Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups {Vegan, Gluten-Free, Tree Nut-free}
These no-bake peanut butter cups are amazing. Like, really amazing. With a short list of ingredients, they are fast and delicious (and also vegan, gluten- and tree nut-free!).
Well, welcome to my newest obsession:
no-bake peanut butter cups.
No exaggeration, I’ve made them at least ten times in the last three weeks. And, I’ve already given the recipe out to almost everyone who has tasted them.
Even my cute dad asked for the recipe and texts me about every other day with a new variation he has made and loved.
They are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. And oh my goodness, they are so good.
Fast and Easy
The chocolate base for these no-bake peanut butter cups is straightforward:
- coconut oil
- peanut butter (natural or “regular”)
- maple syrup (the pure stuff, not pancake syrup)
- cocoa powder*
- unsweetened shredded coconut or quick oats
Melted until smooth with a little vanilla and salt thrown in there.
*You can use every day natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for a semisweet vibe or go for a dark or Dutch-process cocoa for a richer, darker flavor.
For this recipe, I almost always use finely chopped or shredded unsweetened coconut (like this coconut). I love the texture and flavor.
But I’ve thrown in quick oats a time or two (and my dad mostly uses quick oats). Oats will give a different texture. Similar to these healthier no-bake cookies.
Different but delicious. Although if you’re a coconut lover, I think you’ll go crazy for the chocolate + coconut + peanut butter combo.
Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cups
The chocolate mixture might appear a little runny (the consistency will be slightly thinner if using natural peanut butter vs regular creamy peanut butter).
That’s ok! They set up beautifully once chilled.
Scoop the chocolate mixture into the lovingly placed muffin liners.
Peanut Butter Topping
Time for the peanut butter topping! Bonus: it’s just three easy ingredients:
- peanut butter (again, natural or regular)
- maple syrup
- coconut oil
Pop that trifecta of goodness in the microwave and heat until melted and smooth (but not bubbling hot like lava).
The peanut butter mixture gets dolloped right on top of the chocolate layer. It’s even ok if the chocolate hasn’t fully set up.
You can still scoop the sweet peanut butter topping on top.
Newsflash: it’s really hard to mess up these no-bake peanut butter cups.
Refrigerate or freeze the peanut butter cups until they are set up. (I keep them in the refrigerator basically at all times and serve them chilled – because, yum.)
And then decide how/if/when you want to serve them to others. I will hold no judgment if you decide to keep them all to yourself.
They are worthy of hoarding.
The last few weeks I’ve found myself making these no-bake peanut butter cups very often. Maybe too often.
They come together so fast and validate that part of me that feels exponentially more peaceful when I know a sweet craving fix is only a refrigerator door away.
While they make a terrific little mid-afternoon pick-me-up to keep on hand, I’ve also made them for a multitude of people (varying from strict vegan friends to dairy-free cousins to treat-loving dads), and they are fantastic enough to be present anytime, anywhere.
My only wish is that my kids hated them.
I can’t wait to see what variations you come up with!
One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Kitchen Sink Cookies {Caramel, Pretzels, M&Ms, and More}
Two Years Ago: Grilled Sweet and Sour Chicken
Three Years Ago: Mexican Haystacks {Easy 30-Minute or Less Meal}
Four Years Ago: Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
Five Years Ago: Grilled Mojo Pork Tenderloin Tacos {Freezable Option}
Six Years Ago: Stuffed Zucchini Enchilada Boats
Seven Years Ago: Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Eight Years Ago: Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups
Ingredients
Chocolate Mixture:
- ⅓ cup (75 g) coconut oil
- ⅓ cup (85 g) peanut butter (natural or creamy – see note)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup (see note)
- ⅓ cup (28 g) cocoa powder, natural, dark or Dutch-process
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup (64 g) unsweetened shredded coconut or quick oats (see note)
PB Mixture:
- ⅓ cup (85 g) peanut butter (natural or creamy – see note)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ to 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
- For the chocolate mixture, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Microwave for 30-45 seconds, stir, and continue cooking in 20 second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla, salt and coconut (the mixture may be runny; that’s ok). Scoop the mixture evenly into the bottom of the muffin liners. Refrigerate while making the peanut butter topping.
