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Sweeten your day with these Healthier Peanut Butter Cups! These cute little candies are so easy to make with only a 5 ingredients and zero baking required. They are SO GOOD! Peanuts blended until smooth with a dash of salt and just enough maple syrup to sweeten (aka homemade peanut butter!) incased in rich dark chocolate. These candies take only a few minutes to make and only a few seconds to disappear. Enjoy as a lunchbox/back-to-school treat, a sweet bite to enjoy on the weekends, or as a healthier Halloween candy that kids and adults alike are sure to LOVE!

peanut butter cups stacked on upside down white plate with top candy missing a bite white flower and flaked salt around.

About The Recipe

I am SO excited to finally be sharing this recipe with all of you!

Peanut butter cups have always been one of our absolute favorite candies. They have been a staple in my life since I was a kid! From back-to-school to Halloween to roadtrips.

Though, even when I was younger, my mom and I would always reach for the dark chocolate peanut butter cups, as the regular ones tend to be a little too sweet (kinda funny, right? We own a dessert blog, but still find things too sweet for us!).

close up front shot of stacked dark chocolate peanut butter cups on white plate with more behind.

cropped close up of peanut butter cup with bite missing stacked on top of four more candies.

Which is what lead to the inspiration behind this recipe!

A few years ago, we shared our version of classic Peanut Butter Cups. It’s the same recipe that my mom had been making ever since I was a kid.

And, while those peanut butter cups are absolutely delicious, we thought…what if we could make it better?

One thing lead to another and we created these healthier pb cups!

It wasn’t really our intention to make a healthier version, but that’s sort of what they became.

We knew that we wanted to make our own peanut butter to really maximize the flavor. So, we used roasted peanuts, a dash of salt, and some maple syrup to add sweetness, but also some much needed liquid.

And, while it sounds weird, we added a splash of olive oil to the chocolate to A) keep it from blooming and B) give it an extra richness to really enhance it’s flavor.

six stacked peanut butter cups on parchment lined upside down plate with more peanut butter cups around, white flowers, and flaked salt on marble surface.

When we were assembling these peanut butter cups, we realized that these were actually…REALLY healthy!

No refined sugars, no preservatives…just 5 super simple ingredients and entirely homemade.

Though, I think the best part about these candies is that they don’t taste healthy! They’re rich, sweet, extra chocolate-y, and SO. GOOD.

Reasons You Will Love These Peanut Butter Cups

Only FIVE ingredients!
Completely vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free with no changes needed.
Ready in less than 30 mins.
The perfect treat for adults and kids alike.
Sweet without being TOO sweet.
Extra chocolate-y!!

six stacked peanut butter cups with top candy missing a bite.

Equipment Needed

Blender
Glass Mixing Bowls
Rubber Spatula
Cupcake Papers
Muffin Pan

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Peanut Butter:

Roasted Peanuts – For this recipe, you will need roasted unsalted peanuts! This will give the peanut butter a more intense flavor.
Salt – Adds flavor, as well as cutting some of the sweetness.
Maple Syrup – Gives this peanut butter just the right amount of sweetness!

peanuts, maple syrup, and salt on marble surface.

For The Coating:

Dark Chocolate – We opted to use dark chocolate as we like the flavor better and it has more health benefits!
Olive Oil – Keeps the chocolate from blooming, as well as adding extra health benefits with no added flavor.

chocolate chips and olive oil in separate glass bowls on marble surface.

How To Make Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

Step 1: Make peanut butter

Place peanuts, salt, and maple syrup in blender. Blend on medium low – medium power, scraping down sides and pushing peanuts back toward blade, as needed. Continue blending and scraping until the peanut butter is your desired degree of smoothness. Set aside.

Step 2: Melt chocolate

Combine chocolate and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring well after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Step 3:Assemble

Working with one at a time, spoon 1 Tablespoon chocolate in bottom of liner. Scoop out 2 teaspoons peanut butter filling. Roll in to ball and flatten slightly. Set on top of chocolate. Top with another Tablespoon of chocolate. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

melted chocolate in brown cupcake paper in small muffin pan.

peanut butter added to melted chocolate.

