Thick layers of rich homemade chocolate envelop sweet and gooey caramel centers in these vegan peanut butter caramel chocolate cups.
Rich homemade chocolate
+
Gooey peanut butter caramel
+
Pretty flecks of sea salt
=
Decadent 7-Ingredient PB Caramel Chocolate Cups
These peanut butter caramel cups are a mash-up of this, this, and a pb version of this caramel recipe.
To make the homemade dark chocolate, you'll melt cacao butter in a double boiler and then whisk in raw cacao powder and pure maple syrup. If you don't want to mess with making chocolate yourself or can't find cacao butter, simply melt down some dark chocolate with a little pat of coconut oil to thin it. It'll work like a charm.
Once you've made the chocolate, pour a spoonful into the bottom of 5 cupcake liners that are resting in a muffin tin. Then, rotate the pan around to coat the sides of the cupcake liners with chocolate. Pop the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to set and get started on your caramel.
Just like the original almond butter version mentioned above, this peanut butter caramel comes together in 5 minutes. You'll whisk together a bit of peanut butter (sub sunflower butter for a nut-free option), pure maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and sea salt over medium heat until smooth. Chill it for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, and then dollop a generous tablespoon into each chocolate cup. To finish the cups, simply spoon on another tablespoon or two of chocolate to cover the caramel, sprinkle with sea salt (optional), and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
You can bite right into the cups or halve/quarter them to create bite-sized pieces. The options are endless and the chocolate and peanut butter? Well, it's all yours. Sink your teeth in.
📖 Recipe
Jumbo Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Cups (vegan)
Ingredients
Homemade Chocolate*
- ½ cup cacao butter
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Peanut Butter Caramel
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter**
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
Garnish
- Large-flake sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Make the dark chocolate by melting the cacao butter in a double-boiler or bain marie over medium heat. Once it's melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the cacao powder and maple syrup until smooth.
- Line a muffin tin with 5 cupcake liners. Pour 1 tablespoon of the dark chocolate into the bottom of each muffin liner and carefully rotate the pan around and around to coat the sides of the muffin liners with the chocolate. You want the chocolate to go up about ½ and inch on all sides of each liner. Place pan in freezer for 10 minutes to set.
- Meanwhile, make the peanut butter caramel by combining the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sea salt in a small saucepan. Whisk together over medium-low heat until completely smooth. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of the peanut butter caramel into the center of the chocolate cups (use up all of the caramel) and carefully spread it out to the sides of each cup. Then, pour heaping tablespoons of the chocolate over the caramel layer, using up all of the chocolate. If needed, drop the pan on a hard surface a few times to smooth out the surface of the chocolate. If desired, sprinkle with large-flake sea salt. Return to freezer for 10 minutes to set. Store in refrigerator.
Notes
**Use sunflower butter to make this recipe nut-free.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Wow those look incredible!! Love the little flakes of salt on top :)
Ashley says
Thanks so much, June!! I am a sucker for maldon salt; it's so pretty and delicate.
Karissa @ Vegan A La Mode says
Your dessert recipes always give me such a sweet tooth Ashley! I especially love all the caramel and peanut butter creations you come up with! My boyfriend loves whenever I make any of your desserts so it's safe to say I will be making us these very soon!
Ashley says
Aww!! This seriously makes me so happy. I'm so glad you two are enjoying the desserts so much! I will be posting lots more in the future, as I tend to come up with about 75% dessert recipe concepts and 25% savory, haha. Right now, the dessert/sweets chapter in my book has 28 dessert recipes, haha. Is that too many for a cookbook that has around 125 recipes total?! I'm trying to cut some out, but it feels impossible. However, whatever isn't shared there, will be shared here!
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
Oh these look simply perfect! I'm so ready for a whole batch of these..maybe for lunch? :)
Ashley says
Yes, yes, for lunch!! That is a fantastic idea. Seriously, I wish last Monday included these because with all those kitchen disasters I mentioned to you on fb, I could have used this chocolate or one of your dreamy chocolate treats. :D
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
Am I dreaming? These look and sound amazing!
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Cara! :)
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I always make little peanut butter cups as they make the most perfect and healthy little snacks. I definitely have to try your recipe out!
Ashley says
These would work well as minis too! You could probably get 15 or 20 out of them depending on how small the cupcake liners/pb cup liners are. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Thalia!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says
I'm drooling like a fool, Ashley! Peanut butter cups are my weakness and I love that you made a healthy, caramel version. They look unbelievable!!
Ashley says
Haha! I hear you, Sarah! Peanut butter cups are my weakness too (well, peanut butter anything really). I hope you have a chance to try this caramel version. :)
Celeste Jackson says
These look amazingly delicious! I look forward to making them!
Ashley says
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy them!
Jenn says
Heaven in a little cup. Perfection.
Ashley says
My thoughts exactly! I hope you have a chance to make these, Jenn! :)
Jill Kreiss Tinsley says
I can't wait to make these!!!!
Ashley says
I hope you enjoy them, Jill!
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh goodness! These cups look so adorable and delish! YUM!
Priti says
God! This looks and sounds soooo delicious. Ive been a vegan since about 2yrs now, and have been lazy to prepare chocolate for myself.
This looks pretty scrumptuous. Mouthwatering. Will bookmark ur site. But no idea when will I make it.
Ashley says
Thanks so much!! Homemade chocolate is surprisingly easy to make once you've got your hands on cacao butter I hope you enjoy these once you have a chance to make them!
Anna Vujicic says
Looks delicious and very simple to make, thank you:)... Am I able to add soy milk to the melted dark chocolate to create a vegan milk chocolate cup? x
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Anna! Yes, you should be able to add a small splash of soy milk. Just keep in mind that the more you add the softer the texture of the chocolate will be. I hope you enjoy them!
Ania says
I've never tried pb cups before ( they're not popular in Poland ) but this combo sounded delicious, so I decided to make them today and aaah they're sooo good <3 thank you for this recipe ! xxx
Pam says
I doubled the recipe and made the
layers in an 8 x 8 pan. Fabulous! Great treat and great taste. Thank you