- For the peanut butter mixture, in a small microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup and coconut oil. Microwave until melted and smooth (don’t over heat).
- Scoop the peanut butter mixture on the top of the chocolate mixture (it’s ok if the chocolate layer isn’t fully set up).
- Refrigerate until set up, about an hour. Keep refrigerated and serve chilled.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired by this recipe at A Couple Cooks)
135 Comments on “Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups {Vegan, Gluten-Free, Tree Nut-free}”
Oh, Mel, these are divine!! I had read this recipe so many times, and finally decided to make these pb cups over the weekend. They were incredible! I made them for a friend who eats dairy-free, sampled one ahead of time, and promptly made a second recipe, knowing that everyone in my house was going to love them, too. My husband, who is suspicious of any food bearing the “vegan” label, kept sneaking them out of the fridge. I used oats as opposed to the shredded coconut and they were delicious, but I’ll try the coconut in the future, too. Thanks for an incredibly yummy, simple recipe!
Thank you Mel!!! These are amazing! Our son has to be gluten and dairy free and is trying to not eat too much sugar. These are perfect. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey and it worked great. Thanks again for another fantastic recipe! You are the BEST.
Easy and yummy! Perfect snack or dessert. Love how quickly they came together.
I don’t like coconut so i didn’t care for these, but i took them to work and everyone raved about them. My husband said they may even be good without the coconut so maybe I’ll have to try it that way. Super easy and fun to try a vegan recipe
I like these made in mini muffin tins with half honey, half maple syrup. So delicious!
Hi! I was wondering if you used mini muffin liners or just greased the pan and placed them straight in it.
Do you know how long these will stay set at room temperature? I’m wanting to make them for a pot luck dinner and not sure how they will be come dessert time!
As long as they stay at cool room temperature, they can stay out for an hour or so.
How long can they sit out? I’m thinking of making them for a pot luck dinner but I don’t want them to be a melty mess by dessert time.
When your AC goes out, what do you do to cope?
Make this delicious treat!!
I subbed rice krispies for the coconut, and added a generous pinch of salt to the filling. Absolutely scrumptious!!!
Oh! That sounds like a good plan!
Does anyone know the calories/macros for this recipe?!
Question – do you think I could make this into a pie? Would there be enough batter/dough?
I haven’t tried that so I’m honestly not sure – but it’s worth experimenting. I’m guessing it would make thin layers
These are sooooo good!
And refined-sugar free!! Woot! I’ve started cutting refined sugar this week and this recipe saved me today! I am excited to try it in mini muffin tins next time- for when i just want a”bite”! Thanks for another winner, Mel!!
The best time to make these is one hour ago! These are amazing! The unsweetened coconut from WinCo’s bulk bin is almost a powder, and perfect for this recipe. I couldn’t believe how smooth and creamy the finished result was! I also added chopped hazelnuts to the chocolate mixture. The crunch was perfection. My kids loved these too. It’s a fun treat! Cutting them into fourths made them easier to eat, so next time I’ll make them in mini muffins tins or a 9 in square pan and cut into squares.
I should mention that I used honey instead of maple syrup.
Are these meant to be a kind of fudge-y texture? (Pretty soft?)
Did anyone have the issue of coconut oil separating from the chocolate mixture? My finished product when chilled had white pools/spots. Oops.
Yes, these are soft if they are out at room temp for a while. I haven’t had the issue of coconut oil separating…do you think it was stirred well enough?
I LOVED this recipe and made it several times.
I felt like there was a little too much coconut oil as it melted too quickly. Fridge to serving time is not very long.
This recipe is dangerously fabulous. It was detailed but easy and I need to perfect my technique so the cups look almost as good as they taste. I’m a coconut “nut” so I used coconut and it was as if Reese’s peanut butter cups and Mounds had a baby. They’re even better the next day. I’ve had 3 tonight.
