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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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5 from 1 vote

Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Vanilla Bean

Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups! An easy, two ingredient recipe for chocolate & peanut butter lovers everywhere. Gluten-free & dairy-free!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, healthy peanut butter cups recipe, homemade peanut butter cups, homemade reeses, peanut butter cups recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Freezing time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 mini peanut butter cups
Calories 81kcal

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 cup | Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.2g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 6.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.7g | Sodium: 0.8mg | Potassium: 25.6mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 4.3g | Calcium: 0.7% | Iron: 2.2%

Front view of two Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups stacked on each other. The top is cut in half with the inside showingI had an absolutely wonderful birthday on Monday {thanks for all the sweet happy birthday wishes}! My hubby took the day off of work {surprise} and, after spoiling me with a bunch of wonderful gifts and cards from my kids, we all went hiking! The mountains were gorgeous and the fall colors were breathtaking! We soaked in so much family time my heart was overflowing!

After naps we went out to dinner. Ritch even took me to get sweet potato fries at one restaurant, then my favorite salad at another…because I’m pregnant…and it was my birthday! LOL! The funniest part was that I tried to hide the fries in my diaper bag. Well…when we walked up to order our salads the young girl behind the counter turned to another worker and said, “Am I crazy or do I smell french fries?” LoL LoL busted.  I fessed up and they let it go…again, it was my birthday and I am pregnant! {moooo…milking it for all it’s worth}.  We ended the night eating ice cream and watching Disney’s Inside Out! It was a truly wonderful day!

And what could make a great birthday even better? Yep…Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter Cups! Life is sweet!

What is your favorite nut or seed butter? Do you love peanut butter cups?! 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 6.2

You might also like:

Homemade Potato Gnocchi
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting
Homemade Resurrection Rolls (Empty Tomb Rolls)

Did you make this recipe?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 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.

    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


    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

    • 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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