Peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect combination and these delicious chocolate peanut butter hearts are no exception. These hearts are filled with creamy, sweet peanut butter and dipped in rich dark chocolate.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts are the perfect Valentine’s Day treat to make at home. They are the perfect treat to wrap a few in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon and give to your kids or friends.
I used dark chocolate chips, but you can use whatever chocolate you’d like. I add shortening to the chocolate chips to help harden the chocolate, but you could use Ghirardelli Baking Wafers without the shortening.
HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER HEARTS
- Peanut Butter Filling: You will start by mixing peanut butter and softened unsalted butter together until smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar and salt to the peanut butter mixture and mix until a thick dough-like ball forms. It will be sticky.
- Filling Prep: Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and place the filling on the paper. The filling is sticky, so place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the filling. Using a rolling pin, roll the filling into ½ inch thick.
- Chill: Leave the filling on the parchment paper and slide it onto a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. This helps when you press in the cookie cutter.
- Cut: Remove the filling from the freezer and peel the top layer of parchment paper off of the filling. Using a cookie cutter, cut heart shapes out of the filling and place the hearts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze hearts for 20 minutes.
- Repeat: The filling might get too warm to cut, so re-roll the filling and freeze for another 20 minutes. Repeat this process until all filling has been cut into heart shapes.
- Melt Chocolate: While the hearts are chilling, in a microwave safe bowl melt the chocolate and shortening together. Heat it for 30 seconds and stir the mixture and heat it again for another 20-30 seconds and mix until smooth.
- Dip: Remove the hearts from the freezer and place one heart in the melted chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to spread chocolate over the heart and use a fork to remove heart from the bowl. When removing the heart, gently slide extra chocolate off on the side of the bowl and place the heart on parchment paper.
- Chill: Once all hearts are coated in chocolate, chill hearts in the refrigerator until chocolate hardens. Now you have a delicious and festive treat for Valentine’s Day!
TOOLS NEEDED
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment: I love my KitchenAid mixer.
- Rubber spatula: I have these silicone spatulas.
- Measuring cups and spoons: I use and love these measuring cups/spoons.
- Half baking sheet: I love these Nordic Ware baking sheets.
- Hand mixer: I love my Kitchen Aid hand mixer.
OTHER RECIPES PERFECT FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
- Easy and Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake (so easy and so delicious!)
- The Best Ever Homemade Brownie Recipe (rich, soft, with a perfect ganache frosting)
- The Most Delicious Cream Puffs (pretty and delicious)
Delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts
Peanut butter and chocolate are the perfect combination and these delicious chocolate peanut butter hearts are no exception. These hearts are filled with creamy, sweet peanut butter and dipped in rich dark chocolate.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheet
- rubber spatula
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
- Heart cookie cutter
- microwave safe bowl
- Fork
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling
- 2 cups (512 g) creamy peanut butter, I use Skippy
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter
- 3 ½ cups (420) g powdered sugar, measured then sifted
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Coating
- 4 cups (896 g) dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon (24 g) shortening
Instructions
- Mix the Filling: Lay a sheet of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet on counter. Set aside. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream peanut butter and unsalted butter together until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar and pinch of salt. Mix until dough forms. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
- Roll the Filling: Scoop mixture onto a parchment paper. Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top of peanut butter filling. Using a rolling pin, roll filling to ½ inch thick. Leaving the filling between the parchment paper, move filling to baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes.
- Shape the Filling: Remove filling from freezer and use a cookie cutter to cut heart shapes of filling.
- Chill the Filling: Lay hearts on parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Freeze hearts for 20 minutes. I like to reroll my filling and refreeze the filling before I cut more hearts. When it gets warm, it starts to stick and doesn’t hold its shape. Repeat rolling and cutting until all filling is into heart shapes. Freeze hearts for 20 minutes.
- Melt the Chocolate: In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and Crisco together until smooth. Start with 30 seconds and stir. Reheat in 15 second intervals until chocolate is smooth.
- Dip the Hearts: Remove hearts from freezer and dip into melted chocolate using fork. Place hearts back onto parchment paper and repeat until all hearts are coated in chocolate. You may need to reheat the chocolate as it hardens. Freeze or refrigerate hearts to harden. Once chocolate has set, enjoy!
