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Home » Recipes » Dessert

Vegan Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

Published: Jun 20, 2018 · Modified: Dec 15, 2019 by Marisa Moore·

826 shares
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Salted Almond Butter Cups

These healthy chocolate almond butter cups are quick and easy to make with no need to heat up the kitchen. Packed with all-natural almond butter, cocoa, and topped with a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt these will be your new favorite sweet treat!

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Almond Butter cup with muffin liner opened

Make these easy chocolate and nut butter cups for homemade candy, a food gift, or to stash in the freezer for a sweet treat any night of the week.

All about chocolate

For a person who says she doesn’t like chocolate or sweets for that matter, I’m starting to take a turn. And I’m discovering that I don’t mind certain chocolates. The ones that are not overly sweet and instead delight with the deep, complex flavor of real cocoa.

And while I’m telling secrets, here’s another. As a kid I kinda liked candy. I guess I got my fill (and the fillings to match). One of my favorite sweet combinations is chocolate and nuts or chocolate and peanut butter. Yet, today I cannot eat the peanut butter cups from one popular candy maker. They are cloyingly sweet and I can’t get through a pack – though back in my high school years I could finish off a couple at once. True story.

Chocolate filling ingredients in bowl with a spoon

Chocolate filling mixed in bowl with spoon Anyway… one of my favorite things to do in life is to makeover a recipe.

These vegan chocolate almond butter cups are healthier than anything you’ll find in the check out aisle. They are just sweet enough to satisfy a begging sweet tooth and because I used high-quality cocoa I’ll go out in a limb and say they even give you a little health boost.

Is this a healthy snack?

The nut butter is packed with heart-healthy fats and protein for a satisfying mini dessert. The flavanols found in cocoa powder might help keep the blood vessels in good shape and help lower blood pressure for some people. This doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to go all the way in on these. These nut butter cups are better for you but still a treat!

Make these easy vegan Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Cups without heating up the kitchen! Click to Tweet

This recipe took a few tries. I tried both peanut butter and almond butter with equal success. But I was making these to take with me for a food demo almost an hour away. So, I tried coconut butter thinking that it would harden enough to keep the cups from melting.

Well. It did. But the coconut butter also made for a less pleasant experience. I prefer the version I’m sharing below using coconut oil for a little more melt in your mouth-abilty.

Adding peanut butter layer

Best almond butter to use?

Get natural unsalted and unsweetened almond butter. No Skippy allowed. Your almond butter should require a strenuous stir  – because separation is natural. If it’s instead sitting up on a spoon, it’s not going to work for this recipe.

All-natural nut butter should move, flow a little faster than honey. If it sticks to an upside-down spoon with no signs of hitting the floor, it’s the wrong one for this recipe and likely contains hydrogenated oils or palm oil.

And yes. Peanut butter would be great in this recipe. The same suggestions apply though. Go with an unsweetened, natural one.

Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Cups Stacked

Do you have to add the salt?

The pink Himalayan salt on top? Yeah. It’s optional but it’s just a sprinkle and I truly believe it makes takes these peanut butter cups over the top. Leave it off if you dare but I used unsweetened and unsalted peanut butter, so you might want to add a pinch somewhere along the way.

Stash a batch in the freezer to crush that chocolate craving when it hits.

Here’s the easy recipe! Be sure to pin it for later and tag me on Instagram when you make it!

Almond Butter cup with muffin liner opened

Vegan Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

Marisa Moore, RDN
These healthy chocolate almond butter cups are quick and easy to make with no need to heat up the kitchen. These vegan nut butter cups are packed with all-natural almond butter, cocoa, and topped with a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt! 
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Freezer Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Filling

  • ½ cup creamy all natural almond or peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup

Almond Butter Filling

  • ½ cup creamy all natural almond or peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
  • 12 muffin liners or a silicone muffin pan

Instructions
 

  • Stir the chocolate filling ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. In a second bowl, stir the almond butter filling ingredients until smooth.
  • Place the muffin liners into a mini muffin tin. Fill each with about ½ tbsp. chocolate filling, then 1 tbsp. almond butter filling, and finish with ½ tbsp. chocolate.
  • Freeze at least 30 minutes. Top with a sprinkle of salt. Serve and store the leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container to enjoy for weeks to come!

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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826 shares

Filed Under: Blog, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

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Comments

    5 from 5 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jennifer

    February 20, 2020 at 11:38 am

    Hello, what brand of almond butter would you suggest I use Justin’s but I don’ think that is creamy enough base on what you sated above. Thanks

    Reply
    • Marisa

      February 20, 2020 at 3:25 pm

      Hi Jennifer, I usually buy a store brand almond butter (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger)- just check the ingredient list for almonds and maybe salt. Not sure what stores are near you but here’s a good example: https://www.kroger.com/p/simple-truth-smooth-almond-butter/0001111083430

      Some brands include palm oil or partially hydrogenated oils that help keep the nut butter from separating. You can probably use those but may need to microwave it first so you can easily mix in the other ingredients.

      Reply
  2. Chris Collins

    June 22, 2018 at 1:02 pm

    5 stars
    Your photography is gorgeous and these look so SO scrummy!!!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 22, 2018 at 6:10 pm

      Thanks, Chris! And thanks for broadening my global vocabulary. “Scrummy’ is new to me and I will be using it!

      Reply
  3. Traci

    June 22, 2018 at 12:41 pm

    5 stars
    Oh how I love chocolate, peanut butter, and SALT! This looks like the perfect, guilt-free treat. Just pinned…thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 22, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      The salt really does pull it all together! Thanks, Traci!

      Reply
  4. Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites

    June 22, 2018 at 12:19 pm

    5 stars
    These look so good – and pretty easy to make too! I love pretty much any nut butter with chocolate!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 22, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      They are super easy to make and once they’re ready easy to grab and go!

      Reply
  5. Catherine Brown

    June 22, 2018 at 12:18 pm

    5 stars
    This looks like the absolute PERFECT dessert! I love that it’s vegan too! I’ll be starting my last year in the dietetics program at KSU, and loving it! I’m going to look for you on FB. Here’s my page if you’d like to follow >> @aseatatmytable Always great to find another fellow plant-based dietitian!

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 22, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Catherine! Thank you so much! Great to meet you and congrats on getting through your studies.

      Reply
  6. Carissa

    June 22, 2018 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    Mmmm… perfect craving buster! The chocolate and peanut butter combo is always super satisfying.

    Reply
    • Marisa

      June 22, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Exactly! These will crush that craving in an instant!

      Reply

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Marisa Moore in a yellow top in a white kitchen

MARISA MOORE

Hi! I'm Marisa, a registered dietitian nutritionist living in Atlanta, GA. I use this blog to share (mostly) vegetarian recipes, credible nutrition information and a peek into my Southern roots and travels!

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