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Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

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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

Front view of three Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups stacked on top of each other

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.

Overhead view of four Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, one cut in half with the inside showing

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:

  1. Melted chocolate chips {choose a variety that matches your tastes (milk or dark chocolate) and dietary needs (dairy free etc.)
  2. 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.

Front view of three Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups stacked on each other, the top one is cut in half with the inside showing!

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!

Overhead view of four Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

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Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Vanilla Bean

Laura
Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups! An easy, two ingredient recipe for chocolate & peanut butter lovers everywhere. Gluten-free & dairy-free!
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Freezing time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 mini peanut butter cups
Calories 81 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

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

You can use any varities of nut butter and chocolate chips that you would like!

Nutrition

Serving: 1peanut butter cupCalories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 6.2gProtein: 2.5gFat: 6.1gSaturated Fat: 1.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.7gSodium: 0.8mgPotassium: 25.6mgFiber: 1.2gSugar: 4.3gCalcium: 7mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, healthy peanut butter cups recipe, homemade peanut butter cups, homemade reeses, peanut butter cups recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Some more of our favorite candy recipes: 

Front view of two Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups stacked on each other. The top is cut in half with the inside showing

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rony Jahid

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

  5. 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 😉

    Reply

  6. 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!

    Reply

  12. 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 🙂

    Reply

    • 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!)

      Reply

  14. Lauren

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  17. 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!!)

    Reply

    • 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! 😉

      Reply

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