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
Scale
Chocolate Coating
- 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp 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
