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Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

February 16, 2016 By Morgan Last Updated: December 5, 2020

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Healthier Peanut Butter Cups are a spin on an old favorite but without the dairy, soy, or refined sugar. These tasty treats will satisfy any sweet tooth without the guilt of eating processed junk!

For a year, I was unable to eat soy or dairy due to Ryan’s Milk Soy Protein allergy. I went into it completely unprepared – no one in our family has any severe food allergies, so the thought of having a child with one never crossed my mind. I spent the first few months in a bit of a haze, trying to figure out what substitutions I liked and which I didn’t, and I could never find a good replacement for my beloved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Healthier Peanut Butter Cups are a spin on an old favorite but without the dairy, soy, or refined sugar. An MSPI friendly treat! Dairy free, soy free, refined sugar free, and gluten free without any customization, these treats would also be peanut or tree nut free if you switched out the peanut butter with almond or sunflower seed butter!

This time around, I refuse to be caught off guard should our second son have the same allergy. So I’ve been hard at “work” perfecting a super simple, healthier peanut butter cup that is MSPI safe. I used maple syrup in mine, since I’m not a fan of how honey reacts with the coconut oil/cocoa powder in the freezer, but feel free to sub in the sweetener of your choice!

Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate Shell
2.5 TBS coconut oil
2.5 TBS cocoa powder
.5-1 TBS maple syrup

Peanut Butter Filling
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
.5-1 TBS maple syrup
1.5 TBS coconut oil
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

healthier peanut butter cup shells

Place an empty ice cube tray in the freezer. In 2 separate bowls, melt the coconut oil for each component. Carefully stir in the rest of the ingredients into their proper bowl. Put the peanut butter mixture into the fridge and remove the ice cube tray from the freezer. (keep an eye on the PB mix. You just want to cool it down and begin to thicken it.) Pour approximately .5 TBS of chocolate mixture into 8 of the cavities. Tilt the tray to disperse the chocolate up each side.* Place in freezer for just a minute or two to chill the tray again, and repeat the tilting process with any chocolate that pooled into the bottom.** Replace to harden the shell. Once hardened, spoon about .5 TBS of peanut butter filling into each cavity. Tap the tray to release any trapped air. If you have leftover PB filling, you can add more to each PB cup to just under the edge of the chocolate.

healthier peanut butter cups in cube tray

Once hardened, spoon about .5 TBS of peanut butter filling into each cavity. Tap the tray to release any trapped air. If you have leftover PB filling, you can add more to each PB cup to just under the edge of the chocolate. Once hardened, spoon about .5 TBS of peanut butter filling into each cavity. Tap the tray to release any trapped air. If you have leftover PB filling, you can add more to each PB cup to just under the edge of the chocolate or add the leftover filling to one or two empty cavities. Divide the remaining chocolate across the 8 cups. I used about 1 tsp. Spread the chocolate to cover the tops, tap once or twice to even, and place into the freezer. Allow to freeze completely, about an hour, or at least until the outer layer is hard.

To remove from trays, allow to sit out for a few minutes and then twist the tray to loosen and release the healthier peanut butter cups. If you’re impatient, wiggle a paring knife to on the edge of one candy to pop it out.

Store leftovers in the freezer.

Notes:

*- I’m a bit OCD, so I wanted these to have a complete chocolatey shell. If you’re not as neurotic as I am, you can just do a scoop of chocolate, chill to harden, then a scoop of PB, topped with more chocolate. Also, if you want the more traditional PB cup looks, use silicone cupcake liners instead of ice cube trays.
**-If you’re like me and left them in the freezer too long so that the chocolate started to solidify, use your (clean) finger to smear and even out the thicker chocolate along the tray walls.
-You can probably use other nut butters to make this more allergy friendly – I have a feeling that cashew butter would be ah-mazing, as well as almond or sunflower seed butter!

I really hope you enjoy these healthier peanut butter cups! They’re the perfect solution for anyone craving an old favorite, whether you have a food allergy or are trying to avoid processed foods and sugar.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy these!

