It isn’t Halloween in our house without peanut butter cups.
Last year, I made raw almond butter cups, but those don’t always cut it for a true peanut butter lover. (Like my husband!)
I’ve also learned a few things since making my own almond butter cups over the last couple of years. Originally, I just dropped a dollop of natural almond butter in the middle, assuming it would freeze into a firm, solid mass, like the middles of the store-bought candies. But, that’s not the case! Even after freezing overnight, the nut butter centers are usually gooey… which tastes fine, but it’s not exactly the texture I’m going for. Luckily, I’m more than willing to experiment with (and taste-test!) chocolate candies, until I get it right.
The resulting peanut butter cups are not only lower in sugar and free of highly-processed ingredients, they also taste better than the originals, if I do say so myself!
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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
makes 6-8 pieces
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons coconut oil*
pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (for a raw chocolate shell, use this recipe instead)
*If you don’t care for the mellow coconut flavor, substitute grass-fed butter instead. It has the same type of healthy fat that will help solidify the peanut butter middles!
Directions:
To get started, melt the dark chocolate chips. I prefer to use my oven to do this, placing the chocolate chips in an oven safe bowl, and heating them for 5 minutes in the oven at 400F. You can also use a double-boiler or microwave, if you prefer. Stir the melted chocolate chips until smooth, then use a spoon to drop a small amount of melted chocolate into the bottom of 6 mini paper cups. (I recommend double-layering the paper cups, for sturdiness.)
Using the spoon, push the melted chocolate up the sides of the paper cups a bit, to create the “cups” that will hold the peanut butter filling. Place the chocolate-filled shells in the freezer to set, about 10 minutes.
*Alternatively, you can make your own raw chocolate for a truly unprocessed treat! I recommend using this recipe for the chocolate, and following the same directions listed here for creating the chocolate shell. Please note, this raw chocolate will melt quickly at room temperature, so it’s not ideal for serving at parties.
In the meantime, mix up the peanut butter filling. Combine the peanut butter, coconut oil and salt, and stir until smooth and creamy. Remove the paper cups from the freezer, and place a dollop of the peanut butter filling in the middle of each chocolate shell (about a teaspoon per center). Be sure to leave a little room around the edges, for the chocolate filling to cover the sides!
Cover each cup with a final layer of melted chocolate, and return to the freezer to set for at least 2 hours before serving.
Remove the paper cups, and enjoy these chocolate candies whenever you like! For best texture, I recommend storing in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil*
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (for a raw chocolate shell, use this recipe instead)
- To get started, melt the dark chocolate chips. I prefer to use my oven to do this, placing the chocolate chips in an oven safe bowl, and heating them for 5 minutes in the oven at 400F. You can also use a double-boiler or microwave, if you prefer. Stir the melted chocolate chips until smooth, then use a spoon to drop a small amount of melted chocolate into the bottom of 6 mini paper cups. (I recommend double-layering the paper cups, for sturdiness.)
- Using the spoon, push the melted chocolate up the sides of the paper cups a bit, to create the “cups” that will hold the peanut butter filling. Place the chocolate-filled shells in the freezer to set, about 10 minutes.
- *Alternatively, you can make your own raw chocolate for a truly unprocessed treat! I recommend using this recipe for the chocolate, and following the same directions listed here for creating the chocolate shell. Please note, this raw chocolate will melt quickly at room temperature, so it’s not ideal for serving at parties.
- In the meantime, mix up the peanut butter filling. Combine the peanut butter, coconut oil and salt, and stir until smooth and creamy. Remove the paper cups from the freezer, and place a dollop of the peanut butter filling in the middle of each chocolate shell (about a teaspoon per center). Be sure to leave a little room around the edges, for the chocolate filling to cover the sides!
- Cover each cup with a final layer of melted chocolate, and return to the freezer to set for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Remove the paper cups, and enjoy these chocolate candies whenever you like! For best texture, I recommend storing in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.
Note: As always, feel free to use any other nut butter instead of peanut butter, if you prefer. For those with nut allergies, sunflower seed butter is a great nut-free alternative!
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried making your own peanut butter cups? Do you plan on making any Halloween candy this year?
Peanut butter cups are my favorite candy ever! I will definitely be making these!!!
I’m soooo making these! I love how cute yours turned out! What brand of chocolate chips did you use?
I think they were the 365 brand from Whole Foods– they’re 70% dark chocolate “chunks.”
These used to be my FAVORITE as a kid! I always wanted the reese cups in my halloween bag hah.
Now a days, I wouldn’t touch those processed things. I tried my own version, still tweaking it because it didn’t come out the way I wanted exactly.
These looks awesome though!
Yum, I need to try this. How about healthy version of butterfingers?
I’m working on it! I love Butterfingers!
These look great! I have been wanting to make some peanut butter cups lately. I found a few recipes. Some say the true Reese’s taste is made by adding nutritional yeast. Have you heard of this? Thanks!
You take the best pictures…these look DELICIOUS!
These are TO DIE FOR and love the small recipe size so you don’t have too many around tempting you!!!
I made these last night and they are absolutely fantastic swingin on elastic-brilliant storing in freezer so i don’t have to be tempted to eat them all in one go-i’m making a batch for my friend today-thankyou
Hi Megan,
First of all, your blog is great. I love all the recipes, especially the ones that use chocolate. I was wondering, since you use dark chocolate, if there was a way to make the chocolate component of this recipe taste more like a milk chocolate? Is that even possible?
Thanks!!
You could make it taste like more like milk chocolate by adding butter or coconut oil to the melted dark chocolate chips, plus a little honey for extra sweetness. These additions will make the chocolate shell a little more temperature-sensitive, though! Be sure to serve chilled for best texture.
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YUM!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m allergic to dairy, so I can’t ever have a regular Reese’s cup. But you have just saved my life — THANK YOU!
Made these the other day for Halloween treats, and WOW! They really did taste better than the store bought ones. Thanks for a easy and healthier version of almost everyone’s favorite candy.
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