These Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts are small, bite-sized treats that taste very good with their rich, chocolatey outside and creamy peanut butter filling inside. They’re wonderful for Valentine’s Day or just a nice way to show someone you care!
My love of chocolate and peanut butter together runs deep. And when they are center stage in a no-bake dessert recipe, sign me up! This chocolate peanut butter dessert recipe was adapted from my childhood favorite, Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs, and is a winner, hands down! They are easy to make and require very few ingredients, and whoever you make them for will feel loved and appreciated!
If you’re looking for a Christmas or holiday version, check out my Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Trees!
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
To make this easy chocolate covered peanut butter eggs recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Vegetable Shortening. Melted with semi-sweet chocolate chips to help thin out the chocolate. It gives it a little bit of shine as well. You can also use coconut oil or paraffin wax. The paraffin wax will allow the chocolate-covered peanut butter hearts to stay out at room temperature without melting.
- Marshmallow Fluff. You can also use marshmallow creme, which is essentially the same thing, except marshmallow creme contains cream of tartar and xantham gum.
- Chocolate Chips. I recommend using a good quality brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips, like Ghirardelli. Milk chocolate chocolate chips can be used as a substitute, but in my opinion, I think semi-sweet or dark tastes better.
For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make the Recipe
Below is a brief overview of how to make these easy chocolate covered peanut butter hearts. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Step 1. Prepare the peanut butter filling. Mix together the unsalted butter, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff on medium-high speed until well combined (Images 1-2). Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully combined. When mixed properly and using room temperature butter, your peanut butter filling should be soft, creamy, and a little sticky (Images 3-4).
Step 2. Cut out the peanut butter hearts. Roll out the peanut butter filling onto a clean, dry surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. For the thickness, I prefer to roll it out to about a 1/4 inch (Image 5). Cut out the hearts and place them onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet (Image 6). Place them into the freezer until they’re firm—about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Longer is always better because the firmer they are, the easier it will be when dipped into the melted chocolate.
Quick Tip: Coat your rolling pin with some powdered sugar. This will keep the peanut butter filling from sticking to everything. I recommend doing the same with your heart-shaped cookie cutter which will help release the peanut butter heart from the cookie cutter.
Step 3. Melt the chocolate chips. Melt the vegetable shortening or coconut oil together with the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl for 1 minute on high, then stir. Heat one more time for 45 seconds to 1 minute, then stir until the chocolate and shortening are fully melted. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler (make sure to fill the bottom saucepan with 1-1.5 inches of water and simmer over low heat).
Quick Tip: If you’re using paraffin wax, this should be done only in a double boiler, and the paraffin wax should be melted first before adding the chocolate chips.
Step 4. Coat the peanut butter hearts in chocolate. You can use candy dipping tools or two forks. After coating the peanut butter heart, lift up and gently tap off any excess chocolate on the side of the bowl or double boiler. Chill the chocolate covered peanut butter hearts in the fridge until they set. Trim off any excess, then enjoy!
Storage
The chocolate covered peanut butter hearts keep best in an airtight container in the fridge, or you can freeze them for up to a month. To avoid the peanut butter hearts from sticking to one another, separate each layer with wax paper.
Helpful Tools
Below are some helpful tools when making these chocolate-dipped peanut butter hearts!
- Small Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter. The majority of my cookie cutters are either from Wilton or Ann Clark. Whatever heart-shaped cookie cutter you go with, note the size of it will change the amount of hearts you yield.
- Double Boiler. This is a helpful tool when melting chocolate, but a microwaveable glass bowl is another easy alternative. The double boiler over very low heat keeps the chocolate from setting as the peanut butter hearts are dipped.
- Candy Dipping Tools. These are helpful tools to use (mine are from Ateco), but definitely not required. You can easily use two forks!
To see more recommended candy making tools and my favorite baking finds, visit my Favorite Finds Shop over on Amazon (affiliated links).
Recipe FAQs
It should be soft, creamy, and a little sticky.
Sprinkle a little more powdered sugar on the surface and the rolling pin.
Absolutely not. This is just what my Grammy used, and it’s what I sometimes use when making them. As a substitute, you can use either two tablespoons of shortening or coconut oil. Both will help to thin the chocolate and give it a little shine.
