Salted Caramel Peanut Cups (Printable Version)

Rich chocolate cups with creamy peanut butter and salted caramel topped with sea salt for a sweet-salty balance.

# 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

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners and set aside.
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. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes until set.
04 - In a bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, then divide into 12 equal portions and flatten into small discs.
05 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar until golden amber, swirling the pan occasionally without stirring. Add butter and stir until melted. Slowly pour in cream while whisking continuously to prevent bubbling over. Whisk until completely smooth and add fine sea salt. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
06 - Place a peanut butter disc onto each chilled chocolate base. Top with approximately 1 teaspoon of cooled caramel sauce.
07 - Cover each cup with remaining melted chocolate, using a spoon to smooth the tops into an even layer.
08 - Sprinkle flaky sea salt across the top of each chocolate-covered cup.
09 - Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until completely set and firm.
10 - Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • That addictive salted caramel center is pure indulgence without needing special equipment or a culinary degree.
  • They come together in about an hour with mostly downtime for chilling, so you can make them while doing other things.
  • Homemade versions taste exponentially better than anything wrapped in foil, and impressing people with handmade chocolate is its own reward.
02 -
  • Do not stir the sugar while caramelizing—only swirl the pan—because stirring causes crystallization and you'll end up with grainy caramel that's disappointing and irreversible.
  • Temperature matters: cold chocolate bases prevent the caramel from melting through, and cooled caramel prevents chocolate from getting too thin, so respect the chilling steps even when you're impatient.
  • The flaky sea salt absolutely must go on while the chocolate is still slightly warm or it won't adhere properly and will slide off.
03 -
  • Keep your chocolate and caramel temperatures in mind: too hot and they'll melt into each other, too cold and they'll crack, so moving deliberately but not frantically is the real secret.
  • Make the caramel first while your chocolate cools slightly, then use that waiting time productively instead of hovering anxiously over a cooling bowl.
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