Salted Caramel Peanut Cups (Printable)

Rich peanut cups layered with silky chocolate, salted caramel, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

# What you'll need:

→ Chocolate Layer

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

→ Peanut Butter Filling

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

→ Salted Caramel

07 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
09 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Topping

11 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Method:

01 - Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
02 - Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, or microwave in 30-second bursts until smooth.
03 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each liner, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Freeze for 10 minutes until set.
04 - Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Divide into 12 equal portions and flatten into small discs.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar until golden amber, swirling occasionally without stirring. Add butter and stir until melted. Slowly add cream while whisking continuously as mixture will bubble. Whisk until smooth and stir in fine sea salt. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
06 - Place one peanut butter disc onto each chilled chocolate base. Top each with approximately 1 teaspoon cooled caramel.
07 - Cover each cup with remaining melted chocolate, smoothing the tops to create an even finish.
08 - Sprinkle each cup with flaky sea salt.
09 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until completely set.
10 - Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The salted caramel center is unexpectedly gooey and creates this perfect textural surprise when you bite through the chocolate.
  • You control exactly how salty and sweet these are, which means no more that over-processed chocolate taste haunting your afternoons.
  • Making a batch feels fancy but actually takes less time than a trip to the store, and your kitchen smells incredible the whole time.
02 -
  • If your caramel starts to crystallize or seize when you add the cream, whisk it vigorously and it will usually come back together; if it doesn't, that batch is destined for coffee or ice cream and you simply start fresh.
  • Softened butter is non-negotiable for the peanut butter filling because cold butter will create lumps that won't press down smoothly into your peanut butter base.
03 -
  • Keep your caramel at a proper amber color—pull it off the heat just before it looks dark enough, because it continues darkening as it cools and you want the sweet edge rather than bitter.
  • Room temperature peanut butter and softened butter blend into a completely smooth filling, while cold ingredients create frustrating lumps that refuse to cooperate.
Return