Green Smoothie Gourmet

  • Recipe Index
  • Summer
  • About
  • Free eBook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Summer
  • About
  • Free eBook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Summer
    • About
    • Free eBook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×
    Home / Recipes / No Bake Desserts

    Peanut Butter Cups

    May 22, 2016 · Updated: Apr 15, 2024 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    • Bluesky
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe

    Peanut Butter Cups are easy to make yourself from scratch and they can be made healthier than store-bought cups, especially if you make your own peanut butter and chocolate or use high quality versions you buy.
    peanut butter cups stacked
    Stuff your freezer with these high-protein peanut butter cups. They are easy to make whether you make your own peanut butter and chocolate or use store bought. The peanut butter chocolate combo is also featured in my dark chocolate peanut butter bars, my peanut butter oatmeal bars and my peanut butter fudge, and just as nourishing.

    I made the peanut butter by processing fresh nuts, and made the chocolate from scratch, but these cups are easy to assemble using store-bought peanut butter and commercial chocolate bars as well.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Peanut Butter Cups
    • Substitutions
    • Recipe Tips
    • FAQS
    • More Peanut Butter Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    Easy to Make: Melt the chocolate, melt the peanut butter and put them together in a cupcake pan. I give you a way to make your chocolate and peanut butter from scratch or use quality store-bought.

    Wholesome & Nourishing: With no preservatives, these homemade peanut butter cups are far healthier than the commercial versions with chemical additives and preservatives.

    Control Sugar & Salt: By making your ingredients or buying high quality versions, you can control the levels of sugar and salt.

    Ingredients

    Peanut Butter

    Homemade: To make peanut butter from scratch, you'll needs a strong 7-cup food processor and 3 cups of fresh dry roasted peanuts. Simple add the peanuts to the food processor and process for about 10 minutes or until the peanut butter appears as you want it, smooth and creamy. Stop the food processor about every 2 minutes to scrap down the sides. This recipe makes about 1 cup of homemade peanut butter. I use ½ cup for the peanut butter cup recipe and store the other half in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator for two months.

    Store-bought: Buy organic, creamy peanut butter with only peanuts as the ingredients, no oil or sugars. To prepare this for making peanut butter cups, microwave it in 15-second intervals and stir until creamy.

    Chocolate

    Homemade: To make chocolate from scratch, you'll need cocoa powder, coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao butter. Cacao butter is yellow chunks that smell like chocolate and come in paper containers. To make chocolate, melt the yellow chunks of cacao butter in a double boiler (or in a glass pyrex measuring cup sitting in boiling water). Then add in coconut oil, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Stir until combined.

    Store-bought: Buy high-quality chocolate bar or chips (60% cacao or higher), and melt in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring until all are melted.

    When you have creamy peanut butter and melted chocolate ready, assemble the peanut butter cups.

    How to Make Peanut Butter Cups

    step 1. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

    step 2. Pour the melted chocolate into cupcake cups, filling about 1 third of the way. The chocolate will harden at room temperature, but you can speed the process by refrigerating for about 15 minutes.

    step 3. Spoon soft peanut butter on to the hardened bottom layer. Drop the pan twice to level off the soft peanut butter surface.

    step 4. Pour the melted chocolate on top. If you want to top the cups with flaky salt or crush nuts, do it now.

    step 5. Chill the cups in the refrigerator to be able to peel off the papers.

    Substitutions

    Peanut butter. You can use any nut butter. If you want to make your nut butter from scratch, then obviously food-process your chosen nut, almond for almond butter, cashews for cashew butter. Depending on the nut, you might have to add a teaspoon of melted coconut oil to encourage creaminess.

    Chocolate. You can use any chocolate bar ranging from 60% cacao to 92% cacao. I prefer Ghiradelli or Hu or other quality brands.

    👉Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.

    Recipe Tips

    Can I sweeten the peanut butter layer?

    Yes, combine ½ cup of creamy peanut butter with ¼ cup sifted confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil in a bowl and stir, using that instead of plain peanut butter for the middle center.

    Can I make the chocolate cup soft to bite?

    Yes, add 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil to the liquid chocolate and stir until combined.

    How to make the chocolate layers hard and middle pb soft?

    Create chocolate disks by spooning chocolate into bottom of cupcake papers and chilling until they are hard. Then assemble cups by adding a spoonful or two of peanut butter on one layer, and topping that with a chocolate disk.

    How to hide the middle peanut butter layer?

    When you add the peanut butter layer, spoon it in the center and don't tap the pan so it leaves a well around the sides. Then add the melted chocolate on top, it should drip down the sides and encase the peanut butter.

    FAQS

    Are peanut butter cups good for you?

