A rich gluten-free, dairy-free dessert without refined sugars! Keep a stash in your freezer to satisfy your next sweet tooth!
Um, guys?
This recipe is a game-changer. I’m struggling to find the words to accurately convey to you how incredibly awesome these little chocolate almond butter cups are! The flavor. The texture. The chocolate!
They. Are. Delicious!!
And the best part? This is a guilt-free dessert that doesn’t taste like one. Don’t you hate biting into a “healthy” dessert only to be left wishing for the real deal? Not here. My husband and I were absolutely SHOCKED at how good these were, and not in a that’s-good-considering-it’s-a-paleo-treat kind of way. These are just plain ol’ GOOD. I made these after having eliminated refined sugars for two months and I was on a mission to make something that tasted great but was not full of sugar. The only source of sweetness in these chocolate cups comes from a minimal amount of maple syrup, so they are refined-sugar free. But again, you’d never guess it!
To make these amazing little cups of yummyness, combine almond flour, a touch of maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond butter. One taste of this mixture and you know things are headed in a great direction. That all gets pressed down into muffin tins.
I used a regular muffin pan, but if you want to make them more bite-sized you can use a mini-muffin pan if you have one.
Then, the chocolate sauce.
Confession time.
I had no idea making chocolate could be this easy! Just mix melted coconut oil, maple syrup for sweetness, and pure cocoa powder. The result? Silky, rich chocolate sauce! Pour this on top of the almond butter mixture, top with flaked sea salt and/or sliced almonds, and freeze for about 30 minutes.
Seeeee? Easy! These are my new favorite dessert.
You do need to keep these cold so the chocolate doesn’t start to melt, but I love having them in the freezer and pulling one out on occasion for a satisfying dessert made of real ingredients and minimal sugar.
P.S. I know these aren’t traditional Christmas cookies, but I think they’d be a great addition! They would cater to every family member’s special dietary needs (gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, etc.) and still taste amazing. Plus, you can make them ahead of time!
Here’s a quick video I made explaining how to make them!
No-Bake Chocolate Almond Butter Cups (GF, DF, Paleo, Vegan)
For the almond butter base:
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup, warmed if refrigerated
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of fine grain sea salt, to taste
For the chocolate sauce:
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup, warmed if refrigerated
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- pinch of sea salt, to taste
Optional toppings: flaked sea salt, sliced almonds, coconut, etc.
1). Line a muffin pan with liners and make sure there is enough room in the freezer for the muffin pan.
2). In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the base. The dough should be a little bit sticky similar to the texture of cookie dough.
3). Equally distribute the dough into the bottom of the muffin pans (I got 9 thick cups). Press down until it is smooth and flat.
4). In a small bowl, combine the chocolate sauce ingredients, whisking together until smooth. Equally spoon the chocolate over the base of the cups. Top with flaked sea salt and/or sliced almonds, coconut, etc.
5). Place the muffin pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes before enjoying. Store remaining cups in the freezer until ready to eat. These are delicious straight from the freezer!
Servings: 9 (large) cups. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 266 Carbs: 11g Fat: 21g Protein: 6g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 8g Points+: 7 Recipe adapted from here.
Adapted recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.
Audrey's Apron 