MSPI Friendly Birthday Cake

Easy MSPI Friendly Maple Brown Sugar Granola

Freezer Fudge Cups 3 Ways

Healthier Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

Filed Under: Desserts

Comments

  1. Gretchen | Gretchruns says

    February 16, 2016 at 7:07 am

    I love the idea of using an ice cube tray! So clever 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 16, 2016 at 8:18 am

      Bahaha I’m just way too lazy/cheap to invest in some kind of fancy mold, and I have way too many ice cube trays. I figure it’s the perfect size for portion control!

  2. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    February 16, 2016 at 7:36 am

    These sound so delicious!!! I’m not allergic to dairy or soy but I’d still totally make these for dessert!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 16, 2016 at 8:16 am

      Even if my next kid isn’t I’ll still be making these on a probably too-often basis. They’re THAT good!

  3. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    February 16, 2016 at 8:00 am

    GAH I WANT THESE NOW

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 16, 2016 at 8:12 am

      Seriously, they’re SO good. I may or may not have had one for breakfast, sorry I’m not sorry.

  4. Heather @ Polyglot Jot says

    February 16, 2016 at 8:25 am

    Yum!! I cant have lot of dairy so im always looking for new dairy free treats! Thanks for sharing–im totally using the ice cube tray too.. who wants to go out and buy a mold?!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Seriously though! I’m so lazy and cheap that I can’t justify buying molds for every little thing!

  5. Heather@hungryforbalance says

    February 16, 2016 at 11:00 am

    I love that you used an ice cube tray!! Such a good idea!! Pinned for later!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks, Heather! I love finding new uses for things around my house ahha

  6. Kate @ DCL says

    February 16, 2016 at 11:41 am

    how clever to use the ice cube tray! And love that they’re sugar free too 🙂 I should try making these with the kiddos sometime…

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:46 pm

      I used to love making candy with my mom – plus these are pretty fool proof and don’t require any super hot sugar, so it should be a fun, easy project iwth kids!

  7. Hollie says

    February 16, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    This is a really neat idea. I’m actually a huge fan of chocolate peanut butter bites so this is something I’m definitely going to look into making. Plus I have no kitchen skills and it looks pretty easy LOL.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:50 pm

      hahah the only kitchen skills I have are out of necessity! These are definitely the kind of thing that anyone could do!

  8. Kate says

    February 16, 2016 at 12:42 pm

    YUM! Why do I keep forgetting to pick up some coconut oil? I need some pb + chocolate action in my life. Ice cube trays were so creative.

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:53 pm

      ahah I’ve been out for about 2 weeks and I keep remembering as I get back in the after shopping. AND it was on my list. oops…

  9. Celeste says

    February 16, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    These look delicious, and the don’t sound too hard to make, either. The use of an ice cube tray is genius! I will have to remember that!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:57 pm

      They’re super easy! You can make them easier by just layering chocolate/PB/chocolate as well!

  10. rachel @ athletic avocado says

    February 16, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    The pb cups look amazing! I love that they are made in an ice cube tray and healthier too!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 18, 2016 at 4:32 pm

      As a PB cup addict, I need to find a healthier version if I’m going to be able to inhale my desire amount!

    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 3:58 pm

      Ice cube trays have so many fun uses – which is great since I have a bunch and NEVER make actual ice cubes haha

  11. Amy @ Elephant Eats says

    February 17, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    Good idea to get a head start on this in case you gotta avoid dairy again! I ate a lot of Oreos when I had to avoid it, haha. Btw, I think you said something in your last post about MSPI but Berkeley’s GI doc said that you can eat soy lecithen…it’s the soy protein that causes the intolerance so you only have to avoid forms of soy protein on labels. So that adds a ton more foods back for you!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 18, 2016 at 4:30 pm

      Ugh, I wish. My doctor said the same thing, but apparently Ryan was one of the very small percentage of babies that couldn’t tolerate it at all, which was definitely hard! Most babies are fine with things like soy oil etc, but Ryan still had bad reactions to it. On the bright side, I was talking to Ryan’s Ped and asking if I should cut soy/dairy this time before the baby comes to get it out of my system just in case, and he actually said it’s not very common for other kids to have the same MSPI issue. (and he didn’t want to create an allergy by my avoiding them and not exposing him) So I’m hoping it will be a non-issue!

