. Just make sure you get a thick enough layer of chocolate on the inside of the shells.
STEP 3: ADD THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING
Let the chocolate set completely, then press the peanut butter filling into the molds. Don’t go all the way to to the top–be sure to leave a small space at the top for more chocolate.
STEP 4: SEAL WITH CHOCOLATE
Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate coating all the way to the edges of each egg, so it forms a seal and no peanut butter filling can leak out the bottom.
STEP 5: UNMOLD AND ENJOY!
Refrigerate the molds so the candy coating sets completely, then invert the molds over your work surface and gently flex them so the eggs pop out.
💭 VARIATIONS
- Using other nut butters: If you are a fan of natural peanut butter or other nut butters, you’re welcome to swap them in, but I can’t guarantee success. Many natural nut butters have a thinner texture than standard peanut butter, meaning the filling will turn out softer. If you swap out nut butters and your filling is too soft, you can experiment with adding more powdered sugar or graham crumbs to compensate.
- Using real chocolate: candy coating is used in this recipe to simplify things. If you’d like to use real chocolate, I recommend a semi-sweet chocolate (55-65% cacao)
💡 TIPS AND FAQS
MAKING PEANUT BUTTER EGGS WITHOUT MOLDS
No molds? No problem! Here’s how you make them without molds:
- Refrigerate the peanut butter filling for about 1 hour, until firm.
- Use a tablespoon or candy scoop to form the peanut butter into balls. Flatten them between your palms until about 1/2 inch thick, then pinch one end thinner to make an egg shape.
- Refrigerate the egg-shaped patties again for at least 30 minutes so they are very firm.
- Melt the candy coating.
- Use a fork or dipping tools to dip a peanut butter patty into the candy coating. Let the excess drip back into the bowl, then set the peanut butter egg onto a baking sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper.
- Repeat until all the eggs are dipped!
MAKE-AHEAD AND STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
These eggs keep well, and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to a month.
You can also make the components separately ahead of time. Store the peanut butter filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with plastic wrap pressed on top.
Make the empty chocolate egg shells and carefully remove them from the silicone molds. Store the shells at cool room temperature in plastic tubs separated by cupcake liners or pieces of paper towel.
PEANUT BUTTER EASTER EGGS
Peanut Butter Easter Eggs are simple to create and the chocolate peanut butter combination make the perfect pair! Plus, these peanut butter eggs for Easter are so cute and delicious too! When you make this recipe for Easter peanut butter eggs you are creating little heavenly treats that your whole family will enjoy. These homemade peanut butter Easter eggs are easy to make, you will never go back to the store bought kind again!
EASTER EGG PEANUT BUTTER TREATS
Peanut butter Easter eggs are a treat that we always sold for school fundraisers this time of the year when we were growing up. I remember always being so excited to place my order, the anticipation of the little delectable treat was a spring time event in our household. This recipe is a delightful, easy homemade version that competes with the Reese’s Easter Egg we all know and love. They are a decadent and sweet dessert that is so easy to make right from your own kitchen. The inside is a soft, creamy, sweet peanut butter truffle-like candy that is covered in a smooth chocolate coating. Then creating a beautiful topping with your favorite colors and festive sprinkles really ups the Easter dessert game.
WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS RECIPE FOR EASTER PEANUT BUTTER EGGS
- They are adorable and so delicious!
- Making these at home is a treat for the whole family to enjoy together.
- These are made with several ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
PEANUT BUTTER EASTER EGGS INGREDIENTS
-Butter: You will need 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick) to create this buttery and soft treat. -Sugar: Using 3/4 cup brown sugar will help make these eggs perfectly sweet. -Peanut Butter: The base of this delicious recipe is 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter. -Flour: Adding in 3/4 cup all-purpose flour will give these eggs great texture. -Vanilla extract: You need 1/2 tsp vanilla extract to help enhance the combination of flavors perfectly. -Salt: Use 1/4 tsp salt for an added balance of salty to this sweet treat. -Chocolate: You will need 1/4 cup mini Reese’s Pieces or mini chocolate chips, whatever you have on hand or prefer will work great. -Melting chocolate: For the outer coating, you will need 2 cups white and dark melting chocolate (divided as you’d like- I used about 1 cup of each). -Sprinkles: For the added decoration, choose your favorite color or a festive Easter themed sprinkles. I like to use a spring color mix in pastel colors. *This recipe Yields 16-18 three inch eggs.
HOW TO MAKE EASTER PEANUT BUTTER EGGS
PREP
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside. This sheet will need to go into the freezer, make sure it fits ahead of time. This recipe does include raw flour being used. If you are nervous about consuming raw flour, I suggest you toast it beforehand. Simply spread flour out on a baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool completely, then proceed with the recipe. Other options are to use oat or almond flour in its place.
