Salted Caramel Peanut Cups (Printable Version)

Decadent peanut butter cups with chocolate, salted caramel, and a hint of sea salt for a perfect balance.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chocolate Layer

01 - 10 oz semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped or chips
02 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil or unsalted butter

→ Peanut Butter Filling

03 - ½ cup creamy peanut butter
04 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
05 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
06 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Salted Caramel

07 - ½ cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - ¼ cup heavy cream
10 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Topping

11 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Directions:

01 - Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
02 - Melt chocolate and coconut oil (or butter) together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or microwave in 30-second bursts until smooth.
03 - Spoon about 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each liner, tilting to coat the bottom. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
04 - In a bowl, mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide into 12 portions and flatten into small discs.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar until golden, swirling occasionally without stirring. Add butter, stirring until melted. Slowly add cream, which will bubble. Whisk until smooth. Stir in fine sea salt. Let cool for 10 minutes.
06 - Place a peanut butter disc onto each chilled chocolate base. Top with about 1 teaspoon cooled caramel.
07 - Cover each cup with remaining melted chocolate, smoothing tops.
08 - Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
09 - Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until completely set.
10 - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like those fancy boutique chocolates but cost a fraction of the price and take less than an hour from start to finish.
  • The salted caramel middle is addictively gooey in the best way, and homemade caramel tastes nothing like the artificial stuff.
  • Somehow they feel like a gift you're giving yourself, especially when you realize you can customize every single layer.
02 -
  • Never stir the caramel sugar while it's melting—it will crystallize and turn grainy instead of becoming that beautiful amber liquid, no matter how tempting it is to help it along.
  • The cream must be added slowly to the hot caramel or it will splatter everywhere like a tiny delicious volcano, so use a whisk and go steady.
  • Your peanut butter discs don't have to be perfect circles because the chocolate will cover any rough edges, so stop worrying about precision and just focus on making them flat enough to hold the caramel.
03 -
  • If your caramel seems too thin after cooling, just pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes—it will thicken up perfectly without hardening.
  • The flaky sea salt is non-negotiable and makes the entire thing taste more sophisticated, so don't skip it or substitute it with regular table salt.
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