A sweet treat for your sweetheart.

If I don’t have a stash of these in my home, you can find me dunking chocolate chips into the almond butter jar. I know, I know — I’m truly thriving. These almond butter cups are every paleo AND Reese’s cup-loving person’s dream, and I cannot wait for you to try them.

And, if you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier this year, don’t worry — I’ve got you covered! The sweetener in these almond butter cups is pure, raw maple syrup, which won’t spike your blood sugar or cause junk food cravings. Make these for yourself for Valentine’s Day; I can guarantee that you’ll never desire a different nut butter/chocolate combination. 

P.S.: Don’t like almond butter? No problem! Peanut butter is BOMB in these cups as well. 

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups  

Time: 30 minutes

When to Eat Them: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack time 

Perks: gluten-free, paleo, vegan, no refined sugar, mind-blowingly delicious 

Sh*t You Need:

14 – 16 ounces dark chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup crunchy or smooth almond/peanut/cashew butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Saucepan 
Wooden spoon
Mini muffin tray (or, you can use a regular muffin tray to make giant nut butter cups) 

The Recipe:

1. In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Once melted, add the dark chocolate and heat on low. Only heat it enough so that is just melted, being careful to not burn the chocolate.

2. Separately, in a large bowl, stir together nut butter of choice, the other tablespoon of coconut oil, vanilla extract, sea salt and maple syrup.

3. Pour about 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate sauce into each muffin cup. 

4. Add a spoonful of the almond butter mixture to each cup.

5. Pour the remaining chocolate sauce over each almond butter dollop until the cup fills up about 3/4 of the way. 

6. Freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from freezer; top with sea salt, treat yourself, and ENJOY!

Having a party? If you have leftovers, or are making them ahead of time, store them in the fridge for a fudge consistency (after the 30 minutes in the freezer).

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