There’s something utterly charming about these little treats, which is exactly why I’m excited to share my Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe with you. Between the rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and adorable cookie design, these penguins bring a smile before you even take a bite. Trust me, they’re delightfully fun to make and impossible not to love.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
When I first made these Peanut Butter Penguins, I was amazed at how simple ingredients transformed into such a delightful snack. They’re a win whether you’re making them for a kid’s party, holiday treat, or just because you want a playful sweet bite at home.
- Adorable Presentation: Each penguin looks like a tiny edible work of art, making snack time way more fun.
- Easy to Make: The steps are straightforward, and you don’t need any fancy equipment.
- Perfect Balance of Flavors: Creamy peanut butter melds beautifully with dark chocolate and the crunch of cookies.
- Great for All Ages: Kids love assembling the penguins, and adults enjoy sneaking a few when no one’s looking!
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient in the Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe brings something special to the table. From the base chocolate coating to the tiny candy details, here’s why these ingredients are a perfect match and some tips on choosing the best ones.
- Dark chocolate chips: I love using dark chocolate for a richer flavor that’s not overly sweet; it melts smoothly for easy dipping.
- Creamy peanut butter: Creamy consistency helps the chocolate mixture stay luscious and smooth, sticking perfectly to the cookies.
- Salted butter: Just a little butter adds silkiness to the chocolate mixture and helps balance the sweetness.
- Nutter Butter cookies: These peanut-shaped cookies make the perfect penguin body — crunchy yet tender.
- Mini Nilla Wafers: Used as the penguin’s "belly," their mild vanilla flavor complements the richer chocolate and peanut butter.
- Brown Reese’s pieces: Ideal for penguin wings; their chocolaty coating adds texture and color contrast.
- Orange Reese’s pieces (halved): Cut in half, these make cute noses and feet, adding a pop of bright color.
- Candy eyes: The finishing touch — they bring each penguin to life with that playful expression.
Make It Your Way
One of the best parts about this Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe is how easy it is to personalize. I’ve made these exactly as written, but I’ve also tweaked them for different occasions or dietary needs. Feel free to get creative!
- Variation: Sometimes I swap the dark chocolate for milk chocolate to satisfy sweeter cravings, and it turns out just as well.
- Diet-friendly: For a lower-sugar version, use dark chocolate with higher cocoa content and look for peanut butter with no added sugar.
- Seasonal touch: Around holidays, I swap the orange Reese’s pieces for red or green candies to match the theme.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe
Step 1: Melt the Magic Mixture
Start by placing the dark chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and salted butter into a microwave-safe bowl. I microwave it for about 30 seconds, then stir really well. Don’t rush this part — heating in short 10-15 second bursts with stirring in between ensures the chocolate doesn’t burn and the peanut butter blends smoothly. You want a silky, glossy mixture that you can easily dip cookies into.
Step 2: Dipping the Nutter Butters
Grab a Nutter Butter cookie and dip it into your chocolate mixture, making sure it’s completely covered. Hold it with a fork underneath, gently shake off any excess, and then set it on a wire rack or parchment-lined cutting board. I usually work on making sure all the cookies are dipped first — it keeps things organized and makes decorating smoother later on.
Step 3: Decorating Your Penguins
This is the fun part! I add a mini Nilla wafer in the center bottom to be the penguin’s stomach. Two candy eyes go at the top, and a half orange Reese’s piece forms the beak. Two more orange halves become the feet, placed neatly just below the belly wafer. Then, I press two brown Reese’s pieces on each side under the cookie's indent for wings. Having all the candies pre-sorted and ready to go really speeds this step up.
Step 4: Chill & Set
Once all your adorable penguins are assembled, pop them in the fridge for at least 3 hours to let the chocolate set properly. Overnight works even better if you have the patience! You can serve them chilled straight from the fridge, or at room temperature if you don’t mind a little chocolate smearing on your fingers. Either way, they’re delicious!
Top Tip
From making these Peanut Butter Penguins multiple times, I’ve learned a few tricks that save time and keep everything looking perfect. Take it from me — these tips will make your experience smoother and results just right.
- Prep All Candy First: Before dipping any cookies, open the candy eyes, sort the Reese’s pieces by color, and halve the orange ones. It keeps the decorating flow effortless.
- Don’t Overheat Chocolate: Heating in short increments stops the chocolate from burning or seizing, preserving that great silky texture.
- Use a Wire Rack: Setting dipped cookies on a wire rack helps chocolate set evenly and prevents them from sticking.
- Keep Extras Nearby: Always have a few more candies than recipe calls for — dropping or misplacing one is surprisingly easy!
