It’s time to start thinking about some amazing and delicious gluten-free gifts we can share with friends and family over the holidays.
A couple of years ago my friend Alta shared some fabulously healthier gifts – I made her chocolate dipped spiced dates for friends of ours. They were a big hit!
I love sharing gluten-free goodies during the holidays. It’s a great way to spread the delicious gluten-free love, to show people how simple gluten-free can be, and to show the kids that homemade gifts are just as much fun as store-bought gifts!
This year I’m planning on making a few batches of Peanut Butter Cups because I know everyone will love them! They also happen to be super easy, the kids can help me make them, and they’re naturally gluten-free!
Did I mention the delicious part?
Easy Peanut Butter Cups
Feel free to double or triple this batch, depending on how many you want to make.
¼ cup all-natural peanut butter (any nut or seed butter will do)
2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
100 grams of unsweetened chocolate (I use Cocoa Camino)
4 tbsp maple syrup or agave
4 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla1. Set aside a mini cupcake/muffin pan. I use silicone muffin pans and they make these cups really easy to pop out.
2. Combine peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Stir until well combined and add in chocolate chips. Set aside.
3. In a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pot of water), gradually melt chocolate bar with maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla. Fill each cup of a mini muffin pan with approximately 1/2 tsp of the melted chocolate. Freeze until hard.
4. Remove chocolate from freezer and spoon in approximately 1/2 teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture. Return to freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and fill cups with remaining chocolate. Freeze or refrigerate until hard.
5. Use a knife to help you pop the Peanut Butter Cups out of the pan. A silicone pan works really well here! You could also use cupcake liners or candy liners (see comments below about using cupcake liners).Store in the fridge as chocolate will melt in your hands AND in your mouth.
Yield: 12 mini cups
This recipe is linked up to:
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
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{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
YUM!! These sound fantastic, Maggie. I used to make chocolate candies (back in my gluten, sugar, and dairy eating days!) to both sell and give away at the holidays. So whenever I see healthier chocolate candy recipes, it always makes me want to get back into my chocolatiering groove.
Thanks Hallie! I like making chocolate candies. It’s a fun way to spend a day, isn’t it? And then you get to eat the ones that broke
The kids love it too!
The most delicious chocolate candies I’ve ever seen, Maggie!! I’m making these for Christmas. YUM!!!
Thank you Amy! I wish I could bring some over to your house, I’d trade you for some caramels (my fave!). xo
Mmmmm! Making me really miss peanut butter! But I bet they’d be great with almond butter, too. Thanks for the recipe, Maggie! (and melt-in-your-hands? What could be better?)
Ricki I almost made them with almond butter, I think it would be fabulous! And of course I used your fave – cocoa camino unsweetened chocolate
Oh, girlie! These are perfect! I always say I am going to make my own peanut butter cups. This is going to be the year for sure now! LOVE your recipe!! Your photos look beautiful!
Thanks Kim – you’re too sweet! It was really fun to do, and your boys can definitely help you!
oh my! These look amazing — I think the guys in my house will go crazy over these. I’ll just won’t tell them how healthy they are made.
Yummy!
Hey Charis – Yes, don’t tell them how healthy they are until they’ve eaten the entire batch
OMG These look so good. And so beautiful really.
YUM
Thanks Heidi! I’ll make you some!
Nice idea, I am on the second freeze, soon to add the last chocolate. Not sure how to get them out of the pan. Did they pop out, or did you put the pan in warm water for a quick minute.
Would like to know how you did it,
Hoping they work out . Yummy idea
Thanks
Hey Healing – I’m so glad you tried them! I updated the post to include that instruction – thanks for pointing that out. I used a knife to help me pop them out. I also used silicone muffin pans for one batch and that worked really well. Hope you LOVE them!
Your peanut butter cups look delish Maggie, gonna have to make some of those for my boys!
Happy Holidays my friend!
Thanks Heidi! It’s good to see you over here
I miss you! I hope your lucky boys love them!
Maggie, these look amazing! I’ve been loving sweetening my own chocolate lately, and with maple it is so, so good!
Thanks Alisa – sweetening your own chocolate is the way to go! I love it.
