Like Reese’s? Yeah, me too. Honestly, I’m not sure I can ever trust someone who doesn’t. The problem is that a girl can’t subsist on peanut butter cups alone . . . but it’s fun to try.

No, seriously, the problem is more that those things are crazy unhealthy. Not only will they set you back more than 200 calories and 13 grams of fat for a pair, but they’re full of artificial flavors and preservatives. And that, my lady friends, is why I make my own. (Well, that and the fact that the CVS lady looks at me funny when I come in and buy, like, 12 Reese’s packs before 10am.)

Now, I need to be clear here—these homemade treats aren’t really much healthier, but they do taste better, they don’t contain any weird artificial stuff, and they are far more effective at impressing your friends. Plus, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to make a dozen of these than it is to buy six packs of Reese’s. So what are you waiting for?

What You Need:
(The recipe is based on this charmer from AllRecipes, my go-to recipe source.)

• 1 (11.5-ounce) package semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup of all-natural peanut butter (you can use Jif, but I prefer the hippie stuff)
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (that’s the powdery stuff)
• 12 muffin-cup liners
• Muffin pan

What You Do:
1. Place the muffin liners in the muffin pan.

2. Put half the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, and zap the chips in the microwave for 1 minute on HIGH. Take them out and stir them, and continue to microwave them in 30-second increments on HIGH until you can stir them completely smooth.

3. Distribute the melted chocolate evenly among the 12 muffin-cup liners. Then use a flexible spatula or a spoon to creep the chocolate 1/2 inch or so up the sides of the liners so it’s not all stuck in the bottom (creating a little bowl for the PB).

4. Put the chocolate shell bottoms in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are firm.

5. While those little cups of goodness are chillin’, use a whisk and a small bowl to combine the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar. (This is where the natural PB comes in handy – it’s a lot thinner than the other stuff, making it easier to stir.) Leave it at room temperature until the chocolate shells have firmed.

6. Take the shells out of the fridge and distribute the peanut butter mixture evenly among them.

7. Melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave in the same way you melted the first half of them.

8. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter cups, spreading the chocolate to the edges of the liners. Refrigerate the finished cups for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are firm.

And that’s all there is to it! Soon you’ll be chowing down on homemade peanut butter cups in your bedroom where none of your roommates can find them on the couch with your girls while you catch up on the first season of Glee. I know – total girls night perfection.

What You Need:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 small bag of mini peanut butter cups

What You Do:

Pre-heat conventional oven to 375.

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl.

The dough is super sticky, so wet your hands and roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Unwrap PB cups and place in the center of the dough. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes

Let cool and serve!

OPTIONAL: Melt leftover cups & chocolate and drizzle over cookies when cool. Drooooool.