Hey guys! It’s almost New Year’s Eve and so I really wanted to share this recipe. I love, love, love peanut butter cups (who doesn’t?), but they are so NOT healthy. So today I give you a recipe for healthy peanut butter cups!
These are a great option for sharing at get-togethers because even people on a Standard American Diet love them. Usually, I announce really loudly that they’re vegan and super-healthy. That way, most people avoid them and there are more for me. Ha ha ha. So tricky.
My grandmother used to make some amazing peanut butter chocolate bars when she visited. I remember them in a tin that was always tied closed with red yarn. I don’t understand why she used the red yarn – the tin would have stayed closed anyway. But that was her thing, and we just accepted it.
When I was in college, I wrote and asked her for the recipe. She kindly sent me the recipe WITH a complete batch of bars (in a box tied closed with red yarn). Grandmas can be pretty cool.
I kept the recipe, but as I grew older and wiser, and had children with food allergies, I couldn’t use it anymore. Why? Because the recipe went something like: 2lbs of butter, a bag of powdered sugar, a cup of peanut butter, and a box of graham crackers crumbs combined and topped with melted chocolate chips. I’m exaggerating a little… but only a little.
Needless to say that Grandma and Reeses both have recipes equally devoid of nutrition.
So, I made my own recipe that I don’t fee l guilty shoving in my face. And more importantly, I don’t cringe watching my children shove these into their sweet little faces.
You can shape these into bars, chocolate covered balls, chocolate covered eggs, or peanut butter cups – your choice. I give you instructions for each options below.
So, without further ado…
This recipe is
VEGAN (use agave or maple syrup instead of honey)
VEGETARIAN
It is also
- gluten-free
- dairy-free
- egg-free
- soy-free
- corn-free
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (choose certified gluten-free if you are sensitive to gluten)
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp Non-GMO Peanut Butter
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup Organic Raw Honey
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Directions
For the Peanut Butter Filling:
In a food processor, mix oatmeal, coconut flakes, flax meal and salt with the large blade until all the ingredients are a fine powder and well blended. Then, add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup honey to the bowl (you’re saving some peanut butter and honey for later), and process again until the ingredients are combined and have formed a sticky ball.
If you are making balls or eggs, roll the dough into the desired shape and size and lay on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze while you make the chocolate coating.
If you are making bars, place the peanut butter mixture evenly in the bottom of a parchment-lined 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. I only had cling-wrap when I made this batch, which works, also (but is not my favorite).
These are pretty easy. When I first wrote this post, I had a helper who was hanging out on my hip up until this point. I’m a lucky mommy, right?
If you are making peanut butter cups, form the dough into patties that are slightly smaller around than your muffin tin, and about 1/4″ thick.
For the Chocolate:
To make the chocolate, melt coconut oil and mix with 1/4 cup honey. Add cocoa powder and stir well. Then stir in 3 Tbsp peanut butter. While the chocolate is soft, apply to your peanut butter goodies:
- If you made eggs or balls, roll each cold egg or ball in the chocolate, return to the cookie sheet, and chill until chocolate has hardened. Then package however you’d like and keep them cool until serving.
- If you are making bars, spread the chocolate evenly across the top. You may not need all of it. Chill the dish until the chocolate is firm. Cut bars and serve.
- If you are making healthy peanut butter cups, line a muffin tin with cupcake liners – use as many liners as you have peanut butter patties from the first step. For a regular sized muffin tin, put 1/2-1 Tbsp of chocolate into the bottom of each cup. Smoosh a patty into the chocolate in each muffin tin. Then top each peanut butter patty with another 1/2-1Tbsp of chocolate, being sure to spread the chocolate over to all of the edges.
Chill until firm. Keep cool until ready to serve.
Try not to eat them all at once!
Note: the chocolate eggs and peanut butter cups tend to use more chocolate, so you may have to make some extra chocolate depending on the size of your eggs or cups.
So there you have it: healthy peanut butter cups. I hope you have a new way to satisfy your craving for those unhealthy ones!
Are you going to try this recipe for healthy peanut butter cups? What is your favorite dessert to bring to get-togethers? Let me know in the comments below…
This recipe was originally published at The Science of Natural Health and has been shared here with the author’s permission (mine).
Wishing you all the simple things,
Zara