These are so yummy and just what I need while my nursing baby can’t handle me eating dairy or soy. I’ve made them with coconut shreds and oats and loved both but prefer the oats. I love coconut but I think the oats absorb more of the coconut oil.
Thanks for the review, Jill!
Substituted honey as I love peanut bitter honey combo and they were amazing! So great for my vegan and gluten free colleagues
These are dangerous!! My absolute weakness is Chocolate and Peanut Butter and these are SO GOOD. I think I might prefer these over the real thing! I’ve now made them twice and already stocking up on ingredients so I can have them ALL. THE. TIME. Thank you for once again providing me with one of my favorite recipes!!!
Great recipe for peanut butter and chocolate lovers. Use oats if you don’t like coconut because the coconut flavor is definitely there. Thanks so much
Amazing as always Mel! Thank you! and how many of these do you get from your batter? 12 full sized muffin cups? I didn’t get that many….maybe I licked the batter spoon one too many times;)
Haha. I’ve been known to do that, too! I got 12 regular muffin sized cups but I don’t fill them all the way full – they’re kind of flat.
Super yummy. Made them exactly as specified. I’m excited to try different variations now!!
Let me know if you come up with any exciting variations!
Hey Mel, I love coconut but I hate coconut oil. I’ve tried different brands over the years, I just can’t do it. Could I sub something else for coconut oil ? Maybe a tablespoon of butter ?
Yes, you can sub melted butter in for the coconut oil.
These are so dangerously addicting! I made them with toasted coconut from Gygi and they were amazing. They reminded me of the coconut chocolates in the Whitman sampler, but with peanut butter. #nextlevel
Gosh, these were so delicious. I made them the other day. I can’t have coconut so I used the quick oats. I was out of butter, so I used safflower (neutral) oil. The taste was phenomenal. The only thing was that they didn’t set up firm enough in the fridge. So I popped them in the freezer for ten minutes and they were perfect. I am sure it was because of the oil I chose. But no complaints from me–they were divine and we loved them! Thank you.
Hi Mel! I dont have a microwave oven. Can this be done over a double-boiler? Thanks! 🙂
Yes!
I made them today using a double-boiler and they are fantastic & addictive! I substitute Maple syrup with Honey. Worked well!! My guests love them! Thank u!!! 🙂
Thanks for the update, Honey!
These things are amazing! I made them with honey(because that’s what I had) and I’m drooling as I type this. So YUMMY! I doubled the recipe and filled them a little fuller and got 16 cups out of it. Best part is they take no longer then 10 minutes to make!
I’m loving all the comments saying honey works just as well. Yay!
Knowing I was planning on making these after a run to the grocery store kept me from buying less healthy items. These are amazing,. Even my husband who is not a fan of PB like them, darn it! I think these taste better than the real deal. Thank you!
*liked
Love hearing this – thanks, Katee!
Just made these last night. We used the smaller paper cup size and put them in the Pampered Chef mini muffin baking sheet with 20 cups. Also, used the small cookie dough scoop for the chocolate. Almost perfect size for make 20. (Smaller amount for peanut butter.) Amounts were almost perfect. The recipe worked great…was very easy with good results. Would like to try the oatmeal version to see how that works.
Thanks so much for the detailed review, Kirk!
Soooo good. I’m gonna try swapping out the coconut with rice krispies.
I think someone on Instagram did that and said it was amazing!
Made these exactly like the recipe instructed. They are DELICIOUS! And so easy. Thanks Mel!
Thank you so much, Anna!
Can semisweet chocolate chips be substituted for the coco powder? And if so, ratio/quantity?
I guess you’d eliminate the p-butter in the chocolate mixture?
I’m honestly not sure as I haven’t tried it – if you experiment, be sure to report back!
THESE WERE SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!! What can I do if I don’t have cupcake liners?
