These healthy peanut butter cups are a satisfying, low carb way to enjoy one of the most popular candies made!
Mmmm...peanut butter and chocolate. Is there any better combination?
These little treats are one of my favorite ways to 'indulge' without all the sugar. They're rich and satisfying, and quite filling!
I hand these out to the kids when they're mulling around, seemingly hungry, but really just bored. They curb both appetite and sweet tooth!
Ingredients needed
- Cocoa powder or carob powder
- Coconut oil
- Peanut butter
- Vanilla powder (or extract)
- Stevia
I wanted to make these simple, easy, and low carb. Something the kids would like, something I could grab out of the freezer, something without any added sugar.
I enjoy using carob or cocoa powder in the chocolate layer, depending on my mood.
Carob is naturally sweet, so there's little to no need for added stevia, but the cocoa is definitely more true to the actual Reese's cups.
Coconut oil provides the structure for both the chocolate and the peanut butter layers and will help the candy hold together when chilled.
The downside to coconut oil is that it will melt above a certain temperature, so if that's a concern, you might try using cocoa butter!
Because these treats are no-bake and no sugar, I really enjoy the addition of vanilla powder. It's a bit pricier than the liquid extract, but the flavor it adds is unbeatable!
I like to sweeten these with a few drops of stevia in each layer.
How to make healthy peanut butter cups
For the sake of ease and creating something that looks a bit different than a traditional peanut butter cup, I like to have just two layers.
First, mix the layers together, separately, in separate bowls.
Then, divide the peanut butter layer among your muffin cups. I typically get 4-5 cups. I like using these silicone muffin cups, which double as a baby toy, lol.
Freeze the peanut butter layer first, then divide the chocolate among the tops of each. Freeze again until solid.
FAQs
What kind of peanut butter works best?
Whatever brand or texture (creamy or crunchy) that you personally enjoy is what will taste best in this recipe.
Is there a substitute for coconut oil?
Yes, cocoa butter makes a great substitute, and it will help the cups hold together at room temperature.
Recipe notes
This is the stevia I like using.
I think these are pretty darn good for being sugar-free! They give me a peanut butter-y treat fix without the associated sugar!
If you're looking for a recipe without stevia, check out these Any Butter Cups!
Healthy Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
PEANUT BUTTER LAYER:
- 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 4 Tablespoons peanut butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- stevia to taste
CHOCOLATE LAYER:
- 3 Tablespoons carob or cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- stevia to taste
Instructions
- Stir peanut butter layer until smooth. I would use all room temperature ingredients to avoid any clumping of the coconut oil.
- Divide the mixture among four silicone muffin cups.
- Freeze the peanut butter layer until hard to the touch (about 15-20 minutes).
- While the peanut butter layer is solidifying, mix together the ingredients for the chocolate layer.
- Divide the chocolate mixture atop the peanut butter layer.
- Freeze until solid.
- Enjoy! Keep in the freezer for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Jody Fehrling
Is the vanilla powder vanilla protein powder? If not can I use the protein powder?
Thank you
Lauren
Hi Jody,
There's a link to the powder in the notes. No, it's not a protein powder, it's basically dried vanilla from the inside of a vanilla bean. You can use the extract as well, but the powder is great for no-bake treats.