These peanut butter hearts taste just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup but with an elevated flavor! They’re salty and sweet, soft and chewy, and so delicious.

How to Make These Peanut Butter Hearts
To make sure these turn out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together.
I’ve also shared a video and a list of the tools/equipment I used to make these. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything on hand, you can always improvise with what you have.
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Large mixing bowl
Large baking sheet or plate
Parchment paper
Small heart-shaped cutter
Step 1: Make the Peanut Butter Filling
In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup of creamy peanut butter (I used JIF), 1/4 cup of salted, room-temperature butter, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, and 1/2 tsp fine salt on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes.
The mixture should be smooth at this point. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
Then gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. The mixture should be quite thick and look kind of crumbly once all the powdered sugar is mixed in.

Step 2: Press the Filling Into an Even Layer
Lay out a piece of parchment paper, then carefully scoop the peanut butter mixture on top of it.
Use your hands and/or a rolling pin to press down on the peanut butter mixture and shape it into a thick, compact rectangle that’s about 3/4 of an inch or 2 cm thick.

If the mixture is sticking to your hands as you do this, put another piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture as you press down.
I prefer these thick like mini Reese’s, but you can make them however thick you like.
Step 3: Cut Out the Hearts
Then use a small, heart-shaped cutter (mine was about 1 inch) to cut out as many hearts as possible. If the mixture is too soft to cleanly cut, pop the peanut butter rectangle into the freezer for 20 minutes.
Place the hearts on a parchment-lined tray or plate and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. It makes it way easier to coat them in chocolate when they’re chilled.

Knead together the peanut butter scraps then repeat steps 3-5 to use up the remaining peanut butter mixture.
Step 4: Make the Chocolate Coating
While the peanut butter hearts chill, melt 2 cups of milk or dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl using a double boiler or microwave (heat in 20-second increments, stirring between).
You can use chopped-up chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or chocolate couvertures. Once fully melted, mix in 1 tsp of coconut, vegetable, or canola oil to help thin the chocolate.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a fork to dunk and fully coat the peanut hearts in the melted chocolate, then let any excess chocolate drip off before scraping off the bottom of each heart along the edge of the bowl.
Place the dipped hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and either let them firm up at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Once all the hearts are coated, melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate to drizzle over the top of each heart. I used a piping bag to do this, but you can also use a spoon. Top with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt and/or sprinkles.
These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week (trust me, they won’t last longer than that!).

Substitutions and Swaps – Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
Below are some swaps and variations that can be made in this recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – A classic peanut butter like JIF or Skippy works best in this recipe. I do not recommend using natural peanut butter, as it has a tendency to separate and will make the peanut butter mixture a lot softer/gooey. While that actually sounds pretty good, it makes it a lot harder to cut out shapes and dunk them in chocolate.
- Salted Butter – If you only have unsalted butter, you can use it and add an extra 1/2 tsp of salt. You can also use vegan butter.
- Granulated Sugar – The bit of granulated sugar helps the peanut butter and butter whip up better and gives these hearts a lighter texture. It can be omitted if needed, but the texture will be a bit different.
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is a must in this recipe. It’s what makes the filling the right consistency and allows us to handle and cut it. It also adds sweetness which helps balance out the salty peanut butter. You can reduce the amount of powdered sugar by 1/2 cup, but if you reduce it by more than that it will make the filling very difficult to handle and cut.

How Many Peanut Butter Hearts Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes about 30 small hearts. The yield can vary a lot based on the size of the cookie cutter and the thickness of the peanut butter filling.
This recipe can be doubled, just make sure you use a really large bowl! You’ll need it to properly incorporate the powdered sugar.

Can I Make These Peanut Butter Hearts In Advance?
Absolutely. These keep super well and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week (trust me, they won’t last longer than that!).
I prefer keeping them in the fridge, I think they taste best slightly chilled!

Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Hearts
- Really cream together the peanut butter, butter, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the filling which gives it a great texture.
- Make sure you use a large bowl to make the filling. You’ll need it as you mix in all the powdered sugar.
- Avoid using natural peanut butter to make these. It will make the filling very soft and difficult to cut and dip.
- If the chocolate starts to get too thick as you dunk the hearts, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds to warm it up again.
- Use good-quality chocolate to coat these. Chocolate chips, chunks, couverture, or chopped baking chocolate would all work great. Milk, semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate can be used!
- If the hearts start to feel too soft as you dunk them, pop them back in the freezer for 15 minutes to help them firm up again.

