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    Home » Desserts

    Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

    Updated: Jan 20, 2023 by Vera Morgan · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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    peanut butter cup sliced in half on a tray

    Melt in your mouth vegan peanut butter cups! Super easy to make from scratch with good quality cocoa (not chocolate chips) 6 natural healthy ingredients! -better than Reese’s! Refined sugar free, nut free option!

    vegan peanut butter cups stacked on plate one cut in half

    Yes! chocolate peanut butter cups with no dairy yahoo!! And they taste amazing. No one in a million years would guess this chocolate peanut butter candy recipe is vegan let alone homemade and healthy! -and I do not use graham wafer crackers so they are gluten free also! Yay!

    Fun treats to make any time and awesome for easter, valentine’s day and Christmas! says me😊

    Chocolate + peanut butter is a match made in heaven!!My recipe tastes just like store bought - better even!

    Rich, dark chocolate with a slightly sweet peanut butter filing and a hint of salt -oh yah they’re good…really GOOD… And there’s no powdered sugar needed!

    I seriously love no bake recipes!

    And the best thing! It takes 6 ingredients and a few minutes to whip up these delicious chocolate morsels. 

    For the peanut butter cups I used coconut oil and Hershey’s cocoa powder in place of chocolate chips and maple syrup for the sweetener. The combination just melts in your mouth. I adapted this method from my dairy free chocolates recipe because I loved the flavour and texture so much!

    peanut butter cups on a serving plate

    Read on for full ingredient list and how to make them!

    Ingredients needed and nut free substitutions:

    • Coconut oil: I use virgin but can use refined for zero coconut flavour
    • Cocoa Powder: I use Hershey's 100 % natural cacao
    • Peanut butter: I use natural peanut butter that has salt. For nut allergies use sunflower seed butter or wow butter made with soy
    • Maple syrup: adds perfect sweetness to both chocolate coating and peanut butter filling
    • Vanilla: lovely flavour addition
    • Instant coffee and salt: adds a richness to chocolate but doesn’t taste like coffee and chocolate and salt are a great combo- salty & sweet vibe!

    peanut butter cup sliced in half and stacked on a plate

    How to make healthy vegan peanut butter cups:

    Such an easy recipe to make!

    1. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and set aside
    2. Using a microwave safe bowl melt coconut oil in microwave (can also melt in pot on stove). Whisk in rest of ingredients until smooth: cocoa, instant coffee, salt, vanilla, maple syrup,
    3. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each cup. Set in the freezer to harden.
    4. Mix together peanut butter and maple syrup in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of filling to each cup on top of hardened chocolate. Then evenly distribute rest of mixture among cups. Pat down slightly to form a kind of disk shape.
    5. Top each cup with  2 tablespoons of melted chocolate. Evenly divide the rest.
    6. Set uncovered in fridge to harden, for about an hour or set in freezer until firm. That’s it- Enjoy! Store leftover chocolates in sealed container in fridge

    step by step photos how to make vegan peanut butter cups

    peanut butter cup being taken out of wrapper

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    Are Trader Joe’s or Reese’s peanut butter cups vegan?

    • No, they are not dairy free both contain milk products.

    Are there store bought vegan peanut butter cups available?

    • There are dairy free peanut butter cups you can buy like ‘Unreal’, Justin’s or Lily’s brand but they are pricy. They can be found on amazon and possibly in your local health food or grocery stores like Whole Foods. I find it much more affordable (and just as tasty) to make your own!

    You'll love this chocolate peanut butter cup recipe, it's:

    • healthy
    • nut free if needed
    • dairy free
    • vegan
    • gluten free
    • rich and creamy 
    • super kid friendly👍
    • easy and fun to make
    • great treat for special occasions and holidays

    Enjoy you guys! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

    Follow me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM for more tasty Plant Based  & Vegan Recipes❤️

    Want more easy vegan chocolate recipes? Check these out!

    • The Best Vegan Chocolate Bars Recipe!
    • Chocolate Coconut Date Balls (No Bake)
    • Homemade Dairy Free Chocolates (In Molds)
    • Raw Vegan Brownies (Healthy No Bake Recipe, GF)
    • Chocolate Vegan Mug Cake
    • Vegan Chocolate Pie with Salted Caramel (No Bake)
    • Best & Easiest Vegan Chocolate Truffles
    Print
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    vegan peanut butter cups stacked on plate one cut in half

    Healthy Vegan Peanut Butter Cups


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Verna
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 12 Servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Melt in your mouth vegan peanut butter cups! Super easy to make from scratch with good quality cocoa (not chocolate chips) 6 healthy ingredients! -better than Reese’s! Refined sugar free, nut free option!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, I use virgin (I measure then melt)
    • 3/4 cup cocoa powder, I use Hershey's 100% natural unsweetened cacao
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder, regular or decaffeinated
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt (regular table salt)

    For filling:

    • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter (mine contains salt)
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

    Instructions

    1. Line a 12 cup regular size muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and set aside
    2. Using a microwave safe bowl melt coconut oil in microwave (can also melt in pot on stove). Whisk in rest of ingredients until smooth: cocoa, instant coffee, salt, vanilla, maple syrup,
    3. Pour 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate into each cup. Set muffin pan in the freezer to harden (this takes minutes)
    4. Mix together peanut butter and maple syrup in a bowl. Add a tablespoon of filling to each cup on top of hardened chocolate. Then evenly distribute rest of mixture among cups. Pat down slightly to form a kind of disk shape.
    5. Top each cup with 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate. Evenly divide the rest.
    6. Set uncovered in fridge to harden, for about an hour or set in freezer until firm. That's it- Enjoy! Store leftover chocolates in sealed container in fridge

    Notes

    • To store and freeze: will keep covered in fridge up to 3 weeks and stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. Cannot keep on counter as coconut oil will melt
    • For nut free: if allergic to nuts use sunflower seed butter (sunbutter) or wow butter made with soy
    • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
    • Category: Sweets, Gluten free
    • Method: Microwave mixing bowl
    • Cuisine: American, Canadian

    Keywords: vegan peanut butter cups

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @cheeky_chickpea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #cheeky_chickpea_

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rita

      February 28, 2021 at 10:20 am

      Wow ! So good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Verna

        February 28, 2021 at 10:53 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Vera! Major foodie of all things vegan! Welcome to The Cheeky Chickpea; here, you’ll find hundreds of restaurant-worthy easy vegan recipes. Some oil-free and gluten-free, from veggie-powered plant-based comfort foods to decadent desserts. Lots of tricks and tips up my chef sleeve…Grab your apron let’s get cooking!

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