One of the most fun food scenes - Amish peanut butter eggs - I have seen in all my years exploring Amish settlements was when I stumbled into a little Amish confectionery tucked away into a house near Cherry Creek, New York.
As it happened, it was right before Easter and the Amish woman was hard at work making all of these mouth-melting chocolate candies: peanut butter eggs, chocolate bunnies, maple candies….wow, this place would have made Willy Wonka envious.
I'd love to go back there someday around Christmas to see what she is whipping up. This bakery confectionery also is the only place I have ever drank a glass of tree sap. She had a pitcher of cold sap and I drank a glass of it. It was refreshing. The Amish there ascribe health benefits from drinking straight sap.
I remember when we lived in a house that had a maple tree in our front yard and our then two year-old daughter asked if "we could put a faucet in the tree so that we could get maple syrup." Pretty clever. I wish it were that easy!
Our friend Jessica recreated this recipe and got some super photos. I mean, the above ones were slightly larger and made in mass, but what if you want to just make a few for your home this Easter? As Jessica proved, definitely doable. These "homemade Reeses" are as good or better than store-bought Reese’s peanut butter eggs!
Here is a photo essay of her peanut butter egg journey. And I tried these eggs when she was done and, holy cow, they were amazing. Someday, if I get to Heaven, I hope to find a gazillion of these eggs. They are super.
The recipe's ingredients are very basic, but amazing flavor springs forth! The chocolate in these eggs is from dark chocolate chips but I don't see any reason you couldn't experiment and use milk chocolate or even white chocolates. Just mix it all together with a spoon or a fork.
Anything with graham cracker crumbs has to be amazing. Pack the mixture into an egg shape, individually. These are super treats. You could add a pinch of salt to the peanut butter mixture to give that sweet/salty dynamic, something that would differentiate them from reese's eggs a bit. You could also add a few peanuts to the mixture if you wanted to add some crunch. For those who who have peanut allergies, this recipe could be made with sunbutter or another peanut butter substitute (you can order off Amazon or find in a store). You could use plant-based butter to make this vegan or dairy-free.
This is when the eggs are "naked" with just the peanut butter filling showing before their chocolate exterior has been applied. You can use store-bought "egg molds" or just shape the peanut butter "dough" yourself. Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper to cut down on cleaning pans.
The eggs are putting on their chocolate clothes in the above photo!
Okay, here is a recipe that a lot of Amish cooks use for some homemade peanut butter eggs. I love my chocolate chilled, so I'd store these in the fridge, but you can also just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also store these eggs (along with their calories!) in the freezer to enjoy another day.
🥚 Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-⅓ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1-½ cups dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons shortening
📋 Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, butter and vanilla until blended.
- Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and cracker crumbs.
- Shape mixture into 16 eggs; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.
- Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
- On low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth (you could microwave)
- Dip eggs in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off.
- Return eggs to baking sheets.
- Chill 30 minutes.
- If desired, decorate eggs with icing.
- Let stand until set.
- Store in airtight containers in refrigerator.
🐇 Additional Easter Recipes
Crumbly Easter Cake is the one dessert I suggest serving! This recipe will ensure your guest just crumble waiting for the dessert course!
Amish Easter Leftovers: Snoozer Sandwiches
Because Easter Ham deserves a second chance at life - and you can do this while sleep walking in your Easter food coma.
Amish Ham & Cheddar Waffles for Easter
Pairing Meat with waffles is a favorite - why not leftover Easter Ham?
Well... we can't keep referring to leftover Easter Ham and not give you an actual recipe!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Peanut Butter Easter Eggs
Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-⅓ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1-½ cups dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon shortening
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, butter and vanilla until blended.
- Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and cracker crumbs.
- Shape mixture into 16 eggs; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.
- Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
- On low heat, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth.
- Dip eggs in chocolate mixture; allow excess to drip off.
- Return eggs to baking sheets.
- Chill 30 minutes.
- If desired, decorate eggs with icing.
- Let stand until fully set.
- Store in airtight containers in refrigerator.
Marianne
Oh my goodness!! Is this Malinda's? Her candy is divine!!! She is so gracious!
Kevin
Oh, wow, you have heard of it, Marianne? Yes, this photo is from Malinda's, awesome little shop and wonderful lady!
Charlie V
Hi Kevin---I am loving this newsletter you publish daily----I am from Columbus OH and love visiting Holmes County where we can get a taste of the Amish life. This story about the Peanut Butter eggs, do you know if they do any type of mail order shipping and if so how we can find out more about the business. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Kevin
Welcome, Charlie! I highly, highly doubt she does mail-order, but, she might...I've been surprised before...she does not have a phone, but the name of the place is Malinda's Candy Shop, 2656 Youngs Road , Conewango Valley, NY 14726....you can just write to Malinda...I mean, in thinking about, if you're willing to pay freight, she might well ship....
Terry
Hi, there. Planning to attempt these tomorrow. How large are the finished eggs if you make 16 from this recipe?
Kevin
Hi, Terry, for 16 eggs? Hmmm, I am thinking that for 16 you'd get about 16 largeish eggs, maybe about the size of a fist, if that is helpful. Good luck with them!
Joanie
I used to make these Easter eggs and I am not Amish. They are good.
Denise Fetters
I made your first Peanut Butter Egg Recipe a couple of weeks ago to determine whether we liked them as well as the ones I normally make. They turned out delicious! The only addition that I made was 1/2 block of Phila. Cream Cheese. I always add it to buckeyes or any of my peanut butter eggs and it really makes them nice and creamy. I dipped them in Ghirardelli dipping chocolate (some light chocolate and some dark chocolate). It makes it so easy and it is a delicious chocolate. We loved your recipe and I will continue to make it. Thanks so much for sharing it. Additionally, an earlier edition provided a Strawberry Pie Recipe and tomorrow, I will be making it.
Kevin Williams
Good luck with the pie, I love that strawberry pie, and I am glad the eggs turned out well for you!
geraldine
Do the Amish celebrate Jesus' resurrection with pagan easter egg candies?
Kevin Williams
The Amish enjoy season candies and foods...for instance, around Christmas, they'll enjoy candy canes and homemade turtle candies, but I'm not sure they view those treats as pagan, just seasonal, fun foods...
Jeanette
I am so happy I found this web site. Visited Amish country in Penn. Twice, years apart. The food was always so comforting so delicious. I so admire the values of Amish ppl, the commun ity standards of hard work and family bonds. Now with the current events and "social STUFF"........ this information you provide is needed more. Thank you!