Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs from the kitchen

These Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs feature a light, airy peanut butter filling that's chilled, then dipped in melted semi-sweet chocolate. They're straightforward to mix, require only six ingredients, and taste genuinely memorable!

Why this bake works

Like my PA Dutch Chocolate Funny Cake, Black Bottom Cupcakes, and Lemon Bars, this method is a long-time house favorite! It was once made by my late Grammy and is now made by all of her kids and grandkids!

The filling in this chocolate peanut butter egg recipe is not your traditional peanut butter filling, like what you'd see in a chocolate buckeye recipe. The texture is light, fluffy, and creamy, thanks to the unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and powdered sugar. The peanut butter eggs are then dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and refrigerated until set.

It's a truly easy chocolate treat to make, tastes truly good, and is the perfect after-dinner dessert for Easter or springtime!

Enjoy!

What goes in

To make this chocolate covered peanut butter eggs recipe, you'll need the following ingredients.

• Vegetable Shortening. This ingredient helps thin out the semi-sweet chocolate chips and gives the chocolate peanut butter eggs a slight shine.
• Marshmallow Fluff. You can also use marshmallow creme, which is essentially the same thing, except that marshmallow creme contains cream of tartar and xanthan gum.
• Chocolate Chips. Try using a good-quality brand of semi-sweet chocolate chips, like Ghirardelli.
• Peanut Butter. It should be creamy and, preferably, not the stir-type peanut butter.

For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.

Substitutions

Below are tested and recommended substitutions for the following ingredients.

• Vegetable Shortening. Instead of vegetable shortening, you can use coconut oil. This is a 1:1 substitution. You can also use 1/2 square of paraffin wax. Paraffin wax, like vegetable shortening and coconut oil, helps thin the chocolate and adds a little shine. It also allows the chocolate-covered peanut butter eggs to sit out at room temperature without melting.
• Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips. Milk chocolate chips can be used as a substitute for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I personally think semi-sweet chocolate chips taste better. Another substitute to cut down on sugar a little is Hu Kitchen's sugar-free chocolate chips.

I did not test this method using any sugar or butter alternatives.

How it comes together

Below is a brief overview of how to make these easy chocolate covered peanut butter eggs. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements, visit the method card below.

Step 1. Prepare the peanut butter egg filling. Mix the unsalted butter, peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff on medium-high speed until well combined (Images 1-2). Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully combined. When mixed properly with room-temperature butter, the peanut butter filling should be soft, creamy, and a little sticky (Images 3-4).

Step 2. Shape the peanut butter eggs. Take a spoonful of the mixture (Image 5) and, with your hands, roll it into an egg-like shape. Place it on a wax paper-lined baking sheet (Image 6). Repeat this step until all the mixture is used, then freeze until firm—about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Longer is always better because the firmer the eggs are, the easier they will be to dip into the melted chocolate.

Recipe Tip: If the peanut butter egg mixture is too sticky to handle, you can refrigerate it for an hour or roll the egg shape in powdered sugar.

Step 3. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Using a double boiler, fill the bottom boiler with about 1″-1.5″ water, then melt the vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) and semi-sweet chocolate chips over low heat (Image 7), uncovered until melted and smooth (Image 8). You can also melt the two together in the microwave using a heat-proof, microwaveable bowl.

Recipe Tip: If you're using paraffin wax, it should be melted only in a double boiler, and it should be melted first before adding the chocolate chips.

Step 4. Coat the peanut butter eggs in chocolate. You can use candy dipping tools or 1-2 forks. After coating the peanut butter egg, lift up and gently tap off any excess chocolate on the side of the bowl or double boiler (Images 9 and 10). Repeat until all the peanut butter eggs have been dipped in chocolate. Drizzle a little more chocolate over the tops, if desired. Chill the chocolate covered peanut butter eggs in the fridge until they set. Trim off any excess, then enjoy!

Questions on this bake

Can Use coconut oil in place of vegetable shortening?

Yes, both will help thin the chocolate and give it a little shine once set. It is a 1:1 substitution.

What can Use instead of a double boiler to make these chocolate covered peanut butter eggs?

If you don't own a double boiler, you can use a medium saucepan, fill it with 1-1 1/2 inches of water, and place a heatproof glass mixing bowl on top. Then, place the chocolate in the glass bowl and melt it over low heat. Alternatively, you can melt the vegetable shortening and semi-sweet chocolate chips together in a heat-proof, microwaveable bowl.

What is the paraffin wax alternative?

The main purpose of the paraffin wax is to thin the chocolate and add a little shine. It also keeps the chocolate from melting when left out at room temperature. It's not for everyone, hence why it's only shown as a substitution option for vegetable shortening.

What can I do with leftover melted chocolate?

With any leftover melted chocolate you have, you can dip pretzels, Oreos, or whatever you fancy to cover in chocolate! We like to dip pretzels and then store them in a container in the refrigerator. So good!