  12. Elizabeth @ Guilty Chocoholic Mama says

    February 18, 2016 at 6:04 am

    Morgan, I was JUST saying I need more recipes that use maple syrup, and now here you are with this GENIUS idea. Must. Make. ASAP. Pinned! 🙂 Stopping by from Think Tank Thursday!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 18, 2016 at 4:21 pm

      I LOVE maple syrup – it’s a bit of an issue, so I like subbing it in when I can. Glad I could be of help!

  13. Michelle says

    February 18, 2016 at 9:43 am

    What brand of coconut oil do you use? I made these the other day and could really taste the coconut from the oil. It wasn’t bad, just not what I expected! I also used honey instead of maple syrup so that may have made a difference. Thanks for the great recipe! I didn’t think making peanut butter cups could be so easy!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 18, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      I’ve used a few different ones, but if you’re looking for one that doesn’t have much of a flavor, I HIGHLY recommend LouAna coconut oil. Its basically flavorless like crisco or something, but with the same benefits and properties of coconut oil! Like I said, I wasn’t a fan of honey with the coconut oil – not sure if I did it wrong and it just never incorporated well or what, but I found maple syrup blends perfectly and only has a mild maple-y flavor which I actually think tastes great.

    • Michelle says

      February 19, 2016 at 9:33 am

      Okay great! Will definitely try the LouAna coconut oil. Thanks!

  14. Cristina Mandeville says

    February 18, 2016 at 1:27 pm

    Yum!! If I haven’t done it yet.. I would like to invite you to share your post over at Healthy Living Link Party, it goes live every Wednesdays, 5pm PST ( 7pm Central Time) until Sunday 7pm. Hope to see you there!

    Reply
  15. Rita Frazier says

    February 18, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    I love peanut butter cups and since I am diabetic, I will have to try this recipe but will use the sugar free maple syrup. Gave my bottle of coconut oil to my daughter because I could not figure out what to use it for and she raved about it. Since then I have seen about a gazillion recipes calling for coconut oil – will have to go out and purchase another bottle of it!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      I’m sure that sugar-free syrup would work just as well! Coconut oil is definitely a great product and lately there are so many uses for it!

  16. easypeasylifematters says

    February 19, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    We loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups but stopped eating them because of all the junk that is in them. So this recipe is right up our street! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 4:16 pm

      Yes! I love PB cups, but now that I have kids (a toddler and another on the way) I get worried about them seeing me eat them and wanting one as well – this is a great replacement!

  17. Claire says

    February 19, 2016 at 2:07 pm

    These sound so yummy, I’m definitely going to make them!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 4:41 pm

      SO glad you like them! Let me know if you try them out!

  18. tara pittman says

    February 19, 2016 at 3:10 pm

    I love this healthy PB cup recipe. I must try it.

    Reply
  19. Elizabeth O. says

    February 19, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    What an awesome idea! I love that it’s sugar free as well. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!

    Reply
    • Morgan says

      February 20, 2016 at 4:43 pm

      Glad you like it!I’m trying to cut down on refined sugar, so things like this are becoming lifesavers!

  20. Mhaan Arambulo - Delos Santos says

    February 19, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    OMG! I love chocolate and peanut butter! I can eat them everyday! Now you made me craving!

    Reply
  21. Nicole Escat says

    February 20, 2016 at 1:03 am

    OMG! such a mouth watering dessert. I think I need to do that very soon, I want to try 🙂 My little boy would love that for sure.

