Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Vanilla Bean! An easy, two ingredient recipe for chocolate & peanut butter lovers everywhere. Gluten-free & dairy-free! #peanutbuttercups #homemade #recipe #glutenfree #dairyfree
This is not a copycat recipe. I repeat, these Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Vanilla Bean are not trying to imitate another well-known chocolate peanut buttery candy. These babies are originals. They are high-class with no need to imitate, because they’re that good.
Yes, they look a little…let’s say…rustic. That’s because I am candy-making challenged. However, I must keep on keeping on because practice makes perfect, etc. etc. {insert as many encouraging pithy statements as you’d like here}. Plus, taste is always more important than looks. {Can I get an amen?!} And these Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups definitely reign supreme in the taste department.
Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups: Ingredients
These Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are oh-so-simple to make, but so delicious I can’t even stand it. They contain only 2 ingredients:
- Melted chocolate chips {choose a variety that matches your tastes (milk or dark chocolate) and dietary needs (dairy free etc.)
- This Honey Roasted Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter
Yes, of course you can substitute your favorite peanut – or any other nut or seed- butter. However making your own creamy dreamy filling loaded with vanilla beans and cocoa butter really takes these little treats to a whole new level.
How to make Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
1. Use a mold!
I obviously did not do that here (I used a mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners). But in this recipe I used these silicone molds and it made all the difference!
2. Also, use a paintbrush!
Use a small, unused paintbrush to literally paint the chocolate around the sides and bottom of each mold. Once all 12 are painted, go back with the brush one more time and swirl the chocolate from the bottom up around the sides. This will ensure an even, and sufficiently thick coating to hold the peanut butter!
3. Freeze!
As soon as the cups are lined with chocolate, toss them in the freezer to harden. While they’re hardening make the cookie dough!
4. Add Peanut butter & Freeze Again
Add about 1/2 TBS of peanut butter to each of the frozen cups. Once all the cups are filled with peanut butter, put them in the freezer again.
5. Finishing touches
Once the peanut butter filling has hardened, put the melted chocolate on the top and swirl it around with the paintbrush, making sure it touches the sides of the cup and seals the peanut butter in! If you’d like to sprinkle them with sea salt, sprinkles, etc. be sure to do so before they start becoming firm! Let these Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups harden at room temperature or in the refrigerator!
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Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Vanilla Bean
Ingredients
- ½ cup chocolate chips melted
- ¼ cup + 2 TBS Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter
Instructions
- Make peanut butter by following this recipe, set aside.
- Line a mini muffin tin with 12 liners. Set aside.
- Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat for 60 seconds, stir and warm for additional 30 second increments followed by stirring until the chocolate chips are completely melted and smooth. (You can also melt them on the stove using a double boiler).
- Add 1 tsp melted chocolate to the bottom of each muffin tin liner. Be sure to spread the melted chocolate around so that it covers the bottom and sides of the liner.
- Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.
- Once hardened, remove from freezer and scoop ½ TBS of peanut butter into all 12 liners, making sure to smooth out the tops.
- Return to the freezer for 10 minutes to harden.
- Remove from the freezer and top each cup with an additional 1 tsp of melted chocolate, making sure that the chocolate on top touches the chocolate on the sides (to avoid holes in your cups).
- Smooth out the tops. Let them sit at room temperature until they are hardened or return to the freezer to set them.
- Serve at room temperature!
Notes
Nutrition
Some more of our favorite candy recipes:
- These Chocolate Peanut Clusters are SO good!
- And these sea salt chocolate cashew clusters!
- Matcha truffles are a fun festive candy too!
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Rony Jahid
This peanut butter cups so simple recipe but stunning look. This cake really delicious using very less ingredients. Cakes are always favorite item in my family that`s why I want to make it. Thanks for lovely sharing.
Laura
Thank you so much! 🙂
Rony Jahid
Don`t mention it. Really good recipe, keep it up.
Ilka
I have made PB Cups like this before and yes, they are outrageously delicious!
Laura
Homemade is always the best!
Alisa Fleming
I don’t know why I’ve never thought to combine vanilla bean and peanut butter – two of my favorite foods for dessert! I see these in my future.
Laura
Vanilla Bean and PB is a match made in heaven!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Love that vanilla! Lovely touch!
Emily Weir
Yummmmm. I’m not sure I could make these. If I didn’t eat them all myself while pulling them out of the freezer, my husband would definitely over-indulge. And I think their rustic look is perfect, just shows they’re authentic 😉
Laura
Thank you Emily! There’s no harm in indulging every now and then right? Especially when chocolate and peanut butter are involved! 😉
Emily
2 INGREDIENTS? And that peanut butter sounds really really good; I don’t think it could quite be compared to regular peanut butter. 🙂 YES Ma’am!
Laura
It definitely is a step above regular PB! 🙂
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
What a great sweet to have! I love how you use the vanilla bean in these recipes. Looks amazing.
Maya | Spice + Sprout
Ohmygoshhhh these look insane! I want one riiiight now! 😀
Laura
Thank you Maya! Seriously can’t go wrong with Chocolate and peanut butter!
Megan @ With Salt and Wit
Why would anyone go buy candy! I love this so much! Homemade is so much better than store bought!
Laura
LOL Megan I have no idea?! Homemade is SO so good!
Lindsay Cotter
Oh, I could get into serious trouble with these! LOL They look so so good!
Laura
LOL Lindsay…trouble of the chocolate peanut butter kind is my favorite trouble to get in…. 😉
rachel @ athletic avocado
These sound 100000x better than regular pb cups! Great use for that vanilla bean pb! The saying “betcha can’t eat just one” is so real here!
Laura
Thank you Rachel! Even my little ones choose these over the other treats we have in the house right now (e.g. candy corn LOL)!
amanda -r
Ahh if yours look rustic mine would basically look like a blob! I never understand how you all have the patience for these amazing treats…which is why I befriend you and beg for some 🙂
Laura
LOL Amanda!!! No need to beg! I’m always happy to share! 🙂 <3
Sarah Grace Spann
Homemade PB cups are SO much better than store bought! This one with the vanilla PB sounds delicious!
xo,
Sarah Grace
Laura
I totally agree Sarah! I took a bite of a Reese’s a while back and was totally underwhelmed! Homemade is always so much better (except with Oreos…I just love Oreos! LOL!)
Lauren
I just checked out your recipe for Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter and oh my! I want that right now. These peanut butter cups look incredible too, a perfect, simple dessert!
Laura
I have a little bit left in the jar…and a few PB cups too…come on over! 😉
Lauren O'Connor
Love PB cups! These look so tempting. Checking out that Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter now. 🙂
Laura
Seriously I can’t resist peanut butter cups either! 🙂
Mary
Vanilla Bean Peanut butter where have you been all my life. Great recipe Laura!
Laura
LOL Mary!!! It’s my new favorite thing to eat with a spoon…. 😉
Rebecca | NOURISHED. the blog
These look so good, Laura! I love how rustic they look. I’ve never tried to make peanut butter cups before – I didn’t realize it was so easy! Will be trying these soon! (PS – Sounds like you had a fantastic birthday!!)
Laura
Thank you Rebecca! It really was an amazing day! And trust me…I’d love them to not look so rustic…however I am seriously challenged! LOL! 😉