How big is your sweet tooth? If it’s anything like mine, you can’t just have one peanut butter cup. I found myself stuck in a habit of cashing a bag of Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups each time I went to the store. Then I realized, there has to be a way to mimic this addicting treat in a way that doesn’t throw my diet completely out of whack! With a little bit of trial and error, I created a 4-ingredient “clean” version of peanut butter cups. These candies are delicious, easy, and nearly guilt-free!

The 4 “Clean” Ingredients:

Like with any dish, your product is only as good as your ingredients. For best results with these 4-ingredient clean peanut butter cups, you should opt to use quality varieties of the 4 main ingredients. The simple ingredients that make up this recipe are:

Peanut Butter
Coconut Flour
Maple Syrup
Dark Chocolate

Notice something! No added sugars! With a sprinkle of sea salt, these simple ingredients build a decadent and “healthy-ish” alternative to a childhood staple! Don’t have coconut flour or prefer to turn these into more of a “power treat”? Substitute protein powder for the coconut flour (vanilla or peanut butter variety). The powder of the flour or protein will fluff the consistency of the peanut butter. This will give it a malleable base with which to craft beautiful and delicious candies!

Can I substitute any flour for coconut flour? Not really. The primary purpose of the flour is consistency, but it has the potential to dampen the flavor. Peanut butter cups are traditionally made by mixing peanut butter with powdered sugar. In an effort to maintain the fluffy consistency without the added sugar, you need to use a powder that can achieve the desired consistency without subtracting from the flavor. Coconut flour brings a hint of flavor that nicely compliments the chocolate and peanut butter without removing any of the sweetness. Protein powder can be substituted but please keep in mind that your filling will be impacted by the flavor of the powder. So, if you don’t like it on it’s own, you probably won’t like it in the mix!

4-Ingredient “Clean” Peanut Butter Cups Recipe:

4 Ingredient "Clean" Peanut Butter Cups

Love peanut butter cups too much to eat just one? Made free from added sugar and with 4 simple ingredients, these are worthy - and capable - of being enjoyed in bulk!

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Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings pieces

Calories 135 kcal

Ingredients

2 C dark chocolate chips
1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 C Coconut Flour (or vanilla protein powder)
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 pinch Sea Salt

Instructions

Melt 1 cup chocolate in a microwave safe bowl by heating for 30 seconds. Stir until melted (do not overheat - you want it to be just warm enough to be smooth and malleable). Prepare 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
Spoon a small amount of melted chocolate (about 1 tsp) in the center of each cup. The chocolate does not need to cover the entire bottom of the cup, it should sit at the size of about a quarter in the center! Place in fridge while you prepare the peanut butter filling!
Prepare peanut butter filling by whipping the peanut butter, coconut flour (or protein powder), maple syrup, and sea salt together! Taste test and adjust to preferred flavor - add more syrup for more sweetness! The mixture should be thick enough to be rolled into small balls with your hands.
Remove cups from fridge. Roll the peanut butter filling into 1/2 inch balls and flatten slightly between fingers until they are about the diameter of a quarter. Then, gently press a ball into the chocolate layer in each cup.
Melt the other 1/2 C chocolate in the same manner as before. Spoon another small amount of chocolate over the top of each peanut butter ball, allowing it to slowly drip over the edges on it's own! Optional to sprinkle with a few granules of sea salt!
Place in the fridge to cool and set (about 15+ minutes). When cooled, they can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature in an airtight container!

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal

Keyword chocolate, chocolate dessert, healthy dessert, peanut butter, peanut butter cups

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Feeling festive? You can easily turn these peanut butter cups into a holiday “buckeye cups” by substituting white chocolate for dark! This is actually my favorite way to serve them. Another way to mix things up, you can sprinkle a garnish of snowflake sprinkles over the top and these babies are holiday party ready! I always like to make a batch in both dark and white chocolate and gift them to my neighbors.