Amazing No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups {Vegan and Gluten-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 and gluten-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!

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Seven Years Ago: Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing 
Eight Years Ago: Salted Chocolate Toffee Pretzel Bark

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups

Yield: 12 peanut butter cups

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

4.85 stars (133 ratings)

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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

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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

Peanut Butter: I’ve made this recipe using natural peanut butter and also regular creamy peanut butter (like Jif). Both work great. Using natural peanut butter gives a nuttier flavor and a thinner consistency to both the chocolate and peanut butter layers (it’ll set up just fine in the refrigerator).

Maple Syrup: I have only used pure maple syrup in this recipe; you could probably experiment with honey or other sweeteners.

Coconut: my favorite coconut to use in this recipe is finely shredded unsweetened coconut (like this coconut). My dad has made several variations of this recipe using quick oats (or half coconut/half oats) with good results (he also adds chopped nuts and dried fruit).

Cocoa Powder: natural, unsweetened cocoa powder gives these PB cups a semisweet vibe; using Dutch-process or dark cocoa lends a rich, dark chocolate vibe.

Author: Mel

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Method: No-Bake

Calories: 214kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 69mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g

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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired by this recipe at A Couple Cooks)

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