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4 Minute, 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups

I really need to apologize for not sharing this peanut butter cup recipe until now. These have long been one of my go-to snacks when I’m craving chocolate & peanut butter (which is, like, every day). With only four all-natural ingredients – cocoa powder, coconut butter, peanut butter and maple syrup – they’re a snap to make in just a few minutes.

So, I’m sorry for keeping this one a secret up to this point, but I do have a good excuse. You see, after that chocolate peanut butter cake, and the chocolate peanut butter cup oatmeal, and the chocolate peanut butter cup pancakes, I *did* ask you all to stage an intervention if I ever made another chocolate peanut butter recipe again. You may or may not want to start planning that intervention now…

Peanut_Butter_Cup

Makes about 6 peanut butter cups

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup coconut butter
  • 1/4 cup +2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup

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Step One

Measure out all ingredients (reserving those extra two tablespoons of peanut butter as filling) and combine them in a small saucepan. Turn on low heat and use a fork to stir regularly until all ingredients are melted and incorporated.

Note: coconut butter is simply the pureed flesh of a coconut. It’s solid at room temperature (like coconut oil), but melts down nicely when heated. The Artisana brand is fairly easy to find near the nut butters in a healthier grocery store.

Step Two

You can use disposable cupcake wrappers (the foil ones would work best here), but I much prefer these super-cool reusable silicone ones (Amazon link). To assemble the peanut butter cups, spoon a thin layer of the mixture into the bottom of the cup and flatten. Then, add about a teaspoon of that reserved peanut butter to the center, and top with another layer of the chocolate mixture. Press down until smooth.

Step Three

Pop these the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up, then serve immediately or store in the refrigerator (in a sealed container) for several days.

Peanut_Butter_Cup_Half

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21 Comments

Leave a Reply
    • Aw, you’re too nice, Erin! Coconut butter is incredible. It’s the perfect way to add body and creaminess to dishes without being over the top with fat like pure coconut oil.

  1. I have been wishing for a recipe like this… I have had such a PB and chocolate craving lately! 🙂 THANK you, Andrew!

    • You must have sent your wishes to me telepathically or something. 😀 This should definitely solve your PB and chocolate cravings!!

  2. I really do like these recipes, it’s along the idea of what i am trying to achieve with my every day diet. But in the Caribbean where i live, we don’t always have access to all the same ingredients. i think i’ll definitely try this one! only problem may be in getting coconut butter.

    • Hey Ann, for some non-perishable items (like coconut butter), it may make sense to buy them online. You can often find them cheaper online anyways at sites like Vitacost or Amazon.

  3. 4 minute + 4 ingredient + peanut butter?? I’m totally sold!! I’ve not tried coconut butter, but I’ve been reading so many recipies the last few days with it in them I really need to explore. These look fabulous!!

  4. Andrew the peanut butter cups sound so good… Want yo have them NOW! Can I make my own coconut butter? From fresh coconut? Is coconut butter
    made from fresh coconut or dry?
    Also i dont use maple syrup….can i use dates instead?

    • Haha, I’m glad they look good! 🙂 hmm, right now I don’t really know enough about coconut butter production to say for sure… I’d love to experiment with it though and share a homemade version on the website at some point! In terms of the dates vs. maple syrup, I’m not sure how that would work considering that one is a solid fruit and the other is a syrup.

  5. Been into Vegan cooking for about three months now. I’m 90% vegan and still eat meat 10% of the time, which I’m working on.

    Anyway, I stumbled across your site and LOVE IT. Everything you make looks so fresh and delicious. The first thing I tried were these peanut butter cups. YUM. So simple. So good.

    Wondering if my Reese’s loving boyfriend will switch to these, we’ll see.

  6. These are genius! Much better than Reese’s peanut butter cups. I ended up using a microwave as I was in a rush, but they still turned out beautifully. Thank you for the terrific recipe! I have definitely become a big fan of yours 🙂

    • I’m glad you liked them, Eleni!! I may or may not have used a microwave a few times for this recipe as well 🙂

  7. Hi Andrew,

    I like to try out this Peanut Butter Cups recipe. I am just wondering if there is a one to cut down coconut butter and replace portion of it with something else. I am just worry that would taste a but too greasy.

    Thanks!

    Liwen

    • Hi Liwen! Well, I’ve never found coconut *butter* to be very oily (unlike pure coconut oil, on the other hand). Unfortunately, I really can’t think of a good substitute, other than adjusting the proportions slightly to use a bit more of the other ingredients.

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