Peanut butter cups are a sweet treat that is quick and easy to prepare. They have simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
If you enjoy dark chocolate, you will like these peanut butter cups. If you prefer a lighter, sweeter chocolate, you can use your preferred kind of chocolate or add a bit of almond milk or coconut milk and maple syrup to the dark chocolate.
The centre of each peanut butter cup is the perfect flavour – sweet, without being too sweet. You can use crunchy or smooth peanut butter, depending on which texture you prefer. Either one works equally well!
You can use plain dark chocolate for the top of the peanut butter cups, or make a ganache of melted chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond milk, and coconut oil. This ganache stays soft when cooled, whereas the dark chocolate gets harder (like a chocolate bar).
You can make small peanut butter cups using a chocolate mold, medium size using a mini-muffin silicone baking dish, or large peanut butter and chocolate pies using a pie plate or large muffin pan.
Ingredients for Easy Peanut Butter Cups
To make these peanut butter and chocolate treats, you will need the following ingredients.
- Dark chocolate (dairy-free baking chocolate or chocolate chips works well).
- Peanut butter (just peanuts without added ingredients. You can use crunchy or smooth peanut butter).
- Maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract.
Optional: to make a soft chocolate ganache top, use melted chocolate, cocoa powder, maple syrup, almond milk, and coconut oil.
Melt the chocolate by placing it in a glass baking dish and heating for 30 seconds in the microwave or for a few minutes in a double boiler or 300 degree oven.
Meanwhile, mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until the peanut butter starts to become firm (about 30 seconds). The maple syrup helps the peanut butter attain a firm texture, like cookie dough. Divide the peanut butter mixture into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a ball. Flatten each ball slightly to make a thick disk.
Pour half of the melted chocolate into a mini muffin pan to create the bottom of each peanut butter cup. Place one peanut butter disk in each space, then pour the remainder of the chocolate over top of each disk to completely cover each one. Ensure that the chocolate surrounds the sides of each peanut butter disk as well, so the finished peanut butter cups will have peanut butter in the centre, surrounded by chocolate. If using a ganache topping, pour dark chocolate around the sides of the peanut butter, and use the ganache mixture for the top layer.
Put the muffin tray of peanut butter cups in the fridge for about 15 minutes to harden. The peanut butter cups are now ready to serve!
Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dark chocolate Dairy-free baking chocolate or chocolate chips works well.
- 1/4 cup Peanut butter Crunchy or smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate by heating it in a glass heat-safe dish. The chocolate can be melted using a double boiler or by placing the dish in the oven (300 degrees for a few minutes) or microwave (for about 30 seconds).
- Mix peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and stir for about 30 seconds or until the texture becomes firm like cookie dough.
- Divide the peanut butter mixture into 6 equal parts (about 2 teaspoons each) and roll each one into a ball, then press into a disk about 2 cm thick.
- Use a silicone mini muffin tray to make 6 medium-sized peanut butter cups. Use half of the melted chocolate to form the bottom of each cup by adding about 1 tbsp of chocolate to each well in the mini muffin tray.
- Place one peanut butter disk in each well, positioning each one on top of the chocolate.
- Pour the remaining chocolate into each well to surround and cover the peanut butter.
- Place the tray in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to harden the chocolate.