Salted Caramel Peanut Cups (Printable)

Delicious peanut butter cups with salted caramel and chocolate, topped with flaky sea salt for a sweet-salty twist.

# 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Line a 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 to set.
04 - In a bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide mixture 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 while whisking continuously, 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 of cooled salted caramel.
07 - Pour or spoon remaining melted chocolate over each cup, smoothing the tops to fully encase the filling.
08 - Sprinkle a small amount of flaky sea salt on top 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 -
  • That moment when the salty-sweet hits your tongue and suddenly you understand why people spend small fortunes on artisanal chocolates.
  • You control every ingredient, so you can use quality chocolate that actually tastes like chocolate, not waxy pretenders.
  • They look impressive enough to gift but taste like you didn't break a sweat making them.
02 -
  • Never stir melting sugar directly—swirl the pan instead, because stirring crystallizes it into grainy, broken caramel that no amount of cream can save.
  • Cold cream added to hot caramel bubbles dramatically, which is normal and actually necessary for creating that silky texture, so don't panic when it hisses.
  • The chocolate layer over the caramel needs to be thick enough to seal everything in, or moisture from the fridge will make the caramel weep and separate after a few days.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor caramel temperature (around 160–170°C is your sweet spot) so you never wonder if it's done or burnt.
  • Tempering chocolate isn't necessary here because the coconut oil or butter keeps everything creamy and forgiving, even without the technique.
  • If your peanut butter filling is too soft, chill it in the freezer for 5 minutes before placing it on the chocolate base so it holds its shape better.
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