bakingglutenfreememories A simple yet classic dessert is peanut butter cups. They have always been a favorite of mine as well as many others. Chocolate and peanuts just pair together too well!
However, not all peanut butter cups are very healthy and most are loaded with sugar. I have tested these with both cane sugar and unrefined sweeteners and both ways turn out great! For the naturally sweetened ones, I used date sweetened dark chocolate chips for the outer shell and powdered maple sugar for the peanut butter filling. It really makes it a less guilty snack / dessert when you get to slip a little fruit into the ingredients! Not to mention, the flavor is delicious and everything it’s expected to be! The chocolate is so rich and the peanut butter inside has just the right amount of sweetness and saltiness to make it hit the spot.
These peanut butter cups require just 5 ingredients to make and about 20 minutes to prepare before chilling them for an hour. You must try them!
Ingredients You Will Need for Peanut Butter Cups
- unsalted and unsweetened peanut butter (natural peanut butter works best!)
- maple sugar, powdered (see below instructions)
- fine sea salt
- vanilla extract
- dark chocolate chips (I used Just Date Organic Dark Chocolate Chips)
Other sweetener options: powdered cane sugar, powdered coconut sugar, and any dark chocolate chips can be substituted for the same amount. Another great brand option for date sweetened chocolate chips, is Hu No Added Sugar Chocolate Chips (Keto).
These peanut butter cups are: naturally sweetened, gluten free, creamy, lightly salted, dairy free, rich, comforting, delicious, and very gratifying!
This Peanut Butter Blossoms recipe on the blog is another good one for combining chocolate and peanut butter. Also a great nut free recipe similar to this one are these Chocolate Sunflower Butter Cups!
How to Make Powdered Maple Sugar
Making maple sugar into a powder is very simple. First, measure out 1/4 cup of maple sugar and pour it into a high speed blender or a Magic Bullet. Pulse / blend for about 40 seconds, or until it turns into a fine powder. Allow the powder to settle some before removing the lid. Otherwise, you might get sugar coated.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cups
To begin, in a bowl add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Use a spoon to stir the ingredients together until it is creamy and smooth.
Next, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. For the stove, melt the chocolate on low in a non-stick pan and constantly stir it with a spatula until it is completely melted. For the microwave, pour the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and cover it. Microwave it for 20 second intervals, stirring in between each time. Heat until the chocolate is completely melted, about 1 minute and 20 seconds. Then set it aside.
Then line a muffin tin with paper cups. One batch makes about 10. Use a measuring tablespoon and fill half of the tablespoon with chocolate and pour it into the cup, stirring it around until the bottom is fully coated with chocolate. Fill all the cups.
Next, layer the chocolate with the peanut butter filling. Measure out about 1 1/2 teaspoons of peanut butter and gently press it down with your fingers. Continue until all cups are filled.
Finally, measure 1/3 tablespoon of chocolate and completely cover over the peanut butter.
Once all cups are finished, cover the tin with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or until fully set. Allow the cups to thaw for a few minutes before eating.
Storage Notes and Tips
- Keep the peanut butter cups refrigerated for 4-5 days for best results
- Powdered cane sugar or coconut sugar are other options to replace the maple sugar. For the coconut sugar, simply follow the same blending instructions above for the maple sugar.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips can also be used in place of dark chocolate
- These can also be made in a mini muffin tin for smaller sized cups. Just adjust the amount of chocolate and filling. You can refer to my Chocolate Sunflower Butter Cups for the ratio amount.
Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted and unsweetened peanut butter (4.7 oz)
- ¼ cup maple sugar, powdered (45g) I used Coombs Family Farms Organic Maple Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (7 oz) I used Just Date Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- First, blend the maple sugar in a high speed blender until powdered, about 40 seconds.
- In a bowl, pour in the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Use a spoon to stir until it is creamy and smooth.
- Next, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. For the stove, heat a non-stick pan on low heat and pour in the chocolate chips. Stir constantly with a spatula until the chips are completely melted. For the microwave, pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl, cover, and heat for 20 second intervals, stirring in between each time. Heat until fully melted, about 1 minute and 20 seconds.
- Then line a muffin tin with paper cups. Use a measuring tablespoon and fill half of it with the melted chocolate. Pour it into the cup, stirring it around until the bottom is fully coated with chocolate. Fill all of the cups.
- Next, layer 1½ teaspoons of peanut butter on top of the melted chocolate. Use your fingers to gently press the peanut butter down. Fill all of the cups.
- Finally, top each cup with ⅓ tablespoon of melted chocolate, completely covering over the peanut butter. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until fully set. Allow the peanut butter cups to thaw a few minutes before serving.