    Reply
  22. Michelle says

    February 20, 2016 at 6:49 am

    Oh boy! How good do these look. I would have to make two batches, one with peanut butter for the hubs and one without for me due to a peanut allergy. Either way, good to know I can substitute butters.

    Reply
  23. Ana De- Jesus says

    February 20, 2016 at 7:22 am

    i love peanut butter cups but they are usually so unhealthy! i like that these are healthier without compromising on taste!

    Reply
  24. Terri Beavers says

    February 20, 2016 at 8:20 am

    Yummy, I love peanut butter cups but not the calories. I’ll have to try your healthier recipe instead.

    Reply
  25. Claudette Esterine says

    February 20, 2016 at 10:46 am

    My granddaughter loves peanut butter so I will try this.

    Reply
  26. Katarzyna says

    February 20, 2016 at 11:17 am

    If it has peanut butter and chocolate, then I’m already in love with them. And on top of that they’re a healthier alternative! I also use ice cube molds for things like that, but I found that silicon ones work better for me as it’s easier to take chocolate (or whatever) out 🙂

    Reply
  27. Marielle Altenor says

    February 20, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    I can’t imagine being allergic to something I love! That would really suck! Glad you found an alternative!

    Reply
  28. Dogvills says

    February 21, 2016 at 1:02 am

    What a clever idea. The peanut butter cups look so yummy.

    Reply
  29. Karen Grosz says

    February 21, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    Love the idea of using an ice cube tray. Using a silcone tray would make it easy to get out of the pan as well. Thanks for sharing at Let’s Get Real Link Party.

    Reply
  30. Debbie Denny says

    February 21, 2016 at 7:34 pm

    I am having a big craving. Love the ice tray to make these.

    Reply
  31. Healing Tomato says

    February 21, 2016 at 8:54 pm

    What a great idea to use Ice cube trays! I should have thought of that. This is a very useful post

    Reply
  32. Emily says

    February 21, 2016 at 11:03 pm

    I definitely smiled when I saw the title of your ‘cake.’ :))) And peanut butter cups in any form are always my fave.

    Reply
  33. Ana Fernandez says

    February 22, 2016 at 7:31 am

    This looks like a great even without the dairy, soy, or refined sugar. And actually is pretty clever using ice cubes trays. Great idea!

    Reply
  34. mardenec@hotmail.com says

    February 22, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    Oooh yeah another recipe to try my hand at. They look great and I can’t wait

    Reply
  35. Ayesha Heart says

    February 22, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    A very smart idea! Thumbs up to this.
    Thanks for sharing a useful post 🙂

    Reply
  36. Amy Jones says

    February 22, 2016 at 3:09 pm

    Love the idea of using the ice trays as a mold I’ll definitely be copying that idea. And the recipe it’s really awesome yet very simple just how i like them

    Reply
  37. Ayesha Heart says

    February 23, 2016 at 12:49 pm

    Definitely a perfect dessert <3
    Can you send me some hihi 😀

    Smart idea you got here. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  38. Anne says

    February 23, 2016 at 4:15 pm

    I love the idea of the ice cube trays! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  39. Hey, It's GinaB says

    February 25, 2016 at 5:39 pm

    Morgan, I loveeeeee, peanut butter cups!!! Thanks for cleaning them up. I will be featuring your post this week for the BCI Link Up on Friday! Please feel free to pop over to my page and grab the featured button. Take Care!

    Reply
  40. Miz Helen says

    February 28, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    Congratulations!
    Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Enjoy your week and your new Red Plate!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  41. tianna says

    March 3, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    thanks for sharing this idea! I love PB cups, but definitely want a healthier version ♥

    Reply
  42. Deborah Davis says

    March 8, 2016 at 12:49 am

    My, these look so mouthwatering! Thanks for sharing your healthy, easy and delicious Peanut Butter Cups without the dairy, soy, or refined sugar at the Healthy Happy Green & Natural Party. I’m pinning and sharing.

    Reply

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50 shares