How to Serve Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe
Garnishes
I usually keep garnishes simple—sometimes a light dusting of powdered sugar around the platter adds a bit of snowy charm. If I’m feeling fancy, a few sprigs of fresh mint or edible glitter make them party-ready. But honestly, these penguins don’t need much extra—they’re cute and festive on their own!
Side Dishes
These treats pair wonderfully with hot drinks like cocoa or your favorite tea, making a cozy snack duo. I also like serving them alongside fresh fruit or a simple vanilla pudding to balance the richness.
Creative Ways to Present
For gatherings, I’ve arranged these penguins on a frosted cake platter surrounded by shredded coconut “snow” and small pinecones for a festive winter display. Another fun idea is placing each penguin in a mini cupcake liner for easy grab-and-go party favors.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once your penguins are chilled and set, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge. From my experience, they stay fresh and firm for up to a week. Trying to keep them at room temperature is a risk—you might lose that nice chocolate snap and end up with sticky-fingered penguins!
Freezing
Yes, you can freeze these! I usually pop them into a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. They freeze well for up to 6 months. Just thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving so they maintain their shape and texture.
Reheating
Since these are mostly no-bake treats, reheating isn’t really necessary. But if the chocolate ever gets too firm in the fridge for your liking, just let the penguins sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! If you're allergic or prefer a different flavor, almond butter or sunflower seed butter works well. Just choose a creamy, spreadable version for the best dipping consistency.
Serving the penguins chilled is your best bet to keep the chocolate firm. If left at room temperature too long, the chocolate softens quickly. Storing them in the fridge until just before serving helps maintain that nice snap and avoids messy fingers.
Definitely! These penguins make great make-ahead treats. Prepare and fully assemble them, then chill or freeze. Just remember to thaw in the fridge before serving if frozen.
I recommend microwaving in short bursts — about 10 to 15 seconds at a time — stirring well between each. This gradual heating prevents overheating and keeps the mixture silky smooth.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe is one of those gems I keep coming back to, whether for a festive gathering or an everyday treat. It’s simple, fun, and brings out smiles with every step and bite. I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) them as much as I do. Go ahead, channel your inner kid, and bring these charming little penguins into your kitchen soon!
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Peanut Butter Penguins Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 32 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Peanut Butter Penguins are adorable, chocolate-coated Nutter Butter cookies decorated to look like penguins using candy pieces. This fun and festive treat combines creamy peanut butter, rich dark chocolate, and sweet candies to create a delightful snack perfect for parties, holidays, or any occasion that calls for a whimsical dessert.
Ingredients
Chocolate Coating
- 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon salted butter
Cookies and Decorations
- 16 ounce package Nutter Butter cookies
- 32 Mini Nilla Wafers
- 64 brown Reese’s Pieces
- 48 orange Reese’s Pieces, halved
- 64 Candy eyes
Instructions
- Combine and Melt Chocolate: Combine the dark chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and salted butter in a medium sized, microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir well, then continue heating in 10-15 second increments, stirring between each, until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip Cookies: Dip a Nutter Butter cookie into the chocolate mixture until fully covered, then remove using a fork and gently shake off excess chocolate. Place the dipped cookie on a wire rack or parchment paper-lined cutting board.
- Add Stomach: Place a mini Nilla wafer on the center bottom half of the cookie to form the penguin’s stomach.
- Decorate Face: Attach two candy eyes to the top half of the cookie and place half of an orange Reese’s piece (cut side down) as the nose in the center.
- Create Feet: Position two halved orange Reese’s pieces, cut side down and placed horizontally, below the mini Nilla wafer to act as the penguin’s feet.
- Add Wings: Press one brown Reese’s piece on either side of the cookie, just below the indent, to form wings.
- Repeat: Repeat the dipping and decorating process with each of the remaining Nutter Butter cookies to create all 32 penguins.
- Chill: Place the decorated cookies in the refrigerator on the wire rack or cutting board and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight until set.
- Serve: Serve the peanut butter penguins chilled or at room temperature, noting that at room temperature the chocolate may be slightly soft.
Notes
- Store the penguins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week to maintain freshness.
- You can freeze the penguins for up to 6 months; thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Prepare all decorating materials ahead of time: separate Reese’s pieces by color and cut the orange ones in half, and open candy eyes and Nilla wafers to streamline decorating.
- Be careful not to overheat the chocolate mixture to avoid burning; the peanut butter and butter help make it more forgiving.
- Handling the penguins at room temperature may cause a slight chocolate smear but does not affect taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
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