Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Cups (Printable)

Rich peanut butter cups with salted caramel center, coated in chocolate and sprinkled with flaky sea salt.

# What you 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

# How to make it:

01 - Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners and set aside.
02 - Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Alternatively, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each burst until completely smooth.
03 - Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each liner, tilting to evenly coat the bottom. Freeze for 10 minutes until set.
04 - In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and uniform. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and flatten each into a small disc.
05 - Place sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow sugar to melt, swirling the pan occasionally without stirring. Once golden, add butter and stir until combined. Slowly pour in heavy cream while whisking continuously as mixture will bubble vigorously. Whisk until completely smooth and add fine sea salt. Cool for 10 minutes.
06 - Place a peanut butter disc onto each chilled chocolate base. Top each disc with approximately 1 teaspoon of cooled caramel.
07 - Cover each cup with remaining melted chocolate, smoothing the tops to seal.
08 - Sprinkle flaky sea salt across the tops of each chocolate-covered cup.
09 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until completely set and firm.
10 - Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like you spent hours in a fancy confectionery when really you're just melting chocolate and stirring caramel.
  • The salted caramel center stays gooey for days, making every bite feel a little luxurious.
  • You can make a batch on Sunday and actually have homemade treats that last longer than store-bought ones.
02 -
  • Don't stir the caramel sugar while it's melting or it will crystallize into a grainy mess—just swirl and have patience.
  • If your caramel breaks when you add the cream, whisk it hard and keep going; it usually comes back together, but if it doesn't, you've learned a valuable lesson about temperature and timing.
03 -
  • If your chocolate seizes and gets grainy, add a spoonful of coconut oil and whisk it back to smoothness—this has saved me more than once.
  • The caramel is the trickiest part, but once you've made it once and seen that amber color, you'll spot it immediately the next time.
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