Allow to set.

peanut butter cups in brown cupcake papers in muffin pan.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

Why is my peanut butter not smoothing out?

To make the peanut butter, you need a powerful blender. We link to one in our post and recipe card that we highly recommend. If it’s not smoothing out, your blender may not be strong enough. But, that’s okay! Lightly crunchy peanut butter will add some delicious texture to these candies.

Why is my peanut butter so thick?

For this recipe, we wanted the peanut butter to be thicker, as it would be easier to work with and spoon into the chocolate.

Can I use something other than maple syrup?

Of course! We recommend using any liquid sweetener that you like, but keep in mind, each liquid sugar has different levels of sweetness. Depending on how sweet your sugar of choice is, you may need to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Can I use a different nut to make the nut butter?

The great thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile! You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts, or even pecans.

What can I use instead of olive oil?

You can use any neutral flavored oil in the chocolate.

How long does it take for the chocolate to set up?

Depending on multiple factors, it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. Though, our favorite way to get these candies to set is to place them in the freezer for about 10 minutes!

stacked peanut butter cups on upside down white plate with more around and flaked salt on top of chocolates.

What To Make With Peanut Butter Cups

The great thing about this recipe is that you can use these peanut butter cups any way you would regular ones! Toss in a snack mix, chop them and mix into ice cream, stir them into some brownies, or even stuff a cookie with them. The possibilities are endless!

How To Temper Chocolate

If you would like to temper your chocolate for this recipe, follow the three simple steps listed below!

Place the dark chocolate in a glass bowl and place over a pot of simmering water (this technique is called a baine-marie). Stir until the chocolate melts and temperature is around 124 degrees F, but no higher 130 degrees F.
Remove from heat and cool, stirring constantly, to between 82 degrees F and 84 degrees F.
Place back over warm water and raise temperature to between 88 degrees F and 90 degrees F. Hold at this temperature.

How To Store

Once the chocolate is set, you can store these candies in a zip-top bag or airtight container and keep at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.

You can also freeze these candies for 4-5 months!

Substitutions

If desired, almost any nut can be used to make the filling. Walnuts, almonds, or cashews are a great substitute!
Any liquid sweetener/sugar can be used to sweeten the nut butter. Just keep in mind that the amount needed may need to be adjusted depending on the sweetness level of your chosen sugar.
A neutral flavored oil (such as vegetable oil) may be used instead of the olive oil to melt the chocolate.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like:

Reese’s Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Blossoms

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Healthy Dark Chocolate Dried Fruit and Nut Bark

chocolate peanut butter cups stacked on brown paper with more behind

Homemade Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

close up front shot of six stacked peanut butter cups on white plate with top candy missing a bite with more candies behind.

Expert Tips

Be sure to use roasted unsalted peanuts for the nut butter! This will provide the most amount of flavor.
One of the most important things to have for this recipe is a powerful blender. A lot of blenders will struggle with trying to make the peanut butter smooth.
It takes a while to process the peanut butter. Remember to be patient!
5 cup chocolate is equal to about 30 ounces. In most cases, this will be about 3 bags of dark chocolate chips!
While most dark chocolate is naturally vegan, be sure to check the label if this is something that is important to you! You can also check to make sure your chocolate is gluten-free and refined sugar free.
If desired, you can temper the chocolate instead of just melting it with oil. If you do decide to temper your chocolate, remember that you will not need the oil! Instructions on how to temper the chocolate is in the post above.
You can refrigerate or freeze candy to make it set faster, but keep in mind that the chocolate may bloom.
Want the candies to look authentic? Once the chocolate is set, you can take a pair of scissors and trim off the excess paper to make it really look like peanut butter cups!

When you make these Healthier Peanut Butter Cups (Vegan + Gluten Free + Refined Sugar Free!), leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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