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two unwrapped no-bake peanut butter cups stacked with bite taken out of top pb cup

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups

Yield: 12 peanut butter cups
Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Mixture:

  • ⅓ cup (75 g) coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup (85 g) peanut butter (natural or creamy - see note)
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup (see note)
  • ⅓ cup (28 g) cocoa powder, natural, dark or Dutch-process
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • ¾ cup (64 g) unsweetened shredded coconut or quick oats (see note)

PB Mixture:

  • ⅓ cup (85 g) peanut butter (natural or creamy - see note)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions 

  • Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  • For the chocolate mixture, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Microwave for 30-45 seconds, stir, and continue cooking in 20 second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth.
  • Stir in the vanilla, salt and coconut (the mixture may be runny; that's ok). Scoop the mixture evenly into the bottom of the muffin liners. Refrigerate while making the peanut butter topping.
  • For the peanut butter mixture, in a small microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil. Microwave until melted and smooth (don't over heat).
  • Scoop the peanut butter mixture on the top of the chocolate mixture (it's ok if the chocolate layer isn't fully set up).
  • Refrigerate until set up, about an hour. Keep refrigerated and serve chilled.

Notes

Peanut Butter: I've made this recipe using natural peanut butter and also regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif). Both work great. Using natural peanut butter gives a nuttier flavor and a thinner consistency to both the chocolate and peanut butter layers (it'll set up just fine in the refrigerator).
Maple Syrup: I have only used pure maple syrup in this recipe; you could probably experiment with honey or other sweeteners.
Coconut: my favorite coconut to use in this recipe is finely shredded unsweetened coconut (like this coconut). My dad has made several variations of this recipe using quick oats (or half coconut/half oats) with good results (he also adds chopped nuts and dried fruit).
Cocoa Powder: natural, unsweetened cocoa powder gives these PB cups a semisweet vibe; using Dutch-process or dark cocoa lends a rich, dark chocolate vibe.