Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups

The perfect trifecta, these pumpkin peanut butter cups are full of rich chocolate, creamy peanut butter, AND fresh pumpkin flavors. Made with just 4 ingredients and zero baking required!

It’s no secret we love pumpkin desserts in our household. Between pumpkin brownies, fudge, and peanut butter pumpkin cups, I’ve more or less figured out how to incorporate pumpkin into every dessert imaginable. 

This pumpkin peanut butter cup recipe transforms simple ingredients into gooey, chocolatey cups filled to the brim with smooth peanut butter and sweet pumpkin puree.  

Table of Contents

1. Recipe highlights
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make pumpkin peanut butter cups
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. Storage instructions
6. Frequently asked questions
7. More pumpkin dessert recipes to try
8. Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cups (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

• The best of both worlds. If you love pumpkin desserts and Reese’s peanut butter cups, you’re going to fall head over heels for this recipe. 
• Diet-friendly. This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and you can easily make it low-carb and nut-free with a few easy swaps.
• Relatively healthy. These peanut butter pumpkin cups are made without granulated sugar or corn syrup. 
• Always a family favorite. My friends and family RAVE about these pumpkin cups, and I know yours will, too!

What we love most about this recipe is how versatile it is! Like pumpkin breakfast cookies, there’s just enough subtle pumpkin flavor to make these the perfect holiday treat, but as you can imagine, they work equally well year-round. 

Ingredients needed

This recipe uses 4 simple ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:

• Chocolate chips. A must for chocolate peanut butter cups! I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the classic Reese’s flavor. 
• Peanut butter. Of course, it’s a key ingredient in peanut butter cups. I recommend using smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. Not a fan of peanut butter? I’ve also used almond butter before, and while the flavor is definitely different, they’re still delicious.
• Maple syrup. It’s the sweetener of choice in our household, but you could also use honey or agave if you prefer. 
• Pumpkin puree. Make sure to look for “pumpkin puree” instead of “pumpkin pie filling,” which has spices and sugar already added.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How to make pumpkin peanut butter cups

Step 1- Prep the cups. Line an 18-count mini muffin tin with muffin liners.

Step 2- Melt the chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, melt 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chips. Divide the melted chocolate among the mini muffin liners, leaving them two-thirds full. Use your spoon to ensure the sides are coated with chocolate. Store the muffin tin in the fridge. 

Step 3- Make the peanut butter pumpkin filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and maple syrup. Add ¼ cup of pumpkin puree and mix until smooth. 

Step 4- Finish the cups. Pour the pumpkin mixture evenly among the hardened chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips and cover each cup completely. Then, refrigerate until firm. 

Recipe tips and variations

• Add more pumpkin. Depending on how much pumpkin flavor I’m in the mood for, I may increase the amount of pumpkin puree to half a cup. 
• Add spices. I typically make these pumpkin cups without spices, but when I’m feeling extra festive, I’ll add a little pumpkin spice or cinnamon to the peanut butter mixture. 
• Make sugar-free cups. To make a low-carb version of this recipe, I like to use keto maple syrup and sugar-free chocolate chips. 
• Make nut-free cups. If you’re making these for someone with a nut allergy, use sunflower seed butter or tahini. 
• Use white chocolate. Love white chocolate peanut butter cups? Swap the regular chocolate chips for white chocolate, and you’ve got white chocolate pumpkin peanut butter cups!
• Add powdered sugar. When I’ve tested this recipe in the past, sometimes the peanut butter filling becomes too thin. If this happens to you, add a little powdered sugar to thicken it up. 

Storage instructions

To store: Store leftover peanut butter pumpkin cups in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. If you want to keep them for longer, refrigerate the cups for 1 month. 

To freeze: Transfer leftover pumpkin cups to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.

Frequently asked questions

More pumpkin dessert recipes to try

• Pumpkin cake– Moist, fluffy cake layered with tangy cream cheese frosting.
• Blondies– Chewy, cakey, and gooey all in one. 
• Pumpkin bars– This is probably my most requested pumpkin recipe this year.
• Pumpkin cookie dough– A fun twist on my classic edible cookie dough recipe. 
• Pumpkin cream cheese muffins– I seriously can’t stop at one, and neither will you!

Recipe originally published August 2017 but updated to include new information for your benefit.