Every spring, just as the fields were starting to green up, my dad Tom would take over our little farmhouse kitchen and make these peanut butter eggs. He mixed them by hand, lined them up on a parchment-covered pan, and slid the whole tray into the fridge like it was a bank vault. He’d stand guard until dessert time, shooing kids away with a grin and a wooden spoon. These eggs are simple—just peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, and chocolate—but they taste like pure childhood. If you’re looking for an easy, make-ahead treat that feels like Easter at Grandpa’s house, this is it.
Serve these peanut butter eggs cold, straight from the fridge, when the chocolate is firm and glossy and the centers are just a little soft when you bite in. They’re lovely on a big platter after Easter dinner, tucked between dyed eggs and maybe a few jelly beans for color. A cup of hot coffee or cold milk is all you really need alongside, but they also sit nicely next to a simple ham or potluck spread, waiting patiently on the counter until Grandpa gives the go-ahead and everyone dives in.
Grandpa’s Peanut Butter Eggs
Servings: 18–24 eggs, depending on size
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (260 g) creamy peanut butter (not natural, well-stirred)
3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, plus a little more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional but nice)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt (omit if peanut butter is very salty)
2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or shortening (for smoother coating)
Parchment paper (for lining the baking sheet)
Directions
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it on a sturdy countertop or speckled kitchen counter where it can go right into the fridge. Make sure you have a little room cleared in the refrigerator for the pan, just like Grandpa guarding his spot.
