These healthy almond butter cups are vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, and such an easy dessert to make that will leave you feeling good.
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***This recipe was updated April of 2021 with updated copy, new pictures, and a doubling of the recipe. Thanks for your support!***
I go through phases where I try to not eat any processed foods. It's not a strict rule or anything (after all, I'm the biggest fan of boxed brownie mix), but I listen to my body and sometimes it's like, "What the hell are you doing to me!?" and typically I oblige and give it some good food. When I do get desperate and grab something like a piece of candy, I'm usually disgusted at how sugary the treat is. Crazy for someone who bakes all the time, right? I did this the other day with a Reese's peanut butter cup. It was so salty and sugary, I regretted wasting my daily sugar intake on one of them. But I was at work, probably irritated...and vulnerable. Sigh.
These almond butter cups are the healthy version of your standard chocolate peanut butter cup -- a two-toned treat with almond butter as the star and good quality cocoa powder to give you a kick of chocolate.
Healthy Dessert is Not An Oxymoron
These almond peanut butter cups are so satisfying for dessert. I can't tell you how often I make these (and really should just triple the recipe to always keep these stocked in the refrigerator). Here's what I love about them:
- Refined sugar free
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Great to keep in the freezer for easy access
Here's Whatcha Need
There are only FIVE ingredients in these almond butter cups:
- almond butter - clearly the star of the show here. Because there are so few ingredients, it's important to get a good quality almond butter...or better yet -- make your own by processing roasted, salted almonds in a food processor for 8 or so minutes until creamy.
- coconut oil -- the coconut oil really helps ensure these almond butter cups don't get dry. It also makes these vegan since you're not using butter.
- pure vanilla extract
- pure maple syrup -- adds some needed sweetness to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours sans the refined sugar.
- unsweetened cocoa powder -- just like the almond butter, it's really important to get good quality cocoa. I prefer Valhrona. It gives the cups a deep, intense chocolate flavor.
How to Make Almond Butter Cups
Very simply -- you'll need two medium sized bowls. In the first bowl, combine almond butter, coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, and pure maple syrup. Stir well until fully incorporated.
In the second bowl, combine all of the ingredients you put in the first bowl and add cocoa powder. The mixture for this bowl will be slightly thicker. That's okay.
Place a heaping tablespoon of the almond butter mixture in a muffin tin lined with a cupcake liner. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chocolate mixture. Repeat until all of the 12 liners have been used. Use your fingers to smooth out the top.
Stick in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up. They're perfect to grab when you're on the go or just want something sweet without feeling yucky.
Perfectly Healthy Pairings
- Chick-Fil-A Superfood Kale Salad
- Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie
- Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges & Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette
- Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp
xox,
kathryn
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Healthy Almond Butter Cups
Ingredients
Bowl 1:
- 1 cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Bowl 2:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin liners. Set aside.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the two separate bowls. Stir until fully incorporated. (Mixture will be a bit firmer than brownie batter, but if it's too thick and clumpy, stick in the microwave for 15 seconds).
- Drop one heaping tablespoon of almond butter mixture into each muffin tin. Add one heaping tablespoon of the chocolate mixture. Use your fingers to spread out the almond butter and chocolate mixture until it spreads out in the muffin tin.
- Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until hardened.
