Description
Peanut Butter Penguins are adorable and festive no-bake treats made by coating Nutter Butter cookies in a decadent dark chocolate and peanut butter mixture, then decorated with mini Nilla wafers, Reese’s pieces, and candy eyes to resemble penguins. Perfect for holiday parties or fun family desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Coating
- 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp salted butter
Penguin Assembly
- 16 ounce package Nutter Butter cookies (32 cookies)
- 32 Mini Nilla Wafers
- 64 brown Reese’s pieces
- 48 orange Reese's pieces, halved
- 64 Candy eyes
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Mixture: Combine the dark chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and salted butter in a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is completely melted and well combined.
- Coat Cookies: Dip a Nutter Butter cookie into the chocolate mixture until fully coated, then remove using a fork and gently shake off any extra chocolate. Place the coated cookie on a wire rack or a parchment paper-lined cutting board.
- Add Stomach: Press a mini Nilla wafer into the center of the bottom half of each cookie to create the penguin’s stomach.
- Create Face Features: Place two candy eyes on the top half of the cookie. Add half of an orange Reese’s piece, cut side down, in the center below the eyes to form the nose.
- Attach Feet: Place two orange Reese’s piece halves, cut side down, horizontally below the mini Nilla wafer on the bottom half to form the penguin’s feet.
- Add Wings: Press two brown Reese’s pieces on either side of the cookie just below the indent to form the wings.
- Repeat for All Cookies: Repeat the above decorating steps for all 32 Nutter Butter cookies to make the full batch of penguins.
- Chill to Set: Place the coated and decorated cookies on the wire rack or board in the refrigerator. Allow them to set for at least 3 hours or overnight to firm up the chocolate coating.
- Serve: Serve the Peanut Butter Penguins chilled or at room temperature. Note that at room temperature the chocolate may be slightly soft and could smear on fingers.
Notes
- Store the finished Peanut Butter Penguins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- For longer storage, freeze the penguins for up to 6 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Prepare and organize all decorating ingredients beforehand for a smooth and efficient decorating process.
- Be careful not to overheat the chocolate mixture; the peanut butter and butter help stabilize it but overheating could cause it to seize or burn.
- Keep some extra Reese’s pieces on hand in case of accidental drops or breakage during decorating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 penguin
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
