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February 26, 2018

Homemade Healthy Peanut Butter Cups! (low carb, vegan, gluten free)

Healthy peanut butter cups that are easy to make right at home! Low carb, low sugar, vegan and gluten free. Keep these homemade peanut butter cups in the fridge or freezer when you need a quick, delicious treat!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
0 mins
Total Time
10 mins

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Homemade healthy peanut butter cups in a stack

What if I told you that you could make HOMEMADE HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER CUPS with only 4 ingredients? 5 if you count salt.

You’d jump for joy, right?

But then, what if I told you that these healthy peanut butter cups were not only easy but also LOW CARB, LOW SUGAR, VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE.

You’d love me forever and ever, right?

Or maybe you’re like me, and the most exciting thing about these healthy peanut butter cups is the fact that you can whip them up in 15 minutes and they replace your favorite Easter or Halloween candy (Reese’s peanut butter cups).

Basically, all I’m saying is that you need to make them ASAP. They’re in our fridge or freezer constantly (just store them in ziploc bags) and they’re a much healthier alternative to regular candy bars. In fact, Tony I prefer these over Reese’s.

the top of healthy peanut butter cups

Everything you’ll need to make healthy peanut butter cups

You’ll only need four (yes, 4!) ingredients to make these easy homemade peanut butter cups. They’re naturally sweetened and seriously taste better than the store-bought version! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

  • Chocolate: I like to use an 85% dark chocolate bar for extra rich chocolate flavor. Feel free to use your favorite dairy free chocolate, too, to make dairy free and vegan peanut butter cups!
  • Peanut butter: be sure to use a natural, creamy peanut butter for the filling. Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15‘ to get 15% off of my fav nut butter brand, Wild Friends!
  • Maple syrup: these homemade peanut butter cups are naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup.
  • Coconut flour: you’ll need a tiny bit of coconut flour for the peanut butter filling so that it sets correctly.
  • Salt: if your peanut butter isn’t already salted, add a pinch! I also like to sprinkle a little fancy sea salt on top of each cup.

three healthy peanut butter cups in a stack

Can I use a different nut butter?

I highly recommend sticking with peanut butter for that true peanut butter cup flavor, but yes, you can use any other nut butter that you’d like! Be sure that it’s a natural, creamy nut butter made from just nuts and salt. Using almond butter or cashew butter will also make this a paleo-friendly dessert!

What about a different sweetener?

I think that honey, brown rice syrup and date syrup would likely work just fine, but I recommend sticking with maple syrup to get the best flavor. Honey tends to be a bit overpowering.

three homemade peanut butter cups in a stack

How to make homemade peanut butter cups

  1. Prep your pan. Line a mini muffin pan with 9 mini liners. You can also double the recipe to make 18 mini cups if you’d like!
  2. Melt the chocolate. Place half of your dark chocolate bar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. You can also melt the chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat.
  3. Prep the cups. Add a teaspoon of melted chocolate to the bottom of each cup, then use a spoon to spread the chocolate all the way up the sides of each liner. Place the pan in the freezer for a few minutes to harden the chocolate layer.
  4. Make the filling. Mix the peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut flour until smooth, then add 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture to each cup on top of the chocolate.
  5. Re-freeze the cups. Place the pan back in the freezer while you melt the rest of the chocolate.
  6. Top, freeze & enjoy! Melt the rest of your chocolate bar and spoon about 1 teaspoon on top of the peanut butter layer, covering all of the filling. Sprinkle with sea salt and freeze for 5-10 minutes until solid. Once they’ve solidified, store them in the fridge or freezer for a quick treat any time!

Make them jumbo-sized

You can make these into large cups by using a regular muffin tin and liners. I would suggest doubling the recipe if you make large cups.

a hand holding a healthy peanut butter cup

How to store homemade peanut butter cups

Be sure to store these healthy peanut butter cups in your fridge or freezer. I recommend a freezer-friendly bag or container to keep these treats frozen. These cups can stay in your freezer for up to 3 months, so go ahead and make a double batch if you’d like!

More healthy no bake treats you’ll love

Get all of our delicious no bake desserts here!

I hope you love these homemade healthy peanut butter cups! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

Homemade Healthy Peanut Butter Cups (low carb, vegan, gluten free)

5 from 18 votes
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three healthy peanut butter cups in a stack
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Serves9 mini cups
Healthy peanut butter cups that are easy to make right at home! Low carb, low sugar, vegan and gluten free. Keep these homemade peanut butter cups in the fridge or freezer when you need a quick, delicious treat!

Ingredients

  • 1 (3.5 ounce) 85% dark chocolate bar, dairy free if desired
  • ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ½ tablespoon coconut flour
  • Pinch of salt, if your peanut butter isn’t already salted
  • Fancy sea salt, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  • Line a mini muffin pan with 9 mini liners. We’re only making half, but if you want you can double the recipe to make 18 mini cups.
  • Now it’s time to melt the chocolate: Place 1.75 ounces of dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate is melted. You can also melt the chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat; stirring frequently.
  • Once chocolate is melted, add 1 teaspoon to the bottom of each cup (about 1 heaping teaspoon). Use the spoon to push/spread the chocolate all the way up sides of each liner, you should use exactly the amount of chocolate that you melted. 
  • Once you’ve filled all the cups, place the pan in freezer for just a few minutes to harden the chocolate.
  • Make the peanut butter cup filling: Add peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut flour to a medium bowl and mix until smooth, place ½ tablespoon of the mixture in each cup on top of the chocolate. It should fill pretty much to the top. 
  • Place back in the freezer while you melt the remaining chocolate bar in the microwave (or on the stovetop) as you did with the previous bar.
  • Spoon about 1 teaspoon on top of the peanut butter, making sure you cover all of the peanut butter filling. Freeze for 5-10 minutes until chocolate is solid. 
  • Once cups are firm, you can store them in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat. Makes 9 mini peanut butter cups.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to double the recipe if you want more cups.
You can make these into large cups by using a regular muffin tin and liners. I would suggest doubling the recipe if you make large cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1peanut butter cupCalories: 162kcalCarbohydrates: 7.9gProtein: 4.2gFat: 12.7gSaturated Fat: 4.6gFiber: 2.6gSugar: 2.8g
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Homemade healthy peanut butter cups in a stack

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