These chocolate peanut butter hearts are a homemade version of the Reese’s-style candy that shows up every Valentine’s Day. They have a smooth peanut butter center and a thin chocolate coating that holds its shape well for cutting, dipping, and packaging.
If you’re looking to spread the love with baked goods this Valentine’s Day, try our heart-shaped Valentine sugar cookies! Or, if you’ve got peanut butter lovers at home, you can make our homemade peanut butter cups.
Why These Taste Like Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts
The peanut butter center is smooth and dense, not fluffy, which gives it the same texture people expect from Reese’s-style peanut butter hearts.
The chocolate coating is thin and structured, working with the peanut butter instead of overpowering it. A small amount of shortening helps the chocolate melt smoothly and set with a clean finish.
If you’re looking for another peanut butter and chocolate candy, try our Reese-inspired dessert cups.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For The Hearts
- ½ cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a combination of semi and milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- Sprinkles, optional
For The Drizzle
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or pieces
- 1 teaspoon shortening
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
- Mix the melted butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar.
- Press the mixture into a parchment-lined sheet pan to an even thickness and freeze briefly until firm enough to cut.
- Cut out heart shapes, transfer them to parchment, and freeze again so they stay firm during dipping. Rework the scraps as needed.
- Melt the chocolate with the shortening until smooth, then dip each heart, tapping off the excess before returning it to parchment.
- Let the chocolate set fully before decorating or storing.
Tips for Clean Shapes and Smooth Chocolate
Shaping: Cut the hearts when the peanut butter layer is cold but still slightly pliable to avoid cracked edges.
Coating: Keep the chocolate warm and fluid, reheating briefly as needed.
Setting: If the hearts soften during dipping, return them to the freezer for a few minutes before continuing.
Decorating and Gifting for Valentine’s Day
A simple white chocolate drizzle keeps these clearly Valentine-themed without changing the flavor. Add sprinkles right after drizzling so they adhere before the chocolate sets.
These hearts also pair well with other Valentine treats that package easily, like these Valentine’s sugar cookies.
Storage and Make-Ahead Notes
Store chocolate peanut butter hearts at room temperature or refrigerated for up to seven days. Refrigeration keeps the chocolate firmer, while room temperature storage gives a softer bite.
For longer storage, freeze for up to three months; some surface discoloration is normal. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
For more Valentine candy ideas, you might also like our pink-inside Martha Washington Candy, pretty pastel divinity candy or our indulgent red velvet truffles.
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts
Ingredients
For The Hearts
- ½ cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a combination of semi and milk chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
- sprinkles, optional
For The Drizzle
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, or pieces
- 1 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Line a jelly roll or half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, beat together melted butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in powdered sugar.
- Press peanut butter mixture into sheet pan spreading to about ½-inch thickness.
- Place sheet pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Lift the parchment paper to remove the chilled peanut butter layer from the pan. Place a new sheet of parchment paper on the pan.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut out ½-inch thick heart shapes from the chilled peanut butter layer.
- Place cutouts on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Scoop up the remaining peanut butter mixture, repress to ½-inch thickness, and cut out additional shapes.
- After cutouts have chilled for 25 minutes, prepare the chocolate coating.
- Place milk chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Dollop 2 tablespoons of shortening over the top. Heat and stir in 30-second increments in the microwave until the chocolate is smooth and melted completely.
- Using a fork, lift one peanut butter cutout at a time and coat it completely with the melted chocolate. Tap excess chocolate off of the cutout and place it back onto the parchment paper.
- Work in batches if the peanut butter cutouts become soft quickly.
- Allow the chocolate to harden.
- For optional drizzle, microwave white chocolate chips or chopped pieces and shortening (½ teaspoon per ½ cup) in 30-second increments until melted and smooth.
- Scoop the melted chocolate into a plastic bag or piping bag. Snip a tiny corner off of the bag and drizzle in a zig-zag motion over the chocolate covered hearts. Immediately sprinkle with heart sprinkles.
- Allow the chocolate to set for about 1 minute.
Notes
- The number of finished hearts that you end up with will vary depending on the size of your cookie cutter. Here we made 12 hearts because our cutters were quite large.
- The shortening added to the melted chocolate makes it easier for coating and prevents any discoloration of the chocolate surface. It also makes it soft and will melt or imprint easily if it’s touched. You can reheat the chocolate in short bursts to keep it smooth and easy to use for coating the hearts.
- To keep the peanut butter hearts from softening too quickly, keep the pan in the freezer and only take out a few at a time for coating.
- The white chocolate drizzle cools and hardens quickly. If you want the heart sprinkles to stick, add the drizzle to just one heart at a time and immediately add the sprinkles.
Nutrition
Comments
Belinda says
We love these – super tasty and you could make all sorts of shapes.