Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Name: Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups vegan chocolate chips ((about a 14.5 ounce bag)); 1/2 cup peanut butter ((or any nut/seed butter)); 1 teaspoon coconut oil; flakey sea salt ((optional))

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These homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Cups are simply the best. They only require 3 ingredients and about 10 minutes to prep.

Close up macro image of vegan Reeses inspired candy stacked on top eachother.

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Why you will love this recipe
Ingredients
Variations
How to make these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
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Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups are the best vegan candy recipe you could make at home. They are fridge or freezer friendly, only require 3 ingredients and they are completely dairy free, vegan, gluten free and you can even make them refined sugar free if you choose a chocolate like Hu Chocolate or Just Date brands. Making candy at home might sound intimidating but trust me this is the simplest vegan candy recipe you could make, you don't need any candy thermometers.

Let's talk about peanut butter for a second too. It's pretty much my life line, I mean I eat it daily no joke. For these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups I like to use natural runny peanut butter because the rich true flavor of peanuts and the rich flavor of chocolate is just so indulgent and satisfying it can't be beat. You can use any nut or seed butter you like of course they will all work just obviously altering the flavor, but hey if you like almond or cashew butter best then go for it. I know you will love these healthy pb cups.

Why you will love this recipe

Quick and Easy: Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Cups only need 3 ingredients that you possibly have on hand in your kitchen right now, taking less than 30 minutes to make.
Creamy and indulgent: Peanut Butter and chocolate is one of those treats you'll want more than just one of. Creamy peanut butter and rich chocolate is a melt in your mouth satisfaction.
Vegan: It's the perfect vegan candy recipe for all occasions and it's a favorite of mine.

If you love no bake desserts try my other vegan no bake recipes:

Ingredients

For a full list if ingredients and quantities to make these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups be sure to check the recipe card below.

Cupcake Liners: Don't skip these unless you are using a silicone mold other wise you will not be able to remove them from the muffin tin.
Peanut Butter: I like to use natural creamy peanut butter in these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups but feel free to use any nut or seed butter that is your favorite. You can also add a touch of pure maple syrup if you want to sweeten it a little bit.
Coconut Oil: Keeps the chocolate smooth. If you don't like the flavor buy refined coconut oil.
Vegan Chocolate Chips: I like Enjoy Life, Hu Chocolate or Just Date for my chocolate brands. The chocolate is going to be melted and mixed with a little bit of coconut oil.

Variations

Chopped nuts: Rich chocolate and peanut butter are perfect together but if you like a little crunch you can add chopped nuts like pecans, almonds, walnuts or others nuts. Be sure to chop them very finely and add them in the filling or sprinkled on top.
Size: You can definitely adjust the size of these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups. If you have a mini tin to use get mini cupcake liners and adjust the amounts of chocolate and peanut butter you put in each liner. Also if you have a king size muffin tin you can certainly make some king size cups of course you'd need to probably triple the recipe.
Nut butter: You can swap the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, pecan butter, hazelnut butter or even sunflower butter, just know that any swap will change the taste and texture of these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups.
Change up the chocolate: You can change the vegan chocolate chips to vegan white chocolate chips or any other type of chocolate you'd like, possibly even dark chocolate.

How to make these Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

Prep: Line 9 muffin tin holes with cupcake liners.

Glass bowl with vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil ready to be melted.

Step 1: In a microwave safe bowl add the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave in 15 second intervals stirring each time until completely melted and smooth. You can also melt on the stove top if you prefer.

Smooth melted chocolate!

Bottom layer of chocolate added to the cupcake liners.

Step 2: Using a small spoon, spoon a small scoop into the bottom of each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to coat the bottom and about halfway up the sides. Place in the freezer to set for about 5 minutes.

Peanut butter added to the cupcake liners to make this vegan candy recipe.

Step 3: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter into each cup and smooth it out evenly, if the peanut butter is too hard you can microwave it until it melts and gets smooth.

Top layer of chocolate added to the dairy free peanut butter cups.

Step 4: Coat the tops of them all with the remainder of the chocolate and sprinkle with flakey seat salt if you desire.

Flaky sea salt added to the top of the Vegan Peanut Butter Cups.

Step 5: Place in the freezer to set, about 15 more minutes. Store in the fridge for 1 week or freezer 1 month.

Expert Tips

Liners: You can remove them once the chocolate is set or you can leave them on for storing, it's really a personal preference.
Keep Extras: Amazing Vegan Peanut Butter Cups I like to keep some on hand for a quick tasty afternoon snack or a treat, like a after dinner desert. They stay good in the freezer for 1 month (sometimes longer if stored properly and they don't get freezer burnt).
Stays fresh for days: These dairy free peanut butter cups stay delicious for 1 week in the fridge in a container and 1 month in the freezer in a sealed container.
Directions freeze cups: Follow recipe directions closely, it's important to freeze the bottom layer first before adding the peanut butter in the middle to freeze and then the top.

Recipe FAQs

Why do vegans not eat peanut butter?

Vegans do eat peanut butter but they check the ingredients closely. Some brands of peanut butter do use ingredients that some vegans will not eat, a few items are cane sugar, honey and the facility it's made at isn't on a non-vegan production line with the risk of cross contamination.

Can peanut butter be eaten on a plant-based diet?

Yes peanut butter is a powerful plant food. If you are vegan you do need to read the ingredients label on the peanut butter though because some peanut butter has ingredients in it that are not vegan based.

Can you get dairy free peanut butter?

Most peanut butter is dairy free, but there are some specialty peanut butters that may contain dairy so always read the ingredients label.

Four Vegan Peanut Butter Cups stacked o top each other sitting on a marble table.

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Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

These are the best Vegan Peanut Butter Cups. They only require 3 simple ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to make.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

freezing: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Michele

Ingredients

▢ 2 ¼ cups vegan chocolate chips (about a 14.5 ounce bag)
▢ ½ cup peanut butter (or any nut/seed butter)
▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil
▢ flakey sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Line 9 muffin tin holes with cupcake liners.
In a microwave safe bowl add the vegan chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in the microwave in 15 second intervals stirring each time until completely melted and smooth. You can also melt on the stove top if you prefer.
Using a small spoon, spoon a small scoop into the bottom of each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to coat the bottom and about halfway up the sides.
Place in the freezer to set for about 5 minutes.
Scoop about 1 tablespoon of peanut butter into each cup and smooth it out evenly, if the peanut butter is too hard you can microwave it until it melts and gets smooth.
Coat the tops of them all with the remainder of the chocolate and sprinkle with flakey seat salt if you desire.
Place in the freezer to set, about 15 more minutes. Store in the fridge for 1 week or freezer 1 month.

Video

Notes

Vegan Chocolate Chips: I like Enjoy Life, Hu Chocolate or Just Date for my chocolate brands. The chocolate is going to be melted and mixed with a little bit of coconut oil.

Peanut Butter: I like to use a creamy peanut butter or a natural peanut butter but any nut or seed butter you like will work great.