    This recipe is with no preservatives, controlled sugar and salt, and 6 grams of protein. These are an energizing nutritional snack that can be stored in the freezer and available as a grab-and-go snack.

    How do you store Peanut Butter Cups?

    Keep them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for two weeks.

    Can you freeze Peanut Butter Cups?

    Yes, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.

    More Peanut Butter Recipes

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

    Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

    Protein Peanut Butter Bars

    Are you on Pinterest? Share this image:

    If you try my recipes, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on your Instagram post with @greensmoothiegourmet so I can see and share your remakes!!

    Follow me on social media where I post daily healthy eating and lifestyle inspiration:
    Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

    Subscribe HERE to get recipes delivered to your inbox!

    📖 Recipe

    peanut butter cups stacked

    Peanut Butter Cups

    Created by Dee Dine
    Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are easy to make, high in protein, and healthier than store-bought, especially if you make your own peanut butter and chocolate or use high quality versions you buy.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved! Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 134 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Homemade Peanut Butter (or store bought)

    • 3 cups peanuts dry roasted
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Homemade Chocolate (or store bought)

    • ½ cup cocoa powder
    • ⅔ cup cacao butter
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • pinch salt

    Useful Equipment

    • 1 2-cup pyrex measuring cup
    • 1 6-cup muffin pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    👉Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.

    Instructions
     

    To Make Homemade Nut Butter

    • Add the peanuts to a food processor and process for about 10 minutes, stopping the food processor about every 2 minutes to scrap down the sides. This recipe makes about 1 cup of homemade peanut butter.
      3 cups peanuts, ½ teaspoon salt

    To Make Homemade Chocolate

    • Combine homemade chocolate ingredients in a sauce pan and melt on very low heat. Do not burn. To be safe, instead of melting directly in a sauce pan, melt them instead in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup sitting in a boiling water bath but do not let water enter the measuring cup or the chocolate will seize.
      ½ cup cocoa powder, ⅔ cup cacao butter, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla, pinch salt

    To Make Cups

    • If you opt to use store-bought, melt the chocolate in a microwave at 30 second intervals, adding a tablespoon of coconut oil per bar. Once you have melted chocolate ready (either homemade or store bought), pour a thin layer on to the bottom of six cupcake-sized paper cups and set each paper cup into a 6-cup muffin pan.
    • Put the pan in the refrigerator for 30 min or freezer for 10 min.
    • Meanwhile prepare the nut butter. If it is stiff from the refrigerator or if your store bought nut butter is stiff in the jar, melt it gently in the microwave in 10 second intervals (or in a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup in a water bath on the stove).
    • Spoon this glossy nut butter into each cup and return the pan to the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or freezer if you want that layer hard, we did not).
    • Then pour on second chocolate layer and set in refrigerator or freezer until the cups are ready for you to eat!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 54mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More No Bake Desserts

    • snickerdoodles ice cream bars.
      Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Bars (dairy free, no churn)
    • chocolate cookie granola in a jar.
      Double Chocolate Cookie Granola (Purely Elizabeth copycat)
    • biscoff cheesecake cups.
      Biscoff Cheesecake Cups with Yogurt
    • chocolate cherry brownie .
      Chocolate Cherry Brownies (3 ingredients)

    Comments

    1. Bianca Zapatka says

      October 04, 2018 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      They look so delicious, Dee! Love this recipe!
      Lots of love,
      Bianca ❤️

      Reply
      • Dee Dine | Green Smoothie Gourmet says

        October 09, 2018 at 1:21 pm

        Thank you so much Bianca! So kind of you to stop by, Love Dee xx

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    dee dine

    My name is Dee Dine and I’m a two-time cookbook author and certified nutritionist. Here you’ll find clean healthy recipes made with few ingredients, dairy free, & gluten free. About Dee →

    Clean Simple Recipes

    • coffee syrup in a bottle.
      How to Make Coffee Syrup (Coffee Concentrate)
    • samoa ice cream.
      Samoa Caramel Ice Cream (no churn, dairy free)
    • baked banana oatmeal cookies.
      Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips (3 Ingredients)
    • chocolate cookie granola in a jar.
      Double Chocolate Cookie Granola (Purely Elizabeth copycat)

    No Bake Desserts

    • chocolate coated hearts with others behind it
      Marzipan Chocolates
    • vanilla date smoothie.
      Vanilla Date Smoothie (salted caramel milkshake)
    • twix cups on white board.
      Healthy Twix Cups
    • a row of oatmeal protein balls.
      How to Make Oatmeal Protein Balls (no bake)
    logos of publications that shared green smoothie gourmet content

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About the Author
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    Connect

    • Newsletter
    • Cookbooks
    • Stress Relief Coloring Books
    • Stories

    Follow

    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • Youtube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    an amazon associate member

    Copyright © 2025

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.