Just six ingredients needed for easy healthy homemade peanut butter cups. Using dark chocolate, creamy peanut butter, gluten free flour, a little maple syrup for sweetness and sea salt to balance it all out.
If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to a reese’s peanut butter cup recipe, I’ve got you covered! These are so quick to make and everyone loves them.
I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter?!
Why You’ll Love These
- Less than 10 simple ingredients
- Like homemade reese’s peanut butter cups, but but healthy
- Dairy free, vegan friendly and gluten free too
- Anyone can make these, no kitchen experience required
- Takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish
Just 6 Ingredients
- favorite chocolate chips– use a paleo friendly brand or vegan friendly like Enjoy Life. You can also use chocolate bars (I like Theo) and melt them down. You need at 10 ounces of chocolate for 12 cups. I highly recommend a good quality chocolate here. Meaning, don’t buy store brand chips. The way the chocolate melts does matter. And for homemade peanut butter cups you want that rich, smooth chocolate taste.
- coconut oil – this helps smooth out the chocolate for melting and creates a better consistency.
- peanut butter – I personally opt for an all natural peanut butter with nothing added, but whatever you have on hand is fine. Homemade peanut butter works too! If you need to avoid peanut butter for whatever reason, you can definitely swap in almond butter or cashew butter as well.
- maple syrup – to add a touch of sweetness to the peanut butter filling. You can also use honey if not vegan.
- oat flour or almond flour – either one will work here. Adding the flour helps provide a little bit of structure to the peanut butter filling (and gives them more of that classic reese’s feel) but you could also omit if you’re okay with a softer filling.
- sea salt – if you’re using unsalted peanut butter, it’s best to add 1/8 tsp salt to the peanut butter filling. And then if you’re a fan of flaked sea salt, add that to the tops of the chocolate cups as they set.
Melting Chocolate
For the chocolate layer, you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate, just sure to melt the chocolate carefully. If using the stovetop, melt on low heat, stirring continuously, adding in the tablespoons of peanut butter and coconut oil once the chocolate is partially melted.
If using the microwave, melt everything in 20 second increments on half power, stirring in between until fully melted.
Note: chips will melt differently than a chopped bar. If using a bar of chocolate, chop into small pieces.
Peanut Butter Filling
For the peanut mixture simply mix together creamy peanut butter with maple syrup, a little sea salt and the oat flour or almond flour. This will create a soft filling that you can shape a little bit.
And makes these vegan peanut butter cups melt in your mouth.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cups
Are you ready for a healthy homemade treat ready in 30 minutes?
Let’s do it!
Line muffin tin
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and get all of your ingredients together so you’ll have a quick assembly.
Peanut butter filling should be made and chilled, and melted chocolate transferred to a small bowl.
Add Chocolate
Add about one tablespoon of chocolate to each liner, brushing up the sides a little using the back of the spoon. I like using a mini pastry brush.
Add Peanut Butter Filling
Next you’ll add the peanut filling – scoop about a tablespoon of peanut butter mixture and roll between your palms, flatten slightly and place directly onto the melted chocolate.
Top with melted chocolate
Immediately top with another tablespoon of melted chocolate, evenly covering the filling. Then add with flaked sea salt if you’d like.
Chill to set
You can pop these in the freezer for 15 minutes or the fridge for about 20 minutes or so and they’ll be ready to eat!
Storing
Because we’ve stabilized the chocolate with a little peanut butter, you can actually store these cups at room temperature, as long as it’s not too hot.
That being said, they are best stored cold for longer periods of time. Place in a container with a lid and enjoy within two weeks.
More Healthy Peanut Butter Recipes
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review letting me know! It helps others learn about the recipe too and I truly appreciate your feedback. Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Just six ingredients needed for these easy healthy homemade peanut butter cups. Using dark chocolate, creamy peanut butter, a little maple syrup for sweetness and sea salt to balance it all out. You will love this gluten free and vegan friendly dessert!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Diet: Vegan
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter (the drippy kind)
- 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup almond flour or oat flour
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (if using unsalted peanut butter)
Chocolate Layer
- 10 ounces quality dark chocolate (quality matters here!)
- 2 Tablespoons all natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil
- flaked sea salt, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Line 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl combine peanut butter with maple syrup, then stir in almond flour (or oat flour) and sea salt until fully incorporated. Mixture should be soft. Place in fridge.
- Meanwhile melt the chocolate: In a small saucepan over low heat, add chocolate, peanut butter and coconut oil. Stir continuously until smooth. If using the microwave, melt in 30 second increments on half power, stirring in between until fully melted.
- Assemble peanut butter cups: Add about 1 tablespoon of chocolate to each paper liner, brushing up against sides. Take about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter filling, roll in palms and flatten slightly before placing onto melted chocolate; continue filling each up with peanut butter filling before topping off with another tablespoon of chocolate.
- Place in fridge for about 20 minutes to set, or freezer for 15 minutes.
- Dive in!
Recipes Notes:
VEGAN – to keep these peanut butter cups vegan, use vegan friendly chocolate
GLUTEN FREE – use almond flour or certified gluten free oats. Check out how to make oat flour here.
Shana Aubrey says
Delicious! Better than the real thing!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Right?! So happy to hear you love them as much as we do 🙂
JC says
I made these yesterday. They are so delicious! They taste just like the real thing only better! The one mistake I made was putting a heaping tablespoon of chocolate for the bottom layer. There was none left for the top layer. I made more chocolate to cover the top. Still awesome and yummy! Will make them correctly next time. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★