Raw Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

The combination of chocolate and peanut butter has always been one of my all time favorites.  If you were to put a Reese's peanut butter cup in front of my face as a kid, I would have shoved that thing down my gullet in 2.5 seconds. Now I have a bit more restraint, and my tastes have become a bit more refined but I'm still a sucker for anything involving chocolate and peanut butter (or any other nut butter for that matter).

It's been years since I've reached for a Reese's. Instead I would attempt to satisfy my chocolate/peanut butter cravings by eating a spoonful of PB sprinkled with dark chocolate chips.  Not exactly fancy, but it did the trick.  Over the years I've seen peanut butter cup recipes all over the internet. Some called for dark chocolate, which we all know is better than milk chocolate. Many called for the use of almond butter, again a bit healthier than peanuts, but when it came down to it every recipe I came across was still packed with sugar. Not that I have a problem with it, but sometimes I want something that I can indulge in that isn't sickeningly sweet.

I knew I hit the jackpot when I came across a recipe for raw superfood nut butter cups over at My New Roots.  The chocolate base is made with raw cacao powder, coconut oil, cacao butter, raw honey and maca and the nut butter filling contained almond butter and a little more raw honey. That's it!  No high fructose corn syrup, milk or any natural and artificial flavors that you would find in a Reese's. 


Superfood Nut Butter Cups
Adapted from My New Roots
(makes 9 standard sized cups)

Chocolate:
1/2 c. melted coconut oil
3 T. cacao butter
3/4 c. raw cacao powder
1/3 c. raw honey
2 T. maca
1/4 t. sea salt

Filling:
1/2 c. almond butter (or peanut butter... I used 1/4 c. of each)
2 T. raw honey
1/8 t. sea salt

Flaky salt (such as maldon or fleur de sel)

In a double boiler (or a glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water) melt the cacao butter and coconut oil. Add honey and whisk to combine. When completely uniform, remove from the heat and sift in the cacao powder, maca and sea salt.

Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups. Spoon enough liquid chocolate to cover the bottom, the amount is up to you, but keep in mind you should only be using 1/3 of the chocolate at this point.  Place the muffin pan in the fridge or freezer to set for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the almond butter, honey and sea salt until "dough" is formed. If it's too runny, try adding a bit more honey or a bit of maca.  Place in the fridge for 10 minutes to help it firm up a bit.

When the chocolate is set, roll a small amount of nut butter dough (about 1/2 T.) into a ball and flatten into a small disc with the palm of your hands, to just under the size of the chocolate in the cups. Place on top of the hardened chocolate and drizzle the remaining liquid chocolate on top. Sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt, if desired and return to the fridge for at least an hour to set up.

Store in the fridge and try not to eat the entire batch in 2.5 seconds.