Homemade Peanut Butter Easter Eggs (Classic Recipe)
Creamy peanut butter centers covered with glossy melted chocolate! These peanut butter easter eggs are a must-have on your Easter dessert table.
It’s that time of year! The Easter bunny is coming to town, and with it, this super simple peanut butter eggs recipe!
If you’re familiar with the homemade Easter eggs Southern church ladies make (the Amish as well), then you know what you’re in for with this easy recipe. If not, imagine Reese’s eggs, but better. The filling is creamy and melt-in-you-mouth smooth. The chocolate coating is rich and decadent, and the combination will have you pushing the bounds of your self control!
Ingredients
I think one of the things I love most about this recipe is the simplicity — you only need 5 simple ingredients that are easy to find at grocery stores!
- Peanut Butter: You will need creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Do not use crunchy peanut butter or all-natural peanut butter. They simply do not work.
- Butter: You can sub this with margarine.
- Powdered Sugar: This is also sometimes called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar. You need this to make the peanut butter filling. Do not sub this ingredient.
- Chocolate Chips: This is for covering the outside of the eggs, which means theres some flexibility here. You can use any kind of chocolate chips: dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate, semisweet (my favorite), or even white chocolate.You can also melt baking chocolate or use almond bark.
- Shortening or Coconut Oil: You only need a very small amount of this. You add this to the melted chocolate, which makes it easier to bite into when set up. You can omit this ingredient entirely — it’s completely up to personal preference!
Instructions
Step 1 | Peanut Butter Filling
Start by making the peanut butter filling. First, melt the butter. Then, add the melted butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar to a large bowl. Mix until it forms a very thick dough, making sure to scrap the edge of the bowl as you go. It feels and looks like playdough, although it tastes a lot better!
Step 2 | Form
Next, line a baking pan or a large plate with wax paper. Pinch off some of the peanut butter mixture . You’re going to get about 24 eggs from this dough, so you can judge how big to make them from that.
You can also use a medium cookie scoop to help you get the right amounts.
Once you’ve got your peanut butter dough, form it into an egg.
Place the egg shape on the wax paper-lined plate or sheet.
Step 3 | Dip, Set, Decorate!
In a microwave safe bowl, pour your chocolate chips and add the shortening or coconut oil. Microwave the chocolate in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Alternately, you can melt chocolate over a double boiler.
Dip your eggs in the chocolate. I use two forks to move them around and make sure that they are completely covered in the chocolate coating. Then, I use the forks to remove the eggs, shake off the excess chocolate, and place them back on the wax paper.
If you’re going to use festive sprinkles, you’ll want to decorate before the chocolate hardens. I just pressed these cute sugar flowers into the tops of the chocolate eggs.
If you’d like to decorate with candy melts drizzles, you probably want to wait until the eggs have set.
Tip
You can leave your eggs to set on the counter, which will take a couple of hours. For faster set times, pop the chocolate peanut butter eggs in the fridge. It only takes about 30 minutes in there!
Step 4 | Enjoy!
Once your eggs are set, you can eat them! These are fantastic party foods, gift from the Easter bunny in your Easter basket, or just as a springy sort of snack!
FAQs
They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.
Tempering is not necessary, but if you want a glossy finish and chocolate that doesn’t melt as easily, you can melt the chocolate slowly and avoid overheating it.
If you do, you’ll have to completely change the measurements for the peanut butter dough. Natural peanut butter is much runnier than traditional peanut butter, so you’ll need more powdered sugar.
If the mixture is too soft to shape, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until it firms up. Chilling it in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes can also help.
Homemade Peanut Butter Easter Eggs
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp shortening or coconut oil
- 12 oz chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt butter. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Mix until you get a thick dough.
- Separate dough into 24 pieces. Using your hands, shape each piece into an egg . Place the peanut butter eggs on a wax-paper lined surface.
- Add the chocolate chips and shortening or coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Melt together by microwaving in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
- Dip peanut butter eggs into the chocolate, making sure that they are completely coated. Remove eggs from chocolate, shake off excess chocolate, and replace on wax paper.
- If you plan to use sprinkles or other decorations, add them while the chocolate is still melted.
- Allow eggs to set. They will take about 2 hours at room temperature, or you can put them in the fridge to cut setting time to 30 minutes.
- Once the eggs are set, they are ready to eat!
