Healthy Dark Chocolate Espresso Peanut Butter Cups
Yields: 24 peanut butter cups
 
These little gems are basically a grown-up version of peanut butter cups! Rich dark chocolate covering peanut butter filling with espresso mixed in. Pure bliss! They’ll keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at least three months if stored in an airtight container in the freezer.
  1. Place cupcake liners inside of 24 mini muffin cups. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut flour, espresso grounds, and salt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the water.
  3. Working with a small amount of the peanut butter mixture at a time, shape into a small sphere. Flatten the sphere until it’s just barely smaller than the mini muffin cup. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the filling mixture. (If the mixture sticks to your hands, moisten them with a bit of water first!)
  4. Place the dark chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir for 1 minute. Continue to heat for 10-second intervals, stirring for 1 minute between each, until the chocolate has completely melted.
  5. Dollop a small amount of melted chocolate into one mini muffin liner, enough to cover the bottom, and carefully set one of the flattened filling spheres on top. Spoon more melted chocolate on top, carefully spreading it so it drips over the sides of the filling and into every nook and cranny of those liners. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and filling mixture.
  6. Once all 24 mini muffin cups have been filled, place them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (or the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes) or until the chocolate has hardened. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.
Notes: I highly recommend this peanut flour! It only contains one ingredient (peanuts), unlike many others that contain added sugar or other ingredients. I have not tried with PB2, PBfit, etc. I do not know how those other types will work. I also don't know how regular peanut butter will work, but I'm guessing it's too wet and sticky to turn out correctly.

You just need the espresso grounds (like this!), not brewed espresso! Decaf espresso will also work, if you’re concerned about caffeine. (I like to eat these as a pre-bedtime snack, so I generally use decaf!) As written, the espresso flavor isn’t very strong. For a more prominent espresso flavor, increase the espresso by an additional ½ to 1 teaspoon.

In a pinch, coffee grounds may be substituted for the espresso grounds. Coffee grounds are generally larger than espresso grounds, so the filling will taste a bit grittier.

I prefer my peanut butter on the salty side, so I usually increase the salt by an additional ¼ teaspoon!

Use regular bars of chocolate, not chocolate chips! Chocolate bars melt better and taste smoother than chocolate chips, which often contain a stabilizer to help them hold their shape. I love Ghirardelli and Lindt for this!

Flattening the filling ensures the tops of your PB cups are smooth and flat too, not rounded from the sphere poking up out of the chocolate!

Paper liners will better peel away from the peanut butter cups when they’re cold, straight from the refrigerator or freezer! If storing in the freezer, let them thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes before eating.

{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan, low carb, low sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2018/02/11/healthy-dark-chocolate-espresso-peanut-butter-cups/