Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

4.96 from 50 votes

3-ingredient homemade vegan peanut butter cups are easy, fun to make, and every bit as creamy and indulgent as the original candy – perfect for a sweet tooth!

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Refrigerate1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces of vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
½ teaspoon of flaky or regular salt if using unsalted peanut butter, plus more for garnish

Instructions

Line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside in the freezer.
Add 8 ounces of vegan chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Place it in the microwave and turn it on for 35 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Place the bowl back in the microwave and turn it on for 35 seconds. Repeat the process until the vegan chocolate is completely melted. Do not overheat the vegan chocolate or it could burn and dry out.
Remove the prepared muffin tin from the freezer and add 1 tablespoon of melted vegan chocolate to each liner. Give it a few gentle taps so the dairy-free chocolate self-levels itself. Set the used bowl aside for later use.
Place the tray in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Have the peanut butter ready on your work area along with a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon and a rounded-tip knife.
Have a pipping bag ready with the smallest tip you have or cut a small opening in the tip of the bag. Set aside ready to be filled.
Grab the second 8-ounce bag of vegan chocolate chips and place them in the bowl you previously used to melt the dairy-free chocolate. Place the bowl in the microwave and microwave for 35 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave and mix the vegan chocolate chips. Repeat the process until you see most of the vegan chocolate is melted and warm, but you still see many vegan chocolate chips not melted. Mix it very well until they melt with the warmth of the melted vegan chocolate. Do not over-melt the dairy-free chocolate. This batch needs to be slightly less runny than the first one.
Place the bowl with the melted vegan chocolate on your work area and leave it in the bowl.
Take the muffin tray out of the freezer and check if the vegan chocolate is solid.
Add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter right in the center of each cup. Use the knife to help you remove the peanut butter from the teaspoon.
Use the teaspoon and knife, to flatten the peanut butter as much as possible, but make sure it does not get too close to the edge. Repeat the process until every cup has the peanut butter flattened. If your peanut butter is naturally runny, there is no need to flatten the peanut butter.
Give the melted vegan chocolate a good mix, and transfer it onto the pipping bag.
Using the piping bag, in a circular motion, add vegan chocolate around the peanut butter, and make sure it is the same height as the peanut butter. Repeat the process with all of the cups. Do not cover the top yet.
Once all of the cups have vegan chocolate around the peanut butter, pipe more vegan chocolate on top to cover and encapsulate the peanut butter.
Place the tray over a kitchen towel and give the tray a few gentle taps for the vegan chocolate to self-level. If the vegan chocolate has hardened and is not self-leveling, place the tray in the conventional oven for 5 to 10 seconds on broil.
Sprinkle some flaky salt and place the tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
Remove from the freezer and enjoy cold!
Store them in the freezer for later use.

Notes

Use high-quality vegan chocolate: Use rich, semi-sweet/dark chocolate you like the flavor of.

For the best flavor: If the PB is unsalted, add a pinch to balance and enhance the flavor.

Work quickly: Without coconut oil, the melted vegan chocolate firms up quickly – so assemble the homemade peanut butter cups quickly.

Chill between layers: Skipping this step causes the PB to sink. Chilling between helps make cleaner, even layers.

Nutrition