Maggie, look at these! Yum. So easy, too.
Thanks Lex! I’m all for easy in the kitchen!
I could so go for one (or three!) of these right now
Yeah Cara, I think three is the better option
Did you know that the way to my heart is with peanut butter cups? I think I am in love! I think tripling the batch is a darn good idea!
Well Carol, next time I come to Florida, I’ll bring you a batch
Or three – heehee!
Those look so beautiful and actually sound quite easy, Maggie. I’m really surprised. I think I need to make some of these for my son for Christmas. Of course, I’ll have to sample a few.
xo,
Shirley
Thanks Shirley. I hope your son enjoys them, I know you will too! xo
I make these (well, not “these”, lol) the past 2 yrs for the holidays, except with Sunbutter!! I’ve never done them with the coconut oil, though. I might have to tryand incorporate that into my recipe! Its so fun watching people say, “Oh, I can’t,” then taking a bite, then their eyes popping out of their heads!!lol I made 3 dozen, and they were gone in 30 min!~!lol
SO easy! Def freeze after last chocolate addition…I learned the hard way the first time around that if you just refridgerate, its nearly impossible to get them out, even with spraying the tins. This year I was going to try using those lil bitty foil liners…thought they’d be a cute addition!
Hi Mishi – I would love to try the Sunbutter option! Someone else suggested pecan butter. Yum! Such good ideas. Thanks for sharing.
I tried these with the paper cups and they stick too well. I guess I will have to pick the paper off and eat them myself. Will try to find a silicone pan to do these as popping them out might work better.
Hi Linda – I think the candy paper cups should work well. Do you know what I mean? They’re usually foil. Thanks so much for your note.
Enjoy!
These look delicious. Excited to try them with almond or pecan butter.
Johanna pecan butter sounds amazing!
Umm.. YUM!!? These look to die for! I refuse to eat the sugar laden Reece’s pb cups.. they taste so full of sugar and oil…. I can’t even think about it lol.. but THESE!? OMG… I am going to have to make these very soon. I like the idea of using the mini foil liners… I’ll be checking out Safeway tomorrow. Or maybe the dollar store. Someone must have them!!
Hey Curly J – thanks for the note! I get my foil liners at The Bulk Barn. Do you have one where you are? BC?
Would love to try to make these for my son. (I am cocoa allergic and have next to no knowledge of chocolate…)
One question,,, never heard of Cocoa Camino,,, are we talking a powdered Cocoa like say hersheys cocoa or are we talking a baking chocolate bar? It would probably make quite a difference…
Hi Karen – Thanks for the note! Cocoa Camino is the brand I use, the recipe calls for unsweetened chocolate and by that I do mean more like a baking chocolate bar. I’m not sure if you use carob, but I’m sure you could melt carob and have similar results (just a very different taste). I hope you do get to enjoy these!
Maggie,
These look amazing; o my goodness! You are quite talented…I love this recipe…I’ve never made homemade peanut butter cups but now I’m surely gunna!
Thank you.
xoxo
Why thank you lovely Amie Valpone
You’re gonna love them! xo
look fabulous. First time on your site via Pinterest
Thanks Alison, I’m so glad pinterest sent you here
I LOVE pinterest!
Wow! Now I’ve made these TWICE since you posted the recipe and I must say they are one of my favourite sweets ever. I made them with agave and without chocolate chips.
Hi Gloria – Thanks for reporting back! I’m so glad to hear you love them. Happy holidays!
These do look yummy! I am in the process of making my 1st batch. I just read through the comments and now am wishing I read Linda’s comment about their sticking to the paper liners because I used some cute little Christmas ones I found at the dollar store…hoping the paper doesn’t stick as I’m planning to put these on top of the cookie plates I’ve made to give to my neighbors today!
Update: The paper liners I bought come off quite easily!
Yay! I’m so happy Micheala. Thank you so much for coming back to give me an update. Merry Christmas!
do you use 4 tbsp of maple syrup or 2 tbsp, am kind of confused that there’s 2 separate measurements
Hi Karly – If you take another look at the instructions, you’ll see that you need to use maple syrup twice in the recipe – once for the filling and once for the chocolate
Enjoy!
Maggie
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