Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentine’s Heart Recipe
Delightfully rich and creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Valentine’s Hearts that combine smooth peanut butter with sweet powdered sugar, coated in a luscious chocolate shell. These no-bake treats are perfect for gifting or sharing on Valentine’s Day and offer a perfect balance of salty and sweet flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (including freezing time)
- Yield: Approximately 24-30 heart-shaped pieces 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Peanut Butter Mixture
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Coating
- 10–12 oz. chocolate, chopped small (half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate) or good quality candy coating
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Line an 8 x 8 inch dish with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the sides for easy removal later. Set aside.
- Make Peanut Butter Mixture: In a mixing bowl, stir together the creamy peanut butter, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until the sugar dissolves completely. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated.
- Press Mixture into Pan: Press the peanut butter mixture evenly into the prepared dish, smoothing the top with a spatula or by gently pressing with your palms to create an approximately ½ inch thick layer.
- Freeze to Firm Up: Place the dish in the freezer and allow the mixture to firm up sufficiently for cutting, typically about 30-45 minutes.
- Cut Heart Shapes: Once firm, line a tray with parchment paper. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the peanut butter layer, placing each heart on the tray. Gather leftover scraps, knead and press again to cut out a few more hearts.
- Freeze Hearts Again: Freeze the cut hearts until firm, about 15-20 minutes, to prepare for dipping.
- Melt Chocolate: Melt the chopped chocolate or candy coating gently, either in a microwave in short bursts or over a double boiler, until smooth.
- Dip Hearts in Chocolate: Line another tray with parchment paper. Using a fork, dip each frozen peanut butter heart into the melted chocolate to coat completely. Tap the fork gently to remove excess chocolate. Work in small batches, returning hearts to the freezer as needed to keep them firm and easier to handle.
- Set Chocolate: Place the chocolate-coated hearts on the parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate until the chocolate is fully set, about 15-30 minutes.
- Store: Store the finished hearts in the refrigerator for short term or freeze for longer storage to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Using candy coating instead of real chocolate makes dipping easier, especially for beginners.
- Keeping the peanut butter mixture and cut hearts cold helps maintain firmness and ease during chocolate dipping.
- These hearts can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to a month.
- You can customize the chocolate coating with white chocolate or drizzle contrasting chocolate on top for decoration.
Keywords: Chocolate peanut butter hearts, Valentine’s Day treats, no-bake desserts, peanut butter candy, chocolate coated sweets