Let Me Know What You Think!
If you make these peanut butter hearts, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.
And if you share on social media, tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your delicious creations!
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Peanut Butter Hearts

These peanut butter hearts taste just like a Reese's peanut butter cup with an elevated flavor! They're salty and sweet, soft and chewy, and so delicious.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter*** (250g)
- 1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature (56g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (15g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
Chocolate Coating
- 2 1/2 cups or 11.5 oz bag of good quality milk or dark chocolate chips - Ghirardelli or Guittard work great (326g)
- 1 tsp coconut, vegetable, or canola oil (5g)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate - for the drizzle (70g)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Peanut Butter Hearts
- In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup of creamy peanut butter (I used JIF), 1/4 cup of salted, room-temperature butter, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, and 1/2 tsp fine salt on a medium-high speed for a couple of minutes. The mixture should be smooth at this point. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Then gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. The mixture should be quite thick and look kind of crumbly once all the powdered sugar is mixed in.
- Lay out a piece of parchment paper, then carefully scoop the peanut butter mixture on top of it. Use your hands and/or a rolling pin to press down on the peanut butter mixture and shape it into a thick, compact rectangle that's about 3/4 of an inch or 2 cm thick. If the mixture is sticking to your hands as you do this, put another piece of parchment paper on top of the mixture as you press down. I prefer these thick like mini Reese's, but you can make them however thick you like.
- Then use a small, heart-shaped cutter (mine was about 1 inch) to cut out as many hearts as possible. If the mixture is too soft to cleanly cut, pop the peanut butter rectangle into the freezer for 20 minutes.
- Place the hearts on a parchment-lined tray or plate and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes. It makes it way easier to coat them in chocolate when they're chilled.
- Knead together the peanut butter scraps then repeat steps 3-5 to use up the remaining peanut butter mixture.
Chocolate Coating
- While the peanut butter hearts chill, melt 2 cups of milk or dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl using a double boiler or microwave (heat in 20-second increments, stirring between). You can use chopped-up chocolate bars, chocolate chips, or chocolate couvertures. Once fully melted, mix in 1 tsp of coconut, vegetable, or canola oil to help thin the chocolate.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a fork to dunk and fully coat the peanut hearts in the melted chocolate, then let any excess chocolate drip off before scraping off the bottom of each heart along the edge of the bowl. Place the dipped hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and either let them firm up at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Once all the hearts are coated, melt 1/2 cup of dark chocolate to drizzle over the top of each heart. I used a piping bag to do this, but you can also use a spoon. Top with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt and/or sprinkles.
- These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week (trust me, they won't last longer than that!).
Notes
***I do not recommend using natural peanut butter, as it tends to separate and will make the peanut butter mixture a lot softer/gooey. While that actually sounds pretty good, it makes it a lot harder to cut out shapes and dunk them in chocolate. A classic peanut butter like JIF or Skippy works best in this recipe.
How Many Hearts Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes about 30 small hearts. The yield can vary a lot based on the size of the cookie cutter and the thickness of the peanut butter filling.
This recipe can be doubled, just make sure you use a really large bowl! You'll need it to properly incorporate the powdered sugar.
Can I Make These Peanut Butter Hearts In Advance?
Absolutely. These keep super well and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to a week (trust me, they won't last longer than that!).
I prefer keeping them in the fridge, I think they taste best slightly chilled!
Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Hearts
- Really cream together the peanut butter, butter, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the filling which gives it a great texture.
- Make sure you use a very large bowl to make the filling. You'll need it as you mix in all the powdered sugar.
- Avoid using natural peanut butter to make these. It will make the filling very soft and difficult to cut and dip.
- If the chocolate starts to get too thick as you dunk the hearts, pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds to warm it up again.
- Use good-quality chocolate to coat these. Chocolate chips, chunks, couverture, or chopped baking chocolate would all work great. Milk, semi-sweet, dark, or even white chocolate can be used!
- If the hearts start to feel too soft as you dunk them, pop them back in the freezer for 15 minutes to help them firm up again.
Nutrition Information
Yield
30Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 136Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 5mgSodium 95mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 12gProtein 2g
jen
Monday 27th of January 2025
Hi! Looking forward to trying these. Do you think using something like PB2 would work instead of the peanut butter? It would be significantly lower in fat and calories. Thanks! ?
Chelsweets
Tuesday 28th of January 2025
Hi Jen,
I haven't tested PB 2 in this recipe, but I feel like it could work! But you would have to add more butter or reduce or omit the powdered sugar because otherwise the mixture would be really crumbly and wouldn't stick together. If you try it please let me know how it turns out!
Dawn
Sunday 26th of January 2025
I love Reese’s peanut butter cups. So I thought I would try making these. These are so much better! I love them and my toddler loves them as well! Thank you for sharing!
Chelsweets
Tuesday 28th of January 2025
Hi Dawn,
I'm so happy to hear that! These really are so delicious, I'm glad to hear you guys like them as much as I do. Happy baking!
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Chauls
Tuesday 14th of January 2025
Hey Chels! Cannot wait to try these. Would Trader Joe’s creamy peanut butter work? I cant do hydrogenated oils that the recommended PBs generally have in them. Any suggestions on what else may work?
Chelsweets
Sunday 19th of January 2025
Hi Chauls,
I haven't ever had the Tj's creamy PB, so sadly I'm not sure! But you can absolutely try it, and if the dough is a little soft you can just let it chill in the fridge or freezer for a bit of extra time! Or you can add a little extra powdered sugar. Hope that helps, let me know how it goes if you try it!! Happy baking :)