These paleo chocolate butter cups are inspired by the peanut butter version but are made with the less allergenic cashew nut butter and other dairy-free ingredients and natural sugar alternatives. This butter cups recipe is vegan-friendly and comes from my guest contributor Monica Stevens Le.
I love recipes from Monica at The Movement Menu and today she is sharing her version of paleo peanut butter cups, sans the peanuts. Think of these as mini paleo chocolate cupcakes or truffles.
Ingredients For Paleo Butter Cups
The key ingredients in these yummy nutty butter cups are dark chocolate chips, which should be 70-85% cocoa content. You can find a few dairy-free brands these days and if you can tolerate a little high-fat dairy, then regular dark chocolate should be fine.
Cashew butter is used in the butter cup filling and it’s a great creamy alternative to peanut butter. Maple syrup and coconut sugar give the filling a warm, caramel-like sweetness and coconut oil is also used to make that soft-caramel centre.
This recipe has three different kinds of nuts, but Monica says you can use whatever nuts and nut butter you have on hand.
More Chocolate Recipes You Might Like
- Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (also by Monica)
- Healthy Homemade Paleo Chocolate
- 5-Ingredient Paleo & Keto Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Caramel Slice (No Bake)
Paleo Chocolate Butter Cups With Cashew Butter
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24 butter cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Refrigerated
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Paleo chocolate cashew butter cups are Dairy-Free and vegan-friendly. This is a guest recipe from Monica of the Movement Menu.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups dark chocolate chips (dairy-free, minimum 70-85% cocoa content)
- 1/2 cup cashew butter (raw or roasted is fine)
- 1/2 cup good-quality maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
- 1/3 cup raw or roasted pistachios
- Sea salt crystals and crushed pistachios for dusting
Instructions
- Line a mini cupcake pan with with 24 liners.
- Melt 1+1/4 cups of the chocolate chips. You can either use a double boiler or heat them in a bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval. Drop 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate into each liner. Now, smooth the chocolate up the sides of the liner either with a brush or the back of your spoon. Place the tray into the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes is up, add 1 teaspoon of the cashew butter into each cup.
- Return the tray to the freezer. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the pistachios and macadamia nuts. Toss them over the heat for 3-5 minutes, until they turn slightly golden. Remove from heat.
- Grab a medium sized saucepan, and combine the coconut sugar and maple syrup over a medium-high flame. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Now, add the toasted nuts and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes until the mixture reaches between 240 and 265 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
- Take the tray out of the freezer, and distribute the mixture between the chocolate chips. Melt the remaining chocolate chips (another 1+1/4 cups) and cover the candy with it. Now, sprinkle the tops with some course sea salt or crushed nuts of your choice. Let them harden in the refrigerator for a few hours, and store in an air-tight container.
Notes
If you’re not strictly dairy-free, regular dark chocolate chips can be used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 buttercups
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 11.8 g
- Sodium: 6.1 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.9 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0.2 mg
About Monica Stevens Le
Monica of The Movement Menu is obsessed with all things food and fitness. Although she is not professionally trained as a nutritionist or doctor, her blog is dedicated to her experiences with food and through it she shares her delicious recipes and lessons from her journey to better health. Find more recipes and ideas from Monica on her Facebook and Instagram (@movementmenu).
Other guest recipes from Monica on the blog:
Paleo Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Baked Apple & Pork Meatballs Recipe
SAVE THESE CHOCOLATE BUTTER CUPS TO PINTEREST
These were fantastic! A bit fiddly to make, but well worth it!
★★★★