Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (mini)

Are you a fan of peanut butter and chocolate? Are you looking for a delicious, easy-to-make vegan treat everyone will love? These Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups are just the thing!

These bite-sized morsels combine rich, creamy peanut butter with luscious dark chocolate for the perfect combination of flavors. Whether you love making sweets or trying new recipes, this simple recipe will surely delight you.

Let me tell you about these fantastic vegan mini chocolate peanut butter cups! Not only are they the perfect combination of sweet chocolate and creamy peanut butter, but they are also totally vegan-friendly!

These delicious mini Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups satisfy any chocolate craving. They're easy to make, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and can be made in less than 30 minutes.

I leveled up these mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups by topping them with sea salt and pink pitaya powder. These sweet and salty little bites are perfect for Valentine's Day, any sweet celebration, or just because!

Since childhood, I've loved peanut butter cups; they were my favorite candies and Halloween candy. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love these!

This recipe will become an indulgent favorite for anyone who loves chocolate (or peanut butter!).

Try the following recipes for the chocolate lovers in your life: Vegan Chocolate Fig Cupcakes, Vegan Chocolate Blood Orange Cake, Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread, and Vegan PB Chocolate Skillet Cookie.

Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make these vegan chocolate peanut butter cups:

• Vegan semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (dairy-free) - to ensure it's vegan, check the ingredients list for milk fat, milk solids, or dairy butter (cocoa butter is okay and is vegan). I used the Enjoy Life brand. If you don't have the minis, you can use regular vegan chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or a chopped-up vegan chocolate bar. Cocoa butter is fine; it is not dairy.
• Virgin coconut oil - to mix with the chocolate chips for smoothness and ease of spreading.
• Natural peanut butter - preferably unsalted. If using salted peanut butter, don't add salt to the filling. The brand I use is a nice consistency, not runny or thick. If your natural peanut butter is runny, place it in the fridge to thicken it. You can put a brand new jar of peanut butter on the counter, upside down, to get it to mix.
• Maple syrup - a natural sweetener for the filling; make sure it's pure and not a blended syrup.
• Nutritional yeast (optional) - adds a savory and umami flavor, plus it adds texture.
• Vanilla extract - vanilla and chocolate go so well together!
• Fine sea salt - add if your peanut butter is not salted or add to taste.
• Coarse sea salt - to combine with pink pitaya powder to sprinkle on top of the cups. Fine sea salt also works, which is what I have pictured.
• Pink pitaya powder - 100% pure red dragon fruit powder, optional. It's non-GMO, gluten-free, and has no added sugar, additives, or preservatives. It's completely natural, fun to add, and is a vibrant shade of pink!

How to melt the chocolate

You can melt the chocolate in a double boiler if you have one. If you don't have one (I don't), here's what to do.

Make a double boiler: Place a heat-safe bowl such as stainless steel over a small saucepan with high sides filled with about an inch of water, then bring that to a low boil. 

Choose a bowl that will sit nicely on top of the saucepan. You don't want the base of the bowl to be touching the boiling water; you want to melt the chocolate, not cook it or burn it. Make sure the bowl isn't in contact with the boiling water.

Note: Stir the chocolate frequently. Take it off the heat when it's nearly melted, and stir until the chocolate melts completely.

Alternative: If you don't want to make a double boiler, melt the chocolate on low heat in a small enameled cast-iron saucepan like this one. It's important to use the lowest heat setting and to stir occasionally. Take it off the heat when almost all of the chocolate has melted. 

Or, you can use the microwave to melt your chocolate chips. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl (glass) and microwave them in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted.

I take out the chocolate when it is nearly melted and stir until it melts.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Recipe (Mini)

It's easy to make these homemade vegan peanut butter cups with the perfect balance of chocolate and creamy peanut butter centers. Here's how to do it, even if it is your first time!

• Line your mini muffin tins with mini muffin liners or cupcake liners and set them aside.
• Make the peanut butter filling. Mix the natural peanut butter, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, vanilla extract, and fine sea salt in a small bowl.
• Melt the chocolate.
• Assemble the dairy-free peanut butter cups as shown below.

Hint: Roll the peanut butter balls and line them up before you start assembling your peanut butter cups.

Substitutions

Here are some substitutions you can try:

• Peanut butter - almond butter or cashew butter
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips - dark chocolate chips
• Maple syrup - you can use icing (confectioner's) sugar instead, but then they won't be refined sugar-free.

Variations

• Nut-free - sunflower seed butter.
• Add cocoa nibs for variety in texture.
• Stir chopped mini vegan peanut butter chocolate cups into vegan ice cream with some melted chocolate for a decadent treat!

Equipment

• Mini muffin pan - 24 well. If you don't have mini muffin tins, you can use a regular muffin tin with regular-size paper liners.
• 16 mini cups - you can get them in bright foil colors
• Spatula
• Teaspoon - any small spoon is helpful
• Small saucepan to make a double boiler
• Heat-proof bowl (stainless steel works well) for the double boiler
• Small mixing bowl

Expert Tips

Be sure to use enough chocolate on top to cover the peanut butter filling properly and seal off the sides. Use a scant teaspoon for the base layer and a slightly more generous teaspoon for the top layer.

If the chocolate starts getting stiff while it's cooling off and hard to spread, heat it again over the double boiler or melt it in the microwave.

Storage

These peanut butter cups can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.

Store for up to 6 months in the freezer in a sealed container. I don't recommend storing them at room temperature because they melt easily.

Related recipes

Looking for more chocolate recipes? Try these:

Pairing

Looking for a beverage to pair with these treats? Try these:

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! If you make this recipe, please take a moment to ★★★★★ star-rate it and leave a comment below. Also, follow me on Instagram and Facebook, and share your creation with me! Tag me @resplendentkitchen and hashtag #resplendentkitchenrecipes.

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