Chocolate Easter Eggs

Raise your hand if you’re convinced that Reese’s best seasonal shape is its Peanut Butter Egg! OK, we can all put our arms down now. It’s fun to eat these candies come springtime, but this chocolate Easter eggs recipe is richer and softer, easily making it worth the effort (which is hardly any at all.) Plus, you get to decorate them with fun sprinkles and beautifully piped designs, which makes them a nice addition to the Easter desserts table. I recommend doubling this recipe and stashing half in the freezer for a cheeky snack, even after the holiday.

Ingredients for Chocolate Easter Eggs

• Pudding mix: Look for the chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix specifically. No-cook pudding won’t set up the way we want it to in this recipe.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is best here, as the salt levels can vary from brand to brand.
• Milk: Milk activates the cook-and-serve pudding, turning the mix from a powder into a gorgeous, silky, creamy pudding.
• Confectioners’ sugar: The fine powder texture acts as both a binder for the filling and as a sweetener.
• Peanut butter: When peanut butter is the main ingredient, using the best peanut butter makes all the difference. The creamy version—not the natural, stir-it-yourself kind—is what we want for this recipe.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: Whenever I’m coating desserts in chocolate, I splurge for the best chocolate chips. Flawless chips that use high-quality chocolate will set the best and taste incredible.
• Shortening: We use a little shortening to thin the melted chocolate and make it shine. You can use coconut oil in its place, if desired.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough filling

In a large saucepan, combine the two pudding mixes, butter and milk. Cook and stir them together over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture is thickened, one to two minutes longer.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter. Let the dough cool slightly at room temperature.

Step 2: Shape the dough into eggs

Scoop out the dough by 1/2 cupfuls, and shape them into flat eggs. Place each egg-shaped piece of dough on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Pop the baking sheet in the refrigerator until they’re chilled and set.

Step 3: Melt the chocolate

You have two options for melting the chocolate: the microwave or the stovetop. For the microwave, place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave, then heat for one minute. Stir the mixture together, then continue to heat in 20-second increments until the mixture is smooth.

For the stovetop, place a saucepan over medium heat, and fill it with 1-inch of water. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low, and place a heat-proof bowl on top of the saucepan. Add the chocolate chips and the shortening into the bowl and stir and melt until the mixture is completely smooth.

Editor’s Tip: Be sure to not get any water in the bowl, or the chocolate will seize. If using the stovetop method, never allow the water to hit the bottom of the bowl, or the chocolate could burn.

Step 4: Dip and decorate the eggs

Using a fork, dip the shaped eggs in the melted chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Return the chocolate eggs to the waxed paper. Just before the chocolate is completely set, decorate the chocolate-covered eggs with sprinkles and candies as desired. Or, let the chocolate set completely, then pipe pretty designs on top. Serve your decorated chocolate Easter eggs and enjoy!

EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME

Chocolate Easter Eggs Variations

• Change the chocolate coating: Semisweet is a great go-to for the chocolate candy coating (and will make the eggs taste the most like the store-bought kind), but white chocolate or dark chocolate can be used, too. You can dye the white chocolate to a pretty Easter pastel, but be sure to use an oil-based food dye. Water-based food dye will make the chocolate seize and clump.
• Get creative with your decor: After each egg is dipped in chocolate, sprinkle pastel nonpareils all over each egg, or add flavor with crushed peanuts or flaky salt. You could also break out the piping bags, color some frosting with food dye, and pipe a daisy pattern, zigzags or polka dots to mimic festive Easter eggs.
• Swap the peanut butter: For those who don’t much like the taste of peanut butter, swap it for other types of nut butters, like almond, hazelnut, pistachio or cashew butter.

How to Store Chocolate Easter Eggs

It’s hard to believe that you’ll have any leftovers of these pretty chocolate Easter eggs! But if you do, you can simply keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. I like to place sheets of waxed or parchment paper in between each layer to prevent them from sticking, but don’t stack the eggs if you piped on a design with frosting; they will smudge. You can keep the chocolate eggs at room temperature for a few days, but the filling might become too soft.

Can you freeze chocolate Easter eggs?

Yes, you can freeze these chocolate Easter eggs. They’re actually great right out of the freezer, but you can thaw them in the fridge if you’d like. Place the chocolate eggs in an airtight container, layering a piece of waxed or parchment paper between each stack to prevent them from sticking to one another. If you piped on a pretty frosting design, don’t stack them. Instead, use a few different airtight containers to store the chocolate eggs. They can be kept in the freezer for up to two months.

Chocolate Easter Eggs Tips

EMIKO FRANZEN FOR TASTE OF HOME

Why did my chocolate Easter eggs break in the chocolate?

The chocolate Easter egg filling might have broken during dipping for a few reasons. The first is that your chocolate may have been too hot. Keep the chocolate warm to the touch, but not hot. Another reason the eggs might be breaking is if the shaped egg filling wasn’t refrigerated thoroughly. Be sure they’re chilled and set, or they’ll be too pliable to hold their shape while dipping.

What’s the best way to melt chocolate for chocolate Easter eggs?

To keep this recipe easy, we suggest using either the microwave or stovetop methods for melting chocolate. When using the microwave, turn down the heat to 50 or 70 percent power so the chocolate melts slowly and evenly. After a minute, give it a stir before you put the bowl back in. Microwave it in 20-second increments until fully melted.

Why is my chocolate setting too quickly?

If your freshly dipped chocolate Easter eggs are setting too quickly before you have a chance to stick sprinkles, nuts or flaky salt on them, then your melted chocolate is too cold. If your dipping is taking a while, pop the chocolate back in the microwave or in the double boiler every now and again to warm it just a bit, without making it too hot.

Why is my chocolate setting so thick?

A thick chocolate coating is an indicator that your chocolate is either too cold or doesn’t have enough shortening in it. Avoid reducing the shortening measurement, or the chocolate will be too viscous. Also, make sure to pop the chocolate on the double boiler or in the microwave often to keep the chocolate liquid enough for dipping.