BATTER
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and peanut butter until well combined. Then, add in the vanilla extract and stir well. Next, sprinkle the flour and salt on top of the mixture, then stir until completely incorporated. After that, mix in the mini Reese’s Pieces or mini chocolate chips.
FORMING THE EGGS
Once the dough is complete, dump it onto a piece of parchment paper (or wax paper) and fold paper over so that it covers the top of the dough. Proceed to roll the dough out until it is about 1/2″ thick. Using a small Easter Egg cookie cutter, cut the egg shape out of the dough, setting each egg on a parchment covered baking sheet. I have this 18-piece Wilton Spring cookie cutter set– I love it and that’s where I got my 2 1/2″ egg cookie cutter from. Roll the dough again as needed, until all dough has been shaped into eggs. Place the peanut butter eggs in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill and set.
CHOCOLATE COATING
When you are about 25 minutes into the egg freezing process you can start making your chocolate coating. In a medium size bowl, melt both of the chocolates, in separate bowls, 1 cup of each. The trick to melting chocolate in the microwave is to go slowly and stir gently- and just before you feel like it is completely melted, take it out of the microwave and let it finish melting in the warm bowl. If you are using white and semi-sweet chocolate chips, combine 1 cups of each with 2 tsp coconut oil or shortening, to smoothen the chocolate and thin it out a bit so that it’s easier to dip eggs. Microwave for 1 minute, then add time in 20 second increments until chips appear nearly melted, then let melt the rest of the way in the warm bowl. Add some of each chocolate to a small ziplocked bag and cut a small corner off, this will be used to drizzle chocolate over the top of each egg. Using a fork or a handy Winton Dipping tool like I did, dip each peanut butter egg in the chocolate, then shake gently to remove any excess. Transfer the chocolate coated eggs back to the parchment or wax paper covered baking sheet to cool. Then, immediately drizzle the opposite color of chocolate on top of each egg and sprinkle with your favorite Easter sprinkles. Let them cool to harden and set. Serve and enjoy!
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THESE EASTER REESE’S COPYCAT EGGS?
- They’re homemade, meaning you know exactly what goes in them.
- Making these peanut butter eggs at home makes for such a great new Easter family tradition.
- They are versatile and can be tweaked to your likings.
- Perfect for all peanut butter and chocolate lover!
INGREDIENTS FOR PEANUT BUTTER EGGS
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these peanut butter eggs at home. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card to find the detailed ingredient list.
- Peanut butter- you will need smooth peanut butter as the base of this recipe.
- Butter- You will need a few tablespoons of very softened butter.
- Powdered sugar- The powdered sugar is what will hold our Reese’s eggs together and sweeten the peanut butter mixture.
- Vanilla extract- The vanilla extract adds a nice little depth of flavor.
- Salt- Always add a little salt to your baked goods or sweet treats to balance out the sweetness.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips- The chocolate chips are going to be melted to coat our Easter Reese eggs. I like to use Dark chocolate to coat my peanut butter eggs but I know not everyone likes that.
- Canola oil or coconut oil– The canola oil or coconut oil are going to smooth out the melted chocolate making it easier to dip our eggs in there.
CAN I USE DARK CHOCOLATE INSTEAD?
Absolutely! Using dark chocolate is actually something I prefer to do because the peanut butter part of this treat can be a little too sweet, so using dark chocolate will help balance out the overall flavors.
HOW ABOUT WHITE CHOCOLATE?
Yes, yes, and yes! White chocolate Reese’s are a huge weakness of mine so I have tried this recipe with white chocolate as well and it turned out delicious.
I usually like to make milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate peanut butter eggs to gift to friends and family just so everyone has something that they will love.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER EGGS AT HOME THIS EASTER SEASON
Here is how you can make your Easter peanut butter eggs at home. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full detailed recipe.
- Mix all the ingredients together until a dough forms
- Using a tablespoon scoop out 24 equally sized dough balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Shape each dough ball into an egg using your fingers.
- Freeze the peanut butter eggs until hard then dip in the melted chocolate and freeze again until they solidify.
Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card to see the detailed instructions.
HOW TO STORE PEANUT BUTTER EGGS?
The cool thing about these peanut butter eggs is that you can make them ahead of time and store them for whenever you’re ready to enjoy them!
STORING THESE PEANUT BUTTER TREATS IN THE FRIDGE
To store them in the fridge, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
STORING THEM IN THE FREEZER
To store them in the freezer place them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. I always do this and grab one whenever those intense chocolate peanut butter cravings hit. I have it right out of the freezer because I prefer when they’re harder!