These chocolate peanut butter cups are so easy, and the perfect treat to share. I came up with this recipe looking for a treat that didn’t feel like I was settling and it surpassed expectations. I was told once that to offer a luxury experience an added feeling of “surprise and delight” is required. These hit that mark every time.

Adjust proportions of chocolate and peanut butter to your preference. You can’t go wrong. They are salty-sweet, indulgent, and satisfying. Some like them thin. Some like them thick. Either way, they are delicious. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Print Recipe

gluten-free, dairy-Free, naturally sweetened

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 1hr 10min
Yield: 12 Peanut Butter Cups 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1/3 cup cold pressed coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (dutch processed)
2–3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (to taste)
3/4 cup natural peanut butter (approx.)
raw unfiltered honey (to swirl on top)
kosher salt (sprinkle on top)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

MIX Combine the melted coconut oil and cocoa together with a hand mixer. Slowly drizzle in the maple syrup to taste.
POUR Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Gently pour in chocolate to just cover the bottom, evenly dividing it between all 12 cups.
FREEZE Shake the pan a bit to smooth out the chocolate then place it in the freezer. The intent is for it to set well enough to add the peanut butter layer on top. This doesn’t take more than 5 minutes.
LAYER Pull the muffin tin out of the freezer and spoon a thin layer of peanut butter on top of the chocolate. Shake again to smooth the surface. Drizzle some honey and sprinkle on a few crystals of kosher salt.
FREEZE Put the pan in the freezer again. They will hold together better the longer you freeze them. I recomend an hour minimum. I’ve done less in a pinch but, expect to serve and eat them immediately. Typically, to keep it easy, I freeze them over night. Keep frozen until ready to serve or when reaching for a treat during the week.

Notes

COCOA Dutch Processed Cocoa (cocoa powder processed with alkalai) is my personal preference, but you are more than welcome to use regular cocoa as well. It will have more of an acidic chocolate taste. Not bad, just a preference. Be sure to check for a gluten-free or dairy-free product.

PEANUT BUTTER I use Adams 100% Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter, but I have tried it with smooth as well. My husband loves the extra crunch, and I can’t disagree. That said try it out and see what you like.

MAPLE SYRUP I keep 100% Pure Grade A maple Syrup in the fridge. It helps cool down the coconut oil as you slowly add it to the chocolate helping to thicken it just so slightly, making it easier to pour. Use a hand mixer to make sure it doesn’t separate later on.