Indulge in a delightful treat with these vegan chocolate almond butter cups. They are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth while keeping things plant-based. With a rich chocolate shell and a creamy almond butter filling, these cups are a delicious and healthier alternative to traditional candy.
If you don't usually stock coconut oil or maple syrup in your pantry, you might need to pick them up at the supermarket. Coconut oil is often found in the baking or health food aisle, while maple syrup is typically located near the breakfast items. Make sure to choose dark chocolate chips that are dairy-free to keep the recipe vegan.
Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Dark chocolate chips: These are the base for the chocolate layers, providing a rich and smooth texture.
Almond butter: This creamy nut butter forms the delicious filling inside the cups.
Coconut oil: Used to help melt the chocolate and to mix with the almond butter for a smoother consistency.
Maple syrup: Adds a touch of natural sweetness to the almond butter mixture.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor of the almond butter filling.
Sea salt: A pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the overall flavor.
Technique Tip for This Recipe
To achieve a perfectly smooth and glossy finish for your chocolate layers, make sure to temper the chocolate properly. This involves melting the chocolate to a specific temperature, cooling it down, and then slightly reheating it. This process stabilizes the chocolate crystals, giving your chocolate almond butter cups a professional look and a satisfying snap when you bite into them.
Suggested Side Dishes
Alternative Ingredients
dark chocolate chips - Substitute with carob chips: Carob chips are naturally sweet and caffeine-free, making them a great alternative to dark chocolate chips.
almond butter - Substitute with cashew butter: Cashew butter has a creamy texture and mild flavor, which works well in place of almond butter.
coconut oil - Substitute with avocado oil: Avocado oil has a neutral flavor and similar fat content, making it a suitable replacement for coconut oil.
maple syrup - Substitute with agave nectar: Agave nectar is a vegan sweetener with a similar consistency and sweetness level to maple syrup.
vanilla extract - Substitute with almond extract: Almond extract provides a different but complementary flavor profile that can enhance the overall taste.
sea salt - Substitute with pink Himalayan salt: Pink Himalayan salt has a similar mineral content and flavor, making it a good alternative to sea salt.
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How to Store / Freeze These Almond Butter Cups
Allow the vegan chocolate almond butter cups to cool completely before storing. This ensures they maintain their shape and texture.
Store the cups in an airtight container. This helps to keep them fresh and prevents them from absorbing any unwanted odors from the fridge.
Place a piece of parchment paper between layers if you need to stack them. This prevents the chocolate from sticking together.
Keep the container in the refrigerator if you plan to consume them within a week. The cool temperature helps maintain their firmness and flavor.
For longer storage, place the cups in a freezer-safe container. This is ideal if you want to keep them for up to three months.
When freezing, ensure the cups are spread out on a baking sheet first. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a container or freezer bag. This prevents them from sticking together.
To enjoy a frozen chocolate almond butter cup, let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the chocolate to soften slightly, making it easier to bite into.
Avoid storing the cups in direct sunlight or near heat sources. This can cause the chocolate to melt and lose its shape.
If you notice any condensation inside the container, wipe it off with a paper towel. Excess moisture can affect the texture of the almond butter filling.
Label your containers with the date of storage. This helps you keep track of how long they’ve been stored and ensures you enjoy them at their best quality.
How to Reheat Leftovers
For a quick and easy method, place the vegan chocolate almond butter cups on a microwave-safe plate. Heat them in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. This will soften the chocolate slightly without melting it completely, giving you a delightful, gooey texture.
If you prefer a more controlled reheating process, use a double boiler. Place the vegan chocolate almond butter cups in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir gently for a few minutes until they reach your desired softness. This method ensures even heating and prevents the chocolate from burning.
For a room-temperature option, simply let the vegan chocolate almond butter cups sit out on the counter for about 15-20 minutes. This will allow them to soften naturally, bringing out the rich flavors of the dark chocolate and almond butter without any risk of overheating.
If you have a toaster oven, set it to a low temperature (around 150°F or 65°C). Place the vegan chocolate almond butter cups on a baking sheet and warm them for about 5 minutes. This method provides gentle, even heat, perfect for achieving a slightly melted, indulgent treat.
Best Tools for This Recipe
Double boiler: A double boiler is used to gently melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil without burning them.
Microwave: An alternative to the double boiler for melting the chocolate chips and coconut oil quickly.
Mixing bowl: A mixing bowl is needed to combine the almond butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt.
Muffin tin: A muffin tin is used to hold the paper liners and shape the chocolate almond butter cups.
Paper liners: Paper liners are placed in the muffin tin to prevent the chocolate almond butter cups from sticking and to make them easy to remove.
Spoon: A spoon is used to pour and spread the melted chocolate and almond butter mixture into the paper liners.
Refrigerator: A refrigerator is necessary to chill the chocolate almond butter cups until they are set.
How to Save Time on Making These Almond Butter Cups
Use the microwave: Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, to save time.
Pre-measure ingredients: Measure out all your ingredients before starting to streamline the process.
Double up: Use two muffin tins to make more chocolate almond butter cups at once, cutting down on preparation time.
Quick set: Place the muffin tin in the freezer instead of the refrigerator to set the chocolate almond butter cups faster.
Vegan Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 0.5 cup almond butter
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix almond butter, remaining coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt until well combined.
- Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Pour a spoonful of melted chocolate into each liner, spreading it to cover the bottom.
- Add a spoonful of the almond butter mixture on top of the chocolate layer.
- Cover the almond butter layer with another spoonful of melted chocolate.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until set.
Nutritional Value
Keywords
Suggested Appetizers and Main Courses
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