No Bake Peanut Butter Drops

Five ingredients, no oven, and you get fudgy chocolate drops with a peanut butter backbone that taste like a Reese’s cup in candy form. Melt the chocolate over hot water, stir everything together, drop onto waxed paper, and chill. That’s the whole process.

Sweetened condensed milk is the binding agent that makes these work. It gives the drops a smooth, fudgy texture once chilled and keeps them from turning brittle like plain chocolate would. Do not substitute evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and thin, and will leave you with a runny, grainy mess that never sets.

Melt the chocolate gently over a double boiler or a bowl set over simmering water. Direct heat scorches chocolate fast, and burnt chocolate is bitter and grainy with no way to fix it.

Kitchen Tips

• Use creamy peanut butter for a smoother texture. Chunky works too if you want peanut bits in every drop.
• Drop them small, about a teaspoon each. They’re rich, and smaller portions make better snack-sized bites.
• Let them chill at least 2-3 hours until completely firm. Rushing this step gives you soft, smudgy drops that stick to everything.
• Store in the refrigerator in a single layer. They soften quickly at room temperature, especially in warm weather.

Variations

• Coconut drops: Roll the freshly dropped candies in shredded coconut before chilling.
• Nutty crunch: Stir in chopped roasted peanuts or crushed pretzels for added texture.