This Is How Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Get That Signature Texture

In addition to the taste of peanut butter and chocolate, the texture of Reese's peanut butter cups helps make them difficult to step away from. The peanut butter tucked inside the smooth chocolate shell isn't the same spread you'd glide across toast. Starting with peanuts that have been roasted beyond the usual level, a fine paste is ground from these over-roasted nuts. "I grew up in Hershey and still live in the area. You drive by the factory you will get a whiff of roasting peanuts. It smells so good," wrote a fan on YouTube. 

The peanuts are roasted in dry heat for 35 minutes at 289 degrees Fahrenheit. A faulty overheated roaster was the happy accident that led to the discovery of this deeper flavor and drier texture. The grinding process is carefully monitored so that the texture of the peanut filling is smooth but maintains its firm, dry graininess. Sugar, salt, and hydrogenated oil are added to the peanut butter mix, which is then stored in enormous barrels at the factory. 

When the peanut butter is ready to be turned into filling, the powdered sugar, salt, emulsifiers, and dextrose are added to give it a sandier texture that is drier than a typical peanut butter spread. The filling is formed into solid discs known as plugs and placed into chocolate that has been poured into molds before more of the chocolate is added to seal the cup. In addition to enveloping the filling, the sweet snap of the chocolate provides a satisfying contrast to the salty and sweet peanut butter mixture inside. 

Even with over 600 Reese's peanut butter cups made each minute at Reese's facilities, the texture and taste remain a consistent experience. The taste of Hershey's "cup butter" is more intense than what you might scoop out of a jar, as the filling isn't moist or oily like store-bought peanut butter. It is instead dry and slightly crumbly with the ratio of salt and sugar carefully balanced to enhance the over-roasted peanut flavor. The chocolate coating is made with powdered lactose and cooled and reheated several times to achieve its smooth, glossy finish.

The recipe for Reese's peanut butter cups has remained largely the same since its 1928 invention, even with new Reese's peanut butter cup flavors added to the brand's candy offerings. If you've tried making your own Reese's peanut butter cups at home, you know the process can be laborious. In addition to over-roasting peanuts, some home cooks have added powdered sugar and crushed graham crackers to peanut butter to try to mimic the candy's texture. It is a culinary project that makes the store-bought version that much harder to put down.