You will more than likely have extra melted chocolate after you’re done dipping your chocolate-covered peanut butter hearts, so take any kind of pretzels you have in the house and dip those into the chocolate! Or try other treats like chocolate sandwich cookies, almonds, and chips!
While the traditional buckeyes are quite delicious, they have a slightly different texture and taste than this chocolate peanut butter hearts recipe.
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Treats to Enjoy!
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- Baking Sheets any size, just make sure they can fit in your freezer
- Candy Dipping Tools or two forks can be used
- Double Boiler or microwaveable bowl
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar, plus extra for rolling out the filling
- 12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, or milk chocolate
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Shortening, or coconut oil or 1/2 square of paraffin wax
Instructions
- Prepare a small cookie sheet lined with wax paper. This will be for the peanut butter hearts you cut out with the cookie cutter.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the unsalted butter, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff on medium-high speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff
- Switch the mixer speed to low, gradually adding in the powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully combined. The peanut butter filling should be soft, creamy, and a little sticky.2 cups Powdered Sugar
- Sprinkle some powdered onto a clean, dry surface as well as the rolling pin and roll out the peanut butter filling to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Take a small heart shaped cookie cutter and coat it with some powdered sugar before cutting out the hearts. If the filling sticks a little to the inside of the heart cookie cutter, very gently take your finger and press down until it releases from the cookie cutter. You can also try releasing the peanut butter hearts by gently shaking the cookie cutter in a downward motion. Repeat this step until all the peanut butter filling has been used. Space the hearts close together on the cookie sheet.
- Freeze the peanut butter hearts for a minimum of 45 minutes to 1 hour (or longer is okay too) until they are firm enough to dip into the chocolate.
- Line another cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside. This will be for the chocolate covered peanut butter hearts.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips and vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) into a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 1 minute. Stir, then microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, then stir again until the chocolate is fully melted and blended with the shortening. See notes if using a double boiler and/or paraffin wax.12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, 2 tbsp Vegetable Shortening
- Dip each peanut butter heart into the melted chocolate using candy dipping tools or two forks. Gently tap any excess chocolate off, then place it onto the wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat until all the hearts have been dipped in chocolate, then place in the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to harden. Once chilled, trim off any excess, if desired.
- Keep the chocolate-covered peanut butter hearts in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze them for a month.
Video
Notes
If using paraffin wax instead of shortening or coconut oil, melt the wax first in the top part of the double boiler (do not melt the wax in the microwave) over 1 inch – 1.5 inches of simmering water over low heat. If you have any little lumps of chocolate or wax, press down firmly on them using a spatula until they disappear. When freezing the peanut butter hearts (before chocolate coating), 45 minutes to 1 hour is good, but longer is always better. The firmer they are, the easier they will be to dip into the melted chocolate. Please note that this recipe is not the same as traditional buckeyes. They have a slightly different taste and texture.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
I am so sorry to leave a negative review but these were not good. I’ve been making Buckeye balls for 40 years so thought these would have a similar consistency and taste. Not so. They were impossible to work with even after freezing them and fell apart when dipped. Far too soft and not enough peanut butter taste. Maybe the fluff is the problem? Threw them away.
I’m so sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you! I’ve been making these for quite a while and my chocolate covered peanut butter eggs (what these hearts were based on) for close to 30 years. They’re definitely a different consistency from Buckeyes, but I’ve never had any issues with the fluff making them too soft or difficult to work with after freezing, etc. But I know that every kitchen environment is different, so I appreciate the feedback!
Hello,
What do I do if I don’t have access to marshmallow fluff (we don’t have any here is Australia). Can I substitute it with something else or is there a recipe to make my own?
I haven’t tried this, but you could melt down some regular size marshmallows or the super large ones (US stores carry those for outdoor s’mores making). Let it cool before you add it to the peanut butter dough. I would imagine for a 1/2 cup needing maybe 7-8 of the regular size, but again without testing this out myself I don’t have the exact amount. I will look into doing this though so this info can be added!
These are adorable!
Thank you so much! Happy Valentine’s Day!❤️