5 Ingredient: Peanut Butter Cups
The easiest, and I mean easy, 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups. Homemade cups that are popping with deliciousness. Trust me on this one. You want to make this. Like right now.
Making my way towards the corner store with Lido’s leash in one hand and a few bucks in the other, I walk straight to the ‘natural’ candy section while Lido skitters past making a b-line towards the check out stand. As always, there is a Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup waiting for me, while Lido has dog treats waiting for him by the nice man behind the counter. This is our routine. Once a week we take a little stroll to satisfy both our cravings.
As I unwrap the packet and slip the cup into my mouth, I taste, neh-feel, it immediately - the all to familiar texture of chalk. Yup, another peanut butter cup veering towards the side of expiration, giving way to a bland chalky filling.
But finally having come across the elusive cacao butter a few weeks ago, I took this as a sign – this shall be the last, and I mean, LAST, chalky tasting peanut butter cup that I'll endure because from here on out, I will make my own. And I have. Four times over since my first attempt a few weeks ago. And let me tell ya, life couldn’t get much better than when you're chomping down on a few of these creamy cups.
And the recipe is a breeze. Just bring together all but 5 ingredients, put on your favorite Justin Bieber song (my instagram buddies will get that one) and there you have it - decadent, yet simple, nut butter cups. The creamiest I've ever had with not even a trace of chalk. And better yet, surprise your non-healthy eating friends with these delightful treats. I’ve done this quite often and every time the cups vanish before I can get my hands on a third. I'm quick and do have a sweet tooth that I can’t deny, but trust me, you’ll know what I mean very soon...
Serves: 10 pieces
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Freeze Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for the Peanut Butter Cups:
***TIP: If you don't have all the ingredients to make chocolate from scratch, simply use the double boiler method to melt 4 large bars of dark chocolate. Then carry on with the rest of the instructions below***
- 2/3 cup cacao butter
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup peanut butter (you can use the method in this recipe)
- 1 tablespoon maca powder (optional but helps form the peanut butter dough balls)
- sea salt
Instructions:
Fill a small saucepan with 1/3 cup of water and place a bowl on top, covering the saucepan. Turn on the heat and once the bowl is hot and the water below is boiling melt the cacao butter inside the bowl. Once it has melted stir in the maple syrup and cacao powder for a few minutes until the chocolate thickens.
Using a cupcake holder (I use a silicon one – see photo above) fill the bottom layer with a small teaspoon of the chocolate mixture. You want to make sure that it thinly coats the bottom layer – you don’t want it to be too thick either. Once you’ve filled all the cupcake holders, pop them into the freezer for 15 minutes to set. As it sets mix the maca with the peanut butter – the maca helps keep the peanut butter together so that it forms small balls.
Take the frozen chocolate out of the freezer and dollop a ½ teaspoon size of the peanut butter dough on top of the frozen chocolate layer. Press down so that the peanut butter is even. Once this is done, pour the remaining melted chocolate over each peanut butter dollop so that it covers everything. Sprinkle with sea salt and let this sit in the freezer for 35 minutes. You can store it in the freezer or refrigerator. Enjoy!
Similar Recipe!
Like this one? I have a feeling you guys will love the Dark Chocolate Raspberry too!
How Do You Like It?
What's your favorite nut butter? Hazelnut, cashew? Try filling these cups with that instead! You can make this as customizable as you'd like. When you give this recipe a go let me know how you like it!
And thank you for sharing your creations on instagram! Its been great seeing your take on a few classics from the blog :) You can find me at #8thandlake. You can also find me on Snapchat with my username: marie8thandlake
Lots of love from the West Coast,
xx Marie