I cut up baking paper into squares and push them into the cupcake tins. I always seem to be out of cupcake liners.
Hey Jennifer – you could lightly grease the muffin tin and see how that works – or like Megan suggested, maybe using cut parchment paper would work. Otherwise, you could probably spread the chocolate mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch pan, spread PB mixture on top and then chill and cut into squares.
How do you put these in the fridge? I could not stop sampling spoonfuls of the meaty chocolate mixture! Kids loved these. The pb cup purist in our house wasn’t a fan of the coconut but everyone else raved about the dark chocolatey flavor! We only had sweetened shredded coconut so I pulsed that in the blender and then used half the amount of maple syrup. I also put them into silicone candy molds and it worked great after being in the fridge for a few hours!
Thanks for the review, Kate! Fun idea to use candy molds. 🙂
Sadly, I am allergic to peanuts and nuts; however, my brain immediately said to use sunflower seed butter. I am also thinking about using rice crisps in the chocolate. Yum
Great ideas, Sheila!
I’m also allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. I was thinking of using tahini in place of peanut butter. Have you (or anyone else) tried tahini in place of peanut butter?
So good! I made mine mini and hide them in the refrigerator! Thanks
I’m excited to make a batch mini size!
Oh. My. Goodness.
I saw your post and just had to try these ASAP. I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I made some substitutions and it was still heavenly. I can’t wait to try them again using the “proper” way because I’m sure it’s divine.
For the chocolate mixture I had to sub butter for coconut oil and honey for maple syrup.
For the peanut butter mixture I had to sub butter for coconut oil and powdered sugar for maple syrup (I ran out of honey).
Thanks for an amazing, fool proof recipe!
I’m glad the substitutions worked out so well! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
omigoodness! I can’t wait to make these! We eat keto and these are the perfect keto fat bomb. All I have to do is exchange the maple syrup with monkfruit or the like. Amazing! Thank you! I can imagine I’ll be making them 10 times in 3 weeks too! Oh dear!
Haha, I hope you love them, Tara!
This was a perfect treat tonight and I didn’t feel as guilty eating it since it was made from all natural ingredients! I didn’t have coconut and substituted oatmeal. It is very similar to the healthier no-bake cookie but a fun twist on the idea. I calculated the calories in My Fitness Pal and it came to 210 per cup (made 12 regular size cups). Thanks Mel!
Thanks, Amber!
“My only wish is that my kids hated them.”
Best thing I’ve read on a food blog! I’ll be making these as soon as I get the coconut ingredients.
Haha…thanks, Jennifer. 🙂
They are so delicious, rich and easy to make. I couldn’t even wait until the PB cups were chilled before trying one. Question: Can they also be made in a mini muffin tray? Thank you Mel!
I’m glad you liked them Laura (you made them same day, and I love that!) – yes, they can definitely be made in a mini muffin tin.
Unsweetened shredded coconut not easy to find.
If I use sweetened coconut and skip maple syrup, do you think it would balance out?
I’d probably cut the maple syrup in half but not nix it completely.
Trader Joe’s!
Walmart also carries unsweetened shredded coconut-and I love in a small town! It’s in a green bag and is even organic!
I can’t wait to try these for myself and my vegan friends. Question though…my husband doesn’t like chocolate (ikr?) but has always liked the white chocolate peanut butter cups. Any suggestions on how to make that change? (Normally I would experiment until I got it but I am currently living out of the country and can’t always find ingredients/substitutes easily.) Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi Shari – that is a great question. Honestly, I’m not sure. Let’s see, I wonder if you could use chopped white chocolate in place of the cocoa powder – maybe 6 ounces? And then I’d decrease the coconut oil probably in half (and likely the maple syrup, too, since white chocolate is a lot sweeter than cocoa powder).
These are a yummy little treat! I made them in a mini muffin tin (without liners). I put a generous tablespoon in each spot and doubled the peanut butter mixture to put a generous teaspoon in each. I popped the pan in the freezer to hurry up the cooling! Some stuck, which was my fault for not using liners, so I rolled them into balls and rebranded them as truffles 🙂
These are also nice for people avoiding refined sugar!
