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.
Servings: 30 1-inch Hearts
Calories: 136kcal
Equipment
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 extract or vanilla bean paste 15g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 2 cups powdered sugar 250g
Chocolate Coating
- 2 1/2 cups (11.5 oz bag) good quality milk or dark chocolate chips - Ghirardelli or Guittard work great 326g
- 1 tsp vegetable or canola oil 5g
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate - for the drizzle 70g
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 couverture. 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 flaky 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!).
Video
Notes
***I do not recommend using natural peanut butter, as it tends to separate and will make the peanut butter mixture a lot softer/gooier. 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
Serving: 1 | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g