Salted Caramel Peanut Cups (Print out)

Rich chocolate cups with creamy peanut butter filling and gooey salted caramel topped with 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 - 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 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 approximately 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each liner, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes until set.
04 - In a mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide into 12 equal portions and flatten each into a small disc.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar until golden amber, swirling occasionally without stirring. Add butter and stir until melted. Slowly pour in heavy cream, whisking constantly as it will bubble. Continue whisking until smooth, then stir in fine sea salt. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
06 - Place one peanut butter disc onto each chilled chocolate base. Top each disc with approximately 1 teaspoon cooled caramel.
07 - Cover each cup completely with remaining melted chocolate, smoothing the tops to create an even surface.
08 - Sprinkle flaky sea salt across each chocolate-topped cup.
09 - Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until completely set and firm.
10 - Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • That sweet-salty contrast hits different when you've made it yourself and can control exactly how much sea salt lands on top.
  • They're impressive enough to gift but simple enough that you won't stress making them on a Tuesday night.
  • The salted caramel stays gooey inside the chocolate shell, which is the whole point.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial chocolate base freeze—it prevents the peanut butter filling from sinking through and creating a flat, sad cup instead of a structured candy.
  • Caramel is unforgiving with temperature; too hot and it tastes burnt, too cool and it won't coat the peanut butter properly, so use a thermometer if you're nervous and aim for 240°F before adding the cream.
  • If your chocolate seizes while melting, you can't save it—start over with fresh chocolate, because seized chocolate is grainy and tastes off no matter what you try.
03 -
  • Let the caramel cool to exactly room temperature before assembling or it'll melt through the peanut butter layer—use a kitchen thermometer if you're not sure.
  • A small offset spatula makes smoothing the top chocolate layer feel like you actually know what you're doing, even if you don't.
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