Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

You’ll love these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups made with 4 ingredients and none of the garbage you get from store-bought brands. They’re rich and creamy, dark and decadent and have no refined sugar.

This blog’s being interrupted by the Emergency Broadcast System and the annoying sound the television makes when an alert’s issued. Usually it’s just a system test trying my patience but today it’s a bonafide state of emergency. I probably should be rushing to the grocery store to hoard loaves of bread and bottled water but I’d rather stay home and write this post.

After 15 years of living in the sunshine state, I barely flinch when a hurricane is headed this way. That’s even with having to evacuate three out of three of the last years. With my cat. Side note: If you haven’t been stuck in mass exodus traffic with a cat meowing nonstop then you haven’t lived.

Hurricane Isaias, which I can’t pronounce correctly despite studying Spanish for 4 years, isn’t expected to be a direct hit so we’ll be hunkering down instead of running like hell. At any rate, riding out the storm means preparing for possible flooding and +75 mph winds. That’s always fun, I say with heavy sarcasm. It starts with piling all our patio furniture in the living room so it doesn’t take flight, draining a foot of water from the pool so it doesn’t overflow and chopping coconuts off our palm trees so they don’t become flying missiles.

Basically the whole situation is a recipe for disaster, which got me thinking: what’s the opposite of a recipe for disaster? It’s a recipe for homemade peanut butter cups. Which makes perfect sense because Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are the bomb! I don’t know how many hundreds I’ve eaten in my life, but I know I’ve eaten each one exactly the same way. First I nibble all the way around the chocolaty edges, then finish off the creamy middle in one final, yummy bite. They’re sooo good but, (sorry Reese’s), homemade peanut butter cups are 100% better. I dare say you’ll never buy store-bought peanut butter cups again after trying this easy 4 ingredient recipe. It’s no fuss and all flavor and you’ll fall in love at first bite.

Before sharing the recipe for Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

Choose an all-natural peanut butter for this recipe. There’s a lot of garbage ingredients Reese’s cups so we’re aiming for healthy peanut butter cups without processed peanut butter. Also, be sure to give peanut butter a good stir before using to evenly distribute any oil.

This recipe was tested with Ghirardelli 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate. Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and lower in sugar than milk chocolate. Plus it just tastes better in my opinion. If 72% is too overpowering for your taste, substitute 60% cacao chocolate.

Coconut oil is a must for this recipe as it helps the chocolate melt smoothly. It will not make your peanut butter cups taste like coconut (I promise!). Coconut oil is sold in solid form in most grocery stores and can usually be found in the cooking oil aisle.

Sea salt and dark chocolate are heavenly together. I finished my peanut butter cups with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt but flaky would up the wow factor as a substitute.

Preparation Tips

If you do not have a microwave, melt chocolate and coconut oil using a double boiler on the stove.

My homemade peanut butter cups were made in a standard cupcake pan, but the recipe can be adapted to a mini cupcake pan for smaller-size treats.

How to Store Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Place peanut butter cups in an airtight container then store in the refrigerator up to 1 month.

Can you freeze peanut butter cups? Yes! Peanut butter cups can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag up to 3 months.

Do not store homemade peanut butter cups at room temperature or they will melt.

I hope you enjoy these Homemade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups! Please leave a comment and a rating at the bottom of this blog post when you try them for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you’re looking for more chocolate peanut butter recipes you’ll love these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Combining a chewy oat base, a creamy peanut butter middle and a silky chocolate topping, these three-layer cookie bars are a tasty fusion of flavors and textures. 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Heather Wolf

Homemade dark chocolate peanut butter cups with 4 ingredients and none of the garbage you get from store bought brands. They’re rich and creamy, dark and decadent and have no refined sugar.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Freeze 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Candy and Sweets

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• 12 ounces 72% cacao dark chocolate divided
• 4 tsp coconut oil divided
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter natural
• pinch sea salt coarse

Instructions

 

• Add paper liners to a standard cupcake pan.
• Chop 6 ounces of dark chocolate into small pieces.
• Add chopped chocolate and 2 teaspoons of solid coconut oil to a heat-safe bowl.
• Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Spoon an equal amount of melted chocolate into the bottom of cupcake liners then use the back of a spoon to brush chocolate halfway up the sides of each liner.
• Place cupcake pan in the freezer until chocolate is set, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from the freezer and top each layer of chocolate with an equal amount of peanut butter. Smooth to level.
• Return pan to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes or until peanut butter sets.
• Chop remaining 6 ounces of dark chocolate.
• Add chopped chocolate and 2 teaspoons of solid coconut oil to a heat-safe bowl.
• Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Remove pan from the freezer and top each layer of peanut butter with an equal amount of chocolate.
• Freeze for 5 minutes.
• If desired, sprinkle sea salt on top of peanut butter cups.
• Return to freezer for 5 minutes or until chocolate is set.
• Soften peanut butter cups at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
• Cover and store peanut butter cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Do not store at room temperature or they will melt.

Keyword candy, chocolate, gluten free, no bake, peanut butter cups, vegan