Healthy Double Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Yields: 24 peanut butter cups
 
These healthy homemade candies are perfect for chocoholics! A silky smooth dark chocolate coating surrounds the rich dark chocolate peanut butter filling. Sprinkle the tops with a little flaky sea salt for a fancy finishing touch! Leftovers will keep for at least one week (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they also freeze really well.
  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, cocoa powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Stir in the water and liquid stevia.
  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 a disc that’s just barely smaller than the mini muffin cup liner. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the filling mixture. (If the mixture sticks to your hands, see the Notes below!)
  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. (I highly recommend keeping it warm while you assemble your peanut butter cups! See the Notes below!)
  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 discs.
  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! (← I buy it online there!) 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 prefer my peanut butter filling on the salty side, so I usually increase the salt by an additional ¼ teaspoon (for a total of close to ¾ teaspoon salt)!

For sweeter filling, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ teaspoon (for ½ teaspoon total). I buy my liquid stevia online here, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! If you prefer not to use the liquid stevia, then substitute 2 tablespoons (30mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave, and reduce the water to 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (25mL) instead.

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

If the filling sticks to your palms and fingers, pour a little neutral-tasting oil (like canola) onto a paper towel, and rub that paper towel on your palms and fingers. The filling shouldn’t stick any more! (And remember to do that in between shaping each bit of filling!)

To keep your bowl of melted chocolate warm, (a) turn on an electric pancake griddle or a metal panini press {I don’t have the former, so that's is what I use! mine is no longer sold in stores, but this panini press is very similar to mine!} and (b) place a washcloth in between the bottom of your bowl and the electric griddle or metal top of the panini press. If you use this set-up, your bowl of chocolate should stay warm and at the same consistent temperature, which makes assembling your ultimate healthy dark chocolate peanut butter cups so much easier. (They’ll also look prettier! If you let the bowl of chocolate sit on your counter and periodically reheat it, your peanut butter cups will look speckled.)

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.

For more tips and information, please see my blog post above!

{gluten-free, clean eating, vegan, dairy free, low sugar}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2019/01/27/healthy-double-dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups/