Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups-Low Sugar

I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

I don’t, however, love the 11 grams of sugar per cup or the lengthy list of artificial, inflammation-promoting ingredients:

Milk Chocolate [Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Non-Fat Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Lecithin (Soy), PGPR, Emulsifier], Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Partially Defatted Peanuts, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Palm Kernel Oil, Soybean Oil], Contains 2% of Less of: Corn Syrup, Contains 2% of Less of: Salt, Contains 2% of Less of: Palm Kernel Oil, Contains 2% of Less of: Artificial Color (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake), Contains 2% of Less of: Confectioner’s Glaze, Contains 2% of Less of: Lecithin (Soy), Contains 2% of Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Contains 2% of Less of: TBHQ and Citric Acid, Contains 2% of Less of: To Maintain Freshness, Contains 2% of Less of: Carnauba Wax, Contains 2% of Less of: Vanillin, Contains 2% of Less of: Artificial Flavor.

So I decided to create a healthier chocolate peanut butter cups recipe.

Let’s compare this recipe to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups:

  1. Higher in protein (6 grams vs. 2 grams).
  2. Lower in sugar (4.5 grams vs. 11 grams).
  3. Contains only all-natural, plant-based ingredients (no dairy, soy, or gluten).

Now, a quick disclaimer: this peanut butter cup recipe is higher in fat (16 grams per cup) so moderation is important (as with any sweet treat).

But I’ll substitute a little fat in my diet for sugar any day of the week (particularly from coconut oil, which contains medium chain triglycerides, which may have some health benefits).

Let’s take a look at the ingredients.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Ingredients

*Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free

Bottom Layer (Chocolate)

Top Layer (Peanut Butter)

  • 1/3 cup all natural, unsweetened peanut butter
  • 2 T coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 T maple syrup or honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla bean powder or extract

This recipe made about 10 peanut butter cups for me.

How to Make This Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

  1. Mix all ingredients for bottom chocolate layer together in a bowl. You may need to add a tiny bit of water or more coconut oil to get it to the right consistency. It should be just thick enough that you can slowly pour it out of the bowl.
  2. Mix all ingredients for the top layer in a separate bowl.
  3. Grease your cupcake tray (I used a flexible silicon 12-cup tray but any will work).
  4. Scoop the bottom layer equally among the 10 cups, followed by the top layer.
  5. Put the tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours (make sure it sits flat…if your tray is flexibly, you may need to set it on a baking sheet before putting in the freezer).

Make sure you keep any leftovers in the freezer.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 10

Per Serving:

Calories: 193

Fat: 16 grams

Carbs: 9 grams (2 grams of fiber, 4.5 grams of sugar)

Protein: 6 grams

 

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