Thanks for another winner!
Thanks for the details, Becky!! And I love the “rebrand” – haha. Brilliant!
I’ve been following your blog long enough to know that you most likely double or triple this recipe? C’mon Mel, 12 cups is never going to be enough, did your kids even get any? I know mine wouldn’t!
Thanks for always bringing great recipes and a food blog that I actually enjoy reading (and don’t just skip right to the recipe).
Haha, Pete, you DO know me very well. Ok, you’re right. I usually double the recipe. It’s the only right thing to do here. 🙂 Thanks for the chuckle…and the much needed kindness.
“My only wish is that my kids hated them” lol you are hilarious. I can seriously relate.
I’m glad you understand! Haha
Sorry to see you chose to make a political pronouncements at the end of your recipe. I’ve been following you for years, but am now unfollowing. I can’t support an organization that wants dead cops and wants it now or any of the other hateful proclamations by that group.
Hi Ann, I honestly have no idea what you are referring to? I’d love more information…I’m guessing it was an ad that showed up on the website? While I am able to prohibit some ads, others sneak through and I have to work with my ad management company to track them down. Don’t be so quick to make judgments; I’d love to figure out what you saw.
I wanted to add- in contrast- how happy I was to see the ‘Black Families Matter’ ‘Love>Hate’ ads on your site. I think these banners are consistent with the values you promote, and further evidence of the lovely, inclusive nature of the MKC community you have created. Love and equality are not pie, giving to others does not mean there’s less to go around. Thank you, Mel! We appreciate you!
Thank you for a thoughtful, heartfelt comment, Rebecca. I’ve been blogging long enough to realize I can’t make everyone happy, but I do believe those that “know” me well enough (even if that’s just online) know that at the heart of it, I do try to be very authentic to who I am and what I believe. I appreciate you.
Thank you for sharing a vegan gluten-free treat! We have been transitioning to more plant based and also have Celiac’s, so I am excited to try this!
I hope you love them, Teresa!
Yum! These look amazing! I will definitely be trying these, though with quick oats, and using melted butter, as I really don’t like coconut (sorry!). Chocolate and peanut butter are my favourite combo
I think butter would be a great substitution if you aren’t working around dairy allergies. Let me know what you think!
I made these this morning, using salted butter instead of coconut oil, and quick oats instead of coconut. I skipped the pinch of salt due to the salt in the butter. These are amazing! I am hard pressed to stop at just one! I don’t know if the texture would have been different with coconut oil, as these were rather soft, but delicious!
I used salted butter, and quick oats, skipped the extra salt in the recipe. They turned out so good! Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Thanks for the review about using butter instead of coconut oil, Kristi! Glad they worked out so well!
Ok…don’t get annoyed! But a question about substitutes for coconut oil. My husband has some “issues” digesting it but I know he’d love these so so much. Would butter/margarine set up? Be too greasy?
I think melted butter should work great! (Never annoyed by questions!) 🙂
Hi Mel, what’s your favorite brand of coconut oil? And does it have a strong coconut flavor? I know some of them have a distinct coconut flavor and others you can barely taste it. Can’t wait to make these…thank you!
Usually refined coconut oil has less of a distinct taste – I almost always get the unrefined coconut oil, Kirkland brand, from Costco.
These look AMAZING!! But as a tree-nut and peanut allergy sufferer, the “nut free” was a little misleading. I understand peanuts are a legume, but maybe specify “tree-nut” free instead? I’ll definitely have to try these with the sun butter I usually use. Yum!!
Hi Michaela, I added clarification to the post pretty early this morning – sorry if you missed it~
Oh Mel, a perfect treat for a hot day here today. I don’t want to use coconut oil or butter. Do you think safflower/canola oil would work–a neutral oil?
I haven’t tried it, but it will probably work!
