Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

These Vegan Peanut Butter Cups are super easy to make, 5 ingredients, and no baking required! They’re more delicious and nutritious than any Reese’s Cups.

They will curb your sweet tooth and make a great midnight snack. These Healthier Peanut Butter Cups are a fun treat to make for Halloween. It’s the best vegan dessert because they’re easy to make and so yummy! Nothing beats the peanut butter and chocolate combination. 

Peanut Butter Cups

People can’t believe how simple it is to make this irresistible treat. You can’t go wrong with the gooey peanut butter center and smooth chocolate layers. As a child, Halloween was (and still is) one of my favorite holidays. I love the fall time, dressing up in costumes, and eating all the candy from trick or treating. Reese’s Cups were one of the best candies to get in my bag. My top 5 candies were Snickers, Reese’s, Sour Skittles, Twix, and Kit Kats. As a child, I took my candy very seriously😂

I’ve always had a sweet tooth, and since going vegan, I still eat delicious treats daily. So trust me when I tell you, you have to make these peanut butter cups!

PB Cup Ingredients

• 1 cup of Dark Chocolate Chips – I prefer using the Sprouts or Trader Joe’s store-brand dark chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is vegan most of the time, but always read the ingredients to ensure it’s dairy-free! The store-brand chocolate chips always tend to be the most affordable too. For gluten-free chips, I love the Enjoy Life chocolate: Enjoy Life brand vegan chocolate chips.
• 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil – I use unrefined virgin coconut oil. I love the taste of coconuts and coconut oil. If you don’t like it, you can use another neutral oil, or get a refined coconut oil with a more neutral flavor.
• 1/2 cup of Peanut Butter – I buy the natural creamy peanut butter with no salt added. I always purchase peanut butter that has one simple ingredient: peanuts. I recommend unsalted, but salted is fine as well. Crunchy peanut butter would be so good in this recipe too! You can mix it up by switching the peanut butter with almond or cashew butter. Hazelnut butter sounds divine as well, and it would taste like a Nutella cup😍 BRB, I’m going to make that recipe! 
• 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup – Agave Nectar or honey would work as well. Honey is not vegan, but it’s a good substitute sweetener for this recipe if you’re plant-based or non-vegan. Maple syrup, aka liquid gold, is my favorite sweetener! 
• Pinch of Flaky Salt – This is optional, but I highly recommend it! You can use regular table salt if that’s what you have on hand, but this flaky sea salt is on another level. I highly recommend it because it cuts the sweetness while enhancing the chocolate and peanut butter flavors. It also brings savory recipes to the next level. I love adding salt on top of cookies, chocolate, and bread. Find it in your grocery store or on Amazon: Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.

What you’ll need:

• Paper liners or reusable silicone muffin liners

How to Make Peanut Butter Cups at Home

Line a muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners, or use reusable silicone muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Place it in the microwave, heating it at intervals of 30 seconds, and stirring each time you take it out. Microwave until all the chips have melted. (It takes no longer than 2 minutes for my microwave)

Pour 2-3 teaspoons of melted chocolate into each mold, covering the bottom of each liner. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes so the chocolate sets.

Note: Do not pour too much chocolate because it will get really hard and be impossible to bite through when it freezes. I made the layers too big one time and almost lost a tooth trying to bite into them.

While freezing, take a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir together. 

Remove the pan from the freezer and pour 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture into each mold. Using the back of your spoon, spread it around so it’s even in the mold. Place it back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the freezer and pour 2-3 teaspoons of chocolate over each mold, completely covering the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle flaked sea salt on top and place back in the freezer to set for 4 hours.

After setting in the freeze for 4 hours, they are ready to be devoured! Enjoy them with a glass of oat milk or coffee. Store them in the freezer, and let them slightly melt before eating.

Note: If you have sensitive teeth, let them thaw for a while before biting through them, and store them in the refrigerator instead of the freezer.

This no-bake vegan dessert is one of my favorite because it’s so easy and decadent. They make the perfect after-dinner dessert and midnight snack. I like them really cold, which is why I keep them in the freezer and let them thaw for a couple of minutes before biting in. Sip on a glass of almond milk between each bite to wash it down nicely.

More Healthy Vegan Desserts

• Healthy No-Bake Brownies: Raw vegan brownies that are chocolatey, gooey, and sweet! They’re decadent and delicious while still being healthy. It’s so easy to make; you just blend it in a food processor, press flat into the pan, and freeze it! This is a super simple no-bake dessert.
• Chocolate Protein Muffins: These are my favorite chocolate muffins, and they each have 8 grams of protein and are gluten-free! They make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack for before and after a workout. 
• Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts: When you’re craving a non-chocolate dessert, these baked lemon donuts will curb your sweet tooth! They are zesty, perfectly sweet, and healthier since they are baked and not fried. All you need is a mixing bowl and some donut baking sheets. 
• More vegan Halloween treats ideas: 46 Spooky Vegan Recipes.

@mariasmunchies

They’re better than Reese’s🤤 #healthydessert #peanutbutteraddict #nobakedessert #vegandessert #fyp #ChimeHasYourBack

♬ Call me – 90sFlav

If you give these Healthier Peanut Butter Cups a try, I’d love to see your recreations🥰 Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @Marias.Munchies + #MariasMunchies!

These healthier peanut butter cups satisfy your sweet tooth! It requires 5 ingredients and tastes so much better making them at home. Your kids will love them, and it’s perfect for Halloween!

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