Homemade Maple Maca Peanut Butter Cups [vegan, gluten-free]

Maple Maca Peanut Butter Cups with a homemade chocolate base! These are so easy, just five ingredients, a few simple steps and you have yourself homemade chocolate peanut butter cups! Recipe is vegan and gluten-free. Sub your favorite nut or seed butter for dietary restrictions.

Anyone else find it strange that we welcome maple syrup flavors in the fall but maple syrup festivals and the harvest are in the spring?  We just had our local maple syrup festival not too long ago so it had me thinking… 

I celebrate maple syrup all season long really – I say it’s the Canadian in me 😉

Maple syrup is most certainly not just for pancakes; it’s perfect addition to these muffins, this dressing and loads of other recipes. They make the perfect sweetener for homemade chocolate in these guys too…

Maple Maca Peanut Butter Cups

Okay, so I know homemade peanut butter cups are like, “so basic” but can you just humor me and act as though this hasn’t been done a thousand times? Good. Great. Grand. Wonderful. <– Name that movie.

The thing is homemade peanut butter cups are truly magical and I would be doing you a disservice by not sharing this lovely creation with you here. Everytime I think about the chocolate-peanut butter combo I thank whoever invented it. Where on earth would we be without such a heavenly combination of ingredients?? We would be very sad, I think.

Anyways… It’s been awhile since I’ve had some homemade chocolate treats and I had the urge to make (both you and me) something delicious, yet nutritious. So we’re adding some maca into the mix!

I’ve been a weee bit obsessed with maca these days and incorporating this superfood root into these homemade peanut butter cups was just too easy.

So what’s maca?

Maca is an ancient root, said to be of the adaptogenic nature. An “adaptogen” is a name given to certain plants that help the body naturally respond (adapt) to stressors – everything from physical stress to mental stress.

Something that I am particularly interested in is the potential for maca to help balance hormones. Our hormones affect everything from our mood to our weight (and PMS for the ladies) so it’s really important to keep them in check.  maca source

disclosure: I am not a registered dietitian or certified nutritionist. I’ve just done my own research on the matter. If you’re looking for a virtual RD, I have several recommendations you can email me about 🙂 

Anyways, let’s make these maca peanut butter cups!

What you need

• cocoa powder
• coconut oil
• maple syrup
• peanut butter
• maca powder

So compared to my other chocolate cup recipes, I decided to go for a homemade chocolate base rather than using a bag. This was mainly due to the fact I didn’t have any chocolate chips on hand. (I know, the horror.) But I remembered I had this homemade chocolate bark recipe and thought “DUH. I’ll just make my own chocolate!”  Like, why haven’t I been doing this homemade chocolate thing all along?

I’ll tell you. Because, convenience. That’s why. But in reality making simple chocolate on the stovetop doesn’t require that much more effort when comparing to melting chocolate chips. For realz.

The Process

• Prepare the muffin pan: Line a muffin pan (I used a mini one) with paper liners, or use a silicone mold.
• for the filling: mix the peanut butter, maple syrup and maca powder together.
• make the chocolate: melt the coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa powder on the stovetop until smooth. Make sure you whisk continuously over a low-medium heat.
• Make the cups: Once the chocolate is smooth, use a teaspoon to distribute chocolate into cup liners, add small amount of maca peanut butter, and top with remaining chocolate. Chill in freezer for about 20 minutes until chocolate is set.

And you’re good to go!

These homemade maca peanut butter cups make the best treat! Hide some in the freezer before the household chocolate thief eats them all.

In this case, that would be me…

☆☆☆☆☆

How to Make…

Homemade Maple Maca Peanut Butter Cups [vegan, gluten-free]

Maple Maca Peanut Butter Cups with a homemade chocolate base! These are so easy, just five ingredients, a few simple steps and you have yourself homemade chocolate peanut butter cups! Vegan and gluten-free. 

• Yield: 14 mini cups 1x
• Scale: 1x2x3x

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Ingredients

• 5 TBSP all natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 TBSP maca powder
• 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 5 TBSP maple syrup, divided pure maple syrup
• 1/3 cup + 1 TBSP cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder) 

Instructions

1. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners or use silicone mold; set aside.
2. Prepare the filling: Mix the peanut butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup and maca powder together. Make sure peanut butter is the creamy and drippy kind. If peanut butter seems dry, add 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil. 
3. Make the chocolate: In small saucepan over low-medium heat melt coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa powder; whisk continuously until mixture is smooth. Once smooth immediately remove from heat and start dividing it into the cups. If you let it sit too long it will seize up. 
4. Assemble the cups: Use a teaspoon to distribute chocolate into 14 mni cup liners. Then with clean teaspoon, scoop maca peanut butter into chocolate cups. Top with remaining chocolate.
5. Place pan in freezer for about 20 minutes, until chocolate has set. Store cups in freezer or fridge until ready to enjoy.

Nutrition Information:

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 121
• Sugar: 6
• Sodium: 25
• Fat: 9
• Saturated Fat: 6
• Unsaturated Fat: 0
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 9
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 2
• Cholesterol: 0

Keywords: homemade chocolate, healthy peanut butter cups, desserts with maca
Author: Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen

SOME OF THE PRODUCTS I USED IN TODAY’S RECIPE

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