5 Ingredient Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups
/Let’s talk Easter candy.
I distinctly remember my childhood favorites, despite my typically terrible memory.
First. The mini malted milk chocolate eggs. That crispy shell and creamy, malty center. Mmmhm
Definitely Cadbury Crème Eggs. Oh my gosh. Those were the Easter basket jackpot.
The tiny carton of egg gum. Still to this day my mom sends me a couple of those packs around this time. I have no idea why I like them so much, seeing that their flavor disappears in about 10 seconds. I think it’s because they are tiny + adorable.
And in later years Starburst Jellybeans stole the show.
However, I was never a huge fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs or the plan PB cups. No clue why.
So what about now? I think if I had a handful of those malted milk eggs I would fall over from sugar shock. Way too sugar sensitive these days!
But I still get candy cravings that have to be filled. I typically go for either a super dark chocolate bar or homemade peanut butter or almond butter cups. Not too sweet and super satisfying.
But once in a while the peanut butter center just isn’t enough for me, so I’ll scoop a dollop of peanut butter on top of the cup.
Oy.
And that is where this recipe was born. It’s for the extreme peanut butter lover.
The flaked sea salt topping is a MUST and the chocolate-date center is fudgy and perfect. I could have used melted chocolate for the center but I wanted it to be soft like a traditional peanut butter cup. I also wanted them to be fully homemade.
These can be sweetened to any level you like and are made with just 5, whole-food ingredients. I ground raw coconut sugar until powdered and mixed that in with melted peanut butter and coconut oil.
The coconut oil is crucial so the cups actually solidify. It also adds an extra layer of coconutty flavor.
Because we’re making these so au-naturel they must be kept in the fridge or freezer to remain solid. If you happen to have cacao butter, I think using that in place of the coconut oil would make them much more stable at room temp. That is an ingredient I have yet to play with, so let me know if you give it a shot.
5 Ingredient Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups
gluten-free, vegan // yields 10-12 large cups
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
- 3-5 tablespoons powdered coconut sugar, sifted
- 10 medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- topping: large flaked sea salt
Line a standard muffin tin with 12 liners.
Melt the coconut oil over low heat and stir in the peanut butter until fully combined. Whisk in the powdered coconut sugar until smooth. Taste and whisk in more if desired.
Pour a scant 1 1/2 tablespoons into the bottom of eat liner. Place muffin tin in the freezer for about 10 minutes until almost fully hardened.
While in the freezer, place the pitted dates in a large food processor with the cocoa powder and turn on until it comes together and forms a sticky ball [refer to photo 3]. About 20 seconds.
Remove the cups from the freezer. Flatten about 2 teaspoons of the date mixture into an 1/8-inch thick disk and place on top of the cup. Leave about an 1/8-inch border around the edge.
Top with 1 tablespoon or so of the melted peanut butter mixture to cover the chocolate. Press down on the chocolate center if needed.
Place in the freezer for 8-10 minutes until nearly set. Sprinkle with sea salt and place back in the freezer until hardened. Keep stored in a sealed container in the freezer.
notes: To make coconut sugar, simply place 1/2 - 1 cup in your blender and blend until fully powdered. Store excess in a sealed jar. I used homemade peanut butter but the more stiff/stabilized peanut butter will also work [and possibly remain more stable at room temp]. If making homemade PB I highly recommend using dry roasted unsalted peanuts for the best flavor. No need to roast! If using store-bought drippy peanut butter be sure to stir it together extremely well. If you didn’t use all of the date mixture keep stored in the fridge and eat as a pre-workout snack or add to smoothies.
I love chopping them into 1/4 pieces and storing them in a glass container in the freezer. It’s the perfect little satisfying snack with no resulting sugar shock.
Aaaand another new week has begun.
Cheers!
Ashley