Hello beautiful! Is there anything better than peanutbutter and chocolate? No, there is not, unless you count my kids brushing their teeth without me nagging them, but that’s unrealistic. Yum, yum! And they contain oats so that means they’re a health food, even better…..
Haha, good luck with the teeth brushing thing. I still have to nag my 16-year old so…
My husband strongly dislikes coconut so I’m going to try w the quick oats. If I do a quick blend in my Ninja on the oats, do you think it would help make the chocolate mixture consistency more similar to the shredded coconut’s? Curious!
My dad uses quick oats without blending and loves them but if you want a finer texture you can definitely run them through the blender, just make sure not to get all the way to oat flour!
Kind of giggling about how they can be nut free when they have both coconut and peanut butter. Luckily I don’t have an issue with nuts and will definitely try these!
Technically peanuts are a legume but I understand the confusion – I added some clarification to the post. 🙂
These look amazing! I can’t wait to make them for my sweet vegan friends.
Peanuts are a legume, not a tree nut, therefore, this recipe is indeed “nut free”.
I think a lot of people still lump peanuts in with all nuts… I was thinking of tree nuts vs legumes (peanuts) when I labeled them nut free, but I just added another note in the post to clarify. I hope your friends who eat vegan love these!
You are both right, peanuts are a legume. I have a food allergic kid and typically with consumer labeling nut free includes both peanut and tree nut. If someone is searching for a nut free recipe, they most likely are looking for something free from both. ❤️
You are right, peanut are legumes. I have a food allergic kid and in consumer labeling, nut free almost always includes both. If someone is searching for a nut free recipe they would be most likely be looking for something free from peanuts and tree nuts.
Are used a mini muffin pan and put the mixes in baggies cut the corner made it easier for distribution. I also use Trader Joe’s mixed nut butter. 🙂
Brilliant about using bags for the layers!
Full size muffin tins or mini tins? Or both?!!
I use full size but you could definitely make them mini sized
If these top my long standing spoonful-of-pb-topped-with-chocolate-chips-while-hiding-in-the-pantry therapy, then we have a winner! And I’ll need to increase my walk to 40 min a day.
You may want to consider taking “nut-free” out of the title and description as these are made with peanut butter. (I know technically a legume and not a nut but most people looking for nut free recipes are also avoiding peanuts.) Love your recipes!
I added some clarification – thank you!
These aren’t nut free but they look delicious!
I was thinking in terms of tree nuts vs legumes (peanuts are legumes) but I can understand how that still might be confusing to some so I clarified in the recipe. 🙂
Coconuts are considered a seed, a fruit and a tree nut. So it isn’t nut free. Coconuts are a common allergy found with a tree it allergy because they are similar.
Made them in mini muffin pan and used baggies to “squirt” in the batters. Used mixed nut butter (peanut free) from Trader Joe’s. So yummy and cool and refreshing.
Any suggestions on what to replace the coconut oil with because of food sensitivity? Do you think avocado oil would work?
You could try melted butter (if you aren’t avoiding dairy); I’m worried the avocado oil flavor might give a weird flavor to these.
Mel to the rescue- as always! It’s too hot to think here, let alone turn on the oven. Over the last couple weeks we’ve burned through the freezer stash of treats, and just this morning I was debating what to make next, or whether it should just be watermelon until it cools off a bit… yay for this recipe! Peanut butter cups! They look delicious and I love that they don’t actually use any of my remaining precious hoard of actual chocolate. Making them today… thanks again for the great ideas!
Thanks, Rebecca!
Yum! My husband thanks you in advance for this! And my children. Although honestly they probably won’t get any once my husband sees them….
Haha…
I’m confused – how are these ‘nut-free’ if they contain peanuts?
I was thinking in terms of tree nuts vs legumes (peanuts are legumes not nuts); I clarified in the recipe to avoid confusion.
Peanuts are actually a legume, not a nut as they grow in a pod in the ground and are not a tree but.
Whoops! I commented right when you did Mel. But apparently I can